Jordan, Megs and Randy in P2’s nursery
This pregnancy has been such a different experience than the one we experienced with Jordan. I’m sure that every experience is different for every child because of our uniqueness.
While talking with Dr. Stewart after Jordan’s birth, I thought he had said that we would have a c-section for future children. This idea was what I had planned – which for my personality, having a plan on the day and time works with my patience.
Well, don’t tell God your plans because He may bring something else. During one of our appointments for P2, Dr. Stewart brought up the idea about having a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After C-Section). The thought took my breath away. The thought of the unknown was an idea that I needed to wrap my brain around.
On the way home, I could only stare out the window wondering if a VBAC was a wise decision. As Randy and I discussed the idea, the more comfortable we became. The selling point was our sweet Jordan. I wanted to be able to recover as quickly as I could to assist him with getting around.
The other selling point was Dr. Stewart. To be honest, he’s one of our heroes that we trust. If he says it’s a safe option then it’s a safe option, and if there’s a problem that arises, he’ll be honest and take care of our family.
As the months grew closer our anxieties grew a little more. At our 36-week ultrasound our little P2 revealed she wasn’t as small as a peanut as we thought my body looked. The ultrasound measured a weight about 7 lbs. at the time. So we thought we may be looking at a potentially 9 lb. baby.
When Dr. Stewart entered the room, his eyes were big. “So are we thinking c-section?” he asked. I looked him in the eye and said, “You talked me into a VBAC. Let’s keep watching.”
The next couple of weeks were interesting as each check-up showed that my body wasn’t progressing as we thought it might. Again, our plan was to induce or have a c-section on a specific day.
However, if your body isn’t ready to be induced, it isn’t ready to be induced. Unless there were certain reasons to jump at the c-section, we wanted to try induction first. Dr. Stewart was so gracious to keep extending the time to see if my body would respond. He finally gave a deadline at 41 weeks when he would need to assist medically.
At exactly 40 weeks to the day, I woke up in the middle of the night with a contraction.
“Is this it? Or are we going to have false labor all day?”
As the day progressed so did my contractions. I spent the evening pacing the floors at home, recording what was happening until, as instructed, they became 5 minutes apart, lasting more than a minute for an hour.
At 9 p.m., Dr. Stewart received the call. “I don’t know what you did, but you did something,” he said.
Randy and I arrived at the hospital around 9:45 p.m. I was finally 3 cm, allowing me to be admitted and strongly requesting an epidural. I could not stop praising Kim, the nurse anesthetist.
As Randy and I prepared to welcome our newest family member, we prayed that God would be all over the process. My body was doing exactly how God created the labor process to go. I didn’t need medicine to assist with my contractions to keep them regular.
Trish, my second nurse, assisted in positioning to allow me to fall asleep in the hour prior to delivery. When Dr. Stewart arrived, I looked at him and said, “Let’s get this party started.”
As he checked my body, he said to start pushing. Our team consisted of Trish, Katie (nursing student), a resident, and my best friend and father of our children, Randy.
As the miracle of birth took place I couldn’t help but become overwhelmed thinking back to Jordan’s birth and how I wanted him to have this experience instead of having to be delivered c-section – only to be taken straight over to Akron Children’s to have surgery.
As I expressed my feelings to our team during P2’s birth Dr. Stewart looked me in the eye and said, “We had to do what we needed to do to help him get what he needed. Let’s do what we need to do to get this one out. One to 5 more pushes and they’ll be out.”
I looked back and said, “Let’s do this!”
As P2 entered the outside world so did more love. Randy announced, “It’s a girl!” He was able to witness the miracle of life right in front of his eyes. Her beauty was evident as she calmly snuggled close to my skin.
The joy the Lord gives after such a stressful event was like the calm after the storm. She was weighed and measured then given back to us so we could look at her with the eyes of blessed parents. Gabriella Grace Pollock was born Oct. 18 at 8 lbs., 6 oz., 21 in. long. (Jordan was recorded at 8 lbs., 6 oz., 20 in.)
We wanted Jordan to be the first to meet his sister. He’s been talking about her over the last few months. Though he wasn’t sure what to think of the room with monitors and lights and cords, he was curious to see the baby.
As we were getting ready to eat lunch, we asked Jordan to pray. “Jesus, bapa (grandpa), gma, daddy, mommy, baby, amen.”
I’m not sure there’s a moment I will treasure more. As he visited the next day he wanted to climb up in mommy’s bed to sit next to baby. He gently stroked her hands and wrapped his arm around his sister as she gazed at him thinking…”so this is who’s been singing and talking to me.”
Blessed is the word that comes to mind. God has granted us to spend our days and nights with two of His precious children. We pray that we spend the time raising them as He would want us to raise them. My heart overflows with joy to treasure these moments in my heart.
Love,
The Pollock family of 4
Read more about Megs and Randy’s journey of raising a child with spina bifida through her blog, Labor of Love.
