Capri's Birth Story...

  I just cracked the cork on a bottle of red. My hubby is out with a few buddies, so I figured what a perfect night to sit down and get some thoughts out.    I have had these moments lately that seem so ridiculous that I just sit there and think, I really need to get back to my blog. Like tonight at the dinner table. I was feeding Capri (breastfeeding that is..) and the kids were somewhat boycotting their new vegetarian dinner (another post on that one) lol, and as a seasoned mom, I knew ketchup would help, so I simply got up with Capri still intact, and made my way to the fridge, stepping on cereal from this morning and crayons from this afternoon, then made my way back to the table, filling the ketchup to their liking with one arm, all while glancing up realizing that my front blinds were left wide open and hoping that the neighborhood kids wouldn't be trying to sell me something in that moment. I just thought to myself, it's time to blog. These moments are something to remember. Someone please tell me you have been there. lol. 

 

Anyways, three has been an adjustment, and still is, but I truly am loving it. I will definitely blog more about that later.   My goal tonight is to get Capri's birth story out. I've been reliving it when I tell people, but it's never with all the full detail that I really want to say. I would have people held captive for an hour telling my story if that were the case. So after some internal debate on whether I would share the story on my blog or not, I've decided to do so. I think every birth story is so unique. I never wrote down my other 2, but I can tell you they were all so different and they each mean the world to me. Each one was the moment another amazing little blessing entered my world.    I guess my debate on whether or not to share my story was because this time around was so much different than the last two. Not more special, but different.   I truly believe that all of our birth stories are miracles.    Regardless of how the baby enters the world. God has a plan and a reason for each and every one of the experiences we go through.    This time around my faith kind of took another leap if you will. Let me explain.   

  I believe it was around February of this year and I was about 4 or 5 months pregnant and there was a Beth Moore study at my home church that was about to start. I adore Beth Moore and was so excited to sign up for this study. So I did, and little did I know that my family was going to be hit with sickness that lasted almost two months. It was just a terrible time of passing these horrible colds back and forth, I still remember the awful cough that kept me up at night.    So unfortunately, I didn't make it to a lot of the study sessions. Looking back, I now realize there was a completely different reason I was to take that class and that was to put me in touch with a very amazing lady at my church who happened to be my table leader.    It was I think the 1st or 2nd meeting and knowing I was pregnant, she recommended I read a book called, Supernatural Childbirth. She highly recommended it, told me a little bit about her own birth stories, which blew my mind, and even wrote down the name of the book for me so that I could remember the author, Jackie Mize.    I left there telling her I would look into it. And I did. It somewhat peaked my curiosity. Plus she said it was an easy read.. what the heck. So I got the $10 book.    I think it took me a few days to pick it up from my nightstand, and no kidding when I started reading it, I was telling John about it and I thought it just sounded crazy. He agreed. I put it down for about another month. Slowly I kept feeling called to go back to the book and read it more, read it again even. I will not do this book justice on explaining it, so I'm going to post the description right off of Amazon.   

Pregnancy and childbirth are often depicted as a time of sickness and mood swings for women followed by twelve to twenty hours of pain and hard labor. Many women have been told they can never conceive. Others have suffered the pain of conceiving and miscarrying. Have you had enough of this picture? Supernatural Childbirth is a practical and realistic look at God's promises for conception, pregnancy and delivery. This is not "pie-in-the-sky"-This is a personal testimony of how one couple overcame defeat and triumphed in God's plan! Jackie Mize had been told she could never have children. However, by unlocking powerful truths and dynamic faith principles she and her husband, Terry found in the Bible, they now have four miracle children! This exciting book shares with you these truths and faith principles. You will learn these things: * How to put faith principles into action for your very own supernatural childbirth * How you can be a living example of God's promises in action * How to deal with fear during pregnancy and delivery * How and when to use your faith for pregnancy and delivery Also included in Supernatural Childbirth: * Faith-inspiring testimonies from women who have followed these principles and experienced their own supernatural childbirth * Confessions and prayers for a supernatural conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and all circumstances surrounding each stage * A powerful teaching section by Terry Mize explanning the curse on Eve in the Garden of Eden

Okay so now you can understand why I couldn't sum that up myself. 

So, basically I told my husband I was reading this book and that was about it. I kept reading parts and thinking that they sounded completely off the wall, would put it down, and then pick it up again a day or so later. I couldn't stop reading it.

I just couldn't wrap my mind around some of the concepts, like experiencing a pain free, natural, childbirth. I mean, we all know it was women's curse to be in pain right? Plus, I'm going off of two previous births, and let me tell you I couldn't get that epidural in me fast enough. 

So here I was now about 2 months out from having my baby and I couldn't put the book down. I read it over and over, especially the prayers in the back and I'm not kidding you, slowly I started to feel my heart change on the subject. I started believing in what I was reading instead of reading something that sounded ridiculous. I mean, there are a ton of testimonies. These women all with different, incredible birth stories. I just knew God had a different plan for me this time around. 

I still kept to myself for the most part and spoke to a few people about my birth plan when they asked, explaining to them that I was going to try to go natural as long as I could, but with no expectations. 

I started praying daily that last month for a birth that I basically had never even considered even just a few months before. I prayed for a quick labor that I would be able to do without meds of any kind. I prayed that it would be pain free. I prayed that I would be without fear. I felt crazy at times. I felt like I was praying for something I could barely fathom. But I kept praying.

Now time was getting closer and closer to my due date. I was early with both of my other two, so I fully expected this to be the case with number three as well. Not so much. I saw my due date come and go and was just utterly confused, but kept praying. 

Monday, July 23rd, I went in for my doc appointment at 9:30 am. I was now four days past my due date with no contractions that morning and feeling quite "over" this whole pregnancy thing. I decided I was going to take my hospital bag with me hoping that I would be so dilated when she checked me that they would just send me right over! So I dropped off my kids at my mom's house and went to the doc to get the wonderful news that I was still 3 cm like I had been the week before. A whole week with no progress. I'm sure many of you can relate to this sinking feeling. 

So my doctor told me I had until Thursday. If I didn't have the baby by then, I would be induced since it was 7 days over my due date. I drove back to my mom's house and just wanted to cry. I had been praying for this supernatural birth, but I just felt strongly that if I was going to be induced, then with pitocin there was no way I was going to be able to have the baby without meds. I was induced with Sawyer, so I know the power of those contractions that it throws your body into rapidly. It's not fun. 

I got to my parents house and told my mom I just wanted to go walk. I mean, what else was there to do? So we did. Addyson, Sawyer, my mom and I went for a walk in the beautiful neighborhood I grew up in. It was stinking hot so we had to keep the walk short, but as we rounded the bend home I started feeling some contractions. I was what you would say cautiously optimistic. Hoping this was it, but knowing I had quite a few false alarms the last few weeks at home, so I really was wishing my water would just break so I would know for sure.

So when I got back to the house I realized the contractions weren't going away so that was good news. My mom was doing great with entertaining the kids, so I plugged my headphones into my iphone and just started walking in circles around the house blasting Hillsong United. I'm fairly certain I played "Awakening" and "Search My Heart" enough times that I will now always remember that moment every time I hear either of those songs. 

It was about 1 pm at this point as I continued walking.

My sister, who was also pregnant at the time, came over with her husband because they had just got back from their doctor appointment. She as well had not made any progress and it was exactly her due date. I will never forget her expression as she was sitting at the counter just as pregnant as me and I was telling her I was having contractions and she just twisted her face up and asked me if they were real. We both had been fed up with the false alarms so she was just as nonchalant about my contractions as I was. I told her I had no idea. I thought they felt a little different, but I honestly could not say I was in labor. I just knew I wanted to keep walking in hopes of keeping them coming. 

So more time passed and I felt like the contractions were a bit stronger so we decided to time them. They were about 4 min apart. Some closer, some a little farther. I still didn't know what to think because although some were uncomfortable, I knew they weren't at the point like they were when I went to the hospital with Addyson so I felt like I had a lot more "laboring" to do if this was in fact the real deal.

I then called my husband at work and calmly let him know about my contractions and he was in turn, not very calm on the other end. lol. He felt that I needed to get to the hospital ASAP with contractions that close together. I was fighting him on it. Not for my pride, but because I felt if I had a lot of laboring left to do, then I would rather do it in my parents backyard then around the L&D floor. Trust me, I had done that with Addyson. I actually was insisting on taking the kids back to my house so I could put them down for a nap and then I would consider going to the hospital.

Well, that plan changed because I did have a few more uncomfortable ones that made me think that it was possible I might be progressing. So my hubby met up with me and my mom took the kids back to my house while I walked around my parents back yard still blasting my worship music and at this point singing out loud. I remember that moment as clear as can be.. I was at so much peace. I had a feeling this was it.

 I just kept smiling.

 I had no fear. 

I finally gave in when I felt a few contractions that I had to stop walking to get through. Hmm. This was definitely different now. John was relieved I think that his stubborn wife was finally going to let him take her to the hospital. ha. So off we went. 

It was about 4:30 pm when we walked in. I had been having contractions for about 3 1/2 hours. Still with headphones on, we made our way through the hospital to the L&D floor and I walked up to the desk to check in. I told the receptionist that I had contractions pretty close together and she slowly got my paper work together and sent me to one of the exam rooms to see my progress and then they would let me know from there if I would be staying or not. I remembered this floor all too well when I labored with Addy for hours and hours walking around in my gown with contractions one on top of the other.

 

I got into the room and told the nurse I didn't want to lay down until I had to. So I walked around the room and when she was done prepping everything I took off the chain with my much too small wedding band around my neck and handed it to my husband. Got into my lovely gown and we just looked at each other with that, "here goes nothing" look. I walked through another contraction and then let the nurse check me and quickly her expression changed. 

"Oh honey, you are 7 cm! We need to get you in a room NOW!" 

I started laughing. My husband and I just looked at each other in complete amazement. I had only been in labor for a little over 3 hours.. and I was already 7 cm? I got epidurals around 4 cm with both Addyson and Sawyer. I knew the pain. I wasn't in it. 

So now the nurses were in high speed which was so funny because it was such a contrast from just moments before.They checked me in a room and I remember the nurse coming in to go over all the paperwork with me. I was able to answer all her questions and then would tell her, "hold on just a second" as I put my headphones back on and got through a contraction and then took them off again to talk to her. It was just insane. I gave them a 5 on the pain scale.

I got hooked up to my IV and I told them I didn't want to lay down. I wanted to keep my headphones on and I wanted to be able to stand. They had no problem with that as long as I kept the baby's heart rate monitor in place. So I had about a 2 foot space next to the monitor where I could stand while I faced more contractions over the next hour. My husband let my mom and sisters know that it was happening, and it was going quick. They were all racing down to the hospital hoping to make it in time. It was about 5:30 when they arrived. None of them could believe how far I had progressed since seeing me just a few hours before at the house.

The contractions were getting stronger and I remember grabbing my husbands hands and leaning on him to get through some of them. I still didn't want to lay down. I kept my headphones on and felt calm. The next time they checked me I was at 9 cm. I only had one more to go. I remember my mom just looking at me baffled at how calm I was and then she would help me through my next contraction letting me squeeze her hand as she reminded me to breathe.

30 minutes later it was go time. I remember the nurse telling me that once I got to 10 cm there would be no more pain because you actually are pushing through each contraction and it in a way dulls the pain. I was encouraged. And she was right.

I started pushing around 6 pm and 36 minutes later my sweet Capri was born.

6 lbs. 14 oz and 20 inches long. 

Complete with an angel kiss birthmark on her forehead.

 (This frightened me at first until I found out what it was!)

 I was in love all over again. 

In love with this beautiful baby and in love with my God that just showed himself to me in such an amazing way. He answered a prayer I didn't even know was possible for me. I have had friends go through childbirth without meds and although I admired them, I never dreamed of even attempting it myself. Funny how God has different plans.. so much greater than our own.

My husband looked into my eyes and told me how proud of me he was. My mom and my sisters did too. I praised God. I knew it was all His doing. It was one of the most surreal moments in my life. I could still feel my legs! lol!

Not one nurse ever even asked me if I wanted an epidural or any type of pain med.

My labor was just under 6 hours with tolerable pain.

I was not afraid. 

I was and still am blown away when I recap this day.

♥

Since Capri's birth I have recommended Supernatural Childbirth to several people. It not only deals with birth, but with conception, miscarriages, and more. 

Like I mentioned before, I truly believe that all of our birth stories are miracles. Regardless how the baby enters the world. God has a plan with each and every one of them. 

This just happened to be mine. 

If you do feel a nudge at your heart to read this book though, I encourage you to do so. God just might be using it to reach you as he did me.

Through Capri's birth, the Lord has taught me that His plan for us far exceeds our own expectations if we allow Him to take control. 

♥