Nehemiah's Birth

We had been praying since the first of June, for our 6th baby to make his appearance. Due to some family things, we were praying that he would come sooner rather than later. I had had contractions regularly off and on for over a month, which is very normal when you have had many pregnancies. My parents came Saturday afternoon, and not much had happened labor wise that day, so I was not expecting anything. We made plans for church and lunch for Sunday and got to be around 10 pm.

About 2:30 am I woke up because I really had to pee. After settling back in bed I realized I was contracting. It was already every 5 minutes, but they were not strong. I tried to go back to sleep, but was unable to. At 4:30 I decided to get up and go to the living room to read my Bible and pray. After reading a couple of the Psalms that have been helpful and praying for God's grace in this birth, I was able to nap for about an hour.

Around 6 am, my oldest came into the living room. I told him what was going on and asked him to pray for me, and he did. (He prayed every day for his brother to come.) Not long after this, the contractions got a bit stronger and were more like every 3 minutes. Jim came down the hall at 6:15 am and I told him I was in labor. We got a quick shower and the contractions changes. I knew then was in full blown labor. I called the doctor to help me determine if I should head on to the hospital, and since it was my 6th baby, we decided to go ahead so I did not have a baby in the car.

A little before 7 am we got in the car and headed to the hospital. God was very gracious to me and spaced out my contractions a little so I did not have too many really strong ones in the car. Once I got out at the hospital, they were right back again. I checked in and went to triage. They told me I was 6 cm and got my IV in place. (This is the WORST part of the whole experience every time hands down.) I kept having to stand up because I could not sit during contractions. I walked over to my labor room where they got the baby on the monitor and saw everything was fine. I stood up again and did not sit down until after my water broke.

Around 8 am my water finally broke, as I had been praying it would since getting into my labor room (so about 30 minutes). Jim called out to the nurses station to let them know, and they came in to check me. She told me I was 9 cm so I could not fully push yet. I looked at Jim and said, "I need to have a baby." I could feel my body pushing with each contraction. They were busy getting the room set up as I finished my labor.

At 8:20 am, our baby boy entered the world! We named him Nehemiah Ezra, which means "God is my comfort and help". This is what God has been teaching me so much the past few years, and has taught Jim and me together the past year.

I was so blessed to have the labor I prayed for (except for the IV) and it could not have been any better. We are so thankful to have Nehemiah in our family and cannot wait to see how else God will use his precious life.

Original story shared on The Manor Manor

Is An IV Necessary?

This is another common question that I hear frequently that has a simple yet complicated answer. Is an IV necessary?

NO!

However, very few hospitals will allow you to labor and deliver without one, even if you plan to have an un-medicated birth.

Why?

This is a precautionary measure, like not allowing you to eat, in case there is an emergency and you need a c-section or other surgery of some kind. IV access is important in those cases and can be difficult to get if needed quickly. This is why most doctors will require you to have access, known as an INT, a hep-lock or saline lock, if you are delivering at a hospital.

If you plan to be induced or plan to have an epidural, an IV is necessary because of the medicines given for induction, and an IV fluid bolus is necessary for an epidural.

For those who are healthy and have had an uncomplicated pregnancy who are completely opposed to an having an IV, consider a home birth or going to a birth center to avoid an IV.

What is your experience with IVs?

Can I Eat During Labor?

This is a very common question from first time moms, with both easy and complicated answers. Can you eat while in labor?

Absolutely! 

However, if you are in a hospital they will not let you have anything but clear liquids or Popsicles (find out what the rules are for where you are delivering). If you have an epidural, you cannot have anything but ice chips.

Why is this?

Primarily health care providers are concerned about the need for a c-section. If there is an emergency and intubation is needed there is a risk of aspiration, which is when stomach contents are thrown up and go into the lungs and can cause many problems. The likelihood of these things happening is not great, but hospitals are not likely to take chances with this.

Therefore, if you are wanting to eat while in labor, I recommend staying home as long as possible or plan to have a birth at home or in a birthing center that allows you to eat.

Did you eat during labor?

Can I Become Tolerant of Epidurals?

One of my friends who has four children asked me if it's possible for epidurals to become less effective because of becoming tolerant of the medicines in the epidural as hers had become less effective with each birth. I did not know the answer. So at one of my prenatal appointments I asked my doctor about this.

My doctor said that this is not really possible because of the way epidurals work. An epidural is a temporary block on the nerves that is there and then goes away. There is not a way to build up the medicine because it is not metabolized like medicines that you ingest. He said that it could be possible if you were given epidurals every day, but this is not likely for women having babies.

Why then were the epidurals less effective each time? I have no idea and neither did my doctor.

Have you had the experience of epidurals being less effective with each delivery?

Barrett's Birth Story

So, here's the story of how little WB came into this world.... I was scheduled to be induced Monday morning, since my specialist didn't want me to go past 40 weeks due to my history. I had planned a natural waterbirth and did everything to try to naturally induce my labor, but nothing worked. When We arrived at the hospital, they too, tried to start labor without drugs, the balloon method dialated me to 5cm but did not start labor, so, then came the pitocin! The one thing I wanted to avoid the most (besides epidural). So, finally after enduring 14 hours of pitocin induced labor, I hit transition (which is right when you are just about ready to deliver) it came hard and fast. We stopped the pitocin which made my contractions less intense, and I finally felt like I COULD continue to birth without asking for an epidural. However, during this time, most women throw up, myself included. Well.....as I was throwing up and convulsing, my body decided to rip the muscle off of my rib bone, I heard a pop, and instantly felt EXCRUCIATING pain and pretty much became immobile. I continued to get sick, adding to the rib pain, while contracting causing more pain than than I could have ever imagined. Which meant there was literally no possible way at all I could have pushed through that pain even if wanted to. My body simply would not have let me if I tried. So, in came the epidural. Well, the anesthesiologist hit a nerve, thus, causing EVEN MORE extreme pain, and then yelled at me for moving because it made my back spasm, which was not something I could control. So he stuck me again and hit another nerve! He spent a full 2 minutes jabbing nerves, and me begging him to stop! At first, it only worked on half my body, but it finally caught up to the other side. So after a quick nap I was finally ready to push, the pain had subsided, and I just wanted him here. The nurses came in, I pushed for less than 10 mins, and then he was in my arms! FINALLY! So after everything we did to prepare for our peaceful, natural birth, we did not, however, prepare for craziness that actually happened. But in the end none of that even mattered, he's here safe and sound and I couldn't be more thankful.

When I asked Ivy about sharing her story this is what she said:
"I would love to share my story on your blog, I'm sure it will help other women understand that no matter what our plan is, essentially, it's out of our control."

~Shared by Ivy L.

When Should I Get An Epidural?

This question is one I get frequently from new moms wanting to make the best decision possible about getting an epidural. This is an easy and tough question all at the same time, so I will share my general guidelines from what I have seen in the hospital.

For first births I recommend waiting as long as possible simply because first births can take awhile so if you get it too early you could end up lying down for hours and prolonging your labor. If you are looking for dilation, I would recommend waiting until you are at least a good 4 cm dilated before getting an epidural for the same reason. If you are able to wait until 6 or 7 cm this is ideal because you will be getting it right around transition, which is the hardest part of labor, but is generally quick compared to the rest.

What if you are having trouble dilating? These recommendations are thrown out the window. If you are having trouble dilating, it is likely that your body is struggling to relax to dilate. In this case, an epidural may be very beneficial in helping you to dilate. This is not a, "I haven't made any progress in an hour" recommendation. This is a, "I have been stuck at 5 cm for a few hours" recommendation, because the first part of labor can be long and slow and can take quite some time to get to 5 or 6 cm, especially if it is your first.

Trouble dilating could also indicate there is some kind of complication, and having an epidural may be a good idea in case a c-section becomes necessary.

If you are being induced, then it does not matter as much when you get an epidural because your labor is being done for you. The question you need to ask yourself is how long to I want to be stuck in bed?

For subsequent births, there is a little more ambiguity. Your first birth will likely give you a good indication of when you should get an epidural with your next.

As with everything else, pray about when the best time to get an epidural is because everyone is different. These are my recommendations based on years of experience. Often times you will know if and when you need it, even with your first.

How did you decide when to get your epidural?

Epidural

What is an epidural?

An epidural is placed in the epidural space in your spine. A needle is used to place a catheter in this space and medicine is giving continuously through the catheter. What is put in the epidural depends on where you are and is typically a combination, for example, fentanyl (an opiod) and bupivacaine (a local anesthetic). Ask your provider what they use in their epidurals.

What are some pros of an epidural? 

• If placed well there is complete pain relief with the ability to feel pressure when it's time to push (yes feeling this pressure is a good thing)
• Ability to sleep/rest during your labor
• If you have been in labor for a long time with out progressing it can help speed up dilation
• If a c-section is needed you already have it in place

What are some cons of an epidural?

• Can cause your blood pressure to drastically decrease- If too low can lead to distress with the baby
• Unable to get out of bed in most places
• Cannot eat or drink (ice chips only)
• Can slow down labor process- (if this happens you may be given pitocin)
• May not be able to feel to push
• Catheter is needed to empty your bladder
• Other unforeseen complications

When needed, epidurals are great tools to have. Again I encourage you to pray over whether or not this is the best option for you. 

What have been your experiences with epidurals?

Updated from "Epidurals" posted on February 19, 2014