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Wife Struggles Through Labor for 25 Hours, Husband Prays Over Her & Watches Miracle Unfold

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“The stars were so unbelievably bright that night. Our last walk together before our lives were about to change forever.”

These are the words of Hannah Bower, a woman full of strength and encouragement whose powerful story will uplift anyone who has shared similar struggles.

In an article for Love What Matters, Hannah shares of her experience with labor, and how some unexpected complications actually drew her and her husband closer together.

 

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Well…It’s our Due Date and it seems Lil Man is snug as a bug. But wishing this Daddy a very Happy Fathers Day. He may not physically be born into the world, but he’s already stolen our hearts. ( soon so very soon we’ll get to hold you) I can’t wait to see you Father our son. You truly are going to be an amazing role model, hero and Father to our baby boy ? Your tender heart and inner child are truly something special and our Son is so unbelievably blessed already. Thank you for being such an angel throughout this pregnancy and dealing with me. ? . Happy Father’s Day to all my Dads out there. You play a big roll in shaping so many individuals out there! . . @rachelveltriphoto

A post shared by Hannah Bower (@hannahbower2) on

When Hannah and her husband went to the hospital the first time during her intense labor, she was met with an insensitive nurse who put the poor mom at her breaking point.

“It broke me emotionally,” Hannah shares. “My husband and I labored for 6 hours at home and the contractions were now beyond intense. I was having a hard time coping.”

Later on they returned to the hospital, hoping and praying for a better experience the second time around. Hannah’s contractions were two minutes apart.

“Once we got to the hospital and in the elevator, I broke down sobbing as I was so emotionally and physically done and terrified of having another discouraging experience if that same nurse was still there,” she says.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all. Hannah describes her new nurse as an “angel.” But twelve hours of natural and unmedicated labor later, she still hadn’t progressed.

Her photographer, Rachel Veltri, looked on as the couple struggled through the process together. Hannah leaned on her husband for support and he was with her the entire way.

Even with the support, Hannah felt like a failure. “I was devastated. Broken. Confused and so frustrated,” she explains. “I was doing everything I knew was right.”

 

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My birth story (short & unemotional version): Full detailed story is up on my YouTube! Link is in the bio ♥️ Around 10:00pm on June 20th, I began to have labor contractions. We labored at home for about 3.5hrs & went to the hospital when the contractions were 3-4min apart. At the hospital, things got very discouraging. The nurses provided us a horrible experience that flipped my emotions & mindset to a dark place. We decided to go home after 4hrs so I could labor feeling safe & supported. We got home around 530am where we labored for another 5.5hrs. Around 11am my contractions were 2-3min apart. We decided to go back to the hospital & once we got to the hospital, I broke down sobbing in the elevator terrified of having another discouraging experience. But… We got into our labor room & we had an angel of a nurse. I got checked & was 5cm dilated! I was so stoked hearing “you’re dilating” and “you’re half way there.” By this time I had labored 12hrs unmedicated. After 2hrs passed I was checked again & I hadn’t progressed… I was devastated, broken, confused & so frustrated. I was doing everything I knew was right to do during contractions. I just didn’t understand why I wasn’t progressing. I lowered my pride & we made the decision to get the epidural. I didn’t dilate any more for 4hrs on the epidural & ended up needing my waters broken & pitocin. I can’t describe the feeling of disappointment I had knowing that my body wasn’t doing what it was designed to do. I got checked 2hrs later & I only dilated 1cm to a 6. They upped the piticon a bit & 2hrs later I dilated to an 8! We had turned a corner & at midnight I dilated to a 10. After 26hrs of labor, I was preparing to push. 26min later, my little Jaden was born: June 22nd at 12:41am. It was the most incredible moment of my life. Was it the labor I wanted? No. But it was a labor that made my family whole. I knew going in that no matter how much I planned, the unknown will always be a factor and things DO happen that are out of my control. There are so many components that need to fall together for birth and whether you have the birth you wanted or not, your story is powerful & has its own beauty ❤️

A post shared by Hannah Bower (@hannahbower2) on

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Through all the fear and doubt, Hannah’s husband was so supportive. Showing love, compassion, and understanding.

“…he was so incredibly proud of me… the words I needed,” Hannah writes, speaking of her final decision to have an epidural.

Later on, Hannah had to have her water broken as well. She was given Pitocin. Her baby was breech and the mom continued to doubt herself.

In the end, it was her husband’s prayers and encouragement that saw her through. “…my husband grabbed my hand and we just got in prayer, praying over my body… I am so thankful for this man. He’s truly my king.”

After 26 hours, their son Jaden was born on June 22, 2018. Though Hannah shares she was disappointed with some of her experiences that day, she still found joy and came to realize “everything happens for a reason.”

Even the photographer says watching Hannah and her husband’s experience moved her. “They were the most graceful teammates I’ve ever seen working together,” Rachel Veltri shares. “Life is beautiful.”

Indeed, it is. We’re so thankful to Hannah for sharing her story and for Rachel who photographed the experience.

May we always remember that, despite struggles, hardships and unexpected circumstances, life is a gift more precious than gold.

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.
Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.
Education
Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith




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