The story of Joshua's birth

So, many people have asked me details about Joshua's birth and I am just now getting around to writing it down...3 months later, mind you :) Anyways, here is my story...

(I was 37 weeks in this picture. This is the last picture of me pregnant :)


When I was 37 weeks along, the doctor discovered I had pre-eclempsia. I was extremely swollen and my blood pressure was supposedly high. I went to two different doctors and was told that I was "not in condition of having a natural delivery". I was soooo upset, because that was what I wanted all along. The doctors here in Brazil hate doing natural deliveries, they mostly do c-sections so they tried to convince me how a c-section was so much easier and faster, free of pain (Yeah right !) and how he would schedule it and get it over with. One doctor even told me that natural delievery is so much more dangerous than c-sections and how if God had asked the woman what she prefered, she would never have prefered natural delivery... A bunch of baloney! I left the doctor's office in tears and so worried. I just prayed that God would help me to stay calm and that His will be done. My parents were so wonderful and supportive, they found a doctor who said he would take my case and see what could be done, so we went to this doctor and I liked him so much. He was a calm and patient man, and he told me he would give me pressure medication and I was supposed to be on bed rest and cut out all the salt in my food, but he said he saw no reason why I could not have this baby naturally! I was soooo excited!!!!

I started having some light contractions on Sunday afternoon (March 7th). I was having these light contraction all day on Monday (the 8th) and I had a doctor's appointment that afternoon. He checked me and said I was 2 cm dialated. He said it could take days yet, so I wasn't too excited about it. He told me to go back on Tuesday (the 9th) at 7 am and he would give me pitocin and induce me....I certainly did not want that,my husband and I had decided we were going to go all natural, but I didn't tell the doctor I wasn't going to be induced:) I came back home and was feeling very "icky", before I went home for the night, my mother who is a nurse checked me and to our surprise I was 4 cm dialated! I was trying not to get my hopes up high, so I just went home and went to bed. My contractions were not bad at all so I thought that it was going to take a while yet. I awoke at 3 am with some sharp pains...at first I thought I was having a stomach ache or something. I woke up my very sleepy husband and went to the bathroom, when I got to the bathroom door, my water broke. My husband woke up very fast then :) I was calm, but he was a bucket of nerves! By now my contractions were pretty strong and about 3 minutes apart! Alex got on the phone and called my mom. She was already awake and she said she was getting ready to call me because she couldn't sleep...she just had this funny feeling. Alex went to pick up my mom and I was left all alone pacing around the house...It hurt more when I sat down, so I just kept walking around. When Mom arrived we took off to the hospital...on the other side of town...about a 45 minute drive. It was such a LONG drive! I thought we'd never get there! Our city is FULL of speed bumps and I would just cringe at very bump! I was also soooooo hot, I have never been sooo hot in my whole life! Anyways, when we got to the hospital it was 4 :30 am. The attendant at the desk looked at me and said, "Is this your first child..." I said "yes it is!" He looked and me and said, "oh, it's going to be a long day for you then, you're not even screaming yet...it will take a while! Who's your doctor, you'll have to wait till 6:30 when he comes in." I was so upset, I just left my mom and husband there and went outside. My mom was pretty mad at the guy by this time, she said "we're not waiting, sir...she at least needs to be checked in!" She called our doctor and he called the guy and told him to get me into a private room and he would be coming in at around 6 and to call him if we needed him sooner. The guy took me to an air-conditioned room, and the nurse started an IV on me because I was throwing up by then. My pains were just getting stronger and stronger - they were about a minute apart. I got several showers, my mom massaged my back and my husband was holding my hand. My Mom checked me at around 6:00 am and she said she could already feel the baby's head...and no doctor yet!!!! I already felt like I needed to push, so I told mom and she said, "well, just do it if you think you need to!" By this time, Alex had to leave and run to his work to drop the work van there, so he was gone. A nurse came in and mom asked her to please call the doctor because I was ready to have this baby. She looked at me and said, "oh no, it will take a while..she's not screaming yet!" By this time I was wanting to scream at her! I was sooo annoyed at her! To our relief, the doctor walked in the room. It was 6:15. He checked me and said, "Oh my! You're fully dialated, I can see the baby's head!" He screamed to the nurse, go get her into the delivery room right away!!!! She looked and him and said "She's not ready yet!" He said, "She is too, just do what I say!" I was rushed to the other floor of the hospital, as they were wheeling me out, my mom asked me what outfit I wanted her to take for the baby when he was born,(here in Brazil, the hopistal does not offer any clothes, blankets or anything else. You have to take everything you and the baby will need!) I just looked at her and said " I REALLY DON'T CARE!" After about pushing 5 times, Joshua was born!I was never so happy to hear a baby cry!!! I looked at the clock on the wall, it was 6:55 am. I saw the doctor cut Josh's umbilical cord and the nurse wrapped him up on a little blanket like thing. He was sooo blue and covered with this white film ...she brought him over to me and let me kiss him...he was sooo perfect! I was crying tears of joy and gratitude...I will always remember this moment! My mom was crying and calling Alex to tell him the baby was here! He couldn't believe it, he was on his way back from work and was so disappointed he missed it! They took the baby to the room right next to the delivery room, I could hear Josh screaming at the top of his lungs and mom taking pictures. She kept running back and forth to the nursery and delivery room! It was sooo funny to see her, she was sooo excited! She kept saying..." Oh I can't believe this! I am so proud of you, Jess!" The doctor and nurse said they wished all their patients were as calm as I was! I know it was God, He gave me so much peace and calmness, I was surpsised at myself, I thought I would do so much worse. I had heard sooo many horror stories, but I was determined to block those out and just rest on the Lord knowing He would not make me go through something I could not handle!
People always ask me if it was horrible, and all I can say is it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be!(I know that it is different for every women, and I am NOT saying in any way that it is easy!) It did hurt, but it was not unbearable...and God was with me every moment! I am soooo thankful my Mom was there to help and support me, I was dissappointed that Alex wasn't there, but maybe next time ;)
So, anways, this is my story! I always cry when I think back on this day...it is so amazing to see how God was in everything...I did not have to be induced and no c-section. We were basically left all alone in a private room, I had my Mom and my husband with me in there...it was quiet and peaceful, I was so calm, everything I had asked God for! God is soooooo good!