I should preface this story with where our hospital and midwives were located. We would drive 2 1/2 hours to Oklahoma because it was the cheapest option for us to have a baby. And for two, there is a talk by President Henry B. Eyring titled "O Remember, Remember" that challenged us to see how we see the hand of the Lord in our lives and Mara's birth story was an answer to a prayer and The Lord definitely had a hand in it.
Alright, so towards the end of my pregnancy Tyler was living in Michigan and flying back to Texas on the weekends. So, we talked to the midwives because I needed to be induced because 1) I wanted Tyler to be there and 2) I honestly didn't think by the time I realized I was in labor I would make it to the hospital. We were set to be induced on February 21, which was good because we were planning to move on the 24th if everything worked out. It would be a rushed schedule but doable.
However, at my 37 week appointment I was checked at I was a +1 position, 50% effaced and 2 cm dilated. My midwife told me she would be surprised if I made it to my induction date. Kind of terrifying to hear because that meant most likely Tyler would not be there and that meant I probably wouldn't make it in time to the hospital for an epidural. So at that point I started to prep myself on having a natural birth. But this midwife told me if I did make it to the weekend before my induction, if I came in on the weekend she would induce me, which was great because Tyler would be there, I would have more time to recover from birth and we would get to spend a little more time with family before we left (Tyler's brother and his family live in Dallas) and my mother and father in law were there too.
We spent the Saturday before hanging out with in-laws and took Trajan to an aquarium. I was way sad that he was no longer going to be my only baby. But I was also SO ready to have Mara. My pregnancy was rough. I went to the ER three times in three weeks to have fluids because I was throwing up so much. My throat was raw from how much I was throwing up and literally everything I ate had major consequences. There was a time I thought I was going to die before Mara was born. It was really hard on me physically and mentally. So yeah, I was ready for her to come.
We decided we would go in on Sunday 2/19 to be induced. My mother and father in law drove up with us because they were going to be taking care of Trajan and I invited my mother in law to be in the room as I gave birth. So Sunday morning we woke up early and started our 2 1/2 drive to Oklahoma. During the drive I think I might of had one or two contractions. I didn't really know how they started because I was induced with Trajan. We arrived at the hospital and went into triage. I told them I had started having a few contractions but they were far apart. And they looked at me like I was stupid. I told them I had specific directions that if I felt two contractions that I needed to go to the hospital right away because we lived so far away (you'll notice later on that I actually really hated the hospital and the nurses). They reluctantly monitored me. I had one contraction. A different nurse came to check me to see how far dilated I was and while she was doing that she made the comment about how awkward checking me was, which made me question her and if she was in the right line of work. After that the midwife, who was on lunch, said to walk around and come back two hours later. We were really afraid of being sent home so we spilled the beans about what the midwife told us to the nurse about getting induced. Which then the nurse then told us they didn't do inductions on the weekend because there wasn't an anesthesiologist or a dr to perform a c section if needed. Such bull crap. I was irritated. But I walked pretty much for those two hours non stop. I might have jogged a little too. Maybe did some squats and lunges. I was not going to get sent home.
Two hours passed and we went back and got monitored again. The midwife then came in and started talking to us. Turns out though, we got her in trouble with the nurses and they were all really mad she told us she would induce me. We felt SO bad. However, she kept talking to us and turns out she worked at the hospital on the Navajo reservation close to where my family is, also used to live 20 minutes from us in Texas, and graduated from the University of Utah. We had a lot in common so we talked for almost an hour. I was contracting during this time too. I was amazed because I really didn't have any contractions except for a sporadic few. The midwife then checked me and while she was checking me I had a contraction and went from a 4 to a 5 and that was a big contraction. After that the admitted us. We got checked in and did all the forms and questionnaires. My mother and father in law came into the room and we all talked for a bit. However, the nurses thought I was too happy to be in labor and their plan was to make me comfortable and send me home the next morning. We know this because our midwife told us. I'm going to say I absolutely loved our midwife. She was the only one who I felt ever listened to me and she truly cared for me as a patient. Anyways, she gave us the know to what the nurses were saying. So at that point I had Tyler and his dad give me a blessing, but right before the midwife and a nurse walked in. So I asked if we could have a moment alone and they said of course and then the midwife asked if we needed oil. We thought it was cool she knew what we were doing. Anyways, after we said our goodbyes to Trajan and my mother and father in law took him to their hotel room. Tyler and I started walking around the maternity ward because I was going to have this baby, even though those nurses didn't think I was in labor. And honestly, I had some choice words for those nurses. I didn't say them, but you better believe I wanted to chew them out.Anyways, we did MANY laps around the maternity ward. A LOT. Eventually my contractions started getting stronger and stronger but I was having back labor. At this point there was a shift change so I got a new nurse. Who tried checking me but because I have a weird shaped uterus or something, she couldn't find my cervix and told me I was not in active labor due to that and the fact I was having back labor. So we walked some more cause I WAS GOING TO HAVE THIS BABY. I didn't care what they thought. This baby was coming out one way or another. Also, at this point the nurses kept reminding the midwife not to give me pitocin. So Mara had to come on her own. But because I was having back labor the nurse told me they couldn't deliver her because she was posterior and she would need to change on her own. Which is bull crap because I delivered Trajan with back labor. The nurse wanted to give me some sleep medicine and change me into a recovery room to "see" if Mara changed position. The midwife came in after the nurse and told us they wanted to make me comfortable and then send me home in the morning. If you can't tell all the nurses wanted to do was send me home. They honestly did not care I was in active labor. So after that they said I could walk or take a shower to see if that changed things. So I hoped in the shower and I prayed. Probably an odd place to pray but it was really the only time I was alone and not getting bombarded by nurses who didn't believe I was in labor. I spent a long time in the shower and then walked around some more.
At this point my contractions were coming every minute or close to there but I kept walking. Mentally I had to have Mara. I was going to prove those nurses wrong. I will say my contractions comparing them to being induced were much more mild. I kept expecting these excruciating sharp stabbing pains, and with Mara they never got that intense. I like to think it's because there was a huge difference between being induced and not, but I was more prepared to handle the pain this time. After a few more laps I went to the bathroom and lost my mucus plug. I tried to warn the nurse but she said that was because they just tried checking me. Literally the nurses were not listening. I was getting more frustrated. The midwife came in shortly after that because I looked miserable but I was trying to hold off on the epidural because I did not want to stop progressing. Anyways, I told her I lost my mucus plug and she said was going to get the anesthesiologist before she checked me because the hospital had a strict policy about no epidurals after 8 cm dilated and the midwife said that a lost mucus plug was a sign that you're at an 8. So she got the anesthesiologist and I got my epidural. Thankfully I only got poked one time compared to the three times I did with Trajan. After that it was just a waiting game. And we waited. and waited. I was expecting this birth to go a lot faster. Trajan was 12 hours, but not Mara. She was a full 14 hours. So into the early hours of the morning I was getting frustrated. I WAS SO HUNGRY. After the epidural I could only have ice chips. I tried sleeping but my legs were so tingly that I couldn't. Eventually the epidural kicked in fully and I got some sleep. The midwife came to check me and my water broke. At that point we called my mother in law to come because we thought the actual birth would happen soon. We waited another two hours. At some point they point an oxygen mask on me but the mask smelled terrible. Eventually I felt some pressure and it was time to push. There were about 6 nurses, the midwife, and tyler and my mother in law in the room. The goal was to push her out in 10 minutes since it took me 20 minutes with Trajan. I didn't get her out after 10 minutes but after 14 minutes of pushing Mara was finally born at 4:20 am weighing 7 lbs 7 ounces and 18 inches long. We did skin to skin right away and she was just perfect. After an hour of skin to skin they did her vitals and she had tachycardia and had to be monitored but after a few tests she was as healthy as can be.
The Lord's hand was guiding us and Mara the entire time. He heard our prayers. He knew my heart and how badly I wanted to be back with Tyler in Michigan. He gave us a perfect and healthy little girl. We are so blessed.
