Our Journey, His Work: Birth Story

Warning: The length of this blog is extremely long; therefore, you may need coffee if you insist on reading it and it may me more information than you would like to read.

I know it has taken me over 5 weeks to write Jayden's birth story (so forgive me if it makes no sense as a whole) but being a mom to a newborn is no small task (I finally get it all you mom's out there). As I mentioned in the previous blog, on Friday, June 6^th, Rance and I ended up being sent home from the hospital after the doctor’s monitored Jayden’s heartbeat, etc. for a few hours and it never dropped again. We hung out at the house that Friday night and ended up going to bed around 9:30pm. Around 11pm, I woke up and felt a lot of cramping. I knew that cramping = contractions so I just laid in bed and turned from side to side, sat up, laid back down, and ate some food in the midst of the contractions. After a little while, I decided it was probably wise to time them to see how far apart they were; however, there was NO consistency. Some were 10 minutes apart and others were 3 minutes apart. I began praying.

On a side note - over the last 9 months, I have prayed over so many aspects of pregnancy, labor, parenting, Jayden, etc. I have been VERY specific with Father over a few things because I know He loves to give good gifts to His children so I asked knowing that He was GOOD no matter if He granted those requests or not – but I was going to ask and leave it up to Him for His will to be done. Since labor is extremely different for everyone – one of my specific prayer requests was that Rance and I would KNOW when it was time to head to the hospital. Some people’s labor is short, some people’s labor is long, and it seems there is no exact way it all goes down! I knew the ONE definite way you KNOW it’s time to head to the hospital is if your water breaks so you guessed it?! I asked Father for my water to break for almost 9 months so that we would KNOW it was time to ROLL OUT.

Back to the contractions and praying – I told the Lord several times throughout the night that I felt so confused not knowing what was going on with my body and I reiterated to Him that it would just be great if my water would break when it was time. Around 3pm, the contractions completely stopped. I was disappointed somewhat because I was hoping IT WAS TIME; however, I went to the kitchen, snacked a little, headed back to the bed and around 4pm – Rance woke up to me sitting straight up in bed. I explained to him the sequence of events since 11pm. We ended up talking since I WAS NOT SLEEPY! Around 4:45 am, I realized I needed to use the bathroom. When my foot hit the bathroom floor, something ran down the side of my leg. In that moment I said out loud ‘omg did I just pee on myself?’ The minute I said that, Rance JUMPED OUT OF THE BED and screamed “YOUR WATER JUST BROKE!!!!!!” My response, “Seriously?” and as I took another step, water went down the other side of my leg and that time I shouted “OMG MY WATER BROKE!” This moment was surreal! I looked at Rance and tears are flowing down his face! He immediately called my parents, began grabbing all of our things, packed the car, and fixed me a sandwich to eat on the way (b/c eating BEFORE the hospital was a MUST).

Now keep in mind, I am still standing in the bathroom as water continues to flow out of me. I HAD NO IDEA IT WOULD KEEP COMING the way that it did (even though I was told to grab a towel etc. if it did break)! I stood there for a good 5 minutes trying to decide how on earth I was going to get to the hospital like this. Oh it was HILARIOUS! I eventually figured out a solution and hoped for the best (that my pants wouldn’t be soaked when I got there)! Rance’s favorite part to tell at this point is how he had everything ready to go and thought ‘where on earth is my wife???’ and when he ran back to the bedroom to check on me, I was making the bed! He could not believe I was MAKING THE BED but in my defense – I was not in pain or having contractions so I was positive we had plenty of time! He on the other hand was concerned about delivering a baby on the side of the road so he was in HURRY UP mode.

CAUTION: I have NO shame in all the pictures Rance took before, during, and after labor so please enjoy my no makeup, swollen face, and all that came along with birthing a child!

Bed is ready and I am ready!

Out the door we went and hospital bound we were around 5:15am! I am hesitant as to how much detail to provide at this point but since this is for tracking our journey, I must be REAL. As we are about halfway to the hospital – I felt my stomach churning. Keep in mind that I had no idea that contractions could also feel like pooping pressure down there. I inform Rance that I HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM (yes, #2) and I must go NOW. (Again, for those of you that know me know that I have always had a spastic stomach and I don’t play around when I have to go to the bathroom). He proceeds to tell me that I am going to have to hold it because he is not risking having a baby on the side of the road. After about 5 more minutes he realized I was not joking, there was no holding it and he pulls over on the 4 lane road where YES, I did my business! We were both laughing so hard and YES, water was still coming out of me! We joked that only I would have to pull over on the side of the road on the way to the hospital to have our baby! I felt much relief after that.

Boo bear driving with camera around his next!

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL!

Once we arrived, they immediately took me to the labor & delivery room. This was all surreal – you wait for this moment your entire pregnancy and it had finally arrived. It was time to birth a child, as in the one God was entrusting to our care! I remember feeling READY and EXCITED. Rance was too. They hooked me up to the monitor that tracks Jayden’s heartbeat and my contractions. Then the nurse checked my cervix and informed me that I had dilated 6 CM! OH MY WORD. I am not going to lie, I was SHOCKED! Yes, we prayed for this but still it was progressing SO QUICKLY and I really could not believe how I was able to tolerate the pain of contractions. In fact, in the moment I actually thought (yes, I am admitting this) – do I really need an epidural? I mean, is it necessary if things are going this fast? Rance, on the other hand, never doubted the need for an epidural because the minute they told us we were at 6 CM he says “we need to get her epidural ASAP!” He knew that in birthing class you learn that 8 to 10 CM happens fast so he wasn’t playing around; therefore, epidural had been ordered. So thankful he was thinking clearly for me!

watching the time tick by quickly!

staying hydrated with water!

THE BEST BIRTHING COACH EVER!
The "I love my wife" is an understatement
(I was humbled in an entirely new one through
the way he showed his love for me through all of this)

The JOY in this man 24 hours a day is AMAZING (all b/c of Jesus).
Now multiply that by 1,000 to see the JOY exuberating from his bones
the day Jayden entered the world!

THE GOSPEL = BEST NEWS EVER!

GO TEAM!
Thank you Jesus for my teammate in life!

In the meantime, the nurse and Rance are watching my contractions peak on the monitor and the nurse begins questioning my pain tolerance “do you have a really high pain tolerance because you are having contractions and really close together?” YES, I could feel the pain but it was completely bearable. She asked me what I would rate the pain on a scale from 1 to 10 and I told her probably a 5 or a 6. I remember looking at Rance and saying ‘wow, maybe my pain tolerance is way higher than I ever thought?!’ I’ll never forget his response, “Maybe but the Lord is just blessing your contractions just like we asked.” (I guess my pride still likes to think that I do have somewhat of a high pain tolerance).

One of my main concerns about labor was the fact that I was told you could not have food once you were at the hospital and definitely no food after you had an epidural. For those of you that know me well, my body requires food often or else I will physically pass out. I had given this fear over to the Lord trusting He would take care of the details; after all, He had equipped my body for labor! At this point, all I had eaten was a turkey sandwich on the way to the hospital. I am not supposed to tell but the nurse turned her head when I began to slip a few crackers (what I call a nab) when noone was looking!

When the awesome lady arrived to give me my epidural – she gave me the lowdown on what was about to happen and I got in position just as she instructed (Indian style on the edge of the bed) and leaned my body into Rance and gripped his shoulders. She took her time making sure the spot she picked out on my spine was the correct area and told me it was really important that I not shake (she absolutely rocked at giving this epidural). I have heard all kinds of horror stories about epidurals but again, I had prayed over this epidural so much that I wasn’t about to get nervous and start shaking and doubt whether it would work or not! About that time, I began having a contraction and began focusing so much on breathing through it that when it was over and I asked the lady to give me a warning before she stuck that 10 ft. needle in me, she kindly told me that she had already done it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS ONE OF THE BAZILLION ACTS OF GRACE FROM THE LORD during this entire labor process! Within minutes I could feel my legs beginning to numb. Oh what a weird feeling. I became super sleepy at this point since I had been up since 11pm Friday night. They told me to rest or even go to sleep at this point to get ready for the big shabang (pushing out Jayden).

THANKFUL for these two ladies!

At 9:30 am, Cindy, the midwife on call, came in to check my cervix and to my surprise she said I was fully dilated and it was time to start pushing. SAY WHAT?!?! GRACE, GRACE, GRACE! I cannot even begin to explain how ready I was to get this show on the road. I have no idea if prego women are usually excited to start pushing but I WAS PUMPED. I was also super excited that Cindy would be delivering Jayden. SHE IS AMAZING!

Another HUGE prayer of mine was that Rance and I would work together as a husband/wife team, demonstrating Christ LOVE well, and showing off the GOSPEL to all we were around throughout labor and delivery. Our hearts desire was for God to be magnified, HIGH AND LIFTED UP! We prayed that our actions and our words would glorify the Lord and that we would represent HIM well. I did not want to be the prego mama that was cussing and throwing things and screaming at her husband! Up until this point, Rance and I were having a blast experiencing one of the greatest blessings on earth and enjoying every minute of this entire process (even through the pain). We prayed and thanked the Lord so many times as well as the awesome nurses too. I can hear Rance telling each one of them over and over how much we appreciated them. They were not sure what to do with him!

Back to the pushing - this all began around 9:30 am when Cindy said I was fully dilated. It’s interesting how I had no idea how this whole pushing process would go exactly but boy do I know now! Cindy and a nurse were on one side of me and Rance on the other (and Dr. Bruce came in later). Thankfully, I could tell when each contraction was starting (even with epidural) so I told everyone when it was time to push. I HAD NO IDEA the pressure that I would feel down there and that it would feel like I was constantly pooping each time I pushed. In fact, I kept asking at the end of each contraction “did I just poop???” Cindy kept telling me I had not pooped but if I did, not to worry HAHA! I was definitely not worried but it was INSANE how I felt like I was yet I really was not. I cannot even begin to explain how my husband coached me through ALL 2 hours and 15 minutes of pushing (yes, it took that long to get Jayden out). RANCE SHULER IS MY HERO, no doubt.

After about an hour and a half of pushing (holding my breath, pushing 10 seconds with everything in me, 4 times in a row PER contraction ...oh my word), my body felt like it may collapse. I became SUPER nauseas and began throwing up. I literally said out loud “PRAISE THE LORD FOR THROW UP!!!!!!!!!” The midwife looked at me and said ‘Oh Jenni, we have never heard anyone praise the Lord for throw up.’ I felt SUCH relief I wanted to dance. The nurse began giving me ice chips and honestly, it was as if I was eating food they were so AMAZING. After pushing through each contraction, I would eat ice chips and do everything I could to catch my breath. I felt exhausted and began doubting that I was ever going to be able to push this baby out. I had heard them ALL say for an hour and 45 minutes now “WE SEE HIS HEAD JENNI!” Uhm seriously??? Are y’all lying to me??? Someone tell me how much longer because I am DYING OVER HERE! You know how sometimes you just need a time limit or the exact number of contractions left to push through so you can begin a countdown in your mind – sort of a goal ya know?

Now here is what is so cool...During pregnancy, I studied through the book of Colossians. One morning, the Lord spoke to me so clearly on depending on the GLORY STRENGTH ONLY GOD GIVES. My body was weak, fading fast, and everything in my flesh wanted to collapse BUT GOD – oh that GLORY strength HE GIVES. I began praying out loud before every contraction for that glory strength. I love how the Holy Spirit brings God’s Word to mind and I was clinging to His Word with every ounce in me. Rance was praying and coaching me through every breath and I was like a little puppy dog clinging to every word he said! I looked at him one time and said “BABE ARE YOU PRAYING because I’m dying!” He assured me I wasn’t dying and that Jayden’s head kept coming further and further out. I definitely could not believe the pressure I felt and the BURNING feeling, known as the RING OF FIRE, which I had been warned about (Thanks Partna!). Around 11:15, a nurse came in the room and told me my parents had arrived and they were in the waiting room and that she would keep them posted on my progress. I’ll never forget when Cindy told me pushing through 3 more contractions would probably do it. Just when you feel like you have nothing left, this boost comes and I have never been so determined in my life to make something happen. I ended up pushing a FIFTH time instead of stopping at four on the final contraction – which was all that was needed for Jayden to come out. I can still hear them saying “JENNI, reach down and catch your baby” and I somehow managed to muffle “I can’t”. I remember thinking that there was no way I had the energy to lean forward and catch Jayden. The next thing I know, they have laid Jayden on my chest and I can’t explain all that I was feeling in that moment. I was exhausted, relieved, excited, weak, and the list goes on. After seeing how big Jayden’s head was, I realized why I had to push so long HAHA! HE WAS A BEAST!

Rance’s version of all this is quite hilarious. He literally watched the entire birth process down there and was fascinated by the entire thing. When he saw Jayden come out of me he said “OMG YOU JUST BIRTHED A MAN” – I definitely felt like I had pushed out a man. The next hour was skin to skin time with Jayden while I was being stitched up and tortured some more. Oh it never ends people. I'll spare you of those details (yes, I did tear but not bad).

I can’t thank the Lord enough for Cindy, Dr. Bruce, those nurses and the most amazing birthing coach ever, my boo bear! I didn’t even begin to list all the beautiful ways the Lord lavished His grace through Jayden’s birth and answered so many prayers of mine but my heart is so thankful and I have praised Him over and over again for them specifically.

Let me introduce you to Jayden Talon Shuler, weighing 9 lb. 9 oz. and measuring 21 inches in length! GLORY TO THE LAMB!

When I was 36 weeks pregnant and my cervix was checked for the first time and they felt Jayden's head - they warned me that he would have a cone shaped head from sitting in my birth canal, so low, for so long. He indeed DID have a cone shaped head and I've never been SO THANKFUL for the Lord's grace in that because otherwise, I am not sure how I would have pushed out his BIG HEAD!