1 month today-time for birth story

I have been promising but now I am ready to write about Brock's birth story. Here are some specific things I prayed for *that I would be able to have a VBAC since I had a csection with Arden * that I would have not complications in labor with my scar or bleeding * that the baby would be able to handle the stress of labor without becoming stressed himself * that he would come out knowing how to nurse and want to* that we would not have colic this time around* that my doc would be the one to deliver the baby* 5 hour labor if I was ambitious but I would settle for 7* healthy mom and baby.
So those are the things I had been praying about. On Wednesday night I was feeling pretty crampy/contractiony so decided to get in bathtub to try to relieve some pain and relax my body. I started having bad contractions in my back to where I could not lay in the tub and had to get out in my towel and move to the bed to stretch out. Matt was getting Arden ready for church. I told him maybe he should just wait to see what was going on. I texted my parents since I knew they were getting ready for church too and told them maybe they should come get Arden to spend the night. I don't know why i was thinking "maybe" at this point but I was just unsure because I had that false labor a week early. This was definately feeling more pain than when i went in before. Mom came and decided to stay once she saw me and Dad took Arden to church. She started timing my contractions. I was sitting on the birthing ball and bascially holding my breath when i had the contraction. Obviously I didn't have too much experience with lamaze. Well, mom quickly coached me on labor breathing and how I had to remain calm and just get through each contraction. She told me it was just like playing a sport--you had "to get in the zone". If you know me this was a very telling moment of how well my mother knows me. I don't know why her being here for the early part and really the whole thing makes the whole experience so special. I know this is one of those things that I remember when I am old or when my mother is gone. I will remember that night and her helping me to deliver our son---but i am getting all sappy. blah. tears. okay. So,she was timing my contractions and I was begging not to go to the hospital because I had horrible time when i went at night before. My contractions got to 2 minutes apart and I was bleeding so she told me we were going. By that time I was a little scared and said okay. it was raining terrible outside and when we called in the ONLY doctor in the practice tha would not preform a VBAC was on call. I looked like an idiot on the way there and walking through hospital (just like you see on tv) having to stop to hold the railing and breathing with eyes closed. When we got there Triage was full and the waiting room was full. They told me there was at least 3 girls in front of me. I didn't even have a place to sit in waiting room and none of these girls were in labor. I was in the hall standing up and laboring in the hall. Then a nurse (not one of the mean ones from the false labor night) came and whispered for me to follow her. When we got in this humongous room she told me that she could tell i was in pain and this was the real thing because she had 2 kids. Her name was Chandra and she was from South Pitsburg so she was talking to me in a way I understand saying things like "You're doing great SIS" or "Bless your heart-we are trying to get your blood work done so we can get you some drugs". HA. She seriously worked a double shift to watch our son be born and she was pregnant. When she checked me I was 4cm and she started my blood work promising as soon as it was done I could get an epidural. It took them 2 hours to get it and get the fluids in me that I needed. By then I was 6cm. Mom called the doctor that was on call and explained to him that I was a VBAC patient and he said he would not deliver me..... so she asked him to call my doc. He did and Doc Barker got there soon after I got my epidural. I loved the epi except when they gave it to me the girl could not get it in and kept insisting that I sit still--which i was --but was having hard contractions. She stuck me 5 times and I had one of the many side effects. My BP dropped and they had to call the code and come and flip me on to my side. Should have been scary but I was feeling so much better with the epi. I could actually talk to my nurses and mom and Matt. It was about 12:30 and I was 6cm so I was thinking I might just hit my timeline since I got to the hospital around 10:30 but after an hour I had only changed .5 cm because of the epidural and they had to give me a dose of pitocin to increase contractions. I didn't sleep in all this time and by the time that I felt ready to sleep I had dialated to 9cm and I could feel my contractions again.By 4am I was 10cm but the baby was only at station 1 and they have to be at 3 to be crowning. Chandra gave me the option to have more drugs or not. She suggested not to since the baby still had such a way to go and she said that for my height and size I had one of the smallest pelvic structures she had seen. So, I decided no. I know it was a good decision- I don't think i would have been able to push him out if not. We started practicing some pushes and we did that for over an hour. The encouraging part was that she could see his hair when I would push but he was stuck on my pelvic bone. He was moving down but not very fast. One bad thing is that she kept suspecting that he was face up so I kept getting checked to see. That was very very painful-while having contractions. I pushed about an hour and half and she decided to call doc down-he was sleeping in the hospital. Well, they couldn't find him. It took 30 more minutes of pushing till they found him. Mom and Matt were the ones that were helping me then-holding legs and coaching. So many people talk about not being able to move their legs or toes and I will tell you I could have gotten up and walked around the room. I could wiggle toes and move up and down the bed. Doc finally got there and checked me and said that I could probably push another 20min and baby would not be out. At this point I was nearing exhaustion. I remember when he said that a tear trickled out the corner of my eye. He suggested the forceps and I said whatever would get him here. So he used them and they are scary and huge. I still had to push for another 15-20 minutes. Even once the baby crowned he did not slip out like you see on tv. I will tell you I have never in my life felt that kind of pain. I can't even explain. It felt like my body was going to explode. The nurse had suggested that people call it the "ring of fire" when the baby crowns and I would say that is extremely acurate except it hurts more than that. When i gave the last push and he was out the doc had to cut the ambilical cord before he could hold him up. It was one of the shortest cords he had ever seen. only about 10in. I just remember that when he held him up for me to see it was once of the most powerful moments of my life. I just felt empowered. Something about it felt like being part of a miracle--not just watching (like with my csection) but helping. It was amazing to say the least. I was crying and Mom and Matt were saying "you did it!" I was thinking "we all did it-doc barker, mom , matt, me, chandra". It really was a team effort. At any turn if God had not answered so many prayers I would have labored all that time and ended up in a c section. I am so thankful that I got to experience it. On the downside the day you have the baby physically you feel like "what was I thinking" "15min. c section, still wearing makeup, sounds great as opposed to 100 stitches down there". But the next day is just so different. I felt normal. I can't tell you how awesome the recovery has been. You can even exercise after 2 weeks.I would not have been able to care for Arden at all if I had another c section. Brock nursed right in the delivery room and has not looked back so that is another answered prayer. He was such a cone head but other than that-he had no problems from the forceps or spending so long pushing. I delivered in 8.5 hours--more than I wanted but still great. My doc delivered my baby and I had angel nurse. I was perfectly healthy and so was our boy at 7lb3oz. Doc Barker even checked my scar after I delivered the placenta and said it seemed great. Another very amazing thing is that before our doctor left he had Matt and I come together and he prayed for us and thanked God for Brock's safe arrival and prayed for his life as a believer. One of the nurses had never heard a doctor pray before. So, I had my birth experience that i had always wanted. God answered my prayers and gave me the desires of my heart. I will remember it when i am an old lady on my death bed. I know that if we have another child I will want to try again. It is so much pain on the day but the experience is so amazing. I had a great c section but it was just so cool to have both experiences. I am so lucky.