Remembering...The Day My First Child Was Born...

My friend Jenilee has a really neat "meme" on her blog called "Wednesdays Walk Down Memory Lane" that she inherited from my other friend Lynnette.

So I am taking the opportunity to write about my births!  Starting with my first born...

From the beginning of our marriage, my husbands and I's plan was to wait a while before having a baby.  We heard the typical advice that you should spend the first few years getting to know each other before adding a baby to the scene.

But soon after we were married we started asking ourselves 101 questions about birth control and God's view of us taking such control of my womb.  We realized we were calling him "Lord" but not letting him reign over our decision to have children.  After all, we had no good excuse for waiting...

-we were both done with school
-hubby had a steady job
-I was able to stay at home full-time
-we didn't have the typical "trying" first year that everyone warned us about
-we were both healthy and fit (more than ever)

Our only excuse would have been based on selfishness.

The Lord laid on our hearts this verse:

Proverbs 3:5, 7

 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

 ...

 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil." 

So we decided to surrender and trust...It was exciting and scary all at the same time!

And 2 months later, we discovered we were pregnant with our first child!  We were so thankful we let the Lord take control, because we KNEW we right in the middle of His will for us!

We started taking "Bradley" classes (also called "Father Coached Child Birth") right away in order to prepare us for a natural, "spontaneous", unmedicated birth.  We didn't have a whole lot of support in this decision, but it was important to us that we educate ourselves on how GOD designed my body for childbirth, the stages of labor and how it was meant to be natural and God-induced :)  (for more "why's" about natural childbirth, click HERE).

So at nine months of pregnancy, we were so ready, so excited for our baby!  We had our birth plan typed out and signed by our doctor, our bags were packed (and had been for over a month!), we had interviewed and hired our Doula (Amber), Ryan had his scriptures ready that he would read to me, we had all our worship CD's ready for labor...

But our baby boy didn't seem ready...

At 2 weeks overdue, EVERYONE was telling us to go to the hospital and "just get induced".  But our doctor said we were fine to wait, that there wasn't any danger in letting my body "take it's time"...so we waited...and waited.

13 days overdue, mild contractions, getting ready for a "vigorous" walk in the rain

2 days after this picture (15 days overdue), my contractions really picked up and I knew it was time!  We loaded the car and took the 20 minute drive to the hospital.  By the time we got there, my contractions had picked up and I was all smiles!  

"This laboring stuff is a piece of cake", I said!  

My doula loving patted me and said, "Honey, it's only just beginning...but you're right, you CAN do this!"

I labored for 8 hours total and it seemed like I would never have this baby.

After about 6 hours of being at the hospital, I remembered being so tired and scared about "transition" (the worst part of labor-it comes at the end) and how I would get through it.  But as I sat in the hot bath water, in pain, with contraction on top of contraction, I heard my doula say, "she's in transition now and will be through it soon" to my husband outside.  After I heard those words, I was on cloud nine...I was almost done!

And she was right, in about 15 minutes, I was on the bed pushing!

The labor pains were severe, but not more than I could handle.  I had learned relaxation tequnigues through the Bradley classes, so I just applied what I had been practicing.  As for pushing, that was a breeze, definitely the easiest part for me!  I always wondered what people meant by "your body will push for you"...but to feel it happening was like experiencing a miracle and knowing that God really DID design this to work perfectly!!!

And before I knew it, our son was in my arms!!!  No pain medication, no drugs, no interferences...just letting my body do what God created it to do!

Per our request (with the assumption he was healthy) 

the nurses gave us a full hour of uninterrupted time with him 

before starting all the hospital procedures.

Just an hour old, getting "tagged", weighed and measured..

 

7lbs 14 oz (I *still* think the scale was off--just look at that chunky baby!)

20 1/2 inches long

We named him Trusten, because of the the Lords call to us in Proverbs 3:5.

Our birth experience was amazing!  In fact (as strange as it may sound) laboring is one of Ryan and I's favorite thing to do together.  It unites us is such an awesome way!  He knows me SO well and is definitely my favorite labor coach!

Trusten was the best baby...so happy, so content, so precious!  

And unlike most newborns, he had a lot of awake time those first few days (which we contribute to the fact he had no medication in his system or interferences in his birth).

Before leaving the hospital...

Oh, how I love my "Trusser Man"!  I am so thankful we listened to the Lord, even though it was huge step of faith for us!  ...And little did we know, that was JUST the beginning of our blessings!

(More birth stories to come!)

Psalm 127:3-5

Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
       children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
       are sons born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
       whose quiver is full of them.