#ThrowbackThursday LABOR DAY

I can't believe I delivered a whole baby a week ago. Every time I look at Avery, it seems unreal that he's here now and that he's ours. Everyday I'm grateful to be a mommy. I'm grateful that God was in the entire process, even though things didn't quite go as planned...

Bags packed, manicure and pedicure, eyebrows waxed, car seat installed. Everything was ready for induction day. My original due date was June 27, but due to my high blood pressure, I was set to be induced a week earlier.  

My plan was to go as natural as possible (I didn't want an epidural and I wanted to have a vaginal birth). The night before we were due to go to the hospital, fear started setting in. 

        What if things go bad? 
        What if the pain is so bad that my blood pressure shoots up? 
        What if Avery doesn't make it? 
        What if I die? 

All these thoughts were rushing through my mind. I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't want to speak the fear into the air. I started praying. During my reading time, I was ready to open my Bible to the next chapter in John (I had been reading the gospels). All of a sudden, I didn't want to read John in that moment. I wanted to read something that would specifically encourage me. I prayed and asked God to let me read the right thing that would settle my mind. I was getting ready to open my Bible app and just "eenie meenie miney mo" it -hoping to magically land on the perfect scripture- but I was like come on Crystal, it doesn't work like that. So I prayed again. Lo and Behold, as soon as I opened the app, this was the verse of the day:

 Immediately I dismissed the fear and confidently trusted that God was in control.

.......................................................................................................................................................

  Tuesday evening, Shelton and I went to the hospital to start the process. They started pumping the medicine that would open up my cervix. 12 hours later (Wednesday morning), nothing had opened. The next option was to try the same medicine again or try a new medicine. After a million questions and going back and forth, I decided to try the new medicine. Things started moving, but still very slowly. One thing that wasn't moving slowly was the contractions. Them joints hurt so bad!! Yet, I was still determined to go without an epidural. The contractions were getting pretty bad but I was hanging in there. What started to get to me was that with this horrible pain, I still wasn't dilating enough. Finally, I took some medicine for the pain because I realized this was going to be a long process. 

By Thursday morning, I was still stuck at 4 cm dilated. Enough was enough. The best way to go at this point was to have a c- section. I was distraught. So you mean to tell me that I endured all this pain and ended up getting an epidural anyway? And secondly, with all the medicine to prepare to be induced, I ended up having a c- section? I was so disappointed. But one thing my husband insured me was that if things hadn't gone the way they did, I wouldn't have known how much I could take. If I got an epidural immediately, I wouldn't have been able to experience feeling contractions. Family and doctors encouraged me about how much of a trooper I was. And so many people that were assigned to our room stated how much they enjoyed us and expressed how much love and joy they saw in our room. Through it all, God was glorified! And we have a healthy baby boy!


                                                               
                                                                Avery Shelton Handy
                                                                June 21, 2018
                                                                1:43 pm
                                                                8 pounds 7 ounces
                                                                21 inches long