Jaina's Birth Story

Yesterday around 4:30 pm John came home from Home Teaching and told me that while he was sitting in church he thought of the name "Jaina". We've spent the last two months choosing and then discarding name after name, nothing ever really felt right. When John said that name, I knew it was the one. I said "What about Jaina Marie?" and it was settled. I looked down at my stomach and said to the baby "If you've been waiting until you had a name, now you do, so come on out!" My first contraction was about a minute later.

I didn't start timing contractions until 7 pm because they were so far apart. I timed a few and they were 10 minutes. I sent Joyce an email (she was still at her Dad's house 30 min from here) to let her know that these contractions weren't foolin' and that the baby was likely on it's way. then we went outside to get some fresh air and so Libby could eat some sand.

After putting Libby to bed John and I started watching "Return Of The Jedi" as a distraction. I started timing contractions again around 9 pm - 7 minutes apart. Joyce called at 9:30 and said she would have her stepmom drive her to our house and then her dad would pick her up around 6 am to take her to the airport so she could fly home. As soon as I hung up with Joyce, contractions jumped to 3 minutes apart, lasting only 30 sec.

I called Amy, the midwife on call, to tell her what was going on. She said to get in the tub, because the warm water would make the contractions last longer. She said they would probably space out some, but that the length of contractions is more important than the frequency. I got in the tub (freshly scrubbed by Joyce :) at 11 and they did indeed slow down, but got much longer and stronger, some lasting almost 2 minutes. Then they got real close and really, really strong.

Amy called after an hour or so to check on me. John told her how I was progressing. She said she was on her way to the Birth Center to meet another patient whose water had broken and who was "feeling pushy". So she called Becky, the head midwife, to come to me. Becky called a few minutes later and said she was on her way. I got out of the tub at 12:15.

Libby woke up soon after that and threw up all over her floor and Joyce. Thank goodness Joyce was here to take care of her! John and I sat on the bed and he helped me breathe and moan through the contractions, helping me stay calm and focused. Becky arrived at 12:45. Contractions were very hard and right on top of one another. Becky checked me and said I was 5 cm dilated, 100% effaced, and the baby was fully engaged at zero station.

I went through contractions for about 20 minutes, John at my side, rocking with me and hugging me during each contraction, moaning low in his chest so I could follow his example. With each contraction, the pressure on my pelvic floor got more and more intense until I just couldn't stand and and I flopped over on my side. As soon as I hit the mattress, I started pushing. In my mind I was saying "I shouldn't be pushing, I'm only 5 cm!" but I couldn't control it. My body was going to push whether I wanted to or not. John was in front of me, holding me and talking to me, helping me to stay calm. I remember after each push saying "No, no, no". Suddenly we heard pounding on the door. A nice policeman had come by to let us know that we were keeping our neighbors awake. Joyce told him "Um, we're having a baby!" and he left.

After he left, Joyce came to look in on me. Libby was in her room watching "Finding Nemo". All of a sudden I cried "I feel something in there! Becky lifted my leg and said "That's the baby!". Joyce came to hold up my leg while Becky cleaned me up some (cause when you're pushing out a baby, you're pushing out everything else that comes out that end!) and in two pushes I got the head out. The bag of waters was still intact over her head and didn't break until the head was completely out! Becky said she hasn't delivered a baby in the bag in 4 years! It took three more pushes to get her body out, then there she was next to me, being supported by John and myself, our new baby girl! 1:35 am, 50 minutes after the arrival of the midwife, and 35 minutes after my being dilated only 5 cm. I feel like I went through transition as I was pushing!

Joyce cut the cord (John is so not interested in doing that!) and John bundled little Jaina up in a towel while I delivered the placenta. Boy howdy, did that feel good! Becky checked me for tears, and I had a little one where I had torn with Libby, up inside the birth canal. Becky said it looked like the scar tissue had split. I called my parents and my sister while Becky got the suturing stuff ready. As she was stiching me up (only 2 stitches, not so bad) Libby came in and met her little sister, who she calls "Jada". Becky took a few pictures of Joyce holding Libby looking at Jaina, nestled in John's arms. I got all stitched, then hopped in the shower to clean off while Joyce and Becky stripped the soiled bedding and cleaned up the bedroom. Then on went the ice pack and in to bed I went with my little family.

Jaina nursed for the first time at 2 am. What a pro! She fell asleep but continued nursing for about a half hour. I felt my colostrum let down about halfway through. When she finished, I handed her over to John and Becky made me get up and pee, which I did quite successfully. Soon after, Becky left, telling me I was one of the best laboring moms she has seen. What a great thing to hear! She also had lots of great things to say about John, one of which was "He was an amazing partner, it was like he was in the contraction with you". His presence by my side really was a blessing.

John put Libby back to bed, then John, Joyce and myself sat around for awhile talking about the labor and the birth. Joyce held Jaina as much as she could, since she would be leaving for NC soon. After a bit of chatting, she took Jaina out to the living room and John and I went to sleep. Joyce left at 6 am to fly home. Talk about perfect timing!

This morning we are exhausted. Jaina has nursed once more and I am about to nurse her again. She is sleeping well, making little purring noises. It's so great to listen to her, and hold her and smell her, and gee whiz, she was just in my stomach 12 hours ago! How does this happen? Libby thinks the "beebee" is just great, and likes to take her hat off and out it back on, pat her head, and has even asked to hold her once. She didn't stay interested in that for very long, however :) She tries to be gentle, but has already delivered a few elbows to Jaina's stomach. Good thing babies are so tough!

John and Libby are at the store now. My mom flies in tomorrow afternoon. If Mom hadn't come down with that cold a few weeks ago, she would have missed seeing her granddaughter entirely. Talk about a blessing in disguise! Thanks to her having to reschedule, she gets to meet Jaina when she is one day old and spend a whole week with her!

Man, what an amazing night. I still am in awe that she is here. And amazed at how quickly it went at the end. Wow. What else is there to say? Wow.

The Lord really watched over me last night. I had a lot of fear with Libby's birth, and was going into this birth afraid of becoming afraid. John gave me a blessing last night, and what stuck out the most in my mind was when he told me I had my agency, and when it came time for me to choose between fear and light, that I would have the ability to choose light. When the contractions were really bad and I felt myself starting to lose control, I would chant in my head "I choose light, I choose light" and the fear would disappear. I felt the presence of the Spirit comforting me through the night. And when Jaina was born, such an overpowering feeling of peace and gratitude swept over me. I remembered what I learned after my miscarraige a few years ago, that the Lord does not send fear, fear comes from the adversary. "For God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". Last night the Lord gave me all those gifts - power to birth my baby, love from and for all those around me, and the soundness of mind to choose light over fear. And for this I am grateful.