Aubrey's Birth Story - Part Two

The day after Aubrey was born, a Monday, I was able to go home from the hospital. The next morning I was exhausted from multiple nights of little sleep, so I decided to take a nap. Chance and his mom were watching Hudson in the other room, while I took Aubrey into our bedroom to feed her and lay her down while I slept. The last thing I remember was feeding Aubrey in our bedroom. My memory begins again with a swarm of paramedics hovering around me. I had had a seizure.

Apparently, Chance and his mom heard a loud thud from the other room. They assumed a picture had fallen, but when Chance went into the bedroom he saw me on the floor seizing. Aubrey was on the floor too, crying.

The paramedics took my blood pressure and checked my blood sugar while Chance explained to them what he saw take place. I couldn't believe that I had just had a seizure. My labor and delivery went so well, and I felt that I was recovering rather quickly. Everything had seemed so normal, until now. After the paramedics left I called my mom (a nurse) who insisted that I call my OBGYN doctor. The OBGYN office told me to go straight back to labor and delivery, where I would be readmitted as a patient. 

It was all quite overwhelming. I don't really remember walking down to the car with Aubrey in tow. I do remember how distraught Chance was, which was difficult to see. 

After checking in at Baylor and being brought to hospital room, I began to break down. Why did this happen? Was I okay? Was Aubrey okay?! Seeing the fear that Chance was experiencing made me realize the gravity of the situation. 

Later, Chance took Aubrey to the pediatrician where she was assessed. We feared that I had dropped her when I began to seize, maybe hitting her head upon landing. She was in good condition, though, and the doctor saw no reason for concern. We were thankful. 

The doctors ordered all sorts of tests to be done: a CT scan, a MRI, an EKG, an EEG, and lots of bloodwork. It was a very draining day, both physically and emotionally. The nurse who cared for me that day was a Christian, and at one point when I sank into tears before my MRI she asked to pray for me; it was just what I needed. 

Later, I saw a neurologist and my OBGYN. Both doctors explained that a seizure can happen by many different causes: lack of sleep, high blood pressure, hormonal changes, etc. They reasoned that a combination of factors could have attributed to my seizure. They said that it was likely that it wouldn't happen again, if my tests showed that there were no underlying issues. 

I stayed overnight in the hospital. The next day I had ample time to contemplate the previous day's events. As I sat alone in my quiet hospital room, I reflected on the brevity of life, the importance of knowing Jesus, and uncontrollable nature of certain aspects of our lives. I realized from this experience that despite being in great health, traumatic events can and do occur without warning. God reminded me that He is sovereign over my days. And He reminded me of His great love for me in Jesus Christ, my Savior. 

Although all of my tests had come back normal, the most difficult news came from my OBGYN. She informed me that because of the seizure it was likely that I wouldn't be allowed to drive for up to six months. Ouch. That was a hard pill to swallow. I would have to follow up with a neurologist to confirm that, but six months suddenly felt like an eternity. However, I knew that it could be A LOT worse. 

At around 4pm, I was finally allowed to go home. Chance, Hudson, Shayla, and Aubrey came up to the hospital to take me home. We walked back to Swiss Towers in the bright afternoon sunshine. 

It has taken us these past two weeks to feel comfortable again. We have begun to experience a new "normal" (as much as possible with a newborn!) - running errands together, texting frequently when I am home alone, etc. 

God is definitely teaching me humility as I learn to rely on others for practical help. And I am learning to trust that despite whatever trials I face, God is faithful. 

Aubrey's Birth Story - Part One

Written March 22, 2015: As I sit in the hospital room, the first evening with Aubrey, I am just struck by how thankful I am to God. He has really blessed Chance and I in so many ways - two of which are our TWO children: Hudson and baby Aubrey. We don't deserve these gifts, and though I know there will be time that I will take them for granted, my prayer is that God would help to me steward and shepherd their little lives well. What a privilege, blessing, and honor to birth, raise, and parent children.  This verse rings in my heart tonight: "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward."  Psalm 127:3

And now to her birth story... My second pregnancy was pretty uneventful. I had the typical discomforts like heartburn and back pain, but overall my pregnancy was great. I had expectations that Baby A (since we hadn't named her yet) would arrive on her due date, so we planned that my mom would come for that weekend. A week before she came I thought that my water had broken. After about 20 hours and still no contractions, we decided to go get checked at the hospital. As it turned out my water bag was still in tact and baby was just as cozy as ever. 

Well mom came, the weekend went by, and still no baby had arrived. I was very disappointed and needless to say, I was frustrated that (again!) God chose not to answer my prayer that baby would be born on her due date (side note: Hudson was 11 days past his due date). 

A whole week went by, I went to the doctor again, no changes in my cervix but baby's fluid looked great. I decided to just wait it out. On Friday (March 20) Shayla (Chance's mom) arrived. On Saturday afternoon I thought I was having some mild contractions, but wasn't sure so I didn't mention it to Chance. That evening (early Sunday morning) at about 2am, I was woken up by some pretty uncomfortable contractions. I didn't wake Chance up on the off chance that it wasn't actually labor. I went back to sleep and after another hour went by I woke up again. I decided to time the contractions - 10 minutes apart. These contractions lasted for a few hours, and at 5:30am Chance woke up to use the bathroom. I told him about my contractions and he got excited. We tried to lay back down but ended up just talking on and off. I didn't walk around much because the contractions were getting stronger quickly. At 7am, the contractions were 4-5 minutes apart. 

I contacted Vandi, my wonderful friend and doula, and by 8am she had arrived. Shayla came over in the meantime to watch Hudson. It was quite funny trying to get ready to go to the hospital while Hudson was running around the apartment acting like a rambunctious toddler :) Labor is definitely different when you have another child around! Vandi and I walked the hallway twice and in that amount of time I had had 4 contractions (in 6 minutes). Vandi said we should go to the hospital. So we packed up in the van and Chance dropped us off (then he parked the van at DTS and ran back to the hospital). Vandi helped me get checked in at Baylor and we were taken to a nice corner room in labor and delivery. 

At that point I was in serious pain with each contraction. The nurse checked me once I got into the room, although it was hard for me to even lay down, and I was 8cm dilated! I immediately moved to the birthing ball and leaned on a side table during each contraction. I kept saying "there's so much pressure!". My water bag still hadn't broken and I was feeling discouraged. I told Chance and Vandi that I didn't think I could do this for much longer. The contractions were so intense.  

The nurse checked me again and I was 9cm. The nurses called the doctor and the delivery team to come in. Finally, she checked me again and I was a 10! I had started to push while on the birthing ball and Vandi encouraged me that it was okay. She also kept saying "you're so strong!" which was really helpful since I was doubting my ability to continue laboring. Since my water hadn't broken yet, the nurse asked if I wanted them to break it. I consented and once they did the insane pressure that I had been feeling was relieved. I got into the bed which they had made into a chair, I pushed once and Chance saw her hair! During a break between contractions, I remember telling Chance to pray. He prayed a heartfelt (probably somewhat flustered) prayer. Afterwards he would mention how great a testimony that was. I pushed again and she was almost here! I pushed a few more times during the next contraction and delivered baby Aubrey! 

It was such an intense but joyful experience. Aubrey's birth was amazingly rewarding. We didn't decide until after she was born that her name would be Aubrey Olivia. We are still getting used to it and to the fact that we have two children. What an amazing blessing. God is so good. 

The next day I was able to go home from the hospital because I was feeling great. And then... (To be continued in Part 2). 

The Wait is Finally Over

The Birth Story of Hudson Thomas Sumner

I must begin this story before the actual labor/delivery/birth part began. My desire for Hudson's birth, all along, was for it to be an unmedicated, natural birth. We hired a doula (labor coach) to help me to achieve that goal, having never given birth before and not really knowing what to expect. The few weeks leading up to Hudson's due date, my doctor told me that I was 100% effaced, and a few centimeters dilated and that I would deliver any day. As his due date approached and I still hadn't gone into labor, I was becoming more and more discouraged. Well, January 10th came and went, and still we were without our son. The week after that was an agonizing one, as I mostly just meandered around the house and tried to keep myself busy. Every day I would ask the Lord to send Hudson, but sadly God chose not to answer these prayers. I faced discouragement, lack of faith, impatience, and frustration as the days passed and I was still pregnant. At my last prenatal visit, my doctor told me that she wanted to schedule an induction for Tuesday, January 22nd. I was discouraged because I had been  planning on having a natural, unmedicated birth for the last nine months. But, I was reminded that the Lord was in control and I needed to trust his timing and his plans over my own. So the induction was scheduled and I continued to wait and feebly trust in the Lord as being sovereign over all things, including the birth of this child. 

On Saturday, January 19th, Chance's parents decided that they would fly into Dallas 'early' since the original plan was for them to fly in when I went into labor. We enjoyed spending time with them and anxiously awaiting the time when we'd get to meet Hudson. We prayed on Saturday that I would go into labor that night and have Hudson on Sunday, but alas we awoke Sunday morning and I was still not in labor. That afternoon I called my doula who had told me I could try a 'natural remedy' prior to my induction to see if it would cause me to go into labor and so avoid medical induction. She prescribed 1 tablespoon of castor oil to be taken right before bed. This was my last hope, if I was to avoid the induction, since I only had one day left before the procedure. Around 9:45pm on Sunday evening, after Chance went off to work for the night, I took the castor oil and tried to fall asleep. I was too excited and too anxious to get much sleep at all. I woke up at 1:30am, with slight stomach cramps, but nothing too abnormal. But, at 2:50am, I woke up again, this time due to a popping sound and feeling. "My water broke!", I thought, although I didn't feel any wetness. I got up and went to the bathroom and sure enough as soon as I got in there a gush of water confirmed that indeed my water had broken! This was it! I called Chance and told him that I thought my water broken and to come home. He told me he was on his way, and by 3:30am he was at home with me just as I started to feel contractions. 


Contractions are a funny thing. I always wondered what a real contraction felt like, having heard them described as menstrual cramps but different. Well I never felt the menstrual cramps, only intense pressure, mostly in the upper part of my legs. I called my doula and told her that my water had broken, and she suggested that I shower, eat breakfast, and rest as much as I could. After attempting to lay down, the contractions began getting stronger so I got up to shower and eat breakfast. By 5:00am the contractions were about 5 minutes apart, so I called my doctor's office and they informed the hospital that I was on the way there. Baylor University Medical Center (the hospital I planned to deliver at) happens to be located right across the street from DTS and our apartment. So as we grabbed our bags to head across the street, Chance and I made the decision to walk. Three contractions and about fifteen minutes later we were checking in to the labor and delivery unit. It was 6:00am. I met the nurse, Katie, who assessed me and seemed very excited when I gave her my birth plan and told her that I wanted to do this naturally, without medication. She asked me a million questions and monitored Hudson's heart rate and my contractions which were consistently 5-7 minutes apart. At 7:00am, Katie left and a new shift of nurses came in to take care of us. My 'head' nurse was Charlotte. She was bubbly, cheerful, and very excited to assist us with our natural delivery. The doctor on-call came in shortly after and measured my cervix: I was 4 centimeters dilated! 

Chance and I left the room once we were all checked in and assessed, and began walking the halls. Chance was amazing throughout the whole process. I honestly could not have done this without him, and I am so thankful for his constant encouragement and support the entire time. He would constantly say, "You are doing a great job" or "You can do this!" We walked and walked and walked. During each contractions I would stop by the wall and hold onto the railings while I breathed through the pressure. The pressure was intensifying, but I was able to keep walking. I never really had a thought about pain medication, but there was one time, as Chance and I walked the halls, when I spotted a man in a sterile gown going into the C-Section operation room. I said to Chance, "A C-Section sounds really good right about now." I was half-serious. Around 8:00am, our doula arrived and Chance went to the waiting room to see his parents, while Melissa and I walked the halls again. Due to the pressure I was feeling in my legs, Melissa suggested that I do some deep squats during each contraction because she suspected that the baby's head was stuck on my pelvic bone as he was trying to descend. The squats were difficult, but they seemed the help. After getting tired of squatting/walking, we went back to my room where I sat on the birthing ball, used the birthing handles on the bed, and laid in a very uncomfortable position while Melissa guided me through the contractions to lessen the pressure on my legs. 

At 10:00am, Melissa suggested that I get into the tub to relax my legs muscles. This was a great idea. Chance sat with me the whole time and helped me breathe through each contraction. We grabbed the iPad and turned on some worship music. The warm water, music, and sweet words from Chance all seemed to relax me. After about an hour, I decided that I had had enough of the tub and told Chance I wanted to get out. He helped me onto the toilet. As soon as I sat down I said, "I think I want to push." He went and told our nurse, Charlotte, who said that she could check me if I'd like. I moved slowly to the bed, where she examined me. To my surprise, I was 9.5 centimeters dilated! Praise the Lord! She said that she would call the doctor and get the nurse team ready for delivery. Melissa had me do 3 contractions on the toilet, and then a few more in a kneeling position over the back of the bed. These were the most intense contractions because I was essentially "breathing away" the urge to push until I got to 10 centimeters. I heard something about 9.5 centimeters "with a lip" not really knowing what that meant, but feeling determined to get to 10 centimeters so that I could push this baby out!

Before long, the doctor came in and began to get prepared for the pushing. I sat in the bed as Chance and Melissa each grabbed one of my legs. They told me to wait until I had a contraction and then push with all my might. The contractions seemed like ETERNITY apart! As I pushed the first time, Chance told me that he could see Hudson's hair--he was almost here! I waited for the next contraction and then pushed again, as hard as I could. I felt him moving down and out; this was it. I kept my eyes on the clock to see how long this was taking. All the nurses, my doula, our doctor, and Chance were encouraging me along and I could sense that he was so close. As I pushed the last time, I thought "I just want him out!" I didn't scream or yell, but tried to direct all that energy into the pushing. The doctor worked her magic and as I continued to push, push, push, I felt a horrible burning feeling and then HUDSON ARRIVED (at 11:20am)! Chance immediately burst into tears of joy as they hoisted Hudson up onto my chest. I was elated. He was perfect.

The nurses were cheering, and congratulating us. Chance made his way back to the bed to see his son, with tears in his eyes. It was the greatest feeling in the world. I didn't shed a tear, but kept smiling and thinking, "I can't believe you are my son (and I can't believe you just came out of me)!" Our doula snapped a bunch of pictures, and the nurses took Hudson after a little while to measure, weigh, and assess him. God had answered our prayers for a healthy, safe, and natural delivery. More importantly, Hudson was perfectly healthy and had safely arrived--in God's perfect timing. I have been overwhelmed by God's abundant grace in giving us Hudson, and have felt immense gratitude to the Lord for working everything out according to his will. I am thankful for our family, for the nurses, the doctor, the hospital, our doula, and my dear husband. I truly could not have gotten through the pregnancy, labor, and delivery of our son without Chance's support.  God is so kind. 

Perhaps one of the funniest parts about the labor and delivery, was that somewhere along the way it was told the nurses that I had run a half-marathon at 29 weeks pregnant. They seemed to get a real kick out of that and began saying, "Wow, you are superwoman!" I don't know about being superwoman, but I do believe that my continuous exercise throughout all of pregnancy and my experience as a runner greatly assisted me in being able to endure the pain of childbirth. 

A verse that I had been thinking about in the week leading up to Hudson's birth is Psalm 126:3 which says,  "The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad." I can claim this truth as my own, because indeed God has done great things for this Sumner family, and we are immensely glad.