Such a Time As This

Faith, Hope, & Love

Streamline Your Labor and Delivery Bag + Free Printable List

Streamline Your Labor and Delivery Bag

Contains affiliate links.  Please see our disclosure policy.

 

It struck me as I was packing my labor and delivery bag, A.K.A. my hospital bag, how times have changed.  When I was packing for my first baby, 14 years ago, I packed everything but the kitchen sink! Or so it seemed.  That was because 1. I was a new mom. 2. We didn’t have the same technology that we do now.  There were no iPhones in 2003…or tablets.  We packed old fashioned digital cameras and video cameras.  I brought an address book full of phone numbers so that we could call people after the birth.  My husband rented a DVD from the local Blockbuster so that we could watch a movie together as we held our newborn son.  Fastforward more than a dozen years… so much has changed.  So, this time as I was packing I noticed on some groups that I joined, how much stuff people are still packing.  I decided to post a quick list of what I decided to take with me.  I streamlined it people.  I really don’t like having to lug in a bunch of stuff into and out of the hospital. Ummm…and my hubby doesn’t like to either.  Here is what I settled on.

 

Mommy’s Labor and Delivery Bag

Slippers – a must have.  Seriously do you want to be walking barefoot on those hospital floors?  I knew there was a good chance I would be walking the halls, too, so I wanted to make sure I had comfy shoes that would also protect my feet from all sorts of things.

 

Socks – To keep our toes toasty if laying in the bed.

 

A robe – An absolute must.  I LOVED wearing a robe the entire way through my most recent delivery.  I actually brought two (how’s that for streamlining?) I choose a zip front one that was lightweight and elbow length and wore it literally through the delivery (even through the pushing phase).  I brought an extra for afterward so that I could cover up for visitors and to make breastfeeding easy.  My one criteria for a robe is this:  it must be lightweight and preferably cotton, like this robe.  I do not like heavy robes during pregnancy and post-partum.  They get very hot and uncomfortable.  I also choose a dark robe for after delivery because — well, birth is messy.

 

Pajamas or Nursing Night gown – I packed a nursing nightgown this time from Kindred Bravely and I love, love, loved it.  It makes nursing a snap and it is so cute.

Shampoo/soap/toothbrush/toothpaste/hairbrush/hairclips/makeup – Bring all the toiletries you will need while there.  I like to get a shower a few hours after delivery (or at least once the IV is out and I’m able to stand on my own for a few minutes).  Pack what you’ll need to feel yourself.  I prefer to pack travel sizes, though, so I’m not lugging around huge bottles of shampoo.

 

A tablet/phone/mp3 player – For my last several deliveries I’ve enjoyed listening to music from iTunes playlist while laboring.  I’ve also been able to watch TV shows with the iPad the last two deliveries.  Don’t forget that your phone can double as your camera (unless you have one that you would like to bring).  Make sure you pack your earbuds and charger.

 

A pillow/blanket – I brought an awesome pillow I found at the Vera Bradley store.  It is a fleece blanket that folds up into a travel pillow.  It was absolutely perfect for supporting my back in the uncomfortable hospital bed.  I love that it doubles as a blanket in case I get too cold.

 

Tank top/bra top or a Swim Suite top – If you plan to jump in the tub or shower.  This might help if you are worried about modesty or don’t want to get your other clothes wet.

 

Soda/Drinks/Candy-Some hospitals will allow you to continue drinking and eating clear liquids including sprite, juice, lollipops, jello, etc.  Make sure you ask before you pack these items – our hospital provided them for us.

 

Snacks– Don’t forget snacks.  You never know when you are going to deliver.  I’ve had two in the middle of the night (think 1 am) and 2 in the middle of the afternoon, one at lunch, one at breakfast, and one at dinner.  Think about what happens if you deliver in the middle of the night and you can’t order room service.  Trust me, you will be starving after pushing out a baby.  My hospital provides refrigerators in every room, so I bring snacks like cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, crackers, cereal, etc.  It will be a lifesaver if you delivery outside of typical meal times.

 

Boppy Breastfeeding Pillow – We didn’t pack it but thought about it.  If you are new to breastfeeding, the Boppy might be helpful to have it so the lactation consultant can advise you on how to use it.

 

Nursing Bra or Tank – If you are breastfeeding, you will want these.

Bravado Designs Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra

Simply Sublime Maternity & Nursing Tank 

 

Change of Clothes – You will need clothes for the carride home and they should probably be maternity clothes.  I usually look like I’m in the 2nd trimester right after having a baby and these clothes are just way more comfy than trying to fit into anything else.

 

Your Birth Plan – If you created one, don’t forget to pack it!

 

Daddy’s Hospital Bag

These are many of the same things that is in your labor and delivery bag.  Don’t forget to pack his phone, charger, tablet and headphones to use in case you are napping.  He’ll need a change of clothes and pajamas if he plans to room in with you and baby after the delivery.  He might be comfy with his own pillow and snacks, too.

Baby’s Bag

Clothes – I only packed two outfits this time one Newborn sized sleeper and one 0-3 month size.  Some of our babies have been really big and some average/smallish … However, you could most likely get by with bringing even one NB sleeper.  My 8.5 pounder fit into it with a little extra room.  So, unless you are expecting a huge baby Newborn sized clothing should fit.  I like to have two just in case of a blowout or spit up, etc.  You never know with babies.  However, we tend to keep the baby in their t-shirt the hospital puts on him until we are ready to leave.  This time we brought a T-Shirt with the baby’s name printed on it, as well.

pack labor and delivery bag

Two receiving/swaddle blankets – One for swaddling in the hospital and one for the trip home (in case of pee/poop/milk accidents).  The hospital has always provided one to use while in the hospital, but if you would like a particular color and fabric, definitely bring your own.  I bought one from Zoya Fusion Littles off of Etsy and LOVED it. I also like this kind of Muslin Swaddle Blankets Kelham and Cole Muslin Baby Swaddle Blankets (White/Grey) 3 Pack

 

1 baby hat – Our hopsital provides this for the stay and actually sends us home with one, but if you aren’t sure, I would bring one for the ride home.

 

1 pair of baby mittens – Our little guy had sharp finger nails these helped keep him from scratching his face.

 

Nail File/Clippers – You could always bring your baby clippers and files to trim those pesky nails. Or try this!

 

Socks /booties – depending on the outfit you pack for the car ride home, you might need these items.

 

Pacifiers – We don’t pack these because we try to get breastfeeding established for the first couple of weeks, however, if you know you will be using them you should sterilize and pack them in your bag. These are my favorite: MAM Newborn Orthodontic Pacifiers.

 

Baby Shampoo – We don’t pack this, either, but some people don’t like the soap and shampoo the hospital uses because of skin sensitivities or other reasons.  So, be sure to pack your own.

 

Cloth Diapers – Although we like cloth and ues it at home part-time, I just usually use the disposables that the hospital provides.  If you know you don’t want to use those, you could pack your own (be sure to include a wet bag and possibly cloth wipes…with some of mine they provided cloth type wipes for baby and other times they provided Pampers Sensitive…I guess you should ask before you go). We love these Thirsties Diaper Cover with prefolds Unbleached Prefold Infant 4x8x4.  Also check this out if you are new to cloth diapers: 5 Tips for Cloth Diapering on a Budget

 

Infant Carseat – Don’t forget your car seat! You can’t go home without one!

And be sure to download your free printable packing list!  

 

You might want to glance at this list — full of my dozen things that are needs postpartum!
Our top 12 things you need postpartum

 

5 Ways to Find a Routine Amid the Chaos

5 Ways to Find a Routine Amid the Chaos

This post contains affiliate links.  Please see my disclosure policy.

It’s not news that I had a baby seven weeks ago or that this baby is baby number 7!  You might think that I have it all together and that adjusting to a newborn should be easy.  I’ll just come right out and say it: I don’t and it’s not.  Each baby requires the family to adjust to their schedule and to find a routine again.  I’ve had a little bit of a struggle finding a routine this time around.  I mean it’s the middle of February and I literally have no idea where January went.  Is anyone with me here?  Is it just me?  It kind of feels like it’s just me.

 

My other kids are 23 months, 4, 6, 9, 12, and 14.  The new baby is a little fussier than our 6th was, so some of the chaos occurs because I can’t put baby down.  Some of it comes from the age difference between the last two (21 months) and some of that comes from homeschooling 3 older kids.  Whatever the reason, there have been days where we get our homeschooling done and not much else.  I’m trying to keep this real, you guys.  Caring for a newborn is no joke.

 

If there are any other moms out there like me, that don’t have it all together, I hope this post helps you today.  I hope you know that mom life isn’t always a walk in the park.  Between healing from birth, trying to keep up with maintaining a household, not getting a full night sleep and keeping our homeschooling going, I was starting to feel like I have no free-time to myself.  Even if you don’t have older kids or don’t homeschool – I think having a newborn requires a learning curve.  Here is what I’ve learned:

 

First, do everything with a purpose.

I’m still in the process of implementing some of these things.  I’m just going to share what I’m doing to help me find a routine amid this chaos we call the post-partum and newborn stage.

Use a Calendar Planner:

I use this one from sugar-paper that I found at Target.  I like it because it has a spiral bound interior, month tabs and both monthly calendars and weekly.  how to find a routine

This is perfect for keeping on task.  It includes a “to call” column, “to do”, “to buy”, and “top three priorities.”

Keep a Running To-Do List

I use a journal just like this one to keep a running to-do list and a brainstorming ideas.  I find it completely useful for clearing my brain out of all the ideas that have formed.  I also like to keep a clipboard handy to write out my current to-do list and schedule.

Add a Menu Planner to Your Fridge

I love this Magnetic Meal Planner from Amazon. It includes all meals for the week plus snacks! Its also easy to use because it is completely magnetic so it sticks on my fridge.  Its also easy to write on and wipe off – just use a dry erase marker.  I also bought a few Low Odor Magnetic Dry Erase Markers With Erasers so  that they are handy.

Use Apps to Help You Be More Productive

It dawned on me, recently, that I always have my phone handy – so why not put it to work for me?!  These apps seem like the perfect solution to my faulty memory and my scattered brain.

Productive Habits This app seems pretty amazing.    You choose what habits you wish to cultivate in your life and then add them.  You have a choice to have them everyday or certain days.  You can choose to skip the habits or mark them as done.  It is sort of like a running to do list and reminder list in one.how to find a routine

Morning Routine – This was the first place I looked when I was thinking about how to find a routine. This one allows you to create a morning routine by setting a wake up time, and then adding tasks in any time increment you need.

For instance, you can add eat breakfast and put it for 15 minutes.  Since it is hard to remember to feed myself because I’m busy feeding the kiddos, this is helpful for me.  In fact, it gets me thinking about what needs to come next.  

I have a problem remembering to get the kids to do their chores, but this is easy to add to this morning routine app.  It only takes a minute to see if the dog has food and water, the trash was taken out and the dishwasher unloaded (three different kids’ chores), but I often forget to check because I’m so sleepy and distracted by the baby.routine

She Reads Truth – I really, really want to read my Bible daily but I often forget in the hustle and bustle of the morning hours to do it.  This is an app that makes Bible reading very, very simple.  You can choose which book to read through (or you can do the Bible in a Year) and it will literally break your reading down into daily reading.  It takes the guesswork out of this.

Google Calendar – Using the calendar app just helps me keep track of activities and out of the house plans we have each day.  I can also share our plans and appointments with my husband so that he gets the same notifications on his phone.  That way we have our lives synced and no what is going on throughout the week.

Start Freezer Cooking

Freezer cooking is a lifesaver!!!  I found MyFreezEasy back in September and I’ve loved it ever since.  Its so easy to pick my menu, print my recipes and make the meals.  I usually pick and print, shop online for groceries, then the next day do a 1-2 hour freezer cooking session. I also wrote about it here.  

Babywearing

Lastly, I’ve found that wearing baby in a sling or wrap helps during his fussy times.  He seems to settle right in and get comfy.  I don’t cook or do certain jobs (like no cleaning the bathroom) with baby in a wrap because I don’t want baby to get hurt.  I can do vacuuming, take a walk,  fold laundry, and play with the other kids while babywearing.

Baby & Mommy at our first ever #sweetadelines choral retreat! #sweetadeline #6weeksold #babywearing #hotslings

A photo posted by Sasha Mills (@suchatimeasthisblog) on

 This is me in my Hotsling that I’ve owned since 2005!

So, remember to take baby steps and try to find a routine by adding in a few of the suggestions (or your own) one at a time.  Don’t try to do too much, too fast, or you might burn yourself out.  Giver yourself some grace as you get back into the swing of things with an infant.

 

P.S. Since you are already getting organized, you might want to take a peek at our printable homemaking binder.  Just click the link below – it’s free!  Enjoy.

Printable Homemaking Binder

What do you do to find a routine?

Is there Hope for Reconciliation?

Is there Hope for Reconciliation?

 

Is There Hope for Reconciliation?

I sat quietly in the pew, not sure of what lay ahead.  Although I was listening intently to what the preacher had to say, I couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling of darkness that loomed over me.  I was in the midst of one of the biggest trials of my life – stuck in a personal prison that had overtaken me.

 

Over the years I had lost people.  I had lost all trust in people.  And the fears… the fears grew like huge monsters that loomed overhead.  All of it was a sticky sickly mess that I had found myself in.  The gunk, the dark dingy sin had grown from a few tiny seeds and over the course of time it had multiplied and magnified until darkness was all I could see.  I had lost my focus on the only one who could lead me out of this valley.

 

You see, there was family whom I hadn’t spoken with for six years.  After a huge fall out, I didn’t believe I could give them another chance.  I was trying to protect myself and my family from being even more hurt and more broken than we already were.  It was a devastating time.

 

Suddenly the pastor spoke as he read the words from the scripture: “The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.  He asked me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ I said, ‘Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'” Ezekiel 37:4-6

 

The words struck me.   You alone know.  Ezekiel had made a point that all too often I forget.  Maybe we all forget.  It’s so simple.  God alone knows.  He knows the truth.  He knows the future.  He knows how all of this will play out.  He knows the ending, the beginning, the here and now.  He alone knows the why.  He knows what can be fixed, what will be delivered, what will be uncovered.

 

I sat there for a moment and pondered the piercing truth of these statements.  How could I trust the Lord with my heavenly inheritance but not trust Him with the present?  How could I not trust him with my smallish problems?  How could I not believe Him with the very creation he created?  Was there hope for reconciliation?

 

 “So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.  I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.”  Ezekiel 37:7-8

 

He didn’t just hear the words of God – he acted upon them.  He did exactly what he was supposed to do.  It dawned on me as I thought of him standing there.  He was looking at a valley of dried up dead bones.  These weren’t newly dead bodies –  there was no hope for these people.   Their flesh was gone and there were just bones left.

 

He looked at those dead bones and didn’t say to himself, “how stupid is this – there is literally no way this will work.  They are a hopeless cause.  I’m wasting my time and resources on such a worthless pile of bones.  They are dead and they aren’t coming back. ”  He stared out at the bleak landscape and did EXACTLY the opposite of what our human nature dictates.  He did what God had commanded he do.

 

Do you see what happened?  The bones started to come together.  Flesh began to appear.  Skin grew.  That is because when we listen to God’s voice, He doesn’t just speak, He moves us.  When we follow His commands what seemed impossible suddenly is possible. 

 

Notice, though, that there was still a problem.  The problem was that there was no breath.  If Ezekiel had been like I had been he might have given up at that point.  Whenever I hit a wall, I was finished.  I would give up and go off to my corner sulking.  I was defeated yet again.  But God spoke again.

 

“Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.” Ezekiel 37:9-10

 

As I read the text a weight was lifted off of me.  Suddenly realizing how wrong I had been for years I pleaded with God for forgiveness.  I give God all the glory that will still forgive us even when we mess up and even when we haven’t been listening.  Even when we seem hopeless, with God there is always hope.

 

During the years that we didn’t have contact with parts of our family I was given a lot of reassurance from the world around me.  There are all kinds of information on toxic people out there.  There are many resources on how to protect yourself or how to walk away from people who don’t deserve you.  I know many of you might be in the place I was years ago.  All hope is lost.  You truly believe the people and situations in question can never ever change.  You might even be angry at me as I write this to you.  I know full and well that sometimes reconciliation takes years and seems irrational or impossible.  I know that and I know that it takes stepping out in faith.  It means deciding to forgive.  It means opening your heart to hope in what our God of the impossible can truly do.

 

I hope you know that if you or your child are in danger of being physically harmed by a loved one, then seek the help you need.  Don’t stay in a relationship where you might put yourself in a dangerous situation.

 

In our case we chose to move slowly through counselling and through having a relationship with some distance between us to start with.  We started off with many safeguards in place to protect ourselves from the things we feared in our relationship.  We slowly progressed to a more typical relationship.  Now, our love for these people is bigger than it ever was and our relationship with them is much stronger.  God had truly done the miraculous in healing our hearts, our wounds, and wiping our tears from our eyes.

 

Like I said above, although I still think there are times and situations when taking a step back from a harmful relationship makes sense, giving up all hope does not.  Many times fall outs happen because of unkind words, nastiness, conceit, pride, anger, jealousy and many other reasons.  None of it is good and most likely it is a result of sin somewhere along the line.  Just to be clear – even if it is completely the other person’s fault giving up all hope for certain people is not the right answer.    That is not the example God laid out for his people.  We all need forgiveness and we all need a savior.  The truth doesn’t lie in how wrong they are.  It doesn’t matter how much we can do to mend this relationship or how much the other person is willing to change.  The truth is in our God and what He is able to accomplish.  He is a God of hope, love, reconciliation and a God that does the impossible. I’m thankful everyday that God showed me this truth: because God is the God of the impossible, there is hope for reconciliation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thin Stix for Easy Homeschool Art

Thin Stix {Review}

Easy Homeschool Art with Thin Stix From The Pencil Grip Inc.

 

Last year, I shared with you about a new product called Kwik Stix that we are using for our art afternoons.  Last week I had the opportunity to try out the newest product from The Pencil Grip Inc. On  Friday, after we finished doing our weekly cleaning routine, I got out our new Thin Stix!  The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed using them.

 

Thin Stix are very similar to Kwik Stix in that they are a plastic tube filled with solid tempera paint.  Because the paint is more of a thick cream instead of a liquid, it is easier to use with kids than most paints.

It dries in 90 seconds flat and leaves no mess behind.  There is no need for paint brushes or water. Cleanup is very minimal.  My 6 year old got some on the table and it wiped right off with a damp rag.  If you are looking for an easy art tool to use with your kids – these are just awesome.

 

They are longer and skinnier than the original Kwik Stix, so there is a little more versatility when creating your artwork.  You can get more precise because of the smaller tubes.

thin stix

We started off by getting out some prints of Monet’s paintings.  I then got out a stack of drawing paper, some pencils, and our Kwik Stix and Thin Stix.  My kids had fun choosing a painting to replicate and then choosing their Thin Stix colors.


The colors offered in the 12 tube set are bright and vibrant.  These are are great for recreating one of the Impressionist paintings.  They are also great for creating posters, original artwork, or just doodling.

 

My 12 year old enjoyed using these, as we all did.  Thin Stix and Kwik Stix make for a very relaxing art time in our homeschooling afternoon.

Thin Stix are available on Amazon!

I was given this product for free in exchange for my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

My Birth Story – Baby Number 7

Birth Story Baby Number 7 –

A Christmas Birth

 

A psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation–so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? Psalm 27:1

 

Birth stories are always very personal and raw.  I wrote this one just a few weeks after the birth of baby number 7.

It was the week before Christmas, when I woke up around 1 am to constant contractions.  The contractions began prior to going to bed but they were mild and sporadic.  By 1 am they came every 4 minutes steadily.  I walked around the house trying not to disturb anybody.  I tried rocking on our glider, sitting on the birthing ball – even hopping in the shower.  Nothing made them go away.  I eventually laid back down and at about 7am I fell asleep for an hour.  We called our in-laws who were planning on coming up for the birth.  They started heading our way.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN4-gVnjLPu/

 

My Due Date

By Tuesday, my due date, I wasn’t experiencing the steady contractions any more, but I did have a scheduled appointment with my midwife.  Hubby and I headed in to see how things were progressing and to check in before our scheduled induction for the next day.  (Because of some complications with our last baby, we chose induction around my due date. That – along with my own health issues – made it a clear choice).

At the appointment, the midwife thought I was a cm or less dilated and not very effaced but because of the position of my cervix – she was having trouble reaching.  She couldn’t do a sweep.  However, she was concerned about little guy’s heartrate because it sounded like it was low and experiencing de-cels.  She hooked me up to a NST for monitoring of about an hour.  After an hour, although his heart rate was a little low it was still in the normal range and she decided to send me home.  I was due at the hospital at 7am and I was relieved to know we would be meeting the little guy soon.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOSFdValJRH/?taken-by=suchatimeasthisblog

That night my in-laws, the kids, hubby and I decided to go out to dinner and throughout dinner I began to experience sporadic, although strong, contractions.  It didn’t seem to amount to anything and we finished dinner and then headed back home.

 

Induction Day

Early the next morning we made our way to the hospital at the scheduled time.  I was anxiously waiting to find out how they were going to do the induction.  As I’ve written about before, I’ve experienced so many different types of inductions including cervidil with pitocin, prostaglandin gel and a foley bulb catheter followed up by pitocin.  I recently read that cervidil isn’t recommended to women who have had more than 5 vaginal births because of risk of over-stimulating the uterus.  I was beginning to feel uneasy about how things would go.

 

After arriving at the hospital, the nurse went through my health history and then tried to get an IV started.  That was not an easy task and it took her finding two other nurses and four sticks of my hands and arms before one was placed successfully.  When my midwife came in she did a very quick ultrasound to confirm a head down presentation.  She found I was already 3cm and 30% effaced.  I dilated 3 cm since I had seen her in less than 24 hours!

 

The Beginning of Labor

She said we would start the pitocin and see how things go from there.  They started pitocin at 10:15 and nothing much happened for the first two hours.  Checking me again around 12:15, I was about 4cm and 50% effaced.  At that point, she asked if it was ok to break my water in the hopes of getting this progressing a little quicker.  Thankfully the water was clear and everything was going well with baby.

 

It was slow moving from there … I began having contraction but nothing major and every 30-45 minutes the nurse would pop her head in the room and increase my pitocin level.  By 5 p.m. the contractions had become slightly more intense but still not too bad.  I felt the baby moving a little further down.  I was about 6 cm.  Frustrated, I knew I hadn’t gotten to a point of feeling a lot of pain yet.  It was still manageable at this point.

 

How much longer?

Growing slightly impatient, I continued to sit on my birthing ball and rock during the contractions.  I tried to sit in the bed during a contraction and the pain instantly magnified.  The nurse allowed me to drink water but not eat during this whole process … so I kept asking for a refill on my water bottle and chugging ice-cold water to keep my mind off any hunger.  At about 5:50 I told hubby I needed to use the bathroom.  This was an ordeal because of being hooked to so many IVs and monitors.  Scared of getting stuck in the bathroom during a contraction, I moved swiftly to get back to the side of the bed.  Chills also began during this time and my nurse commented that it might be transition.

 

Nearing Transition

I made my way into the bathroom and as soon as I stood up to leave the room a contraction hit and I needed to hold onto my husband so that I wouldn’t fall down.  The nurse asked to check me.  I told her I did because I was having trouble knowing what to do during the contractions.  “Almost completely effaced,” she announced “8 cm!”

 

Transition

It was then that I wondered how I could go on like this.  I wasn’t just afraid of the pain, but of what lied ahead.   Also the panic that set in that I wouldn’t know when it was time to push.  These fears were very irrational because I’ve done this so many times before and I always know when it is time.  I think it is easy to second guess ourselves – especially when we feel so vulnerable.  I sat on the birthing ball during another contraction and then tried to stand during another.  They were coming every 2.5-4 minutes.

 

The nurse and the midwife started making suggestions of a squatting bar or sitting backward on the bed – holding on to the top of the bed.  I feared being trapped, so I declined. I sat on the birthing ball instead.

 

baby number 7

 

Time to Push

I quickly jumped on the bed because my midwife thought I was close.  She checked and I was close to 10 cm but not quite there yet.  One more good contraction and baby would come … and that is exactly what happened.  I tried pushing gently at first and then she told me give one good push to move him down.  In about one – maybe two pushes, as I prayed for help from the Lord, baby’s head and body was out.  At around 6:30pm baby was born.

He’s Here

Our baby number 7, Baby Philip, was born with light blonde hair and dark eyes at 8lbs 6oz and 21″ long.  The nurse placed him on my chest where he lay still for a few seconds and then let out a little cry. Thankfully, he had no complications like some of my others had experienced.  His skin looked healthy and pink. Both my hemoglobin and platelets were great the day that I had him.  All interventions were avoid.  Although, prior to the birth I feared having blood products or transfusions, the only extra measure the midwife gave was an extra bag of pitocin after delivery to make sure my bleeding stayed under control.

 

So Thankful

The Lord was surely with us throughout not just this delivery but throughout the entire pregnancy which was trying and hard both physically and emotionally.  God didn’t promise things would be easy – but if you are following him he does offer you peace, joy, and comfort.
This verse seems so fitting:

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.


 The Lord is our deliverer. He is gracious.  And He is with us. Always.
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Birth Story Baby number 7

You would think after six other births, the birth of baby number 7 would be a piece of cake, but just like all babies – all labors are different!  I’m thankful for my support team of my husband, wonderful nurses and my awesome midwife who helped me accomplish the goal of a natural birth – even with an induction.

Interested in this birth story?  Feel free to check out our other pregnancy and birth posts.

Birth Story for Baby #6

Induction is not Always a Bad Word

37 weeks update {pregnancy number 7}

30 Weeks Pregnancy Update + Baby Shower

26 weeks pregnant {Baby number 7}

21 Weeks Pregnant Update {Baby 7}

Pregnancy update; 17 weeks {Baby Number 7}

Our 14 Week Update {pregnancy}

Stop Fearing the Unknown and Go For a Natural Birth