I am finally getting around to sharing the story of Jude's birth. I must say after hearing that most people have their second babies early, I was expecting that I wouldn't make it to my due date with Jude. So, for the last 2 weeks it felt like everyday I was thinking, "Is today the day?". What made it worse was that 4 weeks before his due date I was already dilated to a 1 and then 2 weeks before his due date I was at a 2 and 30% effaced. However, Jude didn't make his arrival until his actual due date, October 24th. I have since found out that only 4-5% of babies are actually born on their due date!
Anyway, Jude's due date was on a Monday so Travis took off work the weekend before so we could either spend time together as a family or we figured we would be spending time in the hospital. He hasn't had a weekend off were he wasn't leading somewhere or we weren't out of town, since Hudson's birth. Needless to say, we were excited to spend time together as a family. Since I still wasn't in labor on Sunday morning, we decided to make the most of it. We decided to spend the morning walking to the pier to get breakfast.
Last belly picture:
It was a beautiful quiet morning and we just enjoyed conversation with each other and the beautiful view. Travis mentioned at breakfast that ideally he was hoping for me to go into labor that day. However, the only sign of labor were the braxton hicks I had been having for months. They were more uncomfortable and happening more often, but I knew it wasn't labor. On our walk back home, we stopped at the park for a little bit and let Hudson play. It was nice for us to have a little time to focus just on him.
Once we were home, we all took naps and once we woke up, we decided to head to Disneyland for the evening. On our way to Disneyland we picked up Travis' mom who was in town. She hadn't planned on being here for the birth, however, her father's health was declining and he actually passed away a week before Jude was born. We were all sad to have lost such a wonderful man and although the circumstances were unfortunate, we were thankful it allowed for Debbie to be with us for the birth.
Little did I know we were about to have our baby in about 4 hours...
We spent the evening walking around Disneyland and enjoying all of their fall decorations. At this point, I was feeling a little bit more pressure and the braxton hicks were definitely uncomfortable, but still no sign of labor. We then stopped at our favorite place in downtown Disney to eat some beignets. While eating our beignets at around 8:40pm I had my first contraction. I told Travis that it was definitely stronger than a braxton hicks, but I still wasn't sure if I was beginning to go into labor. Travis got a huge smile on his face and was ready to take me to the hospital... haha! I assured him it wasn't time :) With Hudson I had these type of contractions for about an hour each day for 2 days prior to actually having him. I had Hudson in about 11 1/2 hours which is really fast for a firstborn, so I knew to expect this time to be a lot faster (my doctor was guessing 4-6 hours). We headed home and began keeping track of the contractions.
Hud eating a beignet:
By the time we left I had 2 more contractions and they were each about 10 minutes apart. On our 45 minute drive home, they continued to get stronger and were now about 4-7 minutes apart. We dropped off Debbie and headed home knowing that would we see her at the hospital probably sometime within the next 12 hours. Little did we know how quickly Jude would come.
I called our friend Kristin, who was planning on sleeping at our house if I went into labor during the night. I called to gve her a warning that I might be going into labor and I figured she would probably need to come over in the next couple of hours. I was still planning on waiting it out a little bit, but I just wanted to let her know... again, little did I know how quickly things were about to happen.
By the time we got home, Travis put Hudson to bed and I figured I would just call the doctor to see what I should do. I knew I wasn't in active labor because I could talk through the contractions and I remember how painful active labor was. However, my worst fear was missing the window of opportunity to have an epidural.
Being that it was the weekend I knew my doctor wouldn't be in, so I spoke with the doctor on duty. She wanted me to come in immediately to be checked since my labor was so quick with Hudson and because I was already dilated to 2 cm on Friday. I was a little shocked... I seriously thought I was going to have time to shower and labor at home for a while. However, after talking to our doctor I quickly called Kristin who came over to our house within 10 minutes. We grabbed the last few things we needed to throw into our already packed bags took one last belly picture and headed out the door. Everything was beginning to happen so quickly. By this point it was only about 10:30pm and I couldn't believe we were heading to the hospital. I still wasn't convinced they were going to check me in and I didn't want to have my family heading to the hospital if I wasn't going to be admitted. However, good thing my mother knew better, she had my family already getting ready to leave and meet us there.
By the time we were driving to the hospital, the contractions were getting closer and closer and definitely getting more painful. I knew at this point, I was definitely in active labor and I was really looking forward to the ever-so-wonderful epidural. The funny thing is with both my labors I wasn't really in painful contractions until we were in the car. Both times I had to be convinced by the doctor and my husband that I needed to go to the hospital. It must be something about driving there that makes my body get into gear ;) haha!
Anyway, when we arrived at the hospital Travis dropped me off at the front of the entrance while he quickly went to park the car. At this point, I was squatting in the lobby and doing breathing techniques during the contractions. Travis grabbed just the small camera and our video camera. I didn't want him to grab the rest of our stuff in case they didn't admit me. I must have been in denial because I was clearly in labor at this point.
Travis came running in and we had to wait for a nurse to come down with a wheel chair. She then took us up to labor and delivery and by this point... I was in a lot of pain. They had me quickly change and checked me. The nurse asked me what I thought I was at and I figured maybe a 3. Well, I was at a 4 1/2! So, I was definitely getting admitted.
They began drawing blood, putting in an IV all the while I am making sure they are very aware that I really wanted an epidural. Once we were in our room, the nurse said I had to wait until I had a certain amount of the IV fluid in me before the anesthesiologist could give me the epidural. So, we figured it was a good time for Travis to run to the car to get our things... which really all we needed was our big camera. While he was gone, I had to lie on the bed which for me is not comfortable and absolutely an awful position to be in while having contractions. I asked the nurse if I could stand up and squat on the ground, but she assured me the doctor would be there soon and I was already set up to receive the epidural. She asked me if the doctor made it there before Travis was back did I want to wait to get the epidural... to which my reply was NO...haha! However, luckily Travis walked right in after she asked me.
I remember feeling panicked inside thinking that if I didn't get an epidural I didn't know how I could do this. I have no idea how women give birth without medicine... it is absolutely amazing to me. Maybe I have a really low level of pain tolerance or maybe because I knew I was about to have a way out from the pain, but I really felt convinced I couldn't have this baby without medicine.
The anesthesiologist came in and had me sit in a particular position and then I just waited. I remember the epidural being little painful with Hudson, so I was expecting the same feeling. He told me I would feel a little sting and burning which I thought was just the shot to numb the area before the epidural. So, after that...which it really wasn't painful... I just keep waiting for the painful part. Then he asked me if I was starting to feel some relief which I was. I couldn't believe it... the epidural didn't even hurt. It may have been because my contractions were so much more painful with Jude than they were with Hudson. I assume they were worse this time because they came on so quickly and were so much closer together. Plus, I was only at a 3 when I got my epidural with Hudson and I bet I was probably at a 6 or more when I got the epidural with Jude.
My family had just arrived and all came into the room to visit. We were beyond excited to meet this little baby and of course, to finally find out if we had a boy or girl. Within no time, the doctor came to check me and they couldn't even tell what I was at because the bag was bulging. They broke my water then checked me to find out I was at a 9 and said it could be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour before I was pushing. The doctor was washing her hands and I told her, I REALLY feel like I need to push now. She checked me again and sure enough... I was at a 10 and she could already feel the baby's head!
While they were prepping things, I asked the nurse if the water was clear. It wasn't... so I knew what to expect. The doctor explained to me there was meconium and she was going to have some specialists come in to suction out the baby's lungs immediately after the birth. She explained that Travis wouldn't be able to cut the cord, but he would be able to cut the remainder of the cord after they took care of the baby. Also, she wasn't going to be able to put the baby on my chest immediately after the birth. I was surprisingly calm, partly because I knew what to expect and partly because I wanted them to do what was best for the baby.
They wanted me to do a few "practice pushes", but thankfully I explained to the doctor that I only pushed for 43 minutes with Hudson and he was face up (when they are face up it is more painful and takes longer... most mom's push anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours with first). Once she realized how fast Hudson came, she told me NOT to push. She checked the position of the baby and the head was down... she could already feel his ear. She immediately called the doctors and specialists who were coming for Jude to rush because the baby was coming. This part was definitely painful. Pushing was painful, but waiting to push when your body is telling you to push is also painful.
As soon as all the doctors were there, they had me start to push. With Hudson, they had me positioned a certain way and had Travis holding my head up. This time they just had me push... Travis didn't know where to help and didn't know what to do. And it all just happened so fast. However, in the midst of the craziness, there is one sweet moment I will always cherish. Seconds before I started pushing, Travis looked down at me and only he could hear me... and I told him, "I think it's a boy!". All of a sudden I just had an overwhelming sense it was a boy. We both just smiled at each other and we couldn't wait to find out. Then after pushing through 1 1/2 contractions... Jude Dawson Collins was born!
For some people who get epidurals, pushing is not painful, however, for me... it is very painful. So, when Jude was born the relief from the pain was so amazing. The pain was over and we were so taken by the fact that the baby was born, it even took us a few seconds to realize we still didn't know what it was. I looked at Travis and asked, "what is it?". The doctor held up our baby and Travis proclaimed, "it's a boy!". To which we all started crying :) Both our moms and my sisters were in the room and it was just such an amazing moment. It just felt so perfect. I don't know how else to explain it, but waiting to find out was definitely worth it. When Travis said it was a boy, it just felt like of course it is! We loved finding out with Hudson for our firstborn, but it was equally as wonderful not finding out with Jude.
Anyway, after only 4 1/2 hours of labor, an epidural and 2 pushes... Jude was born on his due date on October 24th at 1:04am weighing 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. (Side note... several people have asked for comparison what was Hudson's birth weight and height... Hudson was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long and he was born the day after his due date.)
Jude didn't start crying right away, but when he did it totally made me cry. It is such a sweet sound. Thankfully, I couldn't see that they had to give him oxygen. They told me they were, but I have since seen what it looked like on the video and I know that would have been really hard for me to see at the moment. They were able to quickly suction out Jude's lungs and he was totally healthy and perfect. And his apgar score really wasn't much different from a normal score!
After checking him to be sure he was ok, they placed him in my arms. It is at this moment that it feels like your heart has never known such love...
That the reality of this amazing gift begins to sink in
And you know this could only be because of the grace of our Lord.
It is like you can sense the presence of the Lord in a way unimaginable.
The gift of life... from the One who gives life.
He was there with us.
And although we know He is always with us, it is in these precious moments that somehow you know it even more deeply than before.
Such beauty
The perfect addition to our family
A son.
Travis and I both had said that if we could have chosen, we would have chosen to have another son. We wanted Hudson to experience what it is like to have a brother close in age, but we also knew that a sister would be wonderful. And although, we do think it would be wonderful to have a daughter at some point, we just felt it was so perfect that God gave us a son.
Another sweet moment I will always cherish, is when Travis told me what the name Jude Dawson means. We never looked up the meaning of his name, honestly we just chose it because we liked it. However, we know that God knew He was giving us a son and we know that God is the One who put Jude's name on our hearts. Jude comes from the word, Judah and if you go back to the Hebrew to the part of the name Jude is derived, it means, "the Lord is to be praised". And Dawson actually means, "son of David".
When Travis told me, I couldn't help the tears from welling up in my eyes. This whole time I have been pregnant we have been so focused with what God has been doing in our lives in regards to ministry. The month before we found out we were pregnant, Travis signed with Integrity to begin writing worship music for the church. In March, right after we found out I was pregnant, we traveled to Europe to allow Travis to write with Matt Redman and a few other worship leaders. Not to mention, we were just so encouraged by the believers that we met while we were there. And even when I went back to Europe in June, the family I stayed with are a family of musicians... a family with a heart for worship. And literally the days leading up to Jude's birth, Travis was in the studio finishing recording his first album with Integrity. So, it just seemed so fitting that God would give us a son and that his name would have the heritage of worship in the meaning.
I remember feeling panicked inside thinking that if I didn't get an epidural I didn't know how I could do this. I have no idea how women give birth without medicine... it is absolutely amazing to me. Maybe I have a really low level of pain tolerance or maybe because I knew I was about to have a way out from the pain, but I really felt convinced I couldn't have this baby without medicine.
The anesthesiologist came in and had me sit in a particular position and then I just waited. I remember the epidural being little painful with Hudson, so I was expecting the same feeling. He told me I would feel a little sting and burning which I thought was just the shot to numb the area before the epidural. So, after that...which it really wasn't painful... I just keep waiting for the painful part. Then he asked me if I was starting to feel some relief which I was. I couldn't believe it... the epidural didn't even hurt. It may have been because my contractions were so much more painful with Jude than they were with Hudson. I assume they were worse this time because they came on so quickly and were so much closer together. Plus, I was only at a 3 when I got my epidural with Hudson and I bet I was probably at a 6 or more when I got the epidural with Jude.
After the epidural:)
My family had just arrived and all came into the room to visit. We were beyond excited to meet this little baby and of course, to finally find out if we had a boy or girl. Within no time, the doctor came to check me and they couldn't even tell what I was at because the bag was bulging. They broke my water then checked me to find out I was at a 9 and said it could be anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour before I was pushing. The doctor was washing her hands and I told her, I REALLY feel like I need to push now. She checked me again and sure enough... I was at a 10 and she could already feel the baby's head!
While they were prepping things, I asked the nurse if the water was clear. It wasn't... so I knew what to expect. The doctor explained to me there was meconium and she was going to have some specialists come in to suction out the baby's lungs immediately after the birth. She explained that Travis wouldn't be able to cut the cord, but he would be able to cut the remainder of the cord after they took care of the baby. Also, she wasn't going to be able to put the baby on my chest immediately after the birth. I was surprisingly calm, partly because I knew what to expect and partly because I wanted them to do what was best for the baby.
They wanted me to do a few "practice pushes", but thankfully I explained to the doctor that I only pushed for 43 minutes with Hudson and he was face up (when they are face up it is more painful and takes longer... most mom's push anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to 2 1/2 hours with first). Once she realized how fast Hudson came, she told me NOT to push. She checked the position of the baby and the head was down... she could already feel his ear. She immediately called the doctors and specialists who were coming for Jude to rush because the baby was coming. This part was definitely painful. Pushing was painful, but waiting to push when your body is telling you to push is also painful.
As soon as all the doctors were there, they had me start to push. With Hudson, they had me positioned a certain way and had Travis holding my head up. This time they just had me push... Travis didn't know where to help and didn't know what to do. And it all just happened so fast. However, in the midst of the craziness, there is one sweet moment I will always cherish. Seconds before I started pushing, Travis looked down at me and only he could hear me... and I told him, "I think it's a boy!". All of a sudden I just had an overwhelming sense it was a boy. We both just smiled at each other and we couldn't wait to find out. Then after pushing through 1 1/2 contractions... Jude Dawson Collins was born!
For some people who get epidurals, pushing is not painful, however, for me... it is very painful. So, when Jude was born the relief from the pain was so amazing. The pain was over and we were so taken by the fact that the baby was born, it even took us a few seconds to realize we still didn't know what it was. I looked at Travis and asked, "what is it?". The doctor held up our baby and Travis proclaimed, "it's a boy!". To which we all started crying :) Both our moms and my sisters were in the room and it was just such an amazing moment. It just felt so perfect. I don't know how else to explain it, but waiting to find out was definitely worth it. When Travis said it was a boy, it just felt like of course it is! We loved finding out with Hudson for our firstborn, but it was equally as wonderful not finding out with Jude.
Anyway, after only 4 1/2 hours of labor, an epidural and 2 pushes... Jude was born on his due date on October 24th at 1:04am weighing 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 inches long. (Side note... several people have asked for comparison what was Hudson's birth weight and height... Hudson was 7 lbs 4 oz and 20 inches long and he was born the day after his due date.)
Jude didn't start crying right away, but when he did it totally made me cry. It is such a sweet sound. Thankfully, I couldn't see that they had to give him oxygen. They told me they were, but I have since seen what it looked like on the video and I know that would have been really hard for me to see at the moment. They were able to quickly suction out Jude's lungs and he was totally healthy and perfect. And his apgar score really wasn't much different from a normal score!
Giving Jude oxygen:
Travis loving on Jude while they were waiting for a little bit more color to come in his face:
My sisters, taking video of the entire birth. Brooke made the amazing video that has been posted with her iphone and Summer was the one taking all the pictures during the birth and immediately after.
My mom crying after Jude was born:
That the reality of this amazing gift begins to sink in
And you know this could only be because of the grace of our Lord.
It is like you can sense the presence of the Lord in a way unimaginable.
The gift of life... from the One who gives life.
He was there with us.
And although we know He is always with us, it is in these precious moments that somehow you know it even more deeply than before.
Such beauty
The perfect addition to our family
A son.
Debbie and Travis watching the nurse hand Jude to me for the first time:
Travis waving the "boy" flag to announce to the rest of the family that we had a boy!
Another sweet moment I will always cherish, is when Travis told me what the name Jude Dawson means. We never looked up the meaning of his name, honestly we just chose it because we liked it. However, we know that God knew He was giving us a son and we know that God is the One who put Jude's name on our hearts. Jude comes from the word, Judah and if you go back to the Hebrew to the part of the name Jude is derived, it means, "the Lord is to be praised". And Dawson actually means, "son of David".
Some of our first moments with our sweet Jude...
We are completely overwhelmed by how much we love both our boys. They are our greatest treasure.
9 comments:
Wow!!!!! I love you guys so very much and the Lord has for sure blessed your family with the greatest gift of all...life!! xoxo
Beautiful!!!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful moment with us :)
God is so, so good.
Loved it! I can see why it took you so long to blog... ;) I already knew bits and pieces of your labor and delivery from Facebook but it was nice to read about it start to finish! Life with boys is exciting so buckle up and enjoy the ride!!!
Wow! This post totally made me tear up. Congratulations, Hayley! That's really awesome. You have a beautiful family.
I love reading birth stories. It's so rad to feel a miracle happen as you read the words...there is no one who could give such an awesome gift other than our Lord. Absolutely phenomenal. So awesome that things went so fast for you! My Benjamin was my first...last January. He arrived 10 days past his due date. The 2 weeks prior to his due date were torture...I was so impatient, but after that date passed, it was smooth sailing. I could have waited another month. Something inside of me just relaxed and left it up to the Lord. On the day he arrived, I labored at home for 16hrs...contractions started at 10 min apart at 3am and we left for the hospital when they were about 4 min apart at 7pm. I was open 4cm when we got to the hospital. I didn't plan on having an epidural (must be the Viking blood that's rubbed off on me over here in Sweden ;)), so I took a bath for 40-50 min, then held a mask of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) up to my face for the next hour and powered through it...on my side, eyes closed, in silence. Looking back, it was actually an incredibly peaceful time. Nitrous oxide isn't a pain reliever...it's more of a distraction to concentrate on your breathing than anything else...at least that's what it was for me. It's pretty common here. Anyway! From 8-9 passed so quickly. The midwife that I had when I came in was off duty at 9pm, so she kept her distance for that last hour, probably because she didn't want to get stuck working later ;) I'm thankful for the way things worked out though. The midwife who came on duty at 9pm was amazing. She checked me just minutes later and I was open 10cm! She could see the head. I pushed through 5 contractions for 20-25min and our baby Benjamin arrived at 9:32. That feeling when he came out was a relief that I will never forget. And his sweet little cry...best sound in the world. For that moment, I would have a dozen more babies! Haha So so happy for your little family. Soak up sweet baby Jude's first months...such a precious time. Loved reading your story :)
Hello Hayley, I've been a long time reader but this is my 1st comment. I don't remember exactly how I stumbled onto your blog. I want to say congratulations on your precious baby boy. May God continue to bless you and the rest of your family. I enjoy reading your blog and admire your relationship you have with our Lord. I'm working on my relationship, I know just attending church is not what it's all about. So I am trying to stay focused on God and stay on the path he has set before me. On a side note, if you would let me, I have a poem I would like to send to you, it's about a child and God. Seeing how you just had your second baby, I think it's a fitting poem. But I think it's a bit to long for your comments section. If you wouldn't mind, I can email it to you? Well I've said a mouthfull already. I hope you're resting and enjoying your beautiful boys. God Bless, Elaine
great birth story, hayley! thanks for sharing. he is beautiful.
Elaine,
Thanks for your sweet comment! I would love to read the poem. You can send it to hayleyacollins@yahoo.com.
We are so happy for you guys!!! I loved reading the story of how Jude came into the world. My labors (as you already know) were super fast too so I will let you know how it goes the third time around (lol). Congratulations to Hudson for becoming a big brother :-) We miss you guys. I am so happy that we can keep in touch with blogging. Welcome to the world baby Jude!!
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