The Birth Story of Baby Jude {Part 3}
This part, the actual crazy labor part is where it gets a little fuzzy, partly because I was still coming down off of the Stadol that I spoke about HERE. I remember parts here and there before I started pushing, seriously y'all, that medicine took over my brain and parts of my labor are just missing. I remember my water breaking because I kept saying "I peed on myself, oh my gosh I'm so embarrassed I can't believe I peed myself" knowing good and dang well I had a catheter in. And the nurses giggling and saying, "no you didn't sweetie, your water broke and we're going to need you to start pushing soon."
This is the part where the details slip my mind and I'll just tell you the one detail I can and always will remember was the CRAZY intense pain. I was so upset because by this point I had been given my epidural and yet again, just like with Jayden, it didn't take. So I felt every single painful moment. Once I started pushing, it didn't take that long. I do remember at one point the nurses and doctor telling me he was right there and that I just needed to give a few more good pushes and he would be here. And me looking at my husband and just crying my eyes out and saying "I can't do this, please just tell them we need to do a c-section, I just can't possibly do this." And the most encouraging words ever followed, "you don't have a choice, push."
I was exhausted, I was in so much pain and could feel everything and just remember thinking he can't come out, there isn't enough room, I can't possibly be dilated enough because this just doesn't feel right but for some reason everyone is yelling at me to push. I let my doctor know my feelings about this and she wasn't having it and gave me a real quick come to Jesus meeting and said, "Kristen, I need you to hear this, you HAVE to push, He is right here, almost out and his shoulder can get stuck, I just need you to take whatever you've got left and just push, it's almost over." And in that moment I pushed more to prove them wrong, I didn't feel like he was ready to come out. I pushed as hard as I possibly could and there he was, sweet baby Jude. The nurses patted me on the back and said, "good job mama, you did it." They took Jude over to be weighed and I remember being upset because in those few minutes after he was born I didn't hear any crying and I just kept saying to Brandon "just check on him, make sure he's breathing. Grab the camera, get photos." As soon as they announced his weight I felt pride in knowing that I worked hard my entire pregnancy to watch my carbs and sugars and I didn't end up with a 10lb baby, like they were thinking.
I was ready for a nap, because it literally took everything out of me to push him out. But in that moment, they handed me our sweet little miracle and every bit of exhaustion drained out of my body and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, "I am so glad you're here. You have no idea how long we've waited for you."
Jude Stanley Downing was born at 12:46pm June 7, 2016. He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21 inches long. We couldn't love our perfect little miracle from God more.
I felt so much better after this delivery than I did with Jayden. My back was sore from the epidural and I hated sleeping in the uncomfortable bed but overall I was feeling okay. Our visitor list was small. Our first visitors arrived just 2 hours after he was born, Big Brother Jayden and Grandpa Mack (Brandon's dad). Jay was still in school, had field day that day and stayed with Grandpa that week. Seeing his face beam with pride as he came across the room and laid eyes on Jude just made my heart burst.
Their first official selfie together...
We were then visited by Nana (Brandons Mom), Cheri and Paxton. Brandon and I were both so thankful to his parents for taking care of us and Jayden. I can't tell you how many times we sent his mom to our house to grab something else we forgot. And by 7 pm everyone had left and it was just the 3 of us. It was surreal, we were so overwhelmed by the way God had provided for our little family. Just another moment in our life where we saw firsthand how God's way was better than our way.
This is the part where the details slip my mind and I'll just tell you the one detail I can and always will remember was the CRAZY intense pain. I was so upset because by this point I had been given my epidural and yet again, just like with Jayden, it didn't take. So I felt every single painful moment. Once I started pushing, it didn't take that long. I do remember at one point the nurses and doctor telling me he was right there and that I just needed to give a few more good pushes and he would be here. And me looking at my husband and just crying my eyes out and saying "I can't do this, please just tell them we need to do a c-section, I just can't possibly do this." And the most encouraging words ever followed, "you don't have a choice, push."
I was exhausted, I was in so much pain and could feel everything and just remember thinking he can't come out, there isn't enough room, I can't possibly be dilated enough because this just doesn't feel right but for some reason everyone is yelling at me to push. I let my doctor know my feelings about this and she wasn't having it and gave me a real quick come to Jesus meeting and said, "Kristen, I need you to hear this, you HAVE to push, He is right here, almost out and his shoulder can get stuck, I just need you to take whatever you've got left and just push, it's almost over." And in that moment I pushed more to prove them wrong, I didn't feel like he was ready to come out. I pushed as hard as I possibly could and there he was, sweet baby Jude. The nurses patted me on the back and said, "good job mama, you did it." They took Jude over to be weighed and I remember being upset because in those few minutes after he was born I didn't hear any crying and I just kept saying to Brandon "just check on him, make sure he's breathing. Grab the camera, get photos." As soon as they announced his weight I felt pride in knowing that I worked hard my entire pregnancy to watch my carbs and sugars and I didn't end up with a 10lb baby, like they were thinking.
I was ready for a nap, because it literally took everything out of me to push him out. But in that moment, they handed me our sweet little miracle and every bit of exhaustion drained out of my body and I was overwhelmed with emotion. I looked at him with tears in my eyes and said, "I am so glad you're here. You have no idea how long we've waited for you."
Jude Stanley Downing was born at 12:46pm June 7, 2016. He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21 inches long. We couldn't love our perfect little miracle from God more.
I felt so much better after this delivery than I did with Jayden. My back was sore from the epidural and I hated sleeping in the uncomfortable bed but overall I was feeling okay. Our visitor list was small. Our first visitors arrived just 2 hours after he was born, Big Brother Jayden and Grandpa Mack (Brandon's dad). Jay was still in school, had field day that day and stayed with Grandpa that week. Seeing his face beam with pride as he came across the room and laid eyes on Jude just made my heart burst.
Their first official selfie together...
We were then visited by Nana (Brandons Mom), Cheri and Paxton. Brandon and I were both so thankful to his parents for taking care of us and Jayden. I can't tell you how many times we sent his mom to our house to grab something else we forgot. And by 7 pm everyone had left and it was just the 3 of us. It was surreal, we were so overwhelmed by the way God had provided for our little family. Just another moment in our life where we saw firsthand how God's way was better than our way.
