Scott's letter to our birthing class

I really liked what Scott wrote to our birthing class so I thought I'd share it with you all...

Hey All, This is Scott writing on behalf of our family of three! Becca's water broke Saturday (4/11) morning at 12.30am. 13 hours later, we were holding our son, William ("Liam") Isaiah Pearce. He has a mother to be proud of, and they are both very well.

After Becca's water broke, she was trying to get me to time the contractions that soon came on. I, being the studious birthing class student that I was, remembered that "No, honey...we shouldn't get too excited too soon. Just go back to sleep--it's 12.30 in the morning." Twenty minutes later, Becca nudged me in the ribs and insisted that I time them. Sure enough, they were a minute long and almost two minutes apart! We called the midwives at 3.30am; Lisa was on call, and without hesitation told us we could come to the hospital.

The floor was almost empty, so we got one of the VIP rooms in the back corner. Becca was fully effaced and 5cm dilated (she had been 2cm and fully effaced at her checkup just five days prior) when Lisa checked her, and was 9.5cm not too much later. Her contractions grew in intensity, and she got into the tub a few hours after arrival. Anything good you've heard about laboring in a 95 degree tub was not an exaggeration--Becca loved it and was close to falling asleep between contractions.

Proverbs 16:9 says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." As well as we had prepared for a vaginal birth, as many "good people" we had placed around us (the midwives, Teresa, the Hackettstown nurses, etc), it was not the Lord's will that Liam be born according to our birth plan. After Becca had pushed for a couple hours (and what pushing it was!), Lisa sadly reported that Liam's head had not made any progress and that Becca was still stuck at 9.5cm.

Becca was pretty well drained at this point, and Lisa said that her contractions weren't "packing a punch" since she was so tired. Becca went on a very mild dose of patocin, which helped to regulate and strengthen her contractions. She pushed in five different positions (in the tub and out of the tub), but after four hours (four!) of rigourous pushing, Liam had not moved an inch. Lisa and the nurses said that a C-section was necessary if another half hour didn't bring on miracle progress.

Liam's head had been down all of the last months of Becca's pregnancy, but apparently, he was not rotated to face the correct way ("sunny side up" is what the nurses called it). So all the pushing she did was just trying to push a square peg through a round hole. Lisa said that it was possible for babies to be born that way, but when we finally met our son and his big head, it confirmed that a C-section was absolutely necessary (his head was rather bruised at the top from the pushing).

The birthing classes were of such a great help in many ways, but the jewel of greatest worth was when Teresa told us "If your midwife says you need a C-section, don't question it--you need one." How true, and how much this counsel helped bring peace to Becca as we made the decision to have a C-section. When approached with the decision, she just breathed deeply and said, "I just want to meet my son." Dr. Smith did the section, and Liam was nursing within an hour or so (for 40 minutes, first try!).

Mothers, if you are anything like my wife--and I believe that you are--you have what it takes. Becca had not eaten any solid food for hours and hours. She had only slept two hours before her water broke. Yet she pushed for four hours with the strength of ten men despite multiple disappointments. I have hardly been as inspired by the resolve or selflessness of another man, woman, or child in my 27 years on earth. I am confident that each of you can rise to whatever the Lord brings to you when your time comes. Take heart!

Liam was 8lbs-10oz and measured 21.5 inches long. I attached a few pictures, too. Can't wait to hear all your stories!

Scott, Becca, and Liam

We are so thankful to the Lord for our precious gift, our little baby Liam...