No offense, Nicole, but Conner looks pretty happy in the Moby but you look MISERABLE! That's probably how I look in the grocery store, too, though. 
And YAY for rolling over! Both ways! What a rock star!
No offense, Nicole, but Conner looks pretty happy in the Moby but you look MISERABLE! That's probably how I look in the grocery store, too, though.
And YAY for rolling over! Both ways! What a rock star!
I just didn't know I was being included in the picture. LOL My sister takes SO MANY pictures of him, I was just like, "Gag. Hurry up!"
So we went in for our fetal survey this morning and they said everything looks normal! And, it's a GIRL!! We are really excited. Deep down we were hoping for a girl. 
Congrats Scowgirl!
Yay Scowgirl! 
Congrats on your baby girl, scowgirl!
Thanks everyone!! 
MommyMatsumoto's Birth Story (The HBAC of Emma Faith)
At 9:30 p.m. on Friday, January 27th, I had my very first contraction. These continued all night and were irregular, but were strong enough to wake me up at times. I knew then that this was really “it,” but it could be a while based on my experience with my first child. These contractions continued, but were still irregular for most of the day.
Around 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 28th, my contractions started to regulate and were consistently about 9 minutes apart. I knew at this point that I’d better try and get some sleep, but I figured it would still be a while before the contractions were close enough to really keep me from sleeping. Little did I know, I’d be up again in a few hours.
At about 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 29th, I was awakened by some pretty strong contractions and was shocked to find out that they were only about 5 minutes apart and were lasting for over a minute. Again, I figured I still had lots of time so I took some Tylenol PM at the advice of my midwife so that I could get some sleep, but it did absolutely nothing for me. I decided to get up and listen to my Hypnobabies birthing affirmations and prepare myself for the day ahead.
I had bloody show for the first time at about 4:00 a.m. and called my midwife, Maggie, at 5:30 a.m. to let her know that things were happening, but that she didn’t need to come just yet because I felt we were a ways off and I was doing okay. She told me to call her back in an hour and let her know how things were progressing. I also called my friend, Andrea, who was going to be coming to photograph/videotape the birth for us.
There was more bloody show at 6:20 a.m. and that’s when I lost my mucous plug as well. I called Maggie again at 6:55 a.m. to let her know that my contractions were about 3-4 minutes apart and lasting for over a minute. I asked her and Carol (Maggie’s apprentice) to come and she said they would be over around 8:00 a.m. unless I needed them sooner.
Around 8:00 a.m. Maggie and Carol arrived and then shortly after, Andrea arrived as well. With everyone present, I felt I could really relax and focus on allowing my body to do its work and open up to allow my baby down. The apartment was bustling with excitement and preparation for the birth. I was breathing through contractions in bed while everyone was preparing the birth pool, getting out supplies, making coffee, and watching the morning news. I continued to listen to my birthing affirmations and relax my body.
Shortly before 9:00 a.m., I asked Maggie and Carol if they could do a vaginal exam to see how far I’d progressed. (This was the very first vaginal exam I’d had throughout my entire pregnancy.) I was happily surprised to find out that I was 3-4 cm. I couldn’t believe how quickly things were progressing!
I continued to “ohhh” and “ahhh” through contractions (the tonal sounds are supposed to help open the cervix up) and swivel my hips to try and work the baby down, and around 10:30 a.m., I asked for another exam because I felt like things were really getting intense. Again, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was about 7 cm and my bag of waters was bulging with each contraction.
Around 12:35 p.m., I was dilated to 8 cm and decided to have my water bag broken to try and speed things up. I immediately noticed my contractions were stronger and I got into the birthing tub to see if it would make things more comfortable. The pool ended up not being as nice as I had expected and I didn’t stay in very long.
It was only about an hour later when my body started involuntarily pushing a little bit. The midwives suggested that I try a couple of “test pushes” to see if it brought the baby down anymore. So I leaned over the side of the birth pool and pushed with some contractions while my midwife, Carol, checked to see if the baby’s head was coming down. With the exam, we found out that I was almost complete (10 cm), but had a “lip” to my cervix still so Carol tried to hold it back while I pushed. It took an hour-and-a-half for the lip to disappear. This, after I tried all sorts of pushing positions: standing, squatting with support from Shaun, side-lying, lying on my back, and squatting while hanging from the knobs on my bedroom door.
During this time, I’d been having trouble urinating so Maggie suggested I get in the shower to see if it relaxed me enough to be able to go. It didn’t work and I had some of the worst contractions yet while I was in the shower with no one to help hold me up for support. While I was in there, I started to think the baby wasn’t coming out and that I was at peace with going to the hospital if that was the case. One of the only things that kept me from absolutely deciding to go was having to ride in the car, which I knew would be agony. Maggie said that if I was going to the hospital we were at least going to get the baby down far enough so that a vacuum could be used and I could avoid a repeat cesarean. So around 4:30 p.m., I got back on my bed and kept trying to bring the baby down.
The exhaustion was starting to set in as I neared 4 hours of pushing and I really began doubting myself as I started to swell just like I did with Brennan and I feared that the same thing was happening as did before. Shaun held a mirror for me to see exactly how close I was to delivering my baby, and after some words of encouragement and working through some mental blocks, I never had the idea of going to the hospital or being too exhausted enter my mind again - and I pressed on. Much to my surprise, the most effective position for me to push was on my back with my legs pulled back (the lithotomy position commonly used in the hospital), which is generally the second worst position to have a baby aside from hanging from your feet.
As I kept pushing, we soon noticed that my urethra was extremely swollen and bulging out right above the baby’s head. This is something Maggie said she had never seen in her 35+ years of practice as a midwife, and so she began icing my urethra in between contractions. At this point, I reached down and felt my baby’s head. There was a caput succedaneum, meaning that there was swelling on top of the head that is caused by a prolonged or difficult delivery. (After the fact, Maggie told me that the baby’s head was asynclitic, meaning the head was tilted to the side, and that it straightened out during one of the times that I was pushing and the head was inching out and then going back in a little bit. That would explain the prolonged pushing and the caput.)
After some amazing encouragement and coaching from my birth support team, I finally began to make real progress. I was crying out to the Lord to give me strength and Andrea was praying for me out loud. Maggie and Carol were telling me not that I could do it, but that I WAS doing it. Shaun was my rock and was ever so loving and encouraging through the whole process, and his excitement was contagious. Around 5:35 p.m., the baby’s head started to crown. To my surprise, I never got the “ring of fire,” but the only burning sensation and immense pain I felt was in my swollen urethra. It took what seemed like forever to have another contraction so I could push the head out, but in reality it was probably 2-3 minutes. I began praying for another contraction to come so I could relieve the pressure and get the baby out. (*Urethra update: Within a couple of hours after birth, with the help of some frozen witch hazel pads and arnica Montana, the swelling was completely gone and I was able to urinate normally. I haven’t had any problems since.)
At 5:49 p.m., the baby’s head was out. The cord was loosely around her neck once, and Maggie easily unwrapped it. I wasn’t having very strong contractions anymore, most likely because my uterus was so exhausted and so was I, and so I just kept on pushing until the rest of the baby came out. Her first shoulder came out easily, but the second needed a little help from Maggie. At 5:50 p.m., our baby was born and put right onto my abdomen. She looked right at me and let out a little cry, and she was perfect. I asked Shaun to check the gender and when he said “it’s a girl” I was shocked because I thought it was a boy, but I was thrilled for Brennan who had really wanted a little sister. Brennan ran in right after hearing the baby’s cry and she was instantly in love with the baby, not even noticing the blood and fluid. I’m so thankful that this whole experience is what she will view as normal birth.
A few minutes after the baby’s birth, Carol said we should cut the cord because she thought I was bleeding a bit too much and I needed to hand off the baby to Shaun so we could get the placenta delivered. I ended up not bleeding much at all, but it did take 28 minutes to get the placenta delivered. I sat on the toilet for a while and eventually got 2 shots of Pitocin and then lay on the floor in my room where I delivered the placenta, which the midwives said was one of the largest they’d seen. The placenta was completely intact and had no irregularities.
Upon examination by Maggie and Carol, I was found to have no tearing, which they thought was due to the length at which the baby’s head was crowning because it allowed for gradual stretching of the perineum. Within a few minutes, I was cleaned up and sitting in bed with my baby girl, whom we named Emma Faith, in my arms. She immediately turned for the breast and latched on right away with her big sister lovingly stroking her head and holding her hand. While I spent time bonding with my girls, the apartment was getting cleaned up. An hour after the birth, you would have never known that anything happened there.
Before leaving, the midwives made sure that I was feeling okay and that the baby was nursing well. We talked for a bit about the day and I thanked them for all they had done and for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. We all toasted with champagne to the beautiful new life that was in our midst, and then we were left to enjoy our new family of 4.
Not once did I feel in danger or afraid that something bad was going to happen. I knew the whole time that I was in completely capable hands and I trusted Maggie and Carol knew what they were doing. If I had been at the hospital to have this baby, I would have most definitely been forced into a repeat cesarean for a number of reasons. I’m so grateful for the choice that Shaun and I made to have our baby at home and to trust this body that the Lord gave me and the process of birth. So many people thought I couldn’t do it, and especially at home, but I had my home birth after cesarean and now I feel like I can take on the world. I pray that someday home birth will be more normal than hospital birth and that women begin to trust their bodies and not the educational intelligence of doctors (unless absolutely necessary, of course). It is my hope that all women get a chance to know the incredible joy that I feel when I remember the birth of my daughter, Emma.
We did it!!!
Sorry it's so long! I didn't know how to attach a Word file. 
I'd love to read everyone else's stories when you get a chance.
That. Was. Amazing.
That is SO wonderful. What an amazing, inspiring birth story. The photo gave me chills. Congratulations to you and your family on the birth of your daughter!!
So, last night, DH told me that when we have our next child, he wants to hold it up in the air like they did to Simba in the Lion King. LOL
I said, "That's fine. As long as we get to have the baby at home. I'm afraid I'll get pressured into another c-section if I go to the hospital again."
He said, "Deal."
I said, "No. But really, I want to have our next baby at home."
He said, "That's fine. As long as there's someone here to help in case there are any problems."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HBAC, HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I can do it, you can do it!! 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HBAC, HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HI! This is TTCCoC. =)
Please update my name.
MommyM, what a truly inspiring story! Congrats again!
CDsM, I changed your name but you should know that I was just starting to be able to type "TTCCOC" without having to think out each word in my head. That's super awesome about the HBAC. When I first saw your message, I thought, wait, already?!!!, what happened to 2014?. But then I figured it out.
AFM, my baby's favorite pasttime is to kick me in the cervix. I think that all he/she does is bounce around with their head up by my stomach so I can't eat and their feet irish dancing on my cervix. Number 2 weirdest pregnancy feeling has to be someone's foot up your butt from the inside. (Number 1, in case anyone is wondering, is that weird electrical feeling in your vagina that feels like some put a live wire in there). And someone please chime in, so I don't have to do this 
and then this 
cause y'all think I'm crazy.
MommyM- What a wonderful story. You are a warrior! I got exhausted on your behalf just reading it. I am so happy for you that you got your HBAC.
But can I just say..... even though I've given birth once, I've never watched any videos or looked at pictures of women having babies or anything, and when I saw the picture of your little girl and how BLUE she was...... holy cow! Is that normal? If I saw that I would be terrified that there was something wrong!!!!! I guess I was pretty out-of-it by the time my little guy arrived- I only saw him pink. Sorry if I'm being offensive or anything, but if I can't ask here.......
MommyM- What a wonderful story. You are a warrior! I got exhausted on your behalf just reading it. I am so happy for you that you got your HBAC.
But can I just say..... even though I've given birth once, I've never watched any videos or looked at pictures of women having babies or anything, and when I saw the picture of your little girl and how BLUE she was...... holy cow! Is that normal? If I saw that I would be terrified that there was something wrong!!!!! I guess I was pretty out-of-it by the time my little guy arrived- I only saw him pink. Sorry if I'm being offensive or anything, but if I can't ask here.......
Normal! Especially if they don't come out screaming. My kiddo got a 6/10 on his first eval because he didn't come out hollering... So he was blue... Once he started hollering, he turned pink.
Yes, it's normal... and she pinked up right away.
AFM, my baby's favorite pasttime is to kick me in the cervix. I think that all he/she does is bounce around with their head up by my stomach so I can't eat and their feet irish dancing on my cervix. Number 2 weirdest pregnancy feeling has to be someone's foot up your butt from the inside. (Number 1, in case anyone is wondering, is that weird electrical feeling in your vagina that feels like some put a live wire in there). And someone please chime in, so I don't have to do this and then this cause y'all think I'm crazy.
Haha yes I get electric vagina as well, although it went away for the most part a few months ago for me. I think the weirdest part is when he is tap dancing on bladder and crotch area and it feels like I am getting a pap smear lol! Similar to being kicked in the butt but just a little farther up I guess. It's strange!
I am in SUPER BUSY land these days so not on here as much, but I just started the 3rd trimester WOOHOO!! I am getting all sorts of awesome new symptoms like sore knees, ankles that feel like I just sprained them, sore belly muscles, not able to sleep much or get comfortable in bed, swollen ankles, and today I think I got my first taste of a leg cramp! Awesome, just when you think you are done with crappy preggo symptoms you get these new ones that make you feel like an old lady!! :)
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