Elijah's Birth Story

For about a month I pondered the thought of being induced. I really didn't want to be, some have told me that contractions are more painful if you are induced and that there is an increased chance of c-section. Well, since I had a horrible experience with an epidural with Natalie I didn't want one again and with the thought of labor being more painful I really didn't want to be induced.

THEN my Dr. decides he wants to go on vacation on my due date! I realize that doctors have to have lives too but he could have told me much sooner so I could have found one closer to home. I had been traveling two hours to see this Dr for every appointment.

SO....we start discussing induction. He thinks it would be best especially since I live so far away and I began thinking it would be easier on everyone (except my uterus) to go ahead and induce.
Well we schedule the induction for June 23 10pm. I prayed for days that I would go into labor on my own and you know what....I DID!!! It was 4 pm on the 23rd and we were half way to the city where I was to give birth. YAY!!! We had a very busy morning...packing and loading, caring for my daughter and missing our naps! Well, when we finally were in the car and down the road a bit I pulled out my pillow and began to try to take my nap. Then I had a contraction....then another...I started watching the clock and they seem to be coming every 7 min. I made a deep sigh and quietly thanked God. I then opened my eyes and told Steven...."Honey, I believe I'm in labor." So we started timing them and for the rest of the way the contractions were every 6-7 min. We were to meet Steven's mother so we could eat dinner and she could take Natalie for us.

To pass time we went to Target and bought a mirror for the backseat so we could see our son in his carseat on the way home.
Then we went to pet smart.
Then we went to Ross.
(Yes I was still in labor contractions about every 6 mins now.)

Steven's mom arrived and we went to eat at Applebee's. We had a really nice visit.
When we finished eating my mother arrived and we took Steven's mom and Natalie to the hotel. After we had them settled in we headed for the hospital. I was thinking that since I was already in labor they would let me go and walk and come back when the contractions were 3-5 mins apart. But no...they wanted to go ahead and start moving things along, so they hooked me up to a small drip of pitocin. They told me to get some rest and that the baby would be here sometime after lunch the next day.

Yeah...we turned out the lights and were about to go to sleep when I turned the lights back on and told Steven, "Get up...I can't sleep with these contractions." SO for hours we worked through each contraction...they kept getting harder and harder to handle...We finally turned on the hypbirth...it helped a lot!
Then I just became too tired...I had been up forever and didn't get a nap...I was exhausted. So I asked for some pain meds. About 10 minutes after they gave them to me I went to sleep.....only to wake up to another hard contraction. (I think the meds only put you to sleep, I don't think they help with any pain)
I finally asked for an epidural...the guy was real nice and he did a perfect job....I didn't feel a thing after about 30 min.
I slept.
2 hours later, about 8:30am....My Dr. came in the room and said that I would be having the baby around noon. About 20 min later he said it was time to push.
He asked how the epidural was doing this time and I said, "It's like Heaven."
All I could feel was a lot of pressure in my right ribs (i think he was pushing off them with his foot)
But just three pushes and Elijah was here.
He was born at 9:32 am June 24....He weighed 7 lbs 4oz and was 20 and 3/4 inches long!