INTRODUCING EZEKIEL
This weekend marks two months ago that Ezekiel Erick Esparza
joined our family. It has been such a crazy journey and a loonnnggg 8 ½ weeks
that I haven’t had any time to write about any of what we went through (&
are continuing to go through). Ezekiel joined our family at 11:49pm on August
19th, 2015 weighing a whopping 9 pounds 6 ounces and was 20 ¼ inches
long. And he looks just like his daddy! It was love at first sight but it was a
tough journey to hold my baby.
THE ROAD TO LABOR
Up until I went into labor, we knew that we didn’t want to
force him to come out with unnatural means but the shorter length of stay, the
safer it could be for us. There was no doubt he was already a big baby and the
less uterine pressure, the better. So we continued swimming, chiropractic care,
taking the natural pellets my midwife provided to me and upping my intake of
VBAC tea. I also started evening primrose oil and my midwife checked my
progress. There was some progress happening but more so, it was obvious that my
body was working and preparing and it was exciting. I was having a lot of
prodromal labor, which is essentially practice labor but unlike Braxton hicks,
it is extremely hard to differentiate as it IS labor but doesn’t lead to a
baby. It was exciting and frustrating at the same time! My mom finally decided
to come on August 11th. We weren’t sure when he was going to come,
but I knew I was ready for her to be here as much as she was ready to get here.
Once she was here we just continued the wait and anticipation and lots of
prayers. I was an emotional roller coaster. It was great to have my mom here
but everyday that labor didn’t kick into gear I felt like it was another day
she lost bonding with Ezekiel. On Sunday, August 18th, Miriam came
to the house…. Progress was good enough that she suggested the next day I
receive labor inducing acupuncture. After some research, we visited Dr. Litman
in South Miami. I’d never had acupuncture before but it was an interesting
experience. Erik came with me and she let him stay in the room with me. She
ensured me that if the baby was ready to come, it would jump start labor within
24-48 hours.
When we left I went home holding my breath for labor. But nothing
happened. The next morning I was crushed. I didn’t want to be pregnant anymore
but I didn’t want to rush my little guy either. Mom suggested we go walk
Dadeland Mall…. I told them I’d go if we had Chick-Fil-A for lunch. Anything to
get out of the house…so off we went.
We walked the mall for close to an hour before
stopping for lunch and then home to nap the twins and put my pregnant feet up.
Later, I prepared dinner. After dinner I was tired and so mom and Erik took the
twins to the patio so I could relax. I sat, bouncing on the birth ball,
watching chopped. I was feeling contractions but was convinced they were just
prodromal labor. But 15-20 minutes later something told me it was more than
that (it was about 6:30pm at this time).
SHOW TIME
I sent a text to Sara and Miriam and they both told me to go
for a walk, make sure I’m hydrated and reach out in an hour. So I got Erik and
he and I went for a walk (with a bottle of water) while mom put the twins to
bed. By the time we got back to the house, I knew it was show time. I told
Miriam and Sara and they said to keep them posted and rest as much as I could.
I was ready to go to bed, I was so tired. We all got ready for bed but as soon
as my head hit the pillow, a contraction came and I knew I wouldn’t be
sleeping. I’m not sure how it all happened but I remember eventually being in
the shower and telling Erik to call Sara. The next thing I remember is him
telling me she was on the way. I was moving around my room…. I wanted to lean
on my dresser and bear my weight into it. That’s where I was the most
comfortable. I’d also rest in my rocking chair between contractions. I tried a
few more times to lay in the bed but it was just so uncomfortable and I
couldn’t get up fast enough. I remember at one point sort of salsa dancing to
relieve the pain/pressure and it worked – so I pretty much danced my way
through labor. I don’t remember when Sara got there but she was an angel. She
made my room somehow feel safe and intimate. She kept me hydrated and massaged
me and just talked me through the experience. She also kept Miriam up to date
so Erik and I could just focus on what was going on. At some point, Erik blew
up the birth pool. At some point, Miriam did come…. Things happened so fast and
I was in my own zone that I don’t remember what happened when. I know when I
finally came out of my room in the morning, my dining room table looked like a
doctor’s office and there was a pool in the middle of my house! I cannot even
image what my sweet boys thought when they woke up.
Eventually my labor turned
into back labor and it was awful. Miriam showed “the team” how to push my hips
in/together and to put pressure on my sacrum at the same time. It was all that
worked and with EVERY contraction I’d say “MY BACK!!!” and whomever was
closest, new what to do. Though 90% of the time I really preferred Erik. Miriam
checked me and I was pretty far progressed. I think I was about 7 centimeters
mid morning. I was impressed I had made it that far. I was convinced she was
going to give me a much lower number and I’d throw in the towel. That was the
inspiration I needed to keep going. I was all over – in and out of the shower,
up and down from the rocking chair, in and out of the birth pool. The worst was
when I had to lay down and get checked. The contractions were coming so hard
and so fast and laying down was unbearable.
Eventually Miriam realized Ezekiel
wasn’t descending as they’d like so they started some natural ways of helping
him. If he didn’t descend then his head wouldn’t put enough pressure to fully
dilate. Everyone was trying to get me to eat and drink but I just couldn’t eat.
Even the smell of the food in the house was making me sick. My boys were so
good. I wanted to tell them how proud I was of them and how much I loved them….
But I couldn’t talk! They sensed it though and constantly came to check on me and rub my back and just love me however they could.
Eventually Miriam told me
that we may be in need of a hospital transfer. I was dilated to 9 centimeters
but Ezekiel was stuck and she had tried everything to help him descend. We discussed
breaking my water to see if it would help but didn’t feel that was the safest
option. After about another hour, we decided to pack up and head to North Shore
Medical Center. Mom got my hospital list and packed our bags with Erik. Miriam
and Melissa (midwife in training) as well as Sara and Stephanie (photographer)
all went and got their cars. I got dressed, said good bye to my confused boys
and we headed out. Melissa drove with Miriam in the passenger seat and Erik and
I in the back. Sara and Stephanie followed and met us there. Miriam called Dr.
Spence to let him know we were on the way in (she’d been keeping him up to date
on my progress all along). It was like a scene from the fast and the furious –
Melissa drove up US1 to I95 and no red lights applied to us! Once on the
highway she was a true Miami driver – in and out of lanes and even in the
emergency lane. We got to the hospital in record time and pulled up to the ER
and they met us with a wheelchair and took me up to labor and delivery…. To be
continued in the hospital episode of this birth story! (Prayerfully not two
more months from now!)
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