Montana Bride: Piper Ann: A Birth Story

Sometimes you can plan and prepare, be as ready as you can, but things don't always go the way you thought was best.
Thursday night we ate fried corn tacos- they were soooo good.....I made enough that we could have left overs the next day for lunch. Well, I ate one every hour that night until they were all gone-gross I know- and I've never ate so much since I've been pregnant.
Friday morning I had realllllly bad gas pain from the tacos right? or were they contractions? I couldn't tell so I chose the gas and as I went to the midwife for a check up appointment I apologized for the gas I would have and they laughed at me and I didn't pass gas while I was there but continued to have this cramping gas feeling through to the evening.
I was 1cm like I had been the past 2 wks.
Isaiah went to work, I tried to take a nap but could't seem to relax so I went up to my inlaws.
More Mexican food at their house! Nachos! Yummy-
At about 8pm I felt like I was going to pass gas so I excused myself and on the way to the bathroom....
"Uhhh ummm I'm LEAKING!"
Yeup, my water broke and it was one of the weirdest feelings- like really happy but why does the water keep coming and coming. ( I thought when your water broke WOOSH and all the water came out but no, it keeps leaking out until you have the baby)
I called Isaiah at work and soon he was on his way to pick Lawana (my mother in law) and I up so I could do most of my laboring at home. My contractions were 10- 15 mins apart and they were a piece of cake to breathe through but weird- like my false labor they would be far apart then really close. At about 1am I decided I have to be close to having this baby my contractions were making me stand up and do a funny dance to shake away the cramping. All the while keeping my mid wife in Missoula updated on everything via text.
So we head to my Moms house closer to Missoula.
By 3am I beg Isaiah to check my cervix- I HAVE to be close....I want to have this baby by morning and enjoy her all day. I'm at 3cm-disappointing- I tell Isaiah to try and sleep...he sleeps like a baby and I labor with weird close together then far apart contractions until finally at 6:30am my midwife texts me to come in.
Yay! I'm going to go and pop this baby out within a couple of hours right?!
Wrong, at 7am I'm still at 3 cm and Piper is posterior and her head is pushing down on the birth canal ahead of my cervix so unless she moves back or my cervix moves forward my contractions are doing nothing to help me dilate. So we try a side laying position but my contractions are still weird and not consistent so that's not working.
I was getting into agony and exhaustion but my awesome mid wife and her dear sweet nurse helped me get through each contraction. I got dehydrated from puking so they put two bags of fluids in me and some kind of herb concoction that would act as a natural pitocin.
By Noon Saturday I was running out of time My water broke so I needed to have this little girl by 8pm that night or C-section (AHHHH!).
God sent me an angel.
Marlene: doula for over 20 yrs and a believer in the power of God
Called the birth center to chat with my mid wife and see how she was and my mid wife told her I was there laboring but the baby was in the wrong position and would not move so Marlene volunteered to come help if I wanted her to.
YES! I would do anything.
She had me basically stand on my head...serious.
I had my legs bent on a chair and my head to the ground and when I had a contraction Marlene and Isaiah shook my hips back and forth to get the baby out of the pelvis so she could go back in the right way.
Sounds crazy but it felt so relieving from all the back pressure I was having and it worked with some other positions as well with all the hip shaking Piper was where she needed to be!
BUT it was 1:30pm and I'm still 3cm ....I was running out of time, my contractions weren't strong enough or consistent and my wise midwife said it was time to head to the hospital choosing to err on the side of caution.
So off to the hospital...a little disappointing but she was coming soon right?!
Eh, kinda not- on the drive to the hospital Piper had moved back into her bad position and I was in agony again.
2:30pm I'm still at 3cm and I'm crying because I'm so tired and feel like I'm going to pass out. So as I walked to my room with my mid wife she advised me to get an epidural so I could rest and have the strength to push.
Stubborn and full of womanly pride I said no I' fine I can do this. Then another one hits and I have to hold the wall in the hallway to keep from falling down and then I pray and ask God what He wants me to do. The whole labor I had been praying telling God what to do "God, please help me to dilate and get this baby safely out, oh and FAST!" but not once had I asked for His will to be done and for Him to get the glory for this birth.
So, pride on the floor I got the epidural, relaxed and fell asleep off and on talking with Marlene while Piper moved into the good position and my cervix came forward.
Marlenes' wisdom: she thinks if I haven't gotten the epidural , my back was so tight and tense, that I would not have been able to relax enough for my cervix to come forward and the baby to move into the right position.
Side note: Having an epidural was nothing like I heard....I could still feel everything fine, even Piper wiggling around- the only thing that I couldn't feel was the contractions...weird huh. I had always thought they would make you completely numb from the waist down but mine was perfect- just enough relief to help me relax and not tense up- also I got the minium pitocin since I just needed a little help keeping my contractions close together.
6:30pm
My 2nd angel came.
Garnet: an old experienced night shift nurse with an army attitude.
it wasn't that my first nurse was bad but that Garnet was so motivated to get me to have Piper before we ran out of time that made me love her.
At 8pm she checked me and basically stripped my membranes, not contracting she could stretch me as much as she liked (yeah sorry that sounds awful but it made me so happy and grow up this is a part of life) and contracting I was at 6cm
So she told me to rest for pushing and 5 mins later I was calling her to say I felt like I needed to have a BM and she told me that everyone I wanted in there should hurry up.
So Isaiah called my Mom, Lawana, and my good friend Jeri to the room and here we go.
Marlene on one side and Isaiah on the other with their arms under my legs and my hands in theirs I was ready for the best work out of my life with Marlene as my personal trainer coaching me through each contraction on when to breath-hold it-push-breath-hold-it-push. My Mom was my water boy and Jeri was the soothing comfort in my ear in between pushes encouraging me on.
Isaiah said I pushed for about 1/2 hr but it seemed faster than that- maybe because it was my favorite part.
The nurses brought in a mirror so I could see Piper coming and when she was almost out Isaiah took the OBs and Lawana took Isaiahs' place on my right side. Isaiah held her first then stuck her on my chest.
It was precious.
I was so happy to have a healthy screaming baby in my arms and as Isaiah came to my side and spoke to her she stopped and listened to him.
Isaiah and I had so much love right then I want to go back to that moment over and over.
She looks just like him and she had hair!.

All glory to God.

Thank you Lord for this wonderful gift sent from heaven.