Saturday, June 10, 2017

So Many Happy Thoughts

"The World so full of a number of things,
I'm sure we should be as happy as Kings."
Robert Louis Stevenson 


What a delightful and yet powerful poem. I think of these words as I remember the blessings the Lord has given me. I have a new and exciting blessing to share, the birth of my firstborn, Callahan Michael Shannon! He was given to us on May the 12th,  at 5:20 in the morning after 16 hours of natural labor, and 2 1/2 hours of pushing! (He was rather comfortable.) 
This is his birth story. 


It all started on the Thursday before, the 11th, when I started having more regular contractions around 1 or so in the afternoon. I was remaining as calm as possible and trying desperately not to get my hopes up in case the baby didn't come that day, as I was rather impatiently waiting for my child to arrive. 
However my contractions were coming on with even more frequency and had created for themselves quite a pattern. My husband(who is currently attending SIBI, Sunset International Bible Institute, to become a minister)was in the middle of classes rather distracted as I was keeping him updated on my contractions. 

I finally told him to go ahead and come home so that we could drive two hours to Midland in order to birth at the Motherly Way, a natural birthing center run by two midwives. I will say the labor in the vehicle wasn't amazing mainly because there isn't much room for changing positions, but I managed lol. 

When we arrived Jennifer, one of the attendants there studying to become a Midwife, checked my dilation and confirmed that I was indeed in active labor. My parents had also come an stayed in the living, common area, while i was mainly in the water-birth room for the majority of my labor. 

Here are some pictures during the labor:
                                   
                                         The Motherly Way Maternity Services, Birthing Center


                                Here was when we first arrived and Jennifer checked my dilation, I was a 5!!



                    Kelli, another Midwife, was finishing some remodeling work before I got into the  tub. 

               

                     I spent long while laboring in the living, common area before I was in the tub.






 My Dad was even there for a few hours but the later left for the night as I was laboring all through it. Apparently he was tired lol


 Interestingly enough i had planned on having a water-birth, but actually didn't end up spending much time in the tub as I wasn't able to rest between contractions in the tub. What I hadn't anticipated was throwing up all through my labor which obviously made my energy much lower and made it even more important to be able to rest during the contractions. 



Really though, having my parents there was actually nice. Just to have the moral support. They weren't in the room with me but they were at the center. 


      In birth its really important to try different positions and techniques that can help your body to birth the baby or more easily deal with the contractions. 




                I squatted and pushed in order to get Cal lower and to help break my water. 








                                                    Our little man had finally arrived!!!








                                                             Abuela was very excited!!





                                                      7 pounds and 14 ounces :) 








The Lord truly has blessed us! We thank Him for giving both myself and Callahan a safe birth journey. It truly is a life-changing experience, and what a privilege and powerful thing to be a part of. Birth is one of the direct things that women get to partner directly with God, it's so unique, and amazing.