Isaac's Birth Story: Part 2

(Part 1 is here if you need to start at the beginning)

It was a gorgeous morning. The sun was just risen, the sky clear as we drove. Joel asked me how fast I wanted him to drive. I responded with something like, don’t be dangerous, but get there. We made great highway time – Joel said he averaged about 85 mph – except when we got stuck behind a car poking along in the passing lane. I may have uttered an expletive at one point, but Joel said he was willing to overlook it because, you know, labor. I held onto the handle above my car door to help steady me as we drove, and managed to send a text or two. I think I texted my sister something like, “This is the baby text! We’re on our way to the birth center!” Joel initiated a family phone tree by calling our sister in law, Becca, to let her know it was all going down.

As with the last time we made this drive in labor, my contractions spaced out a bit on the ride but didn’t stop. Notably, if anyone is familiar with the intersection at “the ladder store” in Ephrata, I had a particularly hard contraction just as Joel took that right-hand turn onto 322 none too gently. Yowsa! Overall though, the spacing of contractions meant I could really enjoy the beauty of the morning and contemplate, to some degree, the fact that we would be meeting our son that day. I continued to manage contractions with relative ease. The relaxation was just coming so naturally to me that morning!

We arrived at the birth center at 8:05 a.m. and were welcomed by Jen, the same midwife who delivered Mikayla. She had the birth tub set up and partially filled with water. A quick check revealed that I was already 7-8 centimeters dilated and fully effaced (!!). I took a bathroom break, undressed, and hopped (well…figuratively) into the birth tub to labor. At this point, labor really….all but stopped. Jen assured me that this was normal when transitioning to a new location, and that I was definitely in labor, and it would pick up again soon. We hung out and talked, joked, relaxed for about half an hour with me in the tub. I may have had a contraction or two during that time, but it was really low-key and enjoyable at that point. I remember Jen telling the nurse that we would be needing her almost for sure within the next three hours, and I remembered being surprised and SO happy that she thought it would go that quickly!

Around 8:30, things began to pick up. With each contraction, Joel rubbed my shoulders and back, and poured warm water from the tub over my belly with a pitcher. He also began to breathe with me through each contraction. At times, I used a focal point of one of the plugs in the inflatable birth tub, and at other times I closed my eyes to concentrate. Different from my first labor, I also tried to keep my arms and hands totally relaxed. With Mikayla, I squeezed Joel’s hands through the really intense contractions. This time around, keeping my arms relaxed was really difficult but I think paid off in helping to manage the pain more successfully and allowing the contractions to pass more peacefully. I know it sounds weird, but it continued to be a peaceful labor even as contractions ramped way up and even double-peaked several times.

Jen captured the (external) serenity of Joel helping me through a contraction.

Joel says it was probably around 9:00 a.m. that I first said I might be ready to push soon. He also says his internal reaction, which he did not voice, was “Already?!? Shouldn’t we wait?” I wasn’t having a true urge, but could tell the baby was getting low, and the intensity from the contractions was getting super low as well. With the next few contractions, it didn’t feel as low or intense, so I waited, but my midwife gave me her blessing to push when I felt like it. At this point, my water had not broken, in case you were wondering.

Now, with Mikayla, I believe I delayed pushing significantly because I wasn’t sure when it was time to try. I think my labor with her could have been at least an hour or two shorter, and that much of what I considered to be “transition” was in fact me resisting my body’s urge to push. So I was determined to be very tuned into my body this time, and not to resist when I felt that same feeling.

But I was willing to be patient. I started to push once or twice with contractions and felt that it wasn’t right just yet, that my body wasn’t quite working with me. So I relaxed and waited to have the feeling again. It was just after 9:30 that I really started to feel that it was time – those low, incredibly intense contractions that felt like the baby was ready to come out. I was also feeling like I couldn’t take much more intensity, so that let me know that I must be just about there!

At this point, I told Jen again that I was really feeling like I should push. She checked me and said there was just a small edge of my cervix in the way, but that she would help while I pushed to let the baby’s head pass through. She also asked if I’d like her to break my water. I agreed to the amniotomy, to relieve some pressure and help the pushing to go perhaps a bit more easily and quickly. She broke my water and reported that it was clear, no meconium, and so I was free to have this baby in the tub! I had to deliver Mikayla out of the water due to meconium staining, so I was excited to try this time in the water. (Read: Praise the Lord, I wouldn’t have to throw a leg over the side of the birth tub to get out in the middle of pushing.)

Water broken and with Jen helping, I pushed hard through the next several contractions. Jen was so encouraging, telling me that I was pushing perfectly, and having me shift slightly to improve the angle for the baby. He must have appreciated that, because then he came fast! It was incredibly intense for me, feeling him descend, and feeling as though I must continue to push to get this baby out or I would, I don’t know, die or something. He crowned within a few minutes, and I only allowed him to hang out long enough for me to take a deep breath and push again.

At 9:47, after five hours of labor and just eleven minutes of pushing, Isaac Victor Pearce was born in the warm water of the birth tub, and was in my arms within moments. It took some wrangling, but Jen helped deliver his broad shoulders while I pushed one more time. While Joel wasn’t able to catch him, he said he loved being behind me while Isaac was born. He was able to see Isaac wiggle in my belly just before he emerged, and witnessed the magic moment of Isaac’s head and shoulders appearing in the water below me. I was overwhelmed with emotion as Jen placed Isaac in my arms. He was quiet and peaceful, eyes closed as he moved and tested his new-found freedom. I held him close to my chest and whispered (cried? proclaimed?), “My baby boy, my sweet boy. I’m so glad you’re here!”

The most marked part of the experience for me was sweet relief at having Isaac delivered. I’m sure this was because of the sheer speed and intensity of labor and birth, but getting him out of me and into the water felt so. good. And then I marveled that it was over already! The feeling of relief continued as the midwife and Joel helped me out of the tub and onto the bed to deliver the placenta. Joel got a sweet picture of the placenta for a good friend who had expressed curiosity (yes, really). He also cut the cord, and proudly named his son.

The post-delivery process continued smoothly, and Jen reported that I had sustained no tearing or injury despite the velocity of the birth. (Another perk of laboring in the water, I’m sure!) Isaac settled in to nurse, and Jen took some first family photos. She also captured some great shots during labor, and immediately after delivery. I’m not sure how; she must have actually been in two places at once, as far as I can figure. But we are so thankful for her and our nurse, Bev, for helping us to have a second fantastic birth-center experience. We were heading out by 1:30 p.m., planning to stop by our pediatrician’s office for a quick check on the way home (long story, but everything is completely fine with Isaac).

God is so good to us. We are thankful that Isaac arrived safely, and feel so blessed at how smoothly and quickly the labor process went. Soli deo Gloria!

Isaac's Birth Story: Part 1

This is the first of two posts on Isaac's birth story. These posts are a retelling of the labor and delivery process, in all the detail that we would like to remember. I hope you enjoy reading about this wonderful experience. Be aware that, while it is not graphic, it does include details of the birthing process. Please feel free to comment, and to share the story with others if you find it encouraging. We are so grateful that Isaac arrived safely and without incident, and give glory to God alone for the events that you will read about below!

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I was awakened at 4:33 in the morning by the first contraction. While it was more intense than the hundreds of Braxton-Hicks I had been experiencing over the past week or so, I wasn’t completely convinced that it was the real thing. I breathed and relaxed and refrained from getting too excited. One contraction does not a labor make, particularly when the due date is still two weeks away. At 4:43, another contraction rushed over my body – still not sharp or painful enough to be truly persuasive, but certainly enough to make me take notice. I continued to relax and make myself as comfortable as possible in bed, and decided it wasn’t worth waking Joel just yet.

The next hour and a half consisted of contractions every 10-15 minutes, perhaps skipping one here and there, alternating with me telling myself, “Nah, probably not labor…if I have one more contraction, THEN I’ll wake Joel up.” They became closer together and more regular as the time progressed, so that they were really every ten minutes toward the end of that time. While I was intently focused on evaluating what was going on with my body, it was a very peaceful time of experiencing and relaxing through contractions, resting as much as possible in the quiet as the sun began to peek through the windows.

Joel’s alarm was set to go off at 6:00 a.m. At 5:45, I told myself that if I had one more contraction, then I was going to wake him up, no seriously this time because it just might be labor. So I relaxed through a contraction and slipped my hand into his, squeezing it gently. He squeezed back, and I softly told him that I had been having contractions for about an hour and a half. He didn’t exactly bolt out of bed, but to his credit, he did at least wake up and converse with me. (It helped that it was pretty much his normal wake-up time at that point.) I told him that we should probably think about whether he ought to go in to work on time, late, or at all, and whether we should start to rally the troops (midwife, Mikayla’s on-call babysitter, etc.).  Consensus was that he would hop in the shower so he’d be ready for whatever contingency.  I also encouraged Joel to potty immediately if he needed to, before my next contraction hit.

At this point, things I did differently, having learned from the first time around with Mikayla: 1) Wake Joel up when odds are best that it will work, rather than at 1 a.m. when he will likely struggle to comprehend what is going on. Baby helped tremendously by initiating labor early in the morning. 2) Ask Joel if he needs to use the bathroom BETWEEN contractions rather than competing for the toilet in the midst of a very painful moment.

Things Joel did differently, having learned from the first time around: 1) Respond appropriately and supportively to wife’s statement that she may be in labor. 2) Potty quickly and allow wife to resume post laboring on toilet.

Joel hopped in the shower at 6:00 a.m. By 6:10 when he was hopping out, there was no doubt that I was in serious labor. Contractions were becoming deeper and more painful, with less than ten minutes between. We texted our on-call babysitters around 6:30, “Stand by, this might be it!” and called the midwife. We agreed to meet at the birth center at 7:45, to give our babysitters time to arrive. Then, our poor babysitters let us know that they needed to jump-start their car, and that one of them had jury duty (from which he was subsequently released, thankfully!). But they were going to be en route ASAP! We called our back-up babysitter who agreed to come right away so that we could get on the road.

All this was still more ideal than making arrangements at 3:00 a.m. to drive on unplowed roads through a blizzard to the birth center, a la Mikayla’s birth story, but still.

Joel gathered miscellaneous last-minute items for the birth bag, brought some clothes for me, and helped me get my socks on (for some reason this is a job that sticks out in my memory from our first labor too – him putting my socks on my feet between contractions). Things were getting intense for me as I remained on the toilet, but overall it was still a pretty peaceful labor with successful relaxation through each rush. I knew Joel was taking care of details, and my confidence in him allowed me to focus on what I was doing without becoming tense or stressed.

Both our babysitter and back-up babysitter arrived at the same time, so our back-up turned around and went back home (thanks for trying!). I will never forget the sight of Rachel rushing in the back door as I stood in the mudroom having contractions over a chair. She had one daughter under each arm, and as Joel and I began to tell her where the instruction sheet was, etc., she said, “Just go! I’ll figure everything out!” What a friend. Thank you! My mind was at ease as Joel helped me to the car.

Next: Part 2

Welcome, Isaac Victor!

Welcome, Isaac Victor Pearce!

Born at 9:47 a.m. on Thursday, March 8. 

Measuring 8 lb 3 oz, 20 inches long.

At the birth center, just about ready to go home!

Signs That I Am 38+ Weeks Pregnant

• I begin every phone call with "I'm not in labor,"...
• And the person on the other end expresses disappointment.
• I disregard the importance of anything I can't see past my belly.
• I consider anything on the calendar past this weekend to be optional at best.
• Three hours of sleep at a stretch leaves me feeling quite refreshed and rejuvenated...relatively speaking.
• My one-year-old daughter already responds appropriately to requests such as "Put it away," and "Pick it up, give to momma."
• A successful day includes nobody going hungry or soiled...for very long.
• Labor would be preferable to the effort and pain involved in rolling over in bed.

There are other things I'm forgetting, I'm sure, but these are some that come to mind at the moment.

In other news, our neighbors are apparently moving out, and the banging noises during naptime and after bedtime doesn't make me cranky at all.

It's Too Much Effort to Think of a Title

So Joel and I both thought it might have been going down last night. I had two solid hours of contractions, coming every 10 minutes toward the end. They varied in intensity though...some I had to relax and breathe through, while others seemed pretty quick and minor. I have an entire Word document dedicated to recording the time and intensity of each contraction.

It was exciting enough that I spent most of the time putting together a couple of brief clinical reports so that just in case this was it, my clients wouldn't be stuck without their information because upcoming court dates do not just hang out waiting for your therapist to come back from maternity leave. Joel was all excited too; I just know he was pushing through that fantasy baseball draft as an act of sacrifice while his wife was false-laboring away on the couch next to him.

And this after an afternoon at work that made me question my sanity in deciding to work almost right up until the due date. First, upon my arrival at the office yesterday, I had to retrieve an old client file from the office basement. And I am not talking about let's hop on the elevator or even let's carefully descend holding onto the railing. I am talking about a house built in 1870 for short people with apparently impeccable balance, because there is nary a railing to be found anywhere. Not even on the stairs going up to my second-floor office, which, yes, I also had to climb after making it up out of the basement. 219 West Main Street is my Everest.

At this point, I just factor in five minutes for deep breathing and a bathroom break every time I go up those suckers. I told our billing manager yesterday that if I had to go up and down one more time, it would be her taking me to the birth center. My clients are pretty understanding, and really, it's therapeutic to get into the habit of, you know, centering yourself as soon as you get to where you're going. It's not totally selfish that as soon as I fall (gracefully) into my office chair, I propose that we "take a moment to recover from coming up the stairs, shall we?".

I made it through a whopping four hours of work, and it really wasn't soooo bad. I could count on two hands and a few toes the number of times I stopped listening to my clients because I was noting the time and subtly deep breathing through an intense Braxton-Hicks. Which, I am pretty sure they are still Braxton-Hicks. They don't hurt, per se, but I can't always walk or talk through them.

In summation, yesterday it was as though moving more than two muscles simultaneously would result in a wave of contractions. Which apparently did not constitute "the real thing" because I am sitting here blogging about it instead of treasuring my first moments with our son.

Speaking of sitting here on my rear, Mikayla is a champ. I have never seen such a content one-year-old (not that I had hung out with very many until I became a mom). When I comment on what she's doing, she looks up at me as though realizing for the first time that "oh, you're still here?". I choose to interpret this as a sign of secure attachment and advanced emotional development, rather than proof of my neglectful tendencies over the past few months. I mean, when the garbage truck pulled up this morning, she still leapt into my arms for reassurance. Securely attached, thank you very much. I can provide references if you'd like to read further. You believe me, right?

Thanks for joining me, this has been my 38-week pity party. Tune in next time for more on the whiny, tantrum phase we seem to be entering...and maybe I'll write about Mikayla, too.

(p.s. don't be fooled, pregnancy is one of the most blessed experiences of my life. All the discomfort is more than worth the promise of a new little soul to nurture and love!)

SDG :)

The Floodgates of Heaven (We Need an Umbrella)

I promised a few posts ago to share the myriad ways our Lord has been generous toward us lately. This, my friends, is that post. I don't know that I'll even remember everything (such is my ungrateful human heart, to lose track of God's good gifts). Please don't misconstrue this as boastful in any way; on the contrary, Joel and I frequently look at one another in disbelief that the Lord has not dealt with us as we deserve. Certainly there is nothing in us that has earned any favor deserving of this kind of bountiful blessing. No, it is God Himself who is faithful and provident toward His children because of who He is.

I'd like to preface our list of blessings by giving some backstory. About nine months back, as a matter of fact. I was working my part-time postdoc gig, Mikayla was about six months old, and Joel was working his (cute) hiney off at two part-time jobs as he also worked on his Master's in Library Science. We were getting by, the Lord was providing, but the proverbial belt was tight around our budget each month. Our hopes and dreams obviously included Joel finishing his Master's degree, me finishing my postdoc and getting licensed as a psychologist, and one day having a larger vehicle for hauling kids, a larger home for housing kids, and...well, more kids.

Enter God's sense of humor.

On July 11, I found out that we were expecting baby #2. I will explain how this development itself fits into our list of blessings (as if the mere fact of a new life isn't reason enough to rejoice!), but in the midst of the picture painted above, you might be able to sense how it wasn't exactly an expected, planned-for development in the scheme of things. The day I took that pregnancy test, we just laughed. How in the world is the Lord going to pull this one off? We had no idea. So many details to fall into place, so many time-sensitive needs with Joel's schooling, need for full-time job, not to mention health insurance for a new baby, would I be able to finish my postdoc before the baby arrived, would we be able to afford ANOTHER unpaid maternity leave almost within a year of the previous one, how will we fit two carseats into one of our vehicles, and will our kids be ok with sharing a room? The questions just became more numerous the more we thought about it all.

Ultimately we decided to trust the Lord to weave all these details together. He has revealed His plan a single step at a time, and oh, how He has woven!

• We tried to get pregnant with Mikayla for a long time...a couple of years...and didn't expect it to ever be easy for us to conceive. That 2P is a "surprise" is a sign of the Lord's working in my body and in our lives to demonstrate the joy He takes in being plentiful in all things. It was as though He was saying, not only did I move my hand to give you a child after all your efforts...this one, I will drop into your lives unexpectedly to show you that it is I who authors life, with no need for you to toil or worry.
• Joel finished his degree in December, freeing his afternoons to take care of lots of housework as I focused almost exclusively on studying for my licensure exam. I had originally hoped to take the exam in December or January, but it would have been so difficult to take on the burden of studying at that time with all that Joel was doing.
• We prayed that the Lord would open a position at Alvernia, where Joel has been working. God graciously said no for a long time, but looking back, this was a way of answering prayer in a way that was better than what we would have planned!
• I scheduled my EPPP (licensure exam) for February 24. Studied like crazy, and was able to take it before 2P arrives!
• I finished my postdoc hours (all 1500 of them) as of February 23. (Talk about details fitting together like a glove.)
• The Lord caused a position to open at Alvernia just the week before my EPPP; the library director offered him the position the next day, to begin on March 1, a week after my EPPP such that we no longer have need for Joel to take care of housework while I study. He's completely free and clear to begin working full-time hours. We are so grateful for the timing of this, and especially for no application or interview process for Joel, and no move out of the area for us!
• Joel's new full-time position comes with health insurance that is superior to what we had. And it kicked in as of March 1, fully covering 2P's birth, including costs that we already paid out of pocket, resulting in an expected reimbursement from the birth center after delivery. We are so grateful that there was no wait period before his benefits start, or before he could enroll the rest of us!
• We have a couple of weeks for Joel to settle into his job, and for me to wrap up some licensure paperwork with my supervisor and get it all submitted to the state. No rush, just feeling nice and ready for baby to arrive.
• We are able to talk about when to trade in my car for a minivan, not if we will be able to someday.
• A move to a larger place is suddenly on our radar as well. It won't happen before we add 2P to our family, and it will still take some skillful financial planning and God's providence, but it is so much less stressful to think that it is an option for when we need to spread the kiddos out.
• Speaking of less stressful, a little bump in income right before a baby comes is just so gracious of the Lord. We are feeling like we can at least cover all those unexpected little expenses when you realize you need a few things at Target, etc.

Again, I don't list these things to boast or to focus your attention on how amazing our lives are at the moment. Frankly, we are going from "pretty broke" to "we can afford life!" so don't expect to see us tossing the Benjamins around any time soon. But we are also going from "how are we going to afford this baby, and maternity leave, and get by as a family of four?" to "oooh, so that's what the Lord had in mind when He decided to give us another baby!"

As in all things, His gift of this child is nothing more or less than a testimony to His great faithfulness, and an opportunity for Him to amaze us with His grace. We believe that He placed this baby boy in my womb for the sole purpose of glorifying Himself through the miracle of working all these details together. Please, join us in worshiping and thanking our great God for who He is. Truly, "the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps." [Prov. 16:9]

Better He than I to determine my steps! Soli deo gloria!!