What is Labor?

My first pregnancy was progressing just fine, I was 18 and quite fit but at 32 weeks I woke up in the middle of the night to go potty and behold there was blood in the toilet. I called my mama who came and got me and took me to my doctor 45 minutes away. My water started to leak at the hospital, just so you know they confirmed I was not wetting my pants :) I was ambulanced to Portland Emmanuel Hospital where I stayed for two weeks till I was 34 weeks. I received a steroid shot for the babies lungs to develop quicker and had an amnio done. They actually shot green dye into my uterus and so when Noah was born he had a bluish/green umbilical cord. Because I continued to bleed and leak fluid they decided that since baby was well enough they needed to get him out then so at 34 weeks they started my labor and Noah Josiah Emmanuel was born weighing 5 pounds and 13 ounces and 4 days later he came home.

My second pregnancy I started to dilate early, I was a 3 months early and so was put on bed rest. Two weeks before my actual due date I was induced, yes I was able to actually talk my doctor into inducing me two weeks early because I was going to school and had intern hours to complete and I would have an extra two weeks with her if he would bend a little. He did and I was thankful, I gave birth to Heaven Olivia weighing 7 pounds and 3 ounces.

My third pregnancy I gained too much weight. I was married and my husband spoiled me plus those frozen coke drinks just really tasted so good and I had no idea how much sugar they had in them so I drank at least one a day. I contribute my emergency c-section to my weight gain. About a week before my due date I was just extremely puffy, my feet and face swelled and I had 3 people comment on it in one morning telling me I should go in. I followed their advise and indeed my blood pressure was elevated and so they decided that since I was so close to my due date to just go ahead and keep me till the next morning and induce me. Why would I argue? While being monitored we noticed that baby's heart rate kept jumping around sometimes falling into the low 70's, no ok...so Dr. Mac says we need to do an emergency c-section and I was wheeled away and sliced open and Joshua Joeson was born weighing 7 pounds and 8.3 ounces and yes I do remember the exact 8.3 because it was 7/8/03 the day he was born.

My fourth pregnancy I started labor at 25 weeks and spent the next 10 weeks on bed rest, talk about miserable. It was certainly a trial but one that GOD used to strengthen and bless our whole family with. I had pre-eclampsia and was monitored quite close. I was fighting to have a vaginal birth after my last c-section and had to drive 2 hours to a doctor that was willing to let me try. Pregnant with twins and less than a year after having my c-section I was confident that the Lord was on our side and knew that fear was not from HIM and had total peace about a vbac. 5 weeks before their due date the doctor popped my water because they were close enough to be safe and my blood pressure was not good. So again a very controlled labor, no surprise or guessing. Surrounded by two surgical teams ready to jump in and chop me open, I lay on an operating table and successfully delivered twins. Twin B, Micah, was breach but GOD turned him and no intervention was needed. 12 minutes apart! The doctor stood up and announced that he wished that he could take credit for the amazingly smooth delivery but knew that he had nothing to do with it. I was able to speak up and give all the glory to the LORD, I shared with the room of 20 people that indeed people all over the world had prayed for us and that GOD was to receive the glory! Moses Mitchel 5pounds 12 ounces, Micah Raymond 5 pounds .

My fifth delivery, I found a doctor only an hour and a half away who also was willing to give me a chance to avoid another c-section. At about two weeks early I was dilated to a 3 and because of my last delivery only being two hours and living so far from the hospital and being high risk she volunteered to strip my membranes and get labor going...it worked and again no guessing what was happening when contractions started an hour later. Eve Johannah was born, my biggest baby weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces. The doctor looked at her placenta and said it was the ugliest one she had ever seen, quite the insult coming from a high risk city doctor who sees the placenta's of meth addicts, alcoholics and smokers...Mine won the prize for being the ugliest. It was so ugly that in fact it was practically dead she said, she kept looking at baby Eve and at one point even said, " I don't know how she lived, her umbilical cord was not even connected. It had little membranes that held it close but it was not even connected!" Praise the LORD! Eve means full of life!

My next delivery, #6. On my way to my doctor's appointment I mentioned to my mom that I was feeling some funny feelings and said wouldn't it be nice if I was going into labor now. I would be close to my doctor and everything. I mentioned to my doctor who checked me and I was dilated to a 3, which could mean nothing but there were these little feelings happening. She said to just go walk around, see if the continued and if they did go to the hospital and have them check me again, if I was dilated more than that meant labor if not than we could go home knowing that they meant nothing. We walked all around, up and down the isles I went till it was close to 9 o'clock at night and I was tired and just wanted to go home. I was not feeling anything really so rather than drive all the way across town I tried to convince my mom to just take us home...but she said no. We stuck to plan A and went and got checked, I was now almost a 5! What! OK so call Joe to come, no call him back. Don't come yet nothing is happening, this is going so slow and I don't feel a thing...Oh now I am a 7! WHAT! OK call Joe, I guess you better get here fast, this is happening. At about that time I started to feel labor pains. Simeon Courage was born 3 weeks early weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces. His lungs were completely undeveloped and he spent 3 days on a respirator and 3 weeks in the NICU. Only 3 weeks early but such a sick baby. He contracted a staff infection, the #1 leading cause of infant deaths in hospitals but PRAISE THE LORD he overcame and was discharged to a very happy mama who was ready to take him home.

So now my 7th pregnancy, I have no idea really what labor feels like. Kinda...but not really. I have been contracting for almost a week now, sometimes they are all over the place with no pattern and sometimes they take my breath away and radiate into my legs and back and come every two minutes. I have early babies so I really listen to these little feelings not wanting to be to far from a hospital that can help if I have another sick baby like Simeon. I am dealing with a little bit of anxiety, not knowing my body well enough. Someone said to me, " I bet you would know what labor feels like!" But I don't. Not really, I would have been dilated to a 7 before I really figured it out with Simeon and although I know all labors are going to be different I just question my judgment...but at the same time I do not want to go racing up and down the highway 4 hour round trips to have a nurse send me home.

So here I wait, waiting patiently on the Lord, not wanting to make anything happen. I know that this birth story is already written, my baby boy already has a name picked out by my LORD and his birthday is already picked, even the days of his life are known...but I don't know any of it! I know this, I will rest in the knowledge that GOD loves me and will do what is best for me once again as I deliver another child in HIS name.