This is the conclusion to "A Pregnancy, Labor and Delivery Story". If you missed the first three parts to the story, you can read them first- Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
April, 2013~
Ten years ago, Dave and I were anticipating the birth of our first baby. We knew that our lives were about to change significantly, so we spent a few nights in downtown Chicago at the Drake Hotel. We learned that male seahorses carry the baby seahorses while at the Shedd Aquarium and I remember wishing that this was the case for humans! The Monday after our little excursion, I ended up on bed rest.
Since Ainsley was due on May 8th and Lindsay had been due on May 9th, I couldn't help comparing the pregnancies. Dave and I went on another Babymoon- this time to see Wicked in Rochester (although our GPS tried to take us to Chicago- ironically!). We slept at home while the kids enjoyed time with friends.
It was no surprise that at my next appointment, my blood pressure was a little high. My doctor decided that I should start coming every week for appointments and in addition to have weekly non-stress tests. I considered this a win since I didn't have to go on bed rest!
Soon after this, I started having contractions. They were sporadic and only occasionally intense. At my next appointment, my doctor discovered that I was dilated to one centimeter and 50 % effaced. She said that she wouldn't be surprised if I had the baby over the weekend.
I wish that she hadn't told me this! By this time in my pregnancy, I was ready to have my girl. The contractions continued and there were several times that they were consistent for an hour and then they would taper off. Dave found a contraction app for his phone and we started timing them.
Thursday, April 25, 2013~
I ended up at the hospital today. During lunch, I started having consistent contractions. We needed to do some grocery shopping, so we decided to go to the store to see if my contractions would continue. They did, so after 2 1/2 hours of 5 minute apart contractions (most mild, some intense), we called my doctor's office.
Since it was my 4th baby, they encouraged me to get to the hospital right away. We called our friends who had agreed to take care of the kids and they took care of everything!
We spent a disappointing 4 hours at the hospital. While my contractions continued, they were still pretty mild and were 2 to 11 minutes apart. I was only dilated to 2 centimeters, so after 2 hours of monitoring me, they decided that I should walk for a bit while they waited for results from some blood tests. By this point, I was ready to go home and just frustrated with it all. Two hours later, they finally released us from the hospital.
We picked up our kids and they were very disappointed to see us! They had been looking forward to sleeping over with friends and to have us come and get them before bedtime without their baby sister was unacceptable in their little minds!
This did not help me with the frustration that was building inside of me. Clearly, God had some lessons that He needed me to learn. Again!
April 26th to April 30th, 2013~
I continued to have contractions every single day. It was a frustrating time for us, because we felt like we couldn't plan anything. I joked on facebook that Ainsley reminded me of a daisy- would she come today or wouldn't she?
Friends encouraged me to be patient, reminding me that she would come soon enough. But living with uncertainty is emotionally draining.
I began to cling to my lifeline in deeper ways. I started praying that God would grant me patience and that He would help me to trust. I prayed that it would be obvious when I was in labor. With Lindsay, I thought that my water broke during the night. She came 12 hours later. I was induced with both of the boys, so I did not experience the normal going-into-labor with either of them.
So even though this was my fourth baby, I felt clueless! And so, I prayed that my water would break or that the contractions would not only be consistent, but also strong.
We celebrated Lindsay's birthday on April 30th. Part of the celebration included thankfulness that Ainsley did not come in April. From the very beginning of the pregnancy, we had been excited that she was due in May. Since she didn't come in April, we now knew for sure that we would have a family member born in a different month- January through June! I am in January, Gibson is in February, Dave is in March, Lindsay is in April, Ainsley would now be in May and Ethan is in June! We all have our own birthday month!
Early May~
My contractions continued, but our expectations had shifted. Instead of simply waiting around for a baby to come, we decided to make the most of each day. This helped me tremendously. At times, I am afraid that I might have been a little bitter. When Dave would ask me if I had any contractions, I would say
of course!- and there might have been some eye rolling involved. But it helped me to cope with this strange labor that I seemed to be experiencing.
It was harder on Dave in many ways. He wanted to be there for me, but after weeks of she might be coming-she might not, he was finding that it was very hard to stay motivated. It is difficult to prepare a sermon or a Bible study, not knowing if you will actually preach or teach it! And it was tough to explain this to people.
I continued to pray that God would make it obvious when it was time for me to go to the hospital. The weather was perfect on Sunday, May 5th and Monday, May 6th, so both days we spent time walking at the beach. We had a great time with all of the kids on Sunday and with just Gibson on Monday. These times gave me an increased appreciation for my husband! I had some pretty intense contractions on both days, but they continued to be inconsistent or they would taper off.
On Monday night, I joked again on facebook about the fact that I had not picked out clothes for the kids for the following day and surely this meant that Ainsley would come, right?!!
Tuesday, May 7, 2013~
At around 5 o'clock in the morning, I woke from my sleep to a strange sensation. Could it be what I thought it was?!! I went to the bathroom and as a clear liquid leaked onto the floor, I rejoiced. This was it!
I called Dave to confirm and then I called my doctor. We both got showers and made plans for the kids. Before we left, we woke Lindsay to tell her what was going on. She could barely contain her excitement. We prayed with her that she would be able to focus on school work!
We arrived at the hospital around 6 AM and immediately went into triage. It didn't really surprise me when the nurse checked me and determined that my water had not broken. This was exactly what had happened with Lindsay. It was almost as if God had answered my prayers- to make it obvious- just not in the way that traditional labors seem to progress.
But I was 4 centimeters dilated and they decided to keep me! This time, I had no doubt that I was in labor. We started walking and my contractions started around 8 AM. They were about 10 minutes apart, but after an hour, they increased in intensity and were closer together. I was feeling a little tired (!), so I went to lay down for a bit. They hooked me back up to the monitors and around 10:15, they checked me again. I had now dilated to 6 centimeters, but my contractions still felt mild to me- much the same as what I had been experiencing for weeks!
So, I was surprised when the nurse said that it was probably time for an epidural. By the time that the anesthesiologist came around 11 AM, I was ready. The doctor asked Dave to go in the hallway- it was strange not to have him with me, but it went quickly. My nurse was surprised at how quickly the whole process went!
The contractions started coming every 2 minutes after that and they were intense. It didn't seem like the epidural helped at all. But I was trying to stay strong. My nurse told me that all of the staff was admiring my contractions and that she was so impressed with how "chill" I was. I don't think she realized how intense the contractions actually were. At 12:15, she went on her lunch break. Another nurse came in and Dave told her that the epidural didn't seem to be helping. She took one look at me and called the doctor in to check on me.
After that, it was a huge rush, because I was fully dilated and my doctor's comment was
she is right there! The pain was so intense and everyone was encouraging me to push, but I didn't feel like pushing at all. Then my water broke and it was the most bizarre feeling. I honestly felt like there was no way that I could do this. I remember hearing
"How Great Thou Art" playing and Dave reminding me to be breathe. I realized that my eyes were closed and that it would probably help to open them. It did!
I pushed as hard as I could and at 12:27 PM, Ainsley was born!
She was so tiny- 6 lbs. 5 oz.- and that amazed me. She was my longest pregnancy and my smallest baby. It was a difficult end to the pregnancy, but there is something about holding a baby that makes you forget all of the difficulty.
I am still in awe of God's goodness and His blessing. This was not my plan and I am so thankful that His plan prevails. This whole process has taught me to pray earnestly,
"not my will, but yours be done." (Luke 22:42).
Welcome to the world, Ainsley Rose!
You have completed our family in the best way possible.
We love you!
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