Logan's Arrival Story

***Warning*** Long story and may have "TMI" details given. Obviously if you know me, you can tell it was written by myself.

Well I couldn't have been more thankful for all of the prayers, love, and support James and I have gotten during this whole pregnancy. We also felt God's presence during the whole labor and delivery experience. Since being pregnant, I have been able to hear all of the most wonderful and also frightful stories that just amazed me...and I had come to the final conclusion, regardless it must be something that God allows woman to tolerate, otherwise we wouldn't keep having more kids and the world would be under populated.

Anyway, I wanted to share my personal experience of bringing our Logan into the world. I started having contractions on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. on the dot. I wasn't sure if they were the real thing or not so I just wrote it off as more braxton hicks. James and I were getting more stuff done around the house (sounds like somebody was experiencing the nesting stage...hint, hint) and James had planned to make dinners for us to freeze ahead of time. We decided we were just going to run to Subway for dinner since we still had stuff to accomplish and I was glad he wouldn't have to cook us dinner as well getting the other meals completed.

However, once 8:00 p.m. hit I started getting really tired and worn down with the achiness feeling. I told James I was going to head to bed early. He had decided to stay up and get a few more things worked on. It was 10:00 p.m. and I started to experience intense contractions that were consistently happening every 30 minutes and lasting 1 minute each. I would call James to come into the bedroom and hold my hand and help me focus on breathing during the contraction. I had tried to work thru them myself but would start to cry because I would stop the breathing due to the intense pain.

I know I had mentioned numerous times in prior posts that we did the birthing classes. I was so thankful to have learned relaxation techniques and options for your spouse to help you get thru the laboring process. I was getting so uncomfortable (irritable) laying in bed so we had a medicine ball that I would sit on and could lean on the edge of the bed while James would time how more frequent the contractions started coming closer together. It was finally 1:00 a.m. and I was ready to head the hospital. My contractions were 5 minutes apart and it didn't matter what I tried I was getting too uncomfortable.

So we were on our way and I asked James as nicely as he could to dodge every little bump and pot whole in sight on our way to the hospital. I had brought a towel but luckily my water hadn't broke on the way. We got checked in and the nurse examined me and I was already 6 cm dialated. She said, "Your going to have a baby today." God was totally with me, because I just smiled and said, "Thank goodness." (I wasn't planning to go back home!) I was able to relax in the jacuzzi for the next 30 minutes (if you ever have this option, I highly suggest it!) It helped me relax and tolerate the more frequent and more intense contractions so much better. Plus after being in there for just that time I had already dialated to 8 cm.

My birth plan from the very beginning was to have a natural birth. Now I am not pre-judging or saying that epidurals or C-sections are awful and wrong and nobody should have them. I am not saying that at all. For me personally...having always been tall (truthfully and honestly a "Big Girl", is the term that is the most true but not my favorite to my liking of most phrases chosen) I didn't want to not have feeling of my body from my hips down. I can't bear the feeling of my foot or leg falling asleep as it is, so I can't imagine how rough it would have been for the nursing staff to have to help lug a 6'0", 200+ sized women back and forth. The thought of using a catheter or having a huge needle in my back just scares the living daylights out of me. I know C-sections are used mostly for emergency basis or choice, but I have never been in the hospital before and I consider them pretty major surgery. So once again that fell under me being limited a lot and I prayed and prayed that I wouldn't have to get one. Now with all of this being said. I did put these options as available if my baby's or my own life was at stake to due whatever was necessary.

So back to Logan's story. The nurse told me since I was 8 cm dialated that this would be my last chance to have the option for an epidural. The thought had crossed my mind because my water hadn't broke yet and I knew once it did, I would not have any sort of cushion between Logan's head and my pelvis. The nurse had told me that she believed I could do it because I was working so well with my breathing and working thru the contractions. James also encouraged me and said "Honey, you can do it you are doing an amazing job." So I decided to stick with it.

My water broke and I was finally fully dialated. The nurse said whenever you have the feeling of bearing down or if you want to push, you do it. What!? The baby doesn't just come out after my water breaks? I guess even with the birthing classes and knowledge I had going in, I hadn't realized the "labor" part of labor and delivery. (I know you all are probably thinking, "Duh! Corren!) So it was now 3:00 a.m. and I was shocked and thought that it was amazing that you do actually get the feeling like bearing down or needing to push to go #2. Then I notice it actually relieved a lot of the contraction pain when I did push. Now not to scare anyone out of ever having a baby, but did you know that labor and delivery is comparable to running a marathon!? How in the world do you train for one of those especially when you are 9 months pregnant? I kid you not, I have never pushed or sweated so hard in my entire life! Even being in athletics and running or training has never compared to any of my personal experiences.

Well to spare all of the gross details, (I will say that James said, "It was the most amazing and disgusting experience I have ever had.") I was able to deliver Logan at 5:28 a.m. I was so thankful and just in awe when the Dr. put my baby on my chest and I have never loved the sound of a beautiful cry in my entire life until now. He was so warm and beautiful. The nurses were jealous of all of his beautiful curly hair. I finish writing this post, my baby boy is 4 days old today and I still look back and reflect in shock and feel so proud to say that I was able to deliver this baby boy. I know though, I couldn't have done it without God, and without the amazing nursing staff that was with James and I in the labor and delivery room. Those wonderful people don't get recognized or paid near enough for all the "stuff" and amazing servitude they provide on a daily basis.