I’m sitting in my papasan with the computer on my lap looking out into a gusty world. All night long the firs and alders towering to the sky have been bending, windblown and creaking against each other, making room for the whistling wind sweeping through from the Puget Sound. Rain is not exactly falling, but rather being forcefully thrown out from the sky in every which way. It’s a wonder we still have our power on.
Thirty-four weeks along am I and slowly we are getting ready for our baby. The onesies are washed and the wee white socks folded and waiting (do tell me why they have grippers…will they slip walking already???). A gifted new carseat awaits, and my prenatal appointments are showing up more often. I’ve excused myself from dishes and other chores, too, recognizing my standards are going to have to make some room for real little people and what they can and can’t do. Everyone’s got their hands on my belly, especially my 11yo son. It’s sweet.
I have an interesting history regarding childbirth. Most of my babies have been late, and weighed between 8lb0oz and 10lb15oz (yes, you read that right).
Baby one: pre-eclampsia, skyrocketing blood pressure followed by an induced labor that after two days culminated in a c-section. Not exactly the home birth we had planned and hoped for. And that experience fueled my desire to learn more about nutrition (I went on to earn both a BS and an MS in Holistic Nutrition).
Baby two: unmedicated vbac with midwives in a birth center/hospital, shoulder dystocia. We thought he was a goner; his APGAR was only a 2 when he arrived, purple and unmoving. He revived quickly, and I quietly thanked God I was completely unmedicated because who knows how he would have reacted with drugs in his system.
Baby three: unmedicated vbac in the local hospital with an excellent Ob-Gyn. I think he is a midwife in disguise. Unfortunately my helpers jumped the gun and took me in too early so in my nervousness labor was lonnnnnnng. Like at least sixteen hours or more (I thankfully forgot).
Baby four: unmedicated vbac again in the local hospital. This time, however, we labored at home until I was in transition and by the time we got there I pushed her out in 15 minutes for the nurse to catch. I don’t think my OB believed me that birth was imminent; even one of my helpers missed the birth because she thought she had time to gas up her car. I count this birth as my best one.
Baby five: unmedicated vbac in the local hospital with the same Ob. This baby didn’t want to come out. I “invited” him to come with many “techniques”, including a dose of caster oil, to which he thumbed his nose at me and simply rewarded me a day of false labor. Then I labored from a Tuesday night allllllllllll the way to Thursday morning (9:30 to be exact). He was the almost 11lb baby. AND he was 18 days “late”. EIGHTEEN.
Baby six: a planned vbac that was tossed out at the last minute (in labor) by a midwife who decided she had changed her mind about the possibility of a breech birth. I ended up at the hospital because I had nowhere else to go, where my Ob wasn’t available and all they would do was a c-section. This birth gave us our baby with Down Syndrome. You can read more about Ruby’s birth here.
Baby seven: this is the one we are waiting on. It’s been almost comical, the hoops and loops of finding either a midwife or an Ob that will let me try to labor and birth this baby on my own. Despite their own upcoming “guidelines” of allowing a multiple c-section mother have a trial of labor, they just are either constrained by politics or the desire to take the easy (easy for THEM) surgical road.
So that is where we are. We have two midwives and an Ob ready. We had a question of a breech presentation already, which another chiropractor was able to assess and get this baby head down using the Webster Technique. Sure wish we had tried that with baby number six, but of course I didn’t know we’d be left high and dry. There has been some spotting already and so I’m heading out for another ultrasound to check on the placenta and whatnot. What all that means, truly, is that my births are “never boring”.
Mentally and emotionally I feel content and at peace. The wind is howling outside like crazy, but I am snug as a bug within my high Shelter, the Rock in which I hide myself. I’ve removed myself from critical people and that has helped a lot as well to foster quietness.
While waiting, I am working on projects; one of which I think YOU all will LOVE (can’t wait to share that one!) and others that are just for me, like finishing up a knitted blanket, starting seedlings, and finishing up a quilt. I have no idea how or when this baby will show up, but in the meanwhile, I am enjoying the baby feet pressing up through my belly to my open hands, and I am thankful for it all.
Blessings,
Looking forward to hearing that your newest blessing has arrived. You all are in our prayers.OG
You sure have had a wide variety of birth experiences. I hope this one is greatly blessed. Remembering you in this time of awaiting your next little blessing's arrival on the outside.
We'll just pray this one is famous for it's ho-hum, un-remarkable arrival. :)I wanted to tell you that your recent post, Conflicts Clarify, was a huge blessing to a young friend of mine who also just gave birth to #7. She read it with great sobs of gratitude. 🙂 Thanks for sharing yourself with us.
Oh yes, PLEASE a "ho hum, unremarkable arrival"!! And thank you all for the prayers! God is answering in ways I cannot even share yet :)Thank you for sharing about your friend, Sally. That post has gone crazy and I realize now that I am not alone in much of how I'm thinking. God is so good to allow us to fellowship with one another in spirit. I'm grateful.