Hello Hannah by Laura Davidson

Hello Hannah

by Laura Davidson Sep. 7 2017

What a privilege to have the responsibility of raising another child for the Lord!

On May 16, Hannah Jeanette Davidson was born. We couldn't be more thrilled and delighted!

We flew from Guyana, back to the US, when I was 32 weeks pregnant, the last week that expecting moms are allowed to fly commercially, without a letter from a Doctor, stating that she and baby are healthy and able to fly.

April 24 we made our way to my parent’s home in Dunlap TN, and settled down to await our baby’s arrival. I was so excited! Who would this little person be? A girl? A boy? How much would baby weigh? What day would baby choose to be their Birthday?

I had invited my sister Sarah to be present for the birth. She did NOT intend to miss the baby’s grand entrance. She and her family were here at my parents house every chance they got.

My due date came, and went. Baby was so low in my pelvis, it made walking, and life in general, a bit uncomfortable. I felt huge! I was huge! I kept walking every day, as I had been trying to do every day, especially during the last trimester, to prepare my body for the marathon of giving birth.

When I went to bed on the 15th, I started having mild contractions, very far apart. I slept between them. They were just strong enough to wake me up, I would rouse, look to see what time it was, then fall back to sleep.

(Edwin doesn’t want me to go into too much detail…. so, here is an overview of Hannah’s birth day. Cutting out details is going to be hard for me to do!!!!)

About midnight, contractions got stronger and closer together. I couldn't sleep, then they kind of faded away. I was anxious for our baby to be born and didn't want my contractions to stop! I was too uncomfortable to sleep, I was starting to get hungry. About 3am I woke Sarah up. She was thrilled and excited. She made some fresh red raspberry leaf tea for me and got me something to eat. We sat on the couch visiting. My contractions came back, and were just strong enough that I couldn't continue conversing through them.

Contractions became more intense, I became more excited! The front guest room at my parents house was fixed up all cozy for the birth and had all the birthing supplies set out, and ready. Sarah and I went into the front room, I turned on a ball of Christmas lights, rocked lightly on my birthing ball while Sarah rubbed my back and read my birth affirmation cards. “My body was made for this, created and designed by God, to be able to give birth.” “300,000 women will be giving birth with me today.”

It was so serene, the morning birds started singing, the light of dawn crept across the sky. I enjoyed an inner calm while riding the strength of the waves of my contractions. My body and baby were preparing for birth.

Suddenly I felt very sleepy. I sat in my “floor nest” of blankets and rested against the fluffy blanket that was thrown over my birthing ball. I slept for two hours, awaking at 7 am. Kathryn was just waking up. I went and hugged my sleepy big girl, got her out of bed and we all sat down to eat a delicious breakfast that my Mommy had made. I had two more contractions during breakfast.

I was still sleepy, I went and laid down in bed and slept for two more hours.

When I woke up, I decided to go for a walk to get contractions going again, even though it felt like baby’s head was grinding in my pelvis with every step!

We only made it to the mailboxes. We sat on the bench, visiting and taking pictures. We headed back to the house, and that’s when contractions hit. I was glad that Edwin was with me. I felt like I was unable to stand, when a contraction would hit. My legs felt weak. I would kneel on the ground and wait for it to pass. Edwin would help me up. We would slowly walk 15-20 more feet and another contraction would hit. Sarah and the kids went on to the house to start lunch.

When we got back to the house, I collapsed in my floor nest and rested on my birth ball. I was tired, I was hot, I was sweaty, contractions were coming hard and fast.

As soon as I felt rested enough, I made my way to the shower. Oh… what sweet relief. I sat on the shower stool, the warm water running over. The shower was so soothing that contractions became light and further apart. I was hungry, so I sat down and had two bowls of soup with my family.

Edwin went to put Kathryn down for her afternoon nap. I went and rested against my birth ball and promptly fell asleep AGAIN!

I woke in a haze of pain, but I was calm and focused on the task before me. Edwin tried to time my contractions, but was having a hard time knowing when each one started and stopped. I was too focused and didn't want to be bothered by trying to communicate.

When I threw up, we knew I was in transition. We called my Mommy to come home from work. I wanted her to be able to be there for the birth. She arrived about 3:40 pm.

I had been doing well laboring while kneeling, until my legs started to go to sleep. My Mommy and sister helped me onto a make shift birthing stool. Edwin knelt in front of me, with each contraction I buried my face in Edwin’s shoulder and made a low groaning sound. It gave me the focal point I needed. Even though the contractions were strong and there was a burning sensation in my pelvis, I always felt in control, and like I could handle it, (unlike Kathryn’s birth).

When I started to feel my body have a small pushing urge with each contraction, I just went with it, only pushing to comfort.

At 5:09 my water broke. I gradually felt more “pushy” and the pressure of baby’s head moving down. Each contraction seemed to be a combination of long and short urges to push. I didn't want to rush the process. I just pushed when I couldn't help but push, and let fetal ejection reflex take over. It was amazing!

I moved to my knees on my floor nest again.

I was starting to get tired, I was running out of energy! Sarah and Mommy brought me some grape juice and a fruit popsicle. I took a sip and a nibble hoping it would give me the energy I needed.

A few of the songs on the playlist I had been enjoying, started to annoy me. I needed to focus ALL my attention on what was going on inside of me.

Then I reached down and felt the head of my precious baby! (Crowning at 5:40 pm) Oh the joy! I was totally lost in the miracle of the moment, relishing it. “The baby’s head is wrinkly.” I murmured, half to myself.

Everyone burst into talking and action, they had not realized I was that close. I had waited so long to touch my baby, to hold it in my arms, it wouldn't be long now!!!

The ejection reflex was getting stronger, I could feel baby moving down and out.

My hand was on baby’s head as it slipped out, such an amazing feeling! I looked down to see a perfect little face, eyes closed, mouth open… then baby tumbled out. I lowered the baby to the chux pad inches below. I lifted baby’s slippery, vernix covered self to myself. Baby cried almost immediately. I was anxious to find out the gender. “Its a girl! Her name is Hannah.” I announced. I was so happy, I could hardly wait for Kathryn to meet her sister. (5:54 pm Hannah was born.)

Soon I was covered appropriately and Kathryn who had been jumping on the trampoline with her three cousins, my brother in law Eric and my Daddy, came piling into the room. Kathryn came barging in first, she had heard Hannah cry and nothing was going to stop her from running to the house and being the first one to see the new baby, “Kathryn, you have a baby sister, this is Hannah.” She was thrilled and delighted, full of wonder!

I was so happy to have all my family crowding around enjoying this moment with me. My Daddy offered a special prayer for the Hannah.

Later we got settled into the bed, I nursed Hannah, we ate a little supper, we called our family to tell them the happy news.

I had done it, I had had my dream birth, It felt so empowering and healing! Our baby was healthy and adorable! God has made the woman’s body to be able to birth. Praise the Lord Hannah’s birth went smoothly!

About two hours after the birth, Kathryn helped her Daddy cut the cord. It was white and limp, no longer pulsing. I had tried to deliver the placenta several times already, but it wasn't coming. I ended up instant messaging a midwife in one of my birthing groups on Facebook. She was so helpful and reassuring. I had no indications of hemorrhage, I had been taking the proper herbal extracts. We were pretty sure that the placenta had safely detached, but that my body was just tired and wasn't producing the needed contractions to get it out. I will spare you the details, but the placenta was finally delivered about 6 1/2 hours after the birth. I was so glad that I could go to bed. “Delivering Hannah was easy compared to trying to deliver that placenta!” I complained.

It wouldn't be right to refrain from admitting that the first three weeks after Hannah’s birth were horrible. I had three areas that appeared to be blood clots in the varicosities in my right leg. I know, I know, I didn't tell very many people because I didn't want anyone freaking out, but I was seriously freaking out. I stayed in bed most of the time for three weeks, with my feet up, because being upright was unbearably painful. I had help doing hydrotherapy treatments on my leg, which helped ease the pain. I took two capsules of cayenne pepper at each meal to prevent further clotting or complications, we realized after I stopped, that the cayenne was causing Hannah’s colic! Hannah was so fussy and screaming for hours on end, those first three weeks. I still can’t eat anything too spicy. During the first three weeks Hannah also had some jaundice and had to be sunned. She developed a small infection under her arm, she had goopy eyes from clogged tear ducts, her belly button started stinking, Kathryn got sick with a fever, I got sick with a fever, Edwin was gone for a week…..

Yep, I wasn't kidding, it was horrible. And needless to say, I had postpartum depression. But the best part was that I was at my Mommy’s house. She fixed all the meals, helped care for Kathryn, and rocked Hannah while she cried…. What a life saver she was, thank you Mommy!

Now Hannah will be four months old in 9 days. We are all healthy and well. My postpartum depression is gone, at least most of the time. Kathryn adores her baby sister. Hannah is a happy, squealing, smiling baby… My cup runneth over with blessings. Praise the Lord!