In the Hospital

I had hoped for a homebirth this time around.  I tried my best to find a homebirth midwife for months after finding out I was pregnant- but the only one within two hours was certified for NY and not for PA.  She was in the process of getting her PA licensing but it wouldn't be done until early December at best.  So I got regular prenatal care with a hospital midwife with the hopes that the certification would go through by the time Tiddle would come and we could switch to a homebirth last minute.

I called the week before Tiddle arrived and the paperwork still hadn't come through.  It seemed the Lord wanted to me to have a hospital birth after all.

This was a bit of a stresser for me, having been seven minutes shy of delivering on the highway last time and feeling quite sure that it would happen this time around.  Waiting for Matt to get home from work (an hour drive at best) and then a trip to the hospital (45 minutes at best) seemed like a highway baby might be inevitable if the labor was a short-lived as my previous one.

Praise God, He worked everything out perfectly.  Matt had taken the week off of work so he was home- and there was no need to wait for his hour-long commute to bring him home when it was time. And, despite the drive, we made it to the hospital...though it was a pretty intense drive!

I had had several nights of serious contractions that we thought were 'it' but after HOURS, they eventually stopped.  It is a very discouraging thing to believe you are in labor only for all progress to stop.  By my due date, I was very despairing indeed.  Tuesday the contractions began as they had several times before.  Around 11ish, Matt and I were playing checkers and eating tomato soup when I realized that when it was my turn, I was having a hard time concentrating on my next move.  I may or may not have won that game.  We may or may not have even finished it.  I don't really recall.

We called Matt's parents at 1:30 to come and get the children.  My contractions were five minutes apart at that point and very painful.  I didn't care if it was false labor at that point.  I just needed to go for my own sanity.  We left to go to the hospital.  We forgot the diaper bag.  We forgot the carseat.  We remembered the camera. ;-)

We arrived at the hospital and started for the elevator the very moment Matt's twin brother John (who works at the hospital) was walking out of the very same elevator.  I could barely concentrate on anything through the pain of the contractions but I remember thinking at the time (and have thought many times since) how the Lord used that moment to ground me in Him.  It was one of those small things that pointed so clearly to His perfect timing...every thing, every moment is determined and ordained by Him.  John could have left seconds before.  We could have arrived seconds later.  But....the Lord.  He used John to remind me that everything was going just according to His plan, which was a great comfort to me.

We got up into the room after a very hurried wheelchair ride to labor and delivery!  The nurse was practically running I think.  My eyes were closed most of the time but I remember opening them twice.  Once to see a nurse.  Once to see the on call midwife.  Just a glance at their faces.

And Ineke was born 15 minutes later.

The nurses all couldn't believe I had delivered just 15 minutes after arriving.  I couldn't believe I had made it to the hospital!

She was 8 lbs 15 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long.  Everyone who has seen Ineke has said she is a nice, big baby but after Judah, she seems like a teeny little doll to me.  Joy!

She was a champion nurser from the get-go and a champion pooper too but because Ineke was born so speedily, I had bleeding problems and she had choking issues from the amniotic fluid left in her lungs.  It was a bit worrisome in places but all has been made right at this point and we are both doing very well.  Very well, indeed.

The children are over the moon.  The boys had wanted another boy pretty badly so I was worried that they may be disappointed- but one look at their faces as they held their little sister calmed any fears of that.  Not sure they could have been more smitten!

And that is the story, though short and sweet, of how Ineke came to be!