Our beautiful son Santiago Josue Leon was born Monday April 25th, 2011 at 3:02 a.m. weighing 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20.5 in. long. I wanted to briefly share with you, the amazing story of how God brought him into this world.
My original due date was April 16, which made when he actually came eight days „late“. We had a really rough time with our OB and should have switched along time ago, but honestly I didn’t think it was that important to hire an OB who had similar beliefs as you to help educate and guide you in the whole birthing process, especially for a new mom who knows nothing! Well I was very wrong, and from the beginning was told that my OB did not let her patients go past 40 weeks, and in the beginning I wasn’t really sure about what I was even looking for in expereincing birth. As I read and researched, I started to really have the longing to experience childbirth naturally with as little medical intervention as neccesary, although I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to deal with the pain, since normally I have a very low pain tolerance. Things grew increasingly more tense with my OB as my due date drew closer and I was still not dialating. I did not want to be induced unless there was an absolute medical neccesity, and our OB was not keen on that idea. The 16th came and went and we did a stress test and ultrasound to make sure the baby was ok, which he was, but at 40 weeks and 2 days I was scheduled to be induced, and not very happy about it. I felt like I was being chastised and being left with very little options, and although I have little medical knowledge I don’t like being told I must do something I don’t want to without it being a neccesity. We got a second opinion and the other doctor felt like there was no reason for the induction and that I could wait longer. So we called our doctor’s office, and told them we would not be going to the hospital and that we were very upset with our OB’s dealing with us. I was very ready at that point to completely change doctor’s, but since we were so close we would have had to change hospitals, billing, and it was more stress then we needed at that point. So we spoke with the OB and she agreed to let us go to the next Monday, even though it went against her medical advise. I came to terms with the fact that I would have to be induced but was honestly so physically miserable, that I was ok with it.
Well don’t you know it, when I finally let go of control that is when God stepped in… Just like Him :)
That Easter Sunday I started having hard contractions at 5 p.m. only 2 minutes apart lasting 30-60 seconds. By the time we arrived at the hospital I was already 5 cm. dialated and it all happened so fast. Before I knew it I was fully dialated, water was broken, and ready to push. I did not even have time to have an epideral and with just a little Staydol (not sure if I spelled that right) it was time to push. After 2 1/2 hours of pushing I was told that if I didn’t deliver in the next 15 min. I would be given a C-section which was the absolute last thing I wanted. So that just gave me a little extra push to keep going, and little Santiago was born in the next 10 min. So as I lay with my little boy in my arms, delivering him all naturally I was just in awe of what God created us as women to do. The glory of our bodies and the strength and courage he gives to push through the roughest of times when you are just ready to give in. I had the most amazing nurses, encouraging husband, and awesome Doula at my side, and I truly feel they were instruments of the Lord helping me in that delivery room that morning. Even as I recover and learn a new thing pretty much every day about being a mom I am amazed and profoundly blessed at the experience I was able to have. I just wanted to thank all of you who have been an emotional, physical, and spiritual support to me throughout the pregnancy and delivery process, because I couldn’t have done it without all of you.
I look forward to learning more, and growing in this profound calling of being a wife and mother. I hope this story encourages all of you, moms or not, just to always trust in the Lord with all of your heart, strength, and soul, especailly when it is dark all around, and you can’t see what is going to happen. God is ALWAYS in control and is beyond amazing :)
By E. D. Leon, Florida, USA, 2011
