Delivery

How different is the night from the day?
the winter from the summer?
the lion from the lamb?

so different were my two deliveries of my two little girls.

I didn't write too much about my first delivery except maybe that it was traumatic for me.  I remember in prenatal classes we were asked what are you afraid of going into delivery?  my fear: having a c-section.  I just really didn't want to have one.  My mom had two (never even experienced labour) and my sister had two.  They had to have them for their own reasons, but this is one way I didn't want to follow in their footsteps.  However, this is how that delivery ended up.  At the end of the day, they say, "healthy mom, healthy baby".  that's the most important.  and it IS!!  not disagreeing, but just not how I had imagined things.

This time around, I opted to go for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarian).  I really, really wanted to give it another go.  I had the support of my doctor - there was no reason I shouldn't be able to have a natural delivery in my circumstances.  I wavered on this around the 8-month point in my pregnancy and considered an elective cesarian, based on the fact that elective c-sections often have easier recoveries than unplanned ones because you don't go through labour first and on the fact that I was pretty scared to go through labour pains again.  But in the end, vaginal delivery is an easier recovery and if I didn't try a VBAC, I wouldn't be giving myself the chance of enjoying an easier recovery.

So I stuck with the VBAC plan.
with much fear and trepidation.  Russ and I both had a lot of anxiety around this delivery.  Now that we knew first hand what labour was like, it was this dreaded, inevitable event that we somehow had to live through, without knowing how it was going to go.

The long and the short of it:
I went into labour at 10pm on Thursday night.
by the time I got the the hospital (around 12:30, maybe??), I was 9 cm dilated.
I started pushing almost as soon as I got to the labour room.
47 minutes of pushing later, baby Eva arrived.
I think Russ almost fainted at one point.  he was SO pale.  but he didn't and he was AWESOME.  LOVE that man for being right next to me the whole time.
The placenta decided not to detach on its own, so the doctor had to sedate me to retrieve it by hand. no harm done.

3 hours and 37 minutes and it was all over.
the word that keeps going through my head over and over and over is THANKFUL.
I am so thankful for this answered prayer of a successful VBAC.  It makes me want to cry in relief and thankfulness every time I think of it.

and for the miracle life that came out of this, I am astounded. a perfect, beautiful little human being.

Thank you, Jesus, for these amazing gifts.  I am humbled by your redemption and undeserved goodness.  two healthy, life-filled little girls is so precious and makes my heart and life so full.  Help me to be a mother that brings honour and glory to your Name.

Eva Loriani

Born May 10, 2013 at 1:37am

8lbs, 11oz

20.5 in