Jonathan's Birth and my thoughts...

On December 20th Jonathan Paul Cangelosi made is arrival at 11:22 am,
weighing 7 lbs. 2 ozs, and 20 inches long. He was 8 days early. He is
a
fantastic nurser and such a sweet and happy little guy! Thank you
Jesus!
On to babykins birth story...ok, I'll start a little before ;)
In KY my usual midwife and special friend did my prenatals
before we transferred to the Washington DC area in mid-October.
Once we got here,I needed to find a home birth midwife...I had
a few leads and only one was able to fit me into December. So we used
Joey. While she isn't a Christian, she totally respected us and our
views.This was such a blessing as my alternative were doctors, many of
whom would not have given us our space as we prayed over decisions and
during labor and the birth. I always have a lot of pre-
labor...dilating during the week before birth and getting a real good
workout and practice relaxing! On Friday, the 19th, I was having
contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting around 45 seconds. I had to think
about them usually, so we called Joey to tell her. She helps the Amish
near Waldorf, MD which puts her nearly 2 hours away from Rockville where we
are, so she headed over to check things out, or help us have our little
one. Her assistant was at a birth with another midwife in Alexandria,
VA. So we had Joey, her 7 month old little girl, and a doula/ massage
therapist come join our countdown. That was at 2:30 pm, I could tell I
wasn't laboring. I communicated this, but with my past labors...of 2 hours
or so, and being 5-6 cms., they were not sure they should go
home...Joey 1 hour and 15 minutes away, without Beltway traffic, and
Laura, 45 minutes, without traffic. At 8 we decided that while I was 6
cms., they would head home and sleep in their clothes with keys in hand.
5 minutes after they left I relaxed and started to need to concentrate on each contraction. I guess I don't do well on stage!, but contractions spaced out to 10 minutes apart. Hubby and I went to bed where contractions grew more intense through the night, but were still 10 minutes apart. I stayed in bed until 7, had Jesse call Joey, because I knew that once I got up, it would really start! I was
right!
They went to 5 minutes apart and VERY intense...lasting 60 seconds. By
8:30 the birth help was all here. I got in the tub and labored there,
nice and relaxed for awhile.I thought I would have another water birth. The contractions got 'pushey' in there, but I was to hot so I went to my room. My four children were all up by now and had breakfast. The midwives were just letting me do my thing, amazed at the calm and focus I had...it really was amazing! I have
never labored that well...I think the gentle pace helped alot, that and
I have learned how to help myself and listen to my husband's encouraging
words. Those Farm girls have nothing on me! The grace and peace of our
Lord was just so strong!My boys opted to stay downstairs watching a
movie, coming to the landing on the stairs for updates, while my two
girls, ages 9 and 2, stayed with me. They helped me so much, it really
surprised me. At 11 or so when I got to my room, the contractions
speed up from 3 minutes,90 seconds in the tub, to 1 1/2 minutes 90 seconds
at my bedside. I got real pushey, my water broke. That was at about 11:10.
Then started breathing and pushing together.At 11:21 Jonathan crowned, and delivered into his big sisters hands at 11:22! Yes, my 9 year old helped me deliver her
brother!Jesse was holding me the whole time, kissing my cheek and
whispering encouragement in my ear...this was just so beautiful!The
recovery has been so quick and nursing going very well.

I promised to share a few of the things the Lord has shown me about motherhood, pregnancy, and childbirth...I don't know where to begin...
Being a mother is the most amazing thing we, as women can do! The importance and significance of our roles are tremendous. It is our duty to mold and shape each of our little ones into WHO they are to become. How do we do this? For starters, we have to seek the Lord as to who He wants each of our children to become. What are we to do as far as preparing them. Pray for for your children, pray with your children, let them see you praying for things in your life. Read God's word with them. Teach them, direct them, and worship with them.Pregnancy is such a beautiful time. We are allowed to nurture and carry our sweet babies to health, to have a special bond that only a mother will ever share with her baby, and to enjoy feeling the growth and development our our dear baby. In childbirth we all experience different feelings, both physically and emotionally. No two women birth the same and no two labors are the same. Rather dreading upcoming labor, we can use the time before to draw near to the Lord and to learn to understand the process our body is fixing to undergo. While far from God's original design, we can rest assured that He designed us to have our babies. By trusting in Him and the process He designed, we can trust in faith that we CAN do this marathon of birth, that we can enjoy His peace in childbirth and recovery, and that we can be the women He made us to be.
Rather than buy into the world's views of our calling, we can separate ourselves and make a stand! We are empowered, as the world would say, when we trust Him who called us, we are empowered when we stay with our children and school them, academically and spiritually, we are empowered when we go against the grain and serve our families!
Let us make embracing our call further our New Year's Resolution...Stand apart, be different, take the path less traveled.