"The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing."
Zephaniah 3:17
For my 3rd birth, a slow gradual start with a “quick” finish. On Thursday June 8, around 5:30 pm, while I filled the water table with hose water for my sons and some 13 year old neighbor girls to play water guns with, my water broke, drenching my underwear and pants.. My three middle school girl angels, one raced upstairs to inform Thomas about my condition, while the other two entertained my 4 year old and 21 year month year old boys. As advised by my doctors we left for the hospital as quick as possible calling dear family friends to watch the boys for dinner and my mother to take care of our littles for over night. No contractions followed except minor cramps when Thomas and I drove to the hospital around 6pm, so we decided to detour and enjoy some Zaxby’s chicken wings prior to checking in. We checked into Kennestone Hospital on a busy date, June 8, 2023 with another couple in labor and three more checking in after us. In triage, with all 17 rooms occupied, we waited about an hour for availability. Because, I already 4cm dilated, water broke, and on my third birth with a history of quicker labors, they graciously granted a room prior to other couples earlier in their labor journeys. When checked, I was 6 cm dilated, contracting (though I really didn’t feel much) and she rested at a -2 (definitely not down in the cervix yet). When let into one of the 25 labor rooms (fully booked of course), I continued to contract with amniotic fluids dripping out of me all other the floor and bed. Resting on the peanut ball I took a quick Power Nap at 8:30-9:00pm and at around 9:15pm woke up to real back labor pains and to an IV tube leaking blood all over the bed (not properly closed and pressured with me laying on the needles hand). The contractions felt more like back spasms and I opened to 8 cm dilated but our sweet baby girl still rested above my cervix. So I stood, squatted, and
intensely sweated by 10:30pm with no “progress” in dilation or dropping I began to desperately despair for an epidural. So at 11:00pm, my sweet labor nurse began the 30 minute IV fluids to prep for an epidural. However, by 11:20pm, I felt the urge to push, called in my labor and delivery nurse, who found “her head right there.” Within minutes, my midwife, and a team of baby nurses flooded the room. On my back with one leg promoted up, I began to push with the battle cry, “come out this needs to end…. “ whilst asking after every push “do you see anything? A head yet?” After 5 or so forceful pushes, she finally emerged at 11:33pm. I miraculously did not tear nor received an epidural. Several minutes later a larger placenta also came out. So on Thursday, for Thursday's child has far to go, June 8, our first daughter Olivia Louise Couture came fully into this world at 8 pounds 2 ounces and 21 inches long. So grateful for the ending of the sacrifice of pregnancy yet needing more grace as we enter into the season of newborn and embracing “peaceful warrior.”
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