My sweet Dahlia Willow Moon born this afternoon at 12:38! She is 7lbs 12oz! Very peaceful and empowering homebirth. She is nursing wonderfully and i am ready for a nap!
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
Dahlia's birth~
On Saturday i was feeling very discouraged about going into labor. I had a few nights where i thought for sure i was in labor but the contractions always disappeared. On friday i had accupuncture done and also she did a cervical massage for me. Saturday i awoke and was feeling nothing. I was so depressed and worried about my NST set up for Monday. The last thing i wanted was a hospital birth. Especially because i am a single mom of 5 kids i did not have the resources for someone watching all my kids while i had a hospital birth. Saturday passed and as i got ready for bed the prodromal labor kicked back in. I thought nothing of it since i had already experienced so much of it. Around 2:30 in the morning i realized i was having some very real contractions that were nothing like the prodromal labor i had been having. When i went to the bathroom there was a lot of bloody mucous and i had very loose stools. I focused on going back to sleep since i knew that if this was real labor i would want to be rested for it. The contractions were very manageable and around 20-30 minutes apart. Around 3:30 am i decided to go out to the couch so i could have some space from the little ones sleeping in my bed. I listened to my Hypnobirthing cd and continued to rest. Around 5:30 my lil one awoke so i went to lay back in bed with him. I knew for sure this was it even though the contractions were still very managable and over 20 minutes apart. I fell back asleep for a few hours and then got up with the kids for breakfast. The contractions were still far apart but they weren't going away. I cleaned the house up and started pulling things together for the birth. I didn't tell the kids because i didn't want their focus to shift on me which would mean a lot of neediness! Around 10:30 am i started texting some friends and my brother that the baby was on her way for sure but the contractions were still far apart and it could be awhile. Right around then the contractions shifted to being every 3-4 minutes apart but were still very manageable. I realized i should probably call my midwife after a phone conversation with my friend where i couldn't talk through the contractions anymore. My midwife arrived around 11 am and started setting things up. We chatted and hung out and i would go hang out on the toilet during my contractions. I was back and forth with that and at some point i was feeling a little pushy just in the sense that it felt good to bear down with the contractions. My midwife asked to check me at that point and said i was only 6cm and to hold off on pushing and to find a different position to labor in. I went back to the toilet at that point since it felt the best. I was using a warm rice sock on my back and it felt so good. I was also taking homeopathic arnica and Kali phos for muscle soreness and exhaustion. I wasn't really exhausted but just lost in labor land. Everything was surreal and i wanted a little more energy. Within the next 15 minutes the contractions shifted to something more serious and intense. I got really hot and was having a harder time breathing through them. My midwife was right there helping me to vocalize lower and to remind me to relax everything when i would tense up. She got up to get me a new washcloth and as she left the bathroom i felt the baby descend into the birth canal and i knew she was coming and fast. I went from 6 cm to fully dialated with a crowning baby in 15 minutes. I called for her and she came in with her assistant and they were telling me to get to the bed. The idea of walking 10 feet while fully dialated with a head right there is not exactly ideal. But i knew it was necessary. I got up and sat on the edge of the bed and started pushing. This was the hardest part because she was rotating and crowning and i just wanted to push her out. I pushed, hard and got her out. The cord was wrapped really tight around her neck and both arms and as i was holding her the midwives were working to get the cord unwrapped. Once unwrapped she started breathing and crying. I felt so relieved to have her out! She is beautiful and perfect and all the kids are loving on her. My active labor started at 10:30 or so and she was born at 12:38. My placenta actually showed that she had a twin at some point which didn't really surprise me because i had sensed twins early on and was surprised at my 20 week ultrasound to find out i wasn't having them. She is so sweet and a wonderful nurser! I"m adjusting to life with a newborn, no partner and 5 other kids. It isn't easy and i wish there was someone to watch the kids or clean & cook for me so i could relax. But this is my life! The birth was incredible and i feel blessed to have birthed all 6 of my kids at home. This pregnancy was a long, dark journey and i am so thankful for this little beautiful flower at the end of it.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9...D550/ry%3D400/
Dahlia's birth~
On Saturday i was feeling very discouraged about going into labor. I had a few nights where i thought for sure i was in labor but the contractions always disappeared. On friday i had accupuncture done and also she did a cervical massage for me. Saturday i awoke and was feeling nothing. I was so depressed and worried about my NST set up for Monday. The last thing i wanted was a hospital birth. Especially because i am a single mom of 5 kids i did not have the resources for someone watching all my kids while i had a hospital birth. Saturday passed and as i got ready for bed the prodromal labor kicked back in. I thought nothing of it since i had already experienced so much of it. Around 2:30 in the morning i realized i was having some very real contractions that were nothing like the prodromal labor i had been having. When i went to the bathroom there was a lot of bloody mucous and i had very loose stools. I focused on going back to sleep since i knew that if this was real labor i would want to be rested for it. The contractions were very manageable and around 20-30 minutes apart. Around 3:30 am i decided to go out to the couch so i could have some space from the little ones sleeping in my bed. I listened to my Hypnobirthing cd and continued to rest. Around 5:30 my lil one awoke so i went to lay back in bed with him. I knew for sure this was it even though the contractions were still very managable and over 20 minutes apart. I fell back asleep for a few hours and then got up with the kids for breakfast. The contractions were still far apart but they weren't going away. I cleaned the house up and started pulling things together for the birth. I didn't tell the kids because i didn't want their focus to shift on me which would mean a lot of neediness! Around 10:30 am i started texting some friends and my brother that the baby was on her way for sure but the contractions were still far apart and it could be awhile. Right around then the contractions shifted to being every 3-4 minutes apart but were still very manageable. I realized i should probably call my midwife after a phone conversation with my friend where i couldn't talk through the contractions anymore. My midwife arrived around 11 am and started setting things up. We chatted and hung out and i would go hang out on the toilet during my contractions. I was back and forth with that and at some point i was feeling a little pushy just in the sense that it felt good to bear down with the contractions. My midwife asked to check me at that point and said i was only 6cm and to hold off on pushing and to find a different position to labor in. I went back to the toilet at that point since it felt the best. I was using a warm rice sock on my back and it felt so good. I was also taking homeopathic arnica and Kali phos for muscle soreness and exhaustion. I wasn't really exhausted but just lost in labor land. Everything was surreal and i wanted a little more energy. Within the next 15 minutes the contractions shifted to something more serious and intense. I got really hot and was having a harder time breathing through them. My midwife was right there helping me to vocalize lower and to remind me to relax everything when i would tense up. She got up to get me a new washcloth and as she left the bathroom i felt the baby descend into the birth canal and i knew she was coming and fast. I went from 6 cm to fully dialated with a crowning baby in 15 minutes. I called for her and she came in with her assistant and they were telling me to get to the bed. The idea of walking 10 feet while fully dialated with a head right there is not exactly ideal. But i knew it was necessary. I got up and sat on the edge of the bed and started pushing. This was the hardest part because she was rotating and crowning and i just wanted to push her out. I pushed, hard and got her out. The cord was wrapped really tight around her neck and both arms and as i was holding her the midwives were working to get the cord unwrapped. Once unwrapped she started breathing and crying. I felt so relieved to have her out! She is beautiful and perfect and all the kids are loving on her. My active labor started at 10:30 or so and she was born at 12:38. My placenta actually showed that she had a twin at some point which didn't really surprise me because i had sensed twins early on and was surprised at my 20 week ultrasound to find out i wasn't having them. She is so sweet and a wonderful nurser! I"m adjusting to life with a newborn, no partner and 5 other kids. It isn't easy and i wish there was someone to watch the kids or clean & cook for me so i could relax. But this is my life! The birth was incredible and i feel blessed to have birthed all 6 of my kids at home. This pregnancy was a long, dark journey and i am so thankful for this little beautiful flower at the end of it.
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What a beautiful baby and beautiful name! Congrats!
: Dahlia and congratulations Avani!
