Labor & Delivery

Michelle gave birth to Anderson only a week ago and yet I feel like the memory of that moment is already slipping away and it scares me to death. I tell Michelle that it's a tender mercy that she forgets the pain of labor and delivery (one that God bestows upon all women) otherwise she wouldn't want to have more kids (smirk, chuckle).  That said, I want to record as much as I can about that experience while I still have it fresh in my mind. No words can convey the poignancy of the emotions we both felt that day; the sympathy, the joy, the pain, the awe. I think I likely experienced charity, the pure love of Christ, that day, for the first time in my life and really knew, in those moments, what it meant to call God, Father.

I'm grateful to Garrett for getting this project started! Between recovering, feeding baby, changing baby, and sleeping, the thought of recording this series of events seemed a little too daunting. However, my memories of the recent days are also fading away, and as one of the most impactful times of my life, I want to make sure it's documented. 

I think I will start with labor-eve and let Michelle interject as she pleases (in italics). Baby was officially due on August 27th, 2015, however, the date we calculated, the date the midwives calculated, and the date the ultrasound determined were all different from one another. As of Wednesday September 2nd, Anderson was a late arrival. I often wondered (not knowing the doctrinal precision of my query) if perhaps his pre-mortal stay had been extended so that he could visit with Grandpa Christensen, who had recently passed. The thought of such a reunion softens my eyes. We knew of course that Anderson could safely come as much as two weeks late but I was ready for him to come out and Michelle was fed up with carrying the extra weight and the discomfort that accompanies it. That week we tried every natural inducement technique that we could think of: walking, swimming, sex, stimulation of the breasts—the list goes on and on (guess which technique I enjoyed the most—you guessed it, I am an avid swimmer—wink, wink). Finally on Wednesday, a week past the due date, we scheduled an appointment to have the midwives verify that all was well and to have them 'sweep' Michelle's membranes, which is also supposed to help bring baby along. The midwife told Michelle that the pain she experienced during the sweep was akin to a contraction (because we didn't think she had been having any to that point). Boy was she wrong; they were much worse, for Michelle at least. To seal the deal and coax Anderson out even further, we pulled out our ace in the hole, and had Michelle drink castor oil. We disguised it in a rootbeer float of course (because it tastes disgusting) and she could hardly taste it.

As Garrett said, the midwives (who operate out of Greenville Memorial Hospital 45 minutes away) allow most of their patients to go two weeks past term before they medically induce. This is a quality that I really appreciated, since due dates are more often guess dates. My pregnancy was low-risk and Anderson and I were developing properly. At 37 weeks one of the midwives cheerfully informed me that everything was perfect and Anderson could come any time and be just fine. So naturally we kicked into "he's coming tomorrow!!!" mode. Unfortunately, this was premature enthusiasm on our (my) part. It was probably a good thing though, since it gave us time to cook a few more freezer meals, finish up some home projects, and finish up the nursery. On August 27th (Anderson's expected due date) we had an appointment. The midwife asked if I wanted a pelvic exam to see how things were progressing. I'd been able to tell that I was dilating and effacing, so we decided to wait until the following week. We scheduled an appointment for the following wednesday for a non-stress test just to make sure his heart beat and vitals were good, and with the possibility of doing a membrane sweep. As Garrett mentioned, we'd done nearly everything possible to help things along. Up until delivery time I'd been yoga-ing and kickboxing and swimming and walking. Eating a lot of mango, pineapple, and fiber, eating our normal diet of fairly spicy foods (ginger, cayenne, oregano, etc), and had continued our regular intimate activity. ***I should say now that this post will be very open and may be too much information for some readers. We'll strive to address each incident with tact and frankness :)

The Non-Stress Test (NST) took about 20 minutes and showed that everything was normal and healthy for both of us. I hadn't really felt any contractions up to that point, at least that I was able to recognize as contractions. Early in June we left for a family reunion to Utah and when we came back the temperature had jumped nearly 15 degrees. Back then I had some odd tightening sensations of the belly, but they hadn't continued. I had however, felt some minor cramping. When the midwife (Barb) read the results, she said I was having several minor contractions. At this point I had a lightbulb moment; contractions for me are basically cramps akin to menstrual cramps. And I'd been having them for weeks. Yay! We then proceeded to the exam room where she asked if I wanted the membrane sweep. I gave my affirmation; I would rather strip the membranes that day and again the following week than have to medically induce the following week and have a possible slippery slope of medical interventions. As Garrett indicated, the stripping was pretty uncomfortable, similar to a really bad cramp. And they were similar to my later contractions, but only up to transition. Throughout the day I could tell that things were shifting and happening, but then things slowed down toward the evening. Barb told me it was okay to take a castor oil cocktail (puuuuke) which has a laxative effect and is supposed to trigger uterine contractions, but I wasn't thrilled with the most popular recipe floating around (apricot nectar, champagne, castor oil, and almond butter). Garrett and I were craving root beer floats, so we decided to grab the fixings on our way home. I wanted to make sure I wasn't taking too much (just google castor oil as a pregnancy laxative- yikes!), so I did a fraction of the dose (1 TBS) and had garrett layer it in a rootbeer float so I wouldn't even be able to smell the castor during preparation. Just to be clear, I'd highly recommend a rootbeer float as the vehicle for castor oil! I could hardly taste or smell the castor. Throughout the night I had brief and periodic cramping, and had only slightly more trips to the bathroom to clear things out. I'm not sure if I can truly attribute this to the castor oil or to my pregnant body preparing itself to expel a baby. 

The next morning, September 3rd, Michelle woke up at 5:00am with contractions. By 8:00am she started having contractions that were about five minutes apart and that caused her to audibly moan and struggle to communicate. We called the midwives and they reminded us that first time moms were often slower in coming and that Michelle still had time before she needed to come in. Because they said they didn't want to have to send us home or have us wait in the parking lot, we were instructed to wait an hour and check in again. After 30 minutes the contractions were three minutes apart so we felt it prudent to call again and start packing the car. The midwives agreed and we were on our way.

At five o'clock I woke up and had to go to the bathroom. The cramps were coming about every 15 minutes, so I decided to just stay up and get ready for the day. I ate breakfast, showered, got a bunch of stuff ready, and woke Garrett up by 6. At this point the contractions were right around 6 minutes apart, and we decided that it would be good to start getting our things together. Gradually the contractions intensified, and I laid on the bed with my hypno-sound tracks. Garrett held my hand and continued to time my contractions. I was also having an irrational urge to cry.... about nothing. I wasn't worried, I wasn't afraid, and I was remarkably calm, but I just had the irritating urge to cry. At about 7:45 we called the on-call midwife, Susan, who suggested we wait a little longer. Gotta be honest, I was pretty annoyed at this point. I know a lot of people go in prematurely, but by this point I was having to squat and focus strongly during my contractions. We gave it another 30 minutes, at which point my contractions were about three minutes apart and I called in again. The receptionist answered and I gave my information. She asked how far away we lived, spoke briefly with Susan, and then suggested that we come in "quickly" since I was progressing rapidly. By 8:45 we were in the car with a bunch of pillows, my ipod, and our bags.

Michelle is a faster driver than me and I often feel that had I ever dreamt of driving NASCAR, my experience with Michelle was the Lord's way of fulfilling that dream. Today it was my turn to fly down the road. Our area is notorious for poorly designed, two lane highways and poor drivers to match them. We often would agonize over 15 minute drives where vehicles would be going 10 under the speed limit or block both lanes of traffic, totally oblivious to the lines of cars building up behind them. With this in mind I was ready to lay my horn to them all and kiss a few bumpers if need be (though this didn't end up being required). I weaved in and out of traffic like lightning McQueen, trying to stay at least 20 over the speed limit with my high beams on a constant flicker. The Lord blessed us with drivers who paid attention and who moved out of my way. Michelle was in such pain that when we got to a few traffic lights driving through Easley she thought a police escort would be in order. She called. They passed her through three different branches and by the time she was telling the EMTs she didn't need an ambulance, she needed an escort (for the second time), we were just passed the worst of the traffic and minutes away from the birthing center. If nothing else it was a good distraction for her to call the police and I was glad we had her hypnobabies soundtrack playing while she faced the passenger window, not the road ahead.

Garrett was phenomenal that day. Well, he's phenomenal all the time, but especially through pregnancy and ESPECIALLY during labor and delivery. I so appreciated his calm, strength, and support. 

 The drive was the one part of delivery I'd been worried about in the weeks leading up to the big event. Most of the roads here are two lanes and although there are laws and signs indicating that slower traffic is to keep right/keep right except to pass, it is irritatingly routine for drivers to poke along in whatever lane they please. Even going 15 miles under the posted speed limit. There's a city in between our home and the birthing center that gets really clogged up. It isn't unusual for drivers to crawl along at 30mph when the posted speed is 45 (my preferred speed is 50). I'm glad that labor was far enough advanced that I, for the most part, felt a greater need to zone out to my soundtrack than be watching traffic. I'm also surprised that traffic moved over so easily for Garrett. Tender mercies!

It was good that we left when we did because when we arrived (faster than any time prior I might add—patting myself on the back and saying a prayer of gratitude) things began to progress quickly. Michelle was dilated from the 2cms on Wednesday to 6cms and they triaged her downstairs immediately. Susan (nurse-midwife) and Katrice (clinical director, nurse) were to be our companions through this process, although Susan was replaced by Samantha, a switch we both were pleased with (because Susan had one of those big grins on her face and was speaking like a kindergarten teacher as if we were five—this wasn't going to fly). Katrice was a Godsend. She was with us from the moment we arrived to the late hours of the evening when we left and both she and Samantha acted as wise witnesses, only interjecting when needed, seeing things that we could not. For example, at one point Michelle was experiencing substantial back pain and Katrice kindly let her know she was going to apply some pressure to Michelle's lower back, which instantly addressed the issue.

During our office visits, I'd been really impressed with Susan. Samantha had seemed okay, but we hadn't really clicked. So, I was surprised when Susan's chipper demeanor began to wear on me. That day was unexpectedly busy for the midwives, so I was not bothered when Susan had to leave for another delivery and Samantha took her position. Funny enough, I'd found Katrice to be mildly obnoxious in our office visits as well, but I LOVED her attitude and approach during the delivery. Goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover.... nor can you accurately gauge in advance what/who will be an ideal presence during delivery. I loved that I was able to do my own thing during labor, while Katrice would crouch on the floor with mobile equipment to monitor my and baby's heartbeats. During another more lucid moment, I realized Samantha was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a flashlight (we had the lights dimmed) so she could see and do what she needed while still allowing me the most comfortable position possible. 

I love that Garrett, despite probably being exhausted himself, was such an active and integral part of this process. Having him close and supportive (literally!!!) was so calming for me. I had no fear that day, and despite the strange things going on in my body, felt calm and supported.  

Labor continued from about 9:45am when we arrived to 1:49pm when Anderson was delivered. We started with Michelle crouching by the bed, moved to the tub (Michelle had considered a water birth) which was surprisingly uncomfortable and reverted back to the bed. Katrice also helped set up our hypnobabies soundtrack which ended up filling the void between contractions as Michelle recovered. At one point, the hypnobaby soundtrack played one of its typical lines "your baby will easily flow down into the canal, easy, calm, confident" or something to that affect and Michelle yelled out something like "that is not true, this is not easy." To which we all laughed of course, but not so that she could hear us. One of the worst parts of labor aside from the pain was that Michelle was nauseous. She hates retching and vomiting. I think I unwittingly said, at least vomiting is better than retching (true for me) to which she assuredly said, "no, it is not" with daggers in her eyes that quickly abated with the oncoming contraction.

I was really glad that we prepared for a natural childbirth with hypnobabies. I will say I think other "brands" of hypnobirthing might have been more effective for me, but I appreciate the relaxation and meditative skills I gained. Through relaxation, I was able to have some of the best naps during pregnancy I've ever had! I also appreciated the tracks and coaching during earlier labor, and the calm background sounds after transition. However, once I hit transition (I'm a thrower-upper unfortunately...), I no longer found the self-hypnosis to be useful/usable. Garrett was able to use some of the techniques that he, as the birthing partner, learned through the hypno course. This was probably the most helpful of everything, since he was able to coach me and remind me to breathe during contractions, and encourage me to relax in effective ways. I was able to relax most of my body, but I can't tell my uterus to stop contracting so intensely! I do think, however, that my ability to relax and focus on breathing through the contractions allowed my body to and uterus to function as they were designed, rather than tensing and freezing up in a counter-productive way. Still, labor was not a comfortable or relaxing process. 

As labor progressed, Michelle became increasingly more preoccupied with contractions (huh, odd) and less able to express exactly what she needed, so Katrice brought in a birthing ball and stools and suggested we use them. Michelle started on a stool facing the bed but soon switched to sitting across from me while I sat on another stool. This way I could speak into her ear "good, relax, release, you are doing so good...breaaaatthhhh" (all the practiced hypno lines) and so that she could lean against and squeeze me. We sat like this for the next few hours with Michelle sitting upright breathing in between contractions and then leaning forward into me, sweating, with Katrice massaging her lower back when the 'birthing waves' came. I was so pleased to be so involved and to be the anchor that she would lean upon during this time. My one goal throughout the labor was to not be in the way, to not pass out, and to not annoy Michelle...I think I succeeded. During one of these intervals Michelle nearly dove forward burying her lips into my neck, kissing it so tenderly. It was a single, surprising, special moment. Throughout this process I would describe myself as focused (during contractions) and endeared (during the breaks). I couldn't help but smile as I knew what was coming and saw how strong and beautiful Michelle was.

While our birthing ball at home was very helpful for the first few hours of labor, the thought of additional pressure on my pelvis in active labor made me cringe. The birthing stools however, were AMAZING. For the first few hours anyway. It was during this time that I hit transition (lots of throwing up), and things became a little more fuzzy as I just tried to focus on the contractions. As Garrett mentioned, at one point I just leaned into him and started smooching up his neck. Not sure why, but it was comforting for both of us. And again, I'm so thankful Garrett was so active and present and supportive! As exhausted as I was, I realize that sitting on a birthing stool (designed for laboring women, not men) while supporting my weight would have been so tiring for him, but he was a stalwart trooper!

Additionally, we prepared ourselves for a natural childbirth. The birthing center does not even carry materials to give an epidural (though the midwives are happy to delivery your baby across the street in the hospital if you feel an epidural is the best course for you). I'm so glad we decided to go natural, although I definitely can't say it's for everyone. I've come to realize that had I not had access to these resources and midwives I don't think I would have been able to deliver naturally. However, at no point during our adventure did I feel a need for an epidural or to escape the pain. I DEFINITELY acknowledged it and lamented at how long things felt, but never did an epidural even cross my mind. Again, birth is such an empowering experience, second only to getting sealed to my eternal manfriend for the eternities.  

One of Michelle's frequent concerns was that it felt like she had a constant bowel movement, which sometimes she probably did (fortunately we had towels beneath us to take care of that). She had been told that giving birth was like trying to pass a bowling ball. She did not really believe this until the moment to deliver arrived. In fact, it appeared to her that baby was coming out of her rectum, not her vagina though the midwives assured us both this was not the case, and that the inclination to use restroom was a sign that baby was moving along. Every time Michelle would say she thought she had a bowel movement the nurse would say something like "good, you may have, you may not have, either way it means the baby is working his way down." They never disagreed or criticized, just offered alternatives and support. Finally, as Michelle got to a point where she was getting so tired she felt she could no longer push and she couldn't hardly keep herself up in the stool. When asked is she'd like to move she couldn't say so Samantha kindly said, "Michelle, you can hardly keep yourself up in that chair, I am worried you are going to fall out of it so I think we should move you to the bed." Michelle appreciated this approach as much as I did and we both obliged.

Have I mentioned Katrice and Sam were amazing? They were. 

I knew before labor that modesty and propriety tend to go out the window, and that body fluids and by-products are normal. It didn't take long at all for me to not care that I was squatting and grunting with hardly a stitch of clothing on, but for some reason the intense rectal pressure and concern of a bowel movement was very preoccupying for me. I'm still not positive whether I did or not, but I'm glad for the abundance of towels and pads that Katrice and Sam came equipped with. 

Katrice was really great at ascertaining what I might need, even when I wasn't able to think or vocalize. My low back and hips were cramping up severely while I was sitting on the stool, and Katrice applied counter-pressure without asking. When I became so tired I began falling forward into Garrett, asleep, in between contractions, Samantha firmly (and kindly) suggested we move to the bed. After the next contraction, we relocated to the bed with Garrett leaning against the headboard with a pillow and my head in his lap, me on my left side with a pillow against my back, Sam at the foot of the bed, and Katrice all over the place.  

We moved to the bed with Michelle lying on her left side, legs apart, while I set against the headboard behind her. She clenched my left wrist in one hand and the same shoulder in the other. Soon after moving to the bed the real contractions and pushing began. With every push Michelle would yell like she never had before and squeeze my hand and shoulder until the bones beneath them began to break (just kidding, she is very strong though). Katrice held her legs up so that she could focus all her remaining energy on pushing. Finally, Samantha indicated that she could see Anderson's head. It took a few more pushes to get him settled in the birth canal (he tended to sneak out and then retreat up to that point) and to the point where Michelle could reach down and touch skin that was not her own. Michelle had prepared well and pushed well to avoid any vaginal tearing but Anderson hadn't been informed of that so he stuck his hand up by his head which then caused extra stretching and a mild tear. Michelle was so ready to have that baby out that she pushed with all her might and hardly noticed when the nurse, midwife, and I were yelling at her to stop for a minute. Finally she heard, stopped, and with one final push, our baby was brought fully into mortality. Seeing his head and body come out was the single most amazing thing I have ever seen. Michelle is the most amazing women I know. She delivered naturally, and quite fast for a first time mom, and did so fabulously.

Have I mentioned how amazing Garrett is and was? Every time a contraction came along, I would clench and tighten onto Garrett. I'm pretty sure I left finger shaped bruises on his forearms and shoulders, but he never complained or pulled away. He would lean forward next to me and encourage me along. For what seemed like hours. I'm pretty sure that him shouting in my ear is the only thing that kept me from having a severe tear.

Also. Can I just say, SO MUCH PRESSURE. I'd always expected delivery to be intense vaginal pressure (I mean, you have a football coming out!!!). But what I never realized is that all the other organs down there gets squeezed aside as the baby comes through. SO MUCH PRESSURE. By the time little man crowned, it was such a relief to have him out and in an area I could control his speed a little more. Unfortunately, once I felt him give a little bit I wanted to get him out. The nice thing about delivery is that I couldn't feel myself tearing. People always talk about how terrible tearing is, but it's only the recovery that isn't fun. (Not that the tearing process is fun either...)

I've always had a hard time shouting and screaming (my diaphragm must be weak and screaming kills my voice), but the wails just came out of nowhere during delivery. It almost felt like I couldn't muster the energy for pushing without the yells. Kind of like watching the caber-toss at a Highland games. No one tosses without crazy yells. 

The midwife immediately lobbed baby onto Michelle's chest, where he sat for most of the day, getting his "skin-to-skin" time with mom to help facilitate healthy breastfeeding and a good bond. He was a little swollen and purple but he was beautiful, and he was ours. I was able to cut the cord which was a lot tougher than expected. As a side note, I have to say that I am normally very queasy. I passed out donating plasma at the Provo South Plasma Center and nearly did so when I had a mole removed. The sight of needles and blood makes me cringe a little. HOWEVER, I did not once even come close to passing out. I was right there in the mix of the blood, sweat, and body fluids, I cut the cord, and I watched as baby's head emerged. The lord blessed me to be able to worry about Michelle and not myself. The great ironies are that later Michelle would pass out twice and that when I was born, my mother passed out (the one time out of the six babies she delivered).

Garrett really was great. I was pleasantly surprised that he was not a bit queasy or put off by all the fluids. I trusted that he wouldn't have any issue with passing out, but was anticipating both of us being put off by the excess of "stuff". Not at all.

It was a little surreal to see the bump that was in me for ten months dissipate into a baby. A baby with cute wrinkly skin, wrinkly fingers and toes, and a tucked in lip. It was also fun to have Garrett be able to cut the cord. 

Anderson John Stone was born 8 lbs. 6 ounces and 21 inches (same as Jack Stone, or so I am told) and became the 15th grandchild to  John and Rebecca Stone. After he was born, Michelle still hadn't delivered the placenta. She spent the next 27 minutes doing so. After 30 minutes, had it not been delivered we would have been emergency transported to the hospital. I don't know if it was appropriate, but with my hands already on her head, sitting at the head of the bead, I gave her a priesthood blessing. The words were not uttered aloud, nor was oil used but between Michelle and I all the faith and prayers we could muster were offered to ensure the placenta came out, and it did.

Have I mentioned how great Garrett is?

After that it seemed like smooth sailing. Michelle was quickly stitched up from her shallow 2nd tear (meaning it went past the first layer to the second muscle layer but was very superficial—not a bad tear by all accounts). We ate all the yummy food that Michelle had begun preparing weeks in advance (the midwives were shocked, and talked as if we had packed for the apocalypse—must have been the Mormon food storage skills). We sent out texts and pictures to family and friends. AND Anderson jumped right on to Michelle for a great first latch and feed!

So glad we had a lot of food and fluids. The birthing center was incredible. We were able to rest for several hours in a comfy queen sized bed with pillows and dim lights. The nurses came in periodically to check on us and do vitals. I was pleasantly surprised at the ease with which Anderson nursed for the first time. We've had our adventures since then, but that first latch was flawless.

Per birthing center protocol we were to be discharged only six hours after the placenta was delivered at 2:17pm which meant we'd start the process around 6:30pm. Michelle needed to go to the bathroom for real, first things first, so we sat her up and had her stand at the edge of the bed to get her bearing. She seemed okay at first but then said she felt weak. As we were about to lie her down again she started tipping toward me and the bed. I thought she was still awake and in control but she definitely was not. She had blacked out and when we turned her on her back I could see her eyes rolling and hear her light moaning and I was terrified. It looked like she had had a seizure. Fortunately a few additional nurses including Linda and Manya had arrived and were ready to help. I stuck a knee under one part of her body and hefted her up on to the bed where she quickly gained consciousness and was counseled to rest again and restore her fluids.

How annoying. 

We ate, drank, and were merry for some time before she tried again with apparent success. She was able to go to the bathroom, shower, and get dressed before she knelt down and this time expressed that she was sure she would faint. With the advanced notice, three of us were able to catch her and lie her down gently as she did in fact faint. Two times in one day meant that we would have to be non-emergency transported to the hospital. This would mean that Michelle would be taken via ambulance and Anderson and I would follow. She laid on the bathroom floor, recovering for about 30 minutes before they moved her to the bed and hooked her up to an IV.

Again, how annoying. I drank two liters of water, a liter of juice/electrolyte mix, ate carob almond squares, carrots, cheese and saltines, and a greek yogurt banana muffin. And I STILL passed out again. I am grateful I was able to make it through the bathroom and shower before going down again though, and I'm grateful Garrett was close by both times so I could just wilt against him. This is probably the stage at which the excitement of the day waned quickly. I'd really been looking forward to going home to our own bed and settling into our routine. Unfortunately, that was not to be. 

As an aside, I don't think I adequately described how great the newly built birthing center really was (beyond the excellent staff). It's comfort and quality was brought to my attention more so after being transported to the hospital. At the birthing center we had a huge tub, music and light controls, a queen sized bed that Michelle and I could both comfortably lay in and an absence of machines, the barrage of nurses, and the sick odor that often permeates a hospital room.

Seriously though. The birthing center was incredible and luxurious (nicer than a high-star hotel/ B&B). Nice tile floors, large birthing tub (big enough for three people... or one pregnant lady and hubby), comfy queen bed (a real bed), tiled bathroom with walk in shower, full kitchen (sans stove and oven). It was so soothing to have Garrett in bed beside me, with enough room for us to wiggle around and adjust so I could be comfortable. It was also nice having enough room to hold Anderson without worrying about having him slide off of me onto the floor. By contrast, hospital beds are pretty heinous. They put me into a labor and delivery room, since the recovery rooms were all occupied. And they assigned me a labor and delivery nurse. Who, after the phenomenality of the midwives, was a most lackluster presence and support (overbearing tactless bully cough cough). I was pleased with the goodies the hospital sent us home with (loads of pampers, mesh underpants for yours truly, amazing overnight pads, dermaplast, hemorrhoids pads, and some cool instant ice packs). There was also some machine that wasn't monitoring anything, but kept spewing printouts the whole night. 

Anyways, because the call for transport was non-emergent, the EMTs took over an hour to arrive. They were a perfect mix. The lead EMT was confident, loud and got down to business. His second, Van, was kind, sociable and opposite to the lead. He quickly extended his tatooed arm and turned his bald smiling head towards each of us, introducing himself in turn. I knew Michelle was in good hands and my only concern at that point was the brief separation that would occur as we journeyed over to the hospital. I found the Stork parking lot with relative ease and Anderson and I were quickly reunited with momma, and my worries were largely abated.

Despite how annoying the whole end part of the day was, I was very pleased with how everyone (up until the hospital) handled the situation. The midwives were apologetic, but firm and confident. After I asked a few questions about what could cause me to pass out, what complications might be there, etc. In short, my transport to the hospital was just to make sure that everything was okay, for me to have some tests and be monitored. Everyone was calm and at ease, and it made a potentially high-stress situation merely irritating. Although watching Garrett walk out the door to put Anderson in the car and follow us was really hard. I knew I'd see him in just a few minutes, but that separation was hard. BUT yay for a first ambulance ride! And it wasn't even dire circumstances. 

Why did Michelle faint twice? We will likely never know. She didn't lose an excess of blood, she ate and drank high nutrient and sugar dense foods. The only thing it could have been (aside from the fact that she had just birthed a small human) was something tied to the late delivery of the placenta, or that could be chalked up to red hair (the midwives at the birthing center and nurses at the hospital both seemed to share this as a legitimate possibility—huh?). I think I will stop there for now and leave a description of the hospital for another post.

It is funny that both the midwives as well as the labor and delivery nurse mentioned my "red" hair. The other thing we learned is that passing out is quite common in the recovery rooms at the hospital when women get up to shower or relieve themselves. There's a lot of shifting organs and fluids, and sometimes it messes with blood pressure. The L&D nurse also said I might just be a "light weight" who has a hard time with labor. I think that's what I decided I did. not. like her. I just delivered a human being in 7 hours without pain meds and minimal tearing, thank you very much. 

In sum, the whole labor and deliver process was overwhelming, exhausting, and easily the most elating experiences I have ever had. Our baby was born healthy and strong. Michelle performed amazingly and despite passing out was safe and being taken care of by me and competent nursing. We felt truly blessed, especially at a time when others had lost children in utero or soon after and knowing that we once worried we might not be able to have children. We thank the Lord for the beautiful and great blessing Anderson is in our lives. And that we were able to take him home with us so soon after birth.

Amen. It truly was a humbling experience and I feel we are blessed on so many accounts. While pregnancy had its ups and downs, and labor and delivery was easily the most physically challenging thing I've ever done, the whole experience was unifying and empowering. I'm full of gratitude and love, and though I can't say I'm excited to have another addition to our family any time soon, I wouldn't trade our experience for anything different.