Hadassah's Birth Story



Today is my sweet Hadassah's birthday! On this day last year she was born at 2:16pm.  Happy birthday sweetheart! I still cant believe I have a daughter now - and one who we tried hard to prevent at that! You can read the post I wrote back when I was still in a confused state of overwhelmed shock at finding out I was pregnant here.

To celebrate her bday I want to tell her birth story...

It began the day before of course, April 6th. I was 38 weeks pregnant and 4 days. My other two were born at 31 and 37 weeks so this was the longest I had been pregnant and I was in total pain. I know, I know, I can't imagine what it would be like going over-due. Even making it to 40 weeks sounds painful!

She felt soooo heavy, and my joints felt the way a little wooden doll who is breaking apart might feel. I had to hang on the furniture to get into each room because of the joint pain and sciatic stuff.  She had dropped into position at 31 weeks and her head had been very low every since - I felt like I had a bowling ball between my legs.



About 37 Weeks and feeling like I'm gonna pop

Earlier in the pregnancy, I had suffered from Hyperemesis Gravidarum. It's basically where you puke non-stop and feel like death. When that started to let up around 23 weeks, I developed Choleostasis of the liver. It's a pregnancy-induced liver disease that goes away once you give birth. Basically it involves being tired and extreme itching to the point of bloody sores.

I remember the day I went into labor, waddling around scratching my palms while getting out play-dough for the boys. I washed the kitchen floor that day on my hands and knees using gloves for sores on my hands.

I had done everything possible to safely induce labor that week - because the itching at night was killing me. I drank raspberry leaf tea, and yep - ate a pineapple. All the old myths - I tried (only safe ones), except castor oil because I thought that could hurt her. I was in so much pain that I just wanted her out!

Ok this is where it gets weird. Bear with me - I can be a little crunchy. I had heard it said that there is a tribe in Africa where the woman thinks up what the song of her baby is before it is born, and then sings it to the child when it is time to be born. There is some truth to that since we all have an actual tune that coincides with the sequence of our individual DNA. Who better to know it than the mother who carries the child?

My husband got home around 6. At that point I got into the bath-tub and decided to sing to her to come out. I concentrated to feel what I thought what might be her song and then sang it. The bath felt so good because it lightened the weight on my joints. After I dried off, my 2 year old came up to me to have me hold him and I remember leaning against the wall with the pain of a huge contraction.  My husband took him away and had me lay down on my side and drink water to see if it they would subside or if it was indeed real labor.

After he put the boys to bed it was still going on. Contractions every 5 minutes. I had no family around to help me so we had hired a live-in nanny just for that month because the pregnancy sickness was so debilitating and my boys fight like the dickens. We live way out in the country so people from church couldn't just come over and help me daily or anything. 

My husband finally called it and said "this is it, lets grab our bags and I'll start the car". It was ten at night. Quietly in the darkened house we put our bags into the van. I felt weird leaving the boys with their nanny for a hospital stay. Once on the road I told Brandon "Go faster!" I was afraid the baby would just come barreling out of me in the car because I heard they come out easier the 3rd time around. "Hurry!" I said, knowing the hospital was 50 minutes away and my contractions were 2 minutes apart.

halfway there - red lights and sirens behind us. We pulled over as I breathed through a contraction. The cop shined his light on us at Brandon's window. "Any reason you were going so fast?"
Brandon goes "Woman in labor. Literally."
With a knowing smile the cop turned and walked away saying "Get atta here." And we continued flying down the road laughing. True story!

At the hospital, They got me into a room and found I was dilated to a 5. I was so excited to meet her! My midwife Annie had a bassinet brought in and I surveyed the pretty room. grey textured wallpaper and candles. It was close to midnight so I knew her bday would be April 7th, Tuesday.

They advised it was best to get the epidural now if I wanted it. Heck yes! I will never deliver naturally again, as I had a nightmare natural birth with my first, and a lovely epidural with my second.
So I got it and it hurt way more than what I remember from Skipper's epi. I had dilated to a 7 but went back down to a 5 as soon as the epi set in. I figured that would happen but to me - worth it.

So then Pitocin was started and I progressed very slowly from there. The contractions were so exhausting. Nurses dimmed the room to let me sleep and though I tried I could not. I felt so much adrenalin.

I had been on my feet since 9am the day before cleaning/nesting and was very tired but I just could not sleep. Instead I watched the movie "Baby Momma" for some laughs.  At one point I got really upset and told Brandon I wanted my mom and dad there, crying to him. He said "I'll be your mom and dad." Aw, I'll never forget his loving support by my side.

Finally after 19 hours of labor I was ready to push. I was so nauseous, and so hungry. I ate some chips then puked. Then I continued to throw up each time I had to push through a contraction, while Brandon held a bag for me. And that my friends, was the way I gave birth. Puking on and off every time I pushed for 15 minutes until my sweet little girl came into the world! AMAZING. My last birth took had me pushing for 2 whole hours - so this was a fast one for me.

 This was the first time I wanted to put my hand down there and feel her head as she was coming out. That head is a feeling I will not ever forget as long as I live, it was so surreal.

The midwife delivered her and put her on my chest with a warm blanket on us. She was so tiny! I had imagined a large baby inside me because she felt so heavy in my stomach but nope! Just 6lbs and 14 ounces. She was so sweet and delicate. Brandon was smiling next to me.

We talked about what to name her, as this was still undecided. Hadassah was what we loved. But "Israella" was a name I heard in a dream when I was 2 months pregnant with her. Finally we decided to count to 3 and both say the name we wanted. "One, two, three, Hadassah!" We both said it, so it was settled! Our sweet little girl was born into this world this time (almost exactly) last year. Hadassah my little angel, you are my precious jewel.