Bella's Birth Story - Part 3

At 5-something-am-in-the-morning I hit 9 centimeters dilation and the epidural quite working altogether (no more cat naps lol), I wanted to push so badly but they told me not to because I wasn't yet fully dilated, but as soon as I got to 9 and a half centimeters the nurse started trying to push back that last half centimeter and I started pushing whether they wanted me to or not, not serious bear down pushing like later on but pushing none the less. They called the doctor and when she came in she had on her white coat, then put on long elbow length gloves, a face mask and goggles, and even though I was in the middle of a terrible contraction and it made the hurt worse to laugh I still started laughing my head of when I seen her with all her gear on and I told her she looked like an alien (I still can hardly believe I said that haha) but her and my hubby and the nurses all got a kick out of it and joked that I was going to laugh the baby out, after that though, things got serious again. They brought out the table with all her surgical equipment (thankfully she never had to use any of it) and I got really scared again, it just looked so cold and scary; I had my hubby give the doc my natural healing oil concoction I had made and she poured it all around (and some in) the birth canal (I'll be sharing the recipe soon). And with my hubby on one side of me and a nurse on the other side, she had me start pushing. I pushed and pushed, taking small breaks in between contractions, receiving oxygen because I was hyperventilating again, all the while my wonderful husband was telling me that he loved me and that I was doing good and to breathe like I we had learned in Lamaze class and that he was right there with me. I wanted to push more! I wanted to meet our little girl, it was getting oh so close and I needed to hold her, all of a sudden my doctor said that she could see her head and proclaimed that just as suspected... she had a full head of hair, and that also she couldn't believe how perfectly round her head was! Now I had to push! I had to push with all my strength, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and I had to hold our baby daughter! And after a few more pushes and experiencing the "ring of fire" (seriously felt like a blowtorch) I pushed one last big push and I suddenly felt so much lighter, I opened my eyes to see my daughter, our beautiful Bella for the very first time and all the pain just went away, it was all gone, just like that and as replaced with the sweetest feeling on earth. As she was laid on my chest and I held her in my arms for the very first time it was the most beautiful amazing moment I have ever experienced in all of my life, I cried such tears of happiness (I'm crying from happiness even now just writing this and bringing back memories). She was perfect! Perfect in every single way imaginable! How was I so blessed?! Her full head of dark hair, her tiny wrinkled fingers, her ears, her nose and lips and her eyes, she just stared at me, not even crying, just taking it all in. I looked up at my husband again, seeing all the love in his eyes looking at us... there are absolutely no words in the human language to describe how I felt. It was the most beautiful and sacred moment on earth and I am so completely beyond blessed and thankful that God chose me to be the mother of such a beautiful wonderful child as our little Bella and to be the wife of such a wonderful caring man. All together I was in active labor for about 7-ish hours and I only pushed 25 mins before she was born. Bella Nicole was born at 6:20am exactly and weighted 7 lbs. and 10 oz. and was 19 inches long. My heart is so full of love and contentment and I am so excited to see what plans God has for the future of my sweet little family, our Bella and my husband and I. I love them with all of my heart!

The moment I first held her in my arms.

Wide-eyed.

Momma and baby snuggles.

My husband holding Bella.

Sweet sleeping angel.