Isaac's birth story

Today is the day before Isaac's sixth birthday.  November 20th is the day that I remember going into labor for his delivery, which happened at 12:37 AM on November 21st.  I don't know if I've ever written all of the details of Isaac's birth story, so I want to capture them now.  I am up early after feeding Grace, the house is quiet, so I will share my story.  Please note that this is a detailed birth story, and there are some details that may make some readers slightly uncomfortable.  This is not the "highlights" and "happy" story; this is the true story of my first birth.  I am thankful to have experienced things the way I did because the less-than-ideal moments gave me the "gumption" (in my Nana's words) to be more empowered and assertive in my subsequent births.

My labor started sometime early in the morning.  In fact, I woke up to light contractions. Steven had just started a new job a few months earlier, and although I knew my contractions started before his workday, we decided that he'd go ahead into the office for a while.  This was my first baby and I wasn't sure if it was the real, real thing, so we didn't want him to waste any of his precious time off.  Around 10 AM, Steven called to check in and say that he was planning to come home.  When he'd told his boss and coworkers that we thought I was in labor, they urged him to come home and be with me.  When he got home, I was working through early labor and the contractions were quite manageable.  I thought, "this is no biggie!  I can do this!" 

We made sure our car was packed, took a walk around the neighborhood, and then we went to Chick-Fil-A for some lunch.  That would be my last meal before I met our sweet little baby boy.

About mid-afternoon, I knew that I'd been having regular contractions all day and I wanted to get checked to see if I had dilated a bit.  I knew my doctor's office would be closing at 5PM, so we went in around 3:30 to be checked.  When we got there, the nurse practitioner that I loved, Laura Brack, checked my cervix.  I had dilated to around 4 cm.  She said, "I'm sending you across the street to the hospital and you're going to have a baby today!" 

We were SO excited!  I really had thought she'd send me back home, but thankfully we had our hospital bag in the car. 

When we arrived at the hospital, around 4:00PM, I was sent to triage.  They weighed me (I weighed more than I liked, and I shook my head.  The sweet wonderful nurse said, "Honey you don't look like you weigh that much.  You must have heavy bones!"  I will never forget that statement!  Heavy bones!  Who knew?!  But it made me feel pretty good while I was nine months pregnant, in labor with my first child.)

In triage, they checked me and determined I was 5 cm dilated.  They sent me to a room to get set up.  I had made the nurses aware that I wanted to have as natural a delivery as possible, and they confirmed their support.  I was assigned a sweet labor nurse, Mellena Arms, who said I was welcome to labor in the water or used the birthing ball.  My contractions at this point were still very manageable and consistent, around 5-8 minutes apart.

I got in the tub and took some magazines with me.  I worked through the contractions and read articles about getting ready for Christmas (I believe I had a Good Housekeeping and a Ladies Home Journal).  A couple hours later, my doctor arrived.  He looked at me in the tub and said, "You look to happy to be in labor."  Then he went to get the nurse.  He told her to get me out of the tub so that he could check my dilation.

Once I got out of the tub, he checked me, and I was still at 5 cm.  I was discouraged and he didn't help.  He said, "We've got to move you along.  We're going to break your water and give you Pitocin."  I expressed my desire to deliver naturally, without pain medication, and he just said that it was imperative that we use both those interventions, now.  (My blood pressure was not elevated and I did not have any medical issues that warranted using both artificial rupture of membranes and Pitocin.  I have since learned that his decision to do this was both medically unnecessary and very aggressive.)

A few minutes later, the doctor used something that looked like a giant crochet hook (on a side note, my Nana taught me to crochet.  She taught Steven, too!) to break my water.  It didn't hurt, but I felt a gush of liquid coming out of me.  Immediately after that, the nurse came in the room and turned on the Pitocin.  Shortly thereafter, my contractions started coming on more intensely.  And then they came on stronger than ever.  Since I had the Pitocin actively dripping in my IV, I wasn't able to labor in the tub any more.  We got the birthing ball.  We turned down the lights.  And for the next two hours, Steven held me, massaged my back, and comforted me as I experienced continual very strong contrations with no breaks in between.  It was almost unbearable.  My mind was trying to keep my body under control, but I was really struggling.  (I have since learned that this was my body's response to the aggressive measures of breaking my water and using Pitocin to bring on labor.  Most women in my situation would have been given an Epidural to manage the pain.  In fact, my doctor said that 95% of his patients used an Epidural.  No wonder - with how aggressive he was in his medical decisions.) 

This was such a difficult two hours for me.  I remember thinking that I was going to lose it.  I remember thinking that I couldn't do it.  Steven reminded me that I could.  Mellena came in and helped me, too.  She reminded me that I needed to keep working hard to manage the pain and not get overcome with fear.  Or I would have to have pain meds.  You can do it, she said.  The Holy Spirit gave me what I needed to endure, although it was very hard to keep going. 

At some point after those two hours, I felt the urge to push.  We called the nurse in.  She got me up in the bed and checked me.  I was 9 3/4cm dilated.  She said, "You're ready for the doctor to come in and deliver this baby!"  I was relieved that it was time to deliver.  If I hadn't been that far along, I would have asked for pain medicine at that point.  Note to self:  Transition is the time that you think you're going to die.

I stayed on the bed and pushed for a while.  I can't remember exactly how long, but I think it was around 45 minutes.  It was also very difficult.  I lost control at times.  I was so exhausted from those two hours of nonstop contractions.  Mellena held one leg and Steven held the other.  Mellena reminded me to stay in control of my body and not give up.  She was like a sweet but serious Mother hen, keeping me in line when I was about to fall off the boat and give up.

At 12:37 AM, Isaac Ryan Mauney came into our arms.  Thankfully I was able to hold him for a brief moment before he was taken into another part of the room to be checked.

After delivery, the doctor informed me that I had torn quite severely.  I was shaking at that point, and he said, "I need to stitch you up right now.  Stop shaking."  I tried my hardest.  I really did.  In fact, I thought I was stopped, but he said, "If you don't stop, I am going to give you Demerol and Phenergan!"  I didn't want any pain medication during labor, much less after labor when I wanted to be able to focus on my boy.  Well, I didn't have a choice according to the doctor.  He waited all of 30 seconds for me to stop shaking and when I didn't, he instructed the nurse to pump those meds into my IV.  Suddenly I became woozy and he did the procedure.  Because of my wooziness for the next few hours, I remember very little.  I have created memories in my brain with pictures that were taken and also Steven's recounting of events.  (Yet again, I have since learned that there was no medical necessity to the doctor needing to stitch me up immediately.  My shaking was natural and typically occurs in a woman's body after delivery.  Next time around, I was going to make sure to get a doctor who wouldn't stitch me until my body was calmed down from delivery.  And I did.  Both Elise's and Grace's birth experiences were driven by my desires, and went very differently than Isaac's birth.)

Once I was stitched up, the doctor left to see other patients.  One patient checked off his list.  I felt very much like I was just an obligation (and a headache since I didn't want an epidural.  Who doesn't want an epidural?  Only crazy people, right?!) 

In spite of the labor and delivery being different than what I'd hoped, I now had a precious baby boy.  He started nursing and I held him close.  My parents, Kati, and Ray had been waiting all night at the hospital and they came in around 2:00 AM.  We showed Isaac off.  Steven's parents hadn't heard anything from us since he'd called them the day before to tell them I was in labor, so they decided to come to the hospital at 6:00AM.  Needless to say, we didn't get much rest after the delivery!  Later that first day, we had several visitors.  My grandparents, Steven's sister, our nephew BJ, our niece Carly, our friends Lauren & Brian, and Ashley & Josh (and their baby Taylor). 

That first day, November 21st was now the birthday of our first child.  The child who brought me into motherhood's boot camp.   The child who God used to teach me about love like never before.  And the child I would fall in love with in so many ways over the next six years.  The child who is now a full fledged boy with a personality almost just like mine.  A boy who loves Legos, and Lincoln Logs, and playing football in the yard.  A boy who feels very deeply.  A boy who, when asked what he's thankful for, says "food and God." 

On this day when I remember my labor with Isaac, I no longer think about the difficult moments of his birth.  I realize what an incredible gift he is, and I thank God that he made it into my arms safely and without complication.  I thank God that I have become a different woman through knowing Isaac Ryan Mauney and being his Momma.  So I celebrate this day! 

Isaac, I celebrate you today!  You are a light in our lives and a joy to our souls!  We love you and thank God for YOU!