Four days past my due date, the contractions started. At least I was pretty sure they were contractions, I was never really sure. From 2:30 am I was wide awake, and wondering if this could be the day we finally got to meet our precious daughter! Finally around 10:30am we decided that it was probably wise to go to the hospital just to get checked out and make sure everything was going okay. I was fairly disappointed, because you know my water hadn't broken yet like it was supposed too. This baby obviously wasn't agreeing with my plan and how I thought things were supposed progress. After a hour long drive to the hospital we finally got to the maternity ward where we were placed in an observation room and hooked up to machines. Babies heart beat was doing wonderfully, but contractions were kind of all over the place. After three hours of lying in that room we were finally admitted. That place was buzzing. Women left, right, and centre were giving birth! Nurses were running all over the place, delivery carts were being sent down the hallway and babies were crying. Our room however, was calm. Not much was happening, other than the hunger pains in my husbands stomach. Different nurses were coming and going into our room as everyone was being shuffled around. For a moment it felt like time was standing still for us. So we walked, and walked and walked. Still, not very much progression and still no water breaking. After about five hours I finally caved and asked for an epidural. The talk around "town" was that this was probably my last chance for the night. I wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to finally feel a little bit comfortable, as far as I was concerned, we were going to be here for a while. Trying to stay still for that procedure as I breathed through contractions was probably one of the hardest things i've ever had to do up until that moment. I'm fairly certain the anesthesioligst was very annoyed with me. "Ma'am, you have to stay still." he said over and over again. I was trying, I really, really was. Finally, it was over. I was checked a few more times during the evening and still nothing had really moved forward. Things had started to calm down a little on the rest of the ward, and it began to get dark outside. Our room was quiet as my husband grabbed some shut eye. The decision was finally made that I should probably go on oxytocin to make the contractions a little stronger. Babies head wasn't moving, and my water still hand't broken. After about 9 hours of being in the hospital we finally saw a doctor. She checked to see how far along I was, and in the process got a little concerned that the head still wasn't where it needed to be. Something was possibly in the way, or we just couldn't feel the head yet because my water still hadn't broken. She didn't want to break my waters, but accidentally did. And at the point everything changed so quickly. "It's the cord" she said with a terrified look on her face. All of sudden the room was filled with more nurses than I could count, talk of making sure babies heart rate wasn't dropping was being voiced. The doctor kept her hand on the cord as she sat at the end of my bed and assured me that everything was going to be ok, but they needed to do an emergeny c-section, as soon as possible. Fear filled my heart as Michael made his way to the side of my bed and held my hand. Babies heart beat would drop every once in a while and the doctor told the nurses that they needed to let the NICU know so they could be prepared. Before I knew it Michael was being passed scrubs and I was being whisked down the hallway on the bed. The pain was unbearable, and the fear was overwhelming. When we got to the OR the quick decision was made that I needed to be put under and they needed to get that baby out as soon as possible. Michael was no longer allowed to be present, he kissed me, told me he loved me and that he was praying then he disappeared. I had to do this without him, and that scared me. I got moved to the operating table, and then all of a sudden the doctor told me she had managed to move the cord back over babies head, and that I needed to start pushing. Wait? I thought I was getting a c-section? Nope, not anymore! I started pushing and within three minutes our beautiful girl was placed on my chest. I cried. That was the most emotional and terrifying ten minutes I've ever experienced. Within minutes Michael was back down in the OR, fully expecting to be an encouragement to me as I pushed. But no, she was here already! Keziah Ruth, 8.10 lbs and 22.5 inches long.
I had prayed and prayed and prayed during my whole pregnancy that my water would break at home. When it never did, I was actually very bitter towards God. Why wasn't he hearing me? Why wasn't he answering? He was answering me, he was saying no. The next morning the doctor came to see how we were doing and affectionally nicknamed our little girl "trouble". She told us that if she hadn't been there when my water broke, we would of lost Keziah. The pressure put on the cord would of caused her little body stress and would of caused her heart rate to drop drastically. It all happened exactly how it was supposed to. God knew that. His providence was already so evident in her little life. He said no to something I wanted so terribly because he saw the whole picture, I didn't. She's here, healthy, happy and two weeks old! Her birth is definitely something i'm not going to quickly forget about. It's a story i'm going to tell her again and again. It's a story that points to Gods goodness and care for his children. It's a story that proves that when God says no, it's for our good.
