The Story of Your Birth

My Own Audrey,

This is the story of your birth. I want to tell it to you because your birth was such a beautiful thing and I want to remember it and for you to know the story, too. I hope when you read this when you are older, and maybe even preparing for a child of your own, you will see the way God brought you into this world and how He provided for and protected our family from the very beginning.

On Saturday, January 15, our good friends Gyöngyi and Péter came over to help us prepare for your arrival by rearranging all the furniture in our apartment. Since we lived in an apartment connected to a pre-school, the bedroom was very loud. The main door was right outside the window and we could hear children running up and down the hall all morning long. So to create a more quiet atmosphere for you to sleep in, we changed the bedroom and living room. We were lent many things, including a crib that didn't have any instructions. Fortunately Péter had just completed his doctorate so we somehow figured out how to put it together. Gyöngyi was 6 months pregnant so she and I watched a lot as the men worked. That night I felt sad as I lay in bed next to an empty crib, twelve days away from my due date. I was doing my best to not get too anxious for your arrival and was doing a good job of it, but this was making it difficult. I just couldn't wait until you would sleep next to me.
The next morning we went to church and at the end of the service Béla, the pastor, prayed for all of us as time was winding down. After the service we talked with Gyöngi and Péter about how it was getting close and then Béla told us how excited he was for when we would call him and tell him it was time to go the hospital. We had talked that morning about how it would be nice if labor began while we were at church because we would have a ride to the hospital in Béla and a translator in Gyöngyi. But that didn't happen. That afternoon I didn't want to take a nap so I would sleep well that night in case you came the next day. I wanted to always be rested. But I fell asleep for an hour anyway, which was a very good thing. We relaxed that afternoon and watched the Tottenham game. We talked with all of your grandparents and when we talked with your Grandma and Grandpa Eldridge we had a really nice and encouraging talk about when I was born and at one point I had to get up (which was not easy) and Grandpa said "Yep, she's ready!". He didn't know how ready you were.

That night at about 11 o'clock as we got ready for bed I noticed a bit of wetness between my legs but didn't think much of it. We went to bed and your Dad fell asleep right away but I couldn't sleep. I was trying not to think that my water had broken (remember I was trying not to get too anxious) but it was impossible. Then at 1 am I went to the bathroom and then got back in bed and felt more wetness. After much consideration, I woke Dad up. I wasn't sure my water had broken but I didn't want to try to figure it out on my own. I told Dad I thought my water was broken (which meant it was time to go to the hospital) and he suggested we wait and see what was really happening. He went back to sleep because he was starting his new job teaching at my old school that morning and he wanted to be well rested if you were coming. So I called your Grandma and Grandpa Eldridge to see what they thought. They both thought my water had broken but Grandma called an OB nurse to get her professional opinion. She said that my water probably was broken and we should go to the hospital. Woohoo!!! I was so excited, nervous and anxious I was shaking. I got off quickly with them and then your Grandma and Grandpa Long called because they wondered if something was up because we were online at an odd time. I told them what was going on and Grandma said her water broke in the same way with Aunt Melinda. Dad got up and we both talked with them a bit, which helped calm me down. I got up to start packing and as I did, a gush of amniotic fluid came and now I knew for sure my water had broken. Dad ended the call and we both worked on finishing packing, ate and then called Béla. It was 3 am by now.

We arrived at the hospital and I was taken off to get checked in but the nurses didn't let Dad in right away because we hadn't yet proved we are married. Béla was allowed to go with me to translate. After I was situated with a doctor who spoke English Béla went out and got Dad. He sat on some chairs outside the examination room where I was. Béla joined him and they talked and prayed and Béla told him about his experiences when his children were born. Inside, the doctor asked about my medical history as the nurse went through my records. The nurse took my weight (the first time in six months) and I gained about 17 pounds total (I hope you got the same good pregnancy genes I did). Since contractions hadn't really started yet I was sent to my room to wait. I laid in bed and Dad sat on the end and we both tried to rest but it wasn't working. Béla stayed with us and we chatted a bit but we were all hoping and waiting for contractions to start. At about six (two hours later) I started to feel a bit more pain, but not much. At seven we started sending text messages to the people who needed to know you were arriving that day. I was really excited to tell Gyöngyi and Ryan had to let András know he wouldn't be there for his first day of work.

Right after that my doctor, Dr. Pomucz, arrived and he examined me again and had your heart rate monitored. I had to lay on a bed in the delivery room that was almost flat and it was miserable. A nurse had been assigned to me but she was out of the room so I had to suffer through. Contractions still weren't strong so Pomucz said I needed to be induced. I got hooked up to the IV and the contractions got more intense almost immediately. Dad and I went out into the hall and walked up and down, up and down. I had to stop every once in a while to squat down to get through a contraction but I was able to talk with your Dad and was in good spirits because you were coming SOON!!! After about an hour your heart rate was monitored again (fortunately this time the nurse was in the room and she got a pillow to prop me up). I was at 4cm and the contractions started to get more painful, but definitely tolerable. This is when I learned the Hungarian word for pain: fáj. The nurse checked your heart rate and contraction read-out, looked concerned, and then went to get Pomucz. She showed him what she had seen, they had a short discussion where we could tell she was trying to convince him to do something that he wasn't sure about and then she gave him a stern look and he consented. He told us your heart rate dropped with each contraction because your umbilical cord was wrapped around your neck and I needed to have a C-section. I cannot tell you how hard those words hit me. I started crying immediately but didn't have time for much else because a man had already come to take me into surgery. I had to take off all my jewelry and give it to Dad and then I was taken out of my hospital gown and wheeled off completely naked, crying. The man taking me asked how old I was and when I told him 25 I don't think he believed me.

When I arrived in the operating room I stared at the ceiling because I wanted to know as little as possible about what was going on. I didn't want any of this to be happening and the less I could know, the better. I could not have been unconscious soon enough. The anesthesiologist came in and introduced himself to me in English and asked me basic questions, like my name, and then explained what he was going to do. Even though I was so used to hearing Hungarian it was comforting to have someone speak to me in English. He told me they were waiting for the surgeon to arrive so he would talk to me until then. He asked if you were our first, where I was from, why I was in Gyula. It really helped me to calm down, just thinking about something else. The surgeon arrived and the anesthesiologist put the mask to my face and told me to breath. I took as deep of a breath as I could and I was finally out.

You were born at 10:57 am. You weighed 3150 grams and were 50 cm long. Your umbilical cord was wrapped around your neck two times but you were delivered completely healthy and safe. In other words, you were perfect.

The next thing I remember is being moved from the gurney onto my bed. I thought your Dad was in the room and I told him how much pain I was in. I kept repeating, "It hurts, it hurts". It was absolutely miserable. For the next couple of hours I was in and out of consciousness and every time I woke up I moaned and cried. I still experienced contractions and though I had learned this was normal, I didn't understand it at the time. Once when I woke up during a contraction Dad was sitting next to me and I told him to put his hand on my belly. He said he didn't know if he should but I told him I needed him to and I took his hand and put it on me. His touch comforted me and helped me relax. At 2 pm I was starting to wake up more and Dad told me I needed to fully wake up. I wanted to keep sleeping because I was still in so much pain but he kept telling me it was time to wake up. To convince me to try, he told me how beautiful you were and that Béla thought you looked like me. I hardly had the will to wake up but Dad kept gently coaxing me. When I was awake enough (being barely awake) a nurse brought you into the room. You were in a little cart and I could see your arm in the air. The nurse gave you to me and I started to cry, but this time it was tears of joy. The absolute purest joy. I was holding my daughter. My Own Audrey. The little girl I've dreamed about since I was a little girl and had carried in my womb for nine months. There you were, in my arms. Your mother's arms. The nurse helped me breast feed you, though you did more crying than eating. When you were finished the nurse left you with us and then Dad got to hold you. Having you with us helped me perk up and I started to feel better, though I was still pretty miserable. I could at least somewhat function because I was happy to be with you. Gyöngyi arrived not long later and was so excited to see you.

The next morning Dr. Pomucz came to check up on me. He told me Dad had said how disappointed I was because I had to have a C-section. I assured him I understood since your umbilical cord was around you neck. He explained that doesn't always mean the baby has to be delivered surgically but you had to be because I wasn't far along in labor and then you would still have to go through the delivery, making it too long between when you started to show distress to when you would be born. I told him I was just glad you were healthy.

I have never cried as much as I did over the next several weeks. As happy as I was to have a beautiful, healthy daughter, I had to mourn not being able to deliver you vaginally. I looked forward to giving birth to you and had prepared myself as best I could, but it wasn't until I didn't get to give birth to you the only way I wanted to did I realize how important it was to me. I was in no way prepared for a C-section because I was young, healthy and everything during the pregnancy had gone well.

I wanted to experience the pain of childbirth, to be strong, to give so much of myself to bring you into the world. To reach the pinnacle of womanhood. But I was unconscious when you were born and the pain came later and I didn't want to wake up to hold you. I didn't hear your first cry or hold you to my breast moments after you were born. The first time I saw you you were cleaned and dressed and I was groggy from drugs. But you are healthy. And that's the most important thing in the world. I would have given anything to protect you from harm and delivering you through a C-section was an infinitely small price to pay. Every thought of you is complete joy and you have brought happiness into our lives that we never knew before you were born. We love you so, so much and are so blessed to have you for a daughter.

Love,
Mom