Took a semi-leave to find a rhythm to the changes our newest babe has brought... Here is our birth story....
Pictures here..... (on flickr.... just scroll to the right...)
FAV pic right here...
My sister had her baby two days before ... Heres both of them
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Yesterday my baby girl Vivian Claire was born. 39 weeks and 5 days.
Lori, our wonderful midwife, came over around 10:30am. She checked my blood pressure and it was normal as usual. I let her do an internal and she said I was 3cm dilated, 80 to 90% effaced, and +1 station. She stripped my membranes and gave me a homeopathic that she said would regulate my hormones and help get my cervix ready.
Lori left and I immediately had a twenty min contraction. I am not exaggerating, because it lasted from the beginning of one phone call to the end of the next, and it was twenty minutes !!!! I called Casey and Amber, letting them know that I though today was going to be the day. Donnie was a little frantic, rushing to get the birthing tub going. Since Amber’s labor went so fast that she didn’t get her waterbirth, I didn’t discourage the tub being set up so early. I just didn’t want to jinx the start of labor by setting up the tub and calling everyone. But I am glad I did.
I started cleaning. In the midst of having a baby, I wanted my counters and floors clean !!! Donnie called Barb over. She had been such a help the last few months, coming over and cleaning, and I was thankful that she was able to come right over. While she was cleaning Amber showed up with MaKayla. We sat in the living room and talked. I sat on my ball. I found that the ball allowed me to lean forward and move my hips comfortably. Around this time Donnie went to get the girls from school. Evelyn was convinced that today was the day that she told me that when I had the baby, I needed to come get her from school. So of course I did. The girls are going to have plenty of negative influence about what to expect during child birth, and I wanted to give them the experience of what I could be like… What it SHOULD be like.
I started checking my phone then. I think it was between 12 and 1pm. My contractions were a couple minutes apart, but only about 30 seconds long. Its funny how we remember that labor pains hurt, but can’t quite remember exactly until were in labor again and it all comes rushing back.
Casey got there, she brought her husband and her two girls. Earlier we broke the pipe in the bathroom so we weren’t getting any more hot water from there, so I asked if John could hook up a hose from the hot water heater. I really wanted to get that tub full. I remember going into my room, to sit on my ball. Casey braided my hair. I think this is when people started showing up. Donnie showed up with the girls. Before I knew it my mom was there, so was Caseys and Lori had come back. I knew that I needed to get up and get moving. I wanted to because I knew that the only way to have the baby was to actually go thru labor, and I didn’t want to delay it. But that alone didn’t get me off of my ball. Casey had to talk me into going for a walk. Casey, Amber, Lori and my mom walked with me. I walked from one stop sign to the next, then went inside. I needed to poop. I walked thru all the contractions that I wanted to stop for. All the while telling myself that walking thru them was more productive. They were getting stronger and I was optimistic that things were moving along.
After I used the bathroom Lori checked me and I was only 3cm. I was very discouraged. I had hours of contractions and no progress. Lori told me she could break my water if I wanted. If I had been 5 or 6cm, I probably would have held off on doing that. But I was really discouraged about the lack of progress. It had been 4 hours. With my previous births I would of delivered by now. My labors were suppose to get shorter, not longer!!!
When Lori broke my water she found meconium in the water. I cried and Casey consoled me. It really wasn’t that horrible. It only meant that I couldn’t birth in the tub. But I still cried. This was my last baby, my last chance at having a water birth and plans had to change, and I had to take a minute to mourn that loss.
After a few painful contractions I made it to the tub. Donnie stayed with me in the kids room. I wanted the door shut because there were A LOT of people and the noise was distracting. He was helpful. I think he was a little out of his comfort zone, because after a few minutes he left to get ‘help’. Everything I have read said that vocalizing the pain can alleviate that pain. So I made noise. I hoped that it helped me thru these contractions. But looking back, I can’t be sure if it worked for the pain, but it probably was what scared Donnie off. I remember thinking that I wasn’t sure that I could get to 10cm with these contractions. I was convinced that I had hours of contractions. But after a few serious contractions I felt like I was gunna puked. Someone got me a bowl, and I puked up the rescue remedy that I had been taking. My mom ended up holding the bowl for me. Once I puked (a couple times) I remember thinking that it was transition. It seemed that as soon as I thought that, I had a contraction that made me wanna push. I remember hearing someone tell me that If I felt like pushing that I need to say so, so I did. But I don’t know if anyone heard me, or if they realized that I was. Either way, I was encouraged to get up on the bed. During my time in the tub, Lori and Casey had set up the kids bed for the birth. I only remember having a handful of pushing contractions before Vivan was born. I remember after talking about ‘the ring of fire’ with Lori and Amber that mine wasn’t so bad. Little lady slid right out !!! She only weighed 8lb, and her head was 13cm.
After she was born, Lori suctioned her. But she didn’t not breath in any meconium. She did get some oxygen after birth. And her face was purple, bruising from being born so fast. Baby cried and cried. I tried to nurse her but she just cried for a few minutes, eventually latching on perfectly. Donnie was at my end during the birth, and I am not sure how he would have done if he was at the other end. Minutes after the birth he had to get out of the room. In his defense, he was running a fever and suffered thru this fever and a sore throat for the next 3 days. Although I do think that seeing his daughter purple and slimy, receiving oxygen kinda freaked him out.
The cord wasn’t cut immediately. Lori waited till it stopped pulsing, or at least weakened. Casey cut the cord. Aside from Donnie, she was the right person for that job.
Her 'ewww' face...
Pictures here..... (on flickr.... just scroll to the right...)
FAV pic right here...
My sister had her baby two days before ... Heres both of them
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Yesterday my baby girl Vivian Claire was born. 39 weeks and 5 days.
Lori, our wonderful midwife, came over around 10:30am. She checked my blood pressure and it was normal as usual. I let her do an internal and she said I was 3cm dilated, 80 to 90% effaced, and +1 station. She stripped my membranes and gave me a homeopathic that she said would regulate my hormones and help get my cervix ready.
Lori left and I immediately had a twenty min contraction. I am not exaggerating, because it lasted from the beginning of one phone call to the end of the next, and it was twenty minutes !!!! I called Casey and Amber, letting them know that I though today was going to be the day. Donnie was a little frantic, rushing to get the birthing tub going. Since Amber’s labor went so fast that she didn’t get her waterbirth, I didn’t discourage the tub being set up so early. I just didn’t want to jinx the start of labor by setting up the tub and calling everyone. But I am glad I did.
I started cleaning. In the midst of having a baby, I wanted my counters and floors clean !!! Donnie called Barb over. She had been such a help the last few months, coming over and cleaning, and I was thankful that she was able to come right over. While she was cleaning Amber showed up with MaKayla. We sat in the living room and talked. I sat on my ball. I found that the ball allowed me to lean forward and move my hips comfortably. Around this time Donnie went to get the girls from school. Evelyn was convinced that today was the day that she told me that when I had the baby, I needed to come get her from school. So of course I did. The girls are going to have plenty of negative influence about what to expect during child birth, and I wanted to give them the experience of what I could be like… What it SHOULD be like.
I started checking my phone then. I think it was between 12 and 1pm. My contractions were a couple minutes apart, but only about 30 seconds long. Its funny how we remember that labor pains hurt, but can’t quite remember exactly until were in labor again and it all comes rushing back.
Casey got there, she brought her husband and her two girls. Earlier we broke the pipe in the bathroom so we weren’t getting any more hot water from there, so I asked if John could hook up a hose from the hot water heater. I really wanted to get that tub full. I remember going into my room, to sit on my ball. Casey braided my hair. I think this is when people started showing up. Donnie showed up with the girls. Before I knew it my mom was there, so was Caseys and Lori had come back. I knew that I needed to get up and get moving. I wanted to because I knew that the only way to have the baby was to actually go thru labor, and I didn’t want to delay it. But that alone didn’t get me off of my ball. Casey had to talk me into going for a walk. Casey, Amber, Lori and my mom walked with me. I walked from one stop sign to the next, then went inside. I needed to poop. I walked thru all the contractions that I wanted to stop for. All the while telling myself that walking thru them was more productive. They were getting stronger and I was optimistic that things were moving along.
After I used the bathroom Lori checked me and I was only 3cm. I was very discouraged. I had hours of contractions and no progress. Lori told me she could break my water if I wanted. If I had been 5 or 6cm, I probably would have held off on doing that. But I was really discouraged about the lack of progress. It had been 4 hours. With my previous births I would of delivered by now. My labors were suppose to get shorter, not longer!!!
When Lori broke my water she found meconium in the water. I cried and Casey consoled me. It really wasn’t that horrible. It only meant that I couldn’t birth in the tub. But I still cried. This was my last baby, my last chance at having a water birth and plans had to change, and I had to take a minute to mourn that loss.
After a few painful contractions I made it to the tub. Donnie stayed with me in the kids room. I wanted the door shut because there were A LOT of people and the noise was distracting. He was helpful. I think he was a little out of his comfort zone, because after a few minutes he left to get ‘help’. Everything I have read said that vocalizing the pain can alleviate that pain. So I made noise. I hoped that it helped me thru these contractions. But looking back, I can’t be sure if it worked for the pain, but it probably was what scared Donnie off. I remember thinking that I wasn’t sure that I could get to 10cm with these contractions. I was convinced that I had hours of contractions. But after a few serious contractions I felt like I was gunna puked. Someone got me a bowl, and I puked up the rescue remedy that I had been taking. My mom ended up holding the bowl for me. Once I puked (a couple times) I remember thinking that it was transition. It seemed that as soon as I thought that, I had a contraction that made me wanna push. I remember hearing someone tell me that If I felt like pushing that I need to say so, so I did. But I don’t know if anyone heard me, or if they realized that I was. Either way, I was encouraged to get up on the bed. During my time in the tub, Lori and Casey had set up the kids bed for the birth. I only remember having a handful of pushing contractions before Vivan was born. I remember after talking about ‘the ring of fire’ with Lori and Amber that mine wasn’t so bad. Little lady slid right out !!! She only weighed 8lb, and her head was 13cm.
After she was born, Lori suctioned her. But she didn’t not breath in any meconium. She did get some oxygen after birth. And her face was purple, bruising from being born so fast. Baby cried and cried. I tried to nurse her but she just cried for a few minutes, eventually latching on perfectly. Donnie was at my end during the birth, and I am not sure how he would have done if he was at the other end. Minutes after the birth he had to get out of the room. In his defense, he was running a fever and suffered thru this fever and a sore throat for the next 3 days. Although I do think that seeing his daughter purple and slimy, receiving oxygen kinda freaked him out.
The cord wasn’t cut immediately. Lori waited till it stopped pulsing, or at least weakened. Casey cut the cord. Aside from Donnie, she was the right person for that job.
Her 'ewww' face...
And how exciting that she has a cousin almost exactly her age!
But CONGRATULATIONS!!! 
