Although Marc's "Fab 5" news release was great, I figured I'd tell my side of the birth story ... just for the record (and for those of you interested in reading. If you're not, skip it!)
As a pretty good pregnancy drew to a close, I reminded this baby girl for the hundreth time that she needed to wait until Grandma Rogers arrived. Being in a new city with only "early friendships" established, it would be so much easier and calming to have her here first - to care for the other children. My mother-in-law was scheduled to arrive the night of Thursday, April 3rd (just 9 days before my due date ... and with my four prior births, I had not ever reached my due date ... the babies come an average of a week early). I was a bit nervous about the timing (and there was no way Grandma could arrive any earlier), but I felt mostly confident that the baby would cooperate. After all, my midwife, Stacy, had told me early on that it's surprising how well babies listen to their mamas. I believed her.
A few weeks before the birth, Rachel (19+ months old) suddenly started having "sleep issues". It started with naptime resistance, and she eventually figured out how to climb out of her crib. That was horrible, since she really resisted sleeping on the big mattress we put on her floor. Her naps took a nose-dive from 2-3 hours long to about 30 or 40 minutes. At first, she continued to sleep well at night (in her crib), but then that came to a screeching halt about 4 days before Kierstyn's birth. She would wake up in the night and scream ... only being quiet when we held her. Marc and I took turns being stuck in her room for hours each night without sleeping. I got very scared to face the upcoming birth. How in the world would we all survive (considering most labors begin in the night)? I prayed very fervently to the Lord for His help.
My labor actually tried to begin two different times on Wednesday night (a full day before Grandma's arrival). It was the very early kind of labor contractions. Thankfully, the contractions fizzled out when Rachel awoke screaming ... twice. My body knew it wasn't a good time! Then nothing happened during the day on Thursday. That night when Marc and his mom arrived from the airport I was very relieved ... especially when Frances touched my belly and said, "Grandma's here now - you can come, baby!".
After a few hours of sleep that night, I awoke feeling "out of sorts". Rachel was still sleeping. I got tired of lying awake in bed, so I finally got up and puttered around the house. A couple hours later, the contractions finally began (in the 3am hour). I waited a little while to be sure, but then I called Stacy to let her know. Rachel's birth had gone from "zero to sixty" in no time flat - basically a labor lasting a little over an hour ... kind of traumatizing me in the meantime with a feeling of a freight train zooming through me. Each of my labors had been faster than the one before, so I was trying to brace myself for a doozie. More than anything else, I wanted this last baby to be born safely and happily ... leaving me with pleasant memories to cherish in the years to come. (Again, I pleaded to the Lord.) Therefore, we had been planning for months for Stacy (and two other midwives) to come to my home for the birth. Luckily, the baby and I had had perfect health at every check-up, making this possible. And we were prepared.
The three midwives arrived at 4:15 am, and labor was still very manageable ... and Rachel was still quietly asleep (and stayed that way until 6:00! then she and Grandma got to know each other again). By 6 am, I found myself apologizing to my midwives for waking them up prematurely. Who knew that this labor would take a slower pace? The contractions were strong but still not horrible, and Marc and I worked together like an expert team.
During this time, I had been feeling hungry. Not wanting to eat in the middle of hard labor (and risk ending up vomiting), I drank juice. That held the hunger off for awhile, but by 6:45 am, I finally verbalized to Stacy that I was really, really hungry ... and baffled that my body would feel this way at a time like this! She encouraged me to eat - telling me a story of another woman who benefited from eating late in labor when it's what her body needed. I was a bit skeptical, but I decided to take her advice ... I felt that I was on a plateau with my labor, anyways. I might as well get rid of the hunger pangs. Marc fixed me a bowl of cereal at 7 am and brought it to my room. As I finished swallowing the last bite (I kid you not), my contractions suddenly got very, very strong. (It's amazing how it helps to listen to your body!)
Within minutes, I felt that I was hitting the final stretch of labor ("transition") and wanted the shower for some relief. That helped a bit. Then when I was so close to the end of it all, Stacy asked if I'd like to lie down instead. I made it to the bed about two contractions before Kierstyn joined our family at 7:44 am. She was pink and beautiful (apgars of 10 and 10!), and she definitely had a set of lungs!
The three older kids had left to catch the school bus at 7:10am, but Grandma and Rachel heard the baby's cry. A few minutes later, they came in to join us and meet the new baby. It was such a joyous occasion. My room was filled with love (not strangers), my labor had been slow enough to allow a manageable pace, and I had a healthy baby. What a peaceful experience! The Lord, indeed, heard and answered my prayers.
Kierstyn Rebecca Rogers was born on April 4, 2008, - weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and was 20 1/4 inches long. She has a little bit of black hair and very long feet and toes. She and I recovered nicely in our own beds! No nasty nurses to wake us up at night! (I can say that because I've been one!!) And that, my friends, is my version of the story.
P.S. Rachel ended up sleeping poorly for another 4 or 5 nights after the birth, and then she calmed down. She's back to even sleeping great for naps (in her crib! no more climbing out!).
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