Lindsay Isabella

By: Shiloah Baker

My birth story for baby number seven was a natural labor at a hospital.  I had a waterbirth last minute and she had a peaceful entrance into the world.

My pregnancy with Lindsay was difficult on me.  I went through two moves and monumental amounts of stress in addition.  I had PUPPPS, which is a case of pregnancy related nightmare itching and rash that covered most of my body.   This started at 16 weeks and lasted throughout my pregnancy, and even at five months post partum I still struggle with it.

Around six months pregnant, I found a lump in my breast and endured several tests to be sure it wasn’t breast cancer.  I was under so much stress from having my husband gone (he was at a Military School) and learning about this possible cancer that I would lie awake in bed at night sobbing. 

My church where I was living at the time was very non supportive and I felt so alone.  I would travel with all my kids every Sunday to my home church which was twenty-thirty minutes away.  

During this time, I had a beautiful blessing by my brother-in-law who was the Bishop, that told me to rest assured that I would live to see my children all married in the temple.  That blessing was what got me through the rest of the pregnancy. 

We moved to North Carolina in September, 2006 and after a short burst of energy to prepare my home for the baby and to be settled, I was exhausted and was unable to do much.  Many days throughout the last four months of pregnancy I felt as if I would just die.  I felt so horrible on a daily basis.  I ended up with Gestational Diabetes.  Many nights I would collapse on my knees praying to Heavenly Father to lift this pain and burden of sickness and sheer exhaustion.  He helped me through reminding me to stay hydrated, take my vitamins, herbs, and homeopathic remedies. 

It was such a struggle to get through the pregnancy, but I was thankful that I could do it.  I was thankful to bare another beautiful baby into our family and into the world.  Because I felt so awful I worried that the baby may feel the way I did.  I begged my husband to bless me and the baby that she would be spared from my suffering and that she would be healthy and happy in my womb.

I am a stubborn person and like to give birth on my terms.   If you have read any of my other birth stories you’ll see how beautiful birth can be when you are the one with the say on how you will be most comfortable.  Therefore, I refused to go to the military hospital.  My Relief Society President was a midwife at a hospital near us.  I chose her and I’m so glad I did!

We got the kids and cars situated and everyone out of the door.  My front seat was lined with trash bags just in case of a “water break” or another car birth!  (Smile) 

The contractions slowed down almost completely for the twenty-five minute ride to the hospital.  They started back up once I was upright while walking to the hospital entrance.  These were a little rougher.  I walked the waiting room in the ER and waited a good twenty minutes for someone to come and get us from the L & D Ward. 

I insisted on walking and not riding in the wheelchair to keep the contractions coming.   My midwife was on call and that was why we didn’t reach her!  She said, “Well, Shiloah, it looks like you are going to have this baby two weeks early after all!”  I only nodded as I went through another contraction.

We went into our labor room and Ben helped me get in that cute little hospital gown number (insert sarcasm).   Peg, my midwife, checked me and I was five centimeters!  Not bad!  I contracted for another hour with what I call “piddly” contractions.  I was too tired to walk, so I sat on the birthing ball and listened to Hero by Enrique Iglesias over and over and over again.

Peg checked me again and I was a six…a little while later at seven.   I was getting so frustrated.  Why was this labor moving so slowly?  I had been there two hours at this point.  I kept expressing that I never take this long for labors.   It was slow…contractions around 5-6 minutes apart.  We had plenty of talk time in between.

When I got to a seven I asked Peg to break my water hoping that it will get things moving.  As she broke it she questioned whether or not it had broken earlier.  I had suspected a small leak for a week, but wasn’t sure.  Apparently it had been broken as I didn’t have a lot!

When I had the contractions they were a little harder after the AROM, but not necessarily closer together.  I decided to get in the tub.  Peg started the jets in the tub.  I contracted a little harder.  She checked me after ten minutes and I was an eight.  She told me that women who have had many children are often higher in dilation during their contractions.  She waited for me to have another one and sure enough, during a contraction I was a nine.  After the contraction I was back to an eight. 

Once she realized what was happening, she told me to start pushing with my contractions.  At that point they quit coming.  I quit having contractions at 8-9 centimeters.  I began pushing with all of my might.    She was a little concerned that my uterus wasn’t working with me.  Once I moved her down Peg asked if I wished to stay in the tub and have a water birth or get out and walk to the bed.  I opted to stay put.  I pushed her out in about five minutes without having anymore contractions.  It was a very peaceful entry into the world.  Lindsay was born at 3:30 pm after a 7 ½ hour labor.

I stayed at the hospital for two days and was so thankful for the extra night of preparation for the madness of going home to my large, loving family.   Meredith, our sixth child ended up going to the ER the night Lindsay was born and diagnosed with bronchitis.  While I was upstairs holding my newborn and talking with my friend on the phone, my husband was downstairs in the ER with her.  

I love and miss the innocent and beautiful feeling of having a newborn.  I miss the happy, blurry and spiritual feeling from the endorphins after having a baby.  I enjoy the blissful feeling of greeting a new child into the world and into our family.  I wish I could do this forever.  Sadly, I will grow old one day and cannot always have children.  I will always be grateful for my birth experiences.