I woke up Sunday, April 1 just feeling exhausted. All day long, there was nothing that I could do to gain my energy back, and so I spent MOST of the day in bed resting and sleeping. I couldn’t remember the last time I had spent so much time sleeping!
Closer towards the evening, I rolled out of bed for the second time and decided to make my way downstairs. Around this time, I noticed contractions again – and every now and then, I’d feel one in my back. By the time 9:00 pm arrived, I was having regular contractions, and feeling most every one in my back first. However, they were totally manageable and I really didn’t even think much of these contractions except for the back pain. When I spoke to a friend on the phone and told her what I was experiencing, she suggested calling the midwife. So I did, and at my midwife’s recommendation, I went upstairs and checked myself. WHEW! I was about cm dilated, and could literally feel the sack bulging out of my cervix. At that point, I began to question if I would be having the baby soon! HA! I told my midwife what I discovered, and she asked if I thought that tonight would be my night. “I honestly have NO idea! I mean, part of me thinks that surely something must be going to happen soon….” - - but I couldn’t guarantee to her that I was in active labor at that point! She suggested us putting the boys to bed, and then seeing if something happened after that. I don’t know HOW she knows these things!?!
Immediately after putting the boys down for the night, I crawled into bed and laid on my side, thinking about these contractions. It was seriously starting to irritate me that I couldn’t tell which way things were going. I felt out of touch with my body. 30 minutes passed, and Corey spoke with the midwife, asking her to come on out. Since she lives an hour and 15 minutes away, we knew it would take her a little bit to get here, but it was also just after 10:00 at that point, so the roads were more than likely clear for her to get here a bit sooner than normal. I was still second guessing everything – and telling myself that we were probably having her out here for nothing. I honestly thought at that point that we’d just be sending her back home with no baby in our arms yet. Corey said, “Better safe than sorry, though. Let’s just see what happens.”
Corey pulled out some chux pads and ran a hot bath for me. I got in there and little did I know that it would be a few HOURS before I climbed back out! The hot water helped me relax and made the back contractions ease up quite a bit. Thank goodness! While I was in the tub, though, the contractions gradually picked up and between 11:30 pm and 1:00 am, I was in full blown labor! With each and every single contraction, I motioned to Corey and he put his hand on my lower back just right to put pressure on my spine and ease the pain. It helped a LOT! I absolutely needed him there doing that for me, and he was just awesome.
The contractions grew intense, and I could feel the powerful waves start to push baby down and slowly start to spread my hip bones apart. The baby was moving down further and further, and pretty soon, I could feel such a pressure on my butt and the baby’s head at the opening. Now I was softly moaning and involuntarily pushing with each contraction. “Thaaaat’s good! That’s what we want!”, my midwife spoke gently. She grabbed her Doppler and kept a check on baby’s heartbeat here and there. “Baby sounds good! Everything is going great! You are doing PERFECT!”, she said. I could REALLY start to feel baby’s head coming out, and for some reason, I started to arch my back in the water. “If you’re going to have this baby in the water, then you’ll have to keep your butt below the water. If not, then let’s get out and try something different” my midwife told me. I felt like I was trying but to no avail to get the baby down past a certain point, so my midwife directed me to come forward and get up on my feet (with help, of course!). Corey and the MW assistant helped me up, and before I knew it I was standing up in the tub and REALLY pushing the baby out! Her head had crowned and more was coming out when the midwife directed the birth team to help me out of the tub and let me squat on the floor beside it. SQUATTING! How could I have forgotten about squatting? It works SO well and feels SO good birthing a baby that way. I should have been in that position all along! They helped me squat on the floor, and the baby’s head popped out so fast after that…and then the shoulders and everything else came out in practically one big motion. WHOOSH! It felt great! The baby was covered in the creamy vernix and I reached down to pick up my child “Oh my baby! Oh my baby!! I can’t believe it!”…after a few seconds, it actually occurred to me to see WHO I had just birthed, so I quickly looked down there and proudly, loudly exclaimed, “…and it’s a GIRL! Oh my goodness! A girl!! Her name is Gianna Belle! She’s so beautiful! A girl, Corey, a GIRL!!” I held her so close, and kissed her and loved her. She was just sucking all over her hands and was TOTALLY ready to nurse right from the get-go! I couldn’t believe that, either! This was a first for me! It was a bit before I could nurse her, though, and she pitched a FIT over it, too!
The birth team let the water out of the tub, cleaned it and ran a new, sparkly hot bath for me and Gianna. Within minutes, we were back in the tub relaxing and bonding. My midwife was also waiting for the cord to stop pulsating so that we could cut it. She kept checking it every so often, but it was a good 35 minutes before it stopped pulsating, and she set it up so Corey could come over and cut the cord. Then we had to wait on the placenta. Corey held Gianna now while I got in a in a squatting position in the tub to push out the placenta. After that, my birth team cleaned me off in the tub, and then helped me to my bed. Corey brought over Gianna, and I put her up to me to nurse, which she was past ready to do. She latched on like a champ and had such a strong suck! Whew! That kicked my uterus in gear again with those intense contractions! After that, my midwife gave Gianna a thorough checkup and found that she was very tiny indeed – weighing in at only 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long! Everything about her is perfect. God has blessed us with another healthy baby!
Gianna Belle
6 lbs. 9 oz.
19 in. long
Born at 1:12 AM, April 2, 2007
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Closer towards the evening, I rolled out of bed for the second time and decided to make my way downstairs. Around this time, I noticed contractions again – and every now and then, I’d feel one in my back. By the time 9:00 pm arrived, I was having regular contractions, and feeling most every one in my back first. However, they were totally manageable and I really didn’t even think much of these contractions except for the back pain. When I spoke to a friend on the phone and told her what I was experiencing, she suggested calling the midwife. So I did, and at my midwife’s recommendation, I went upstairs and checked myself. WHEW! I was about cm dilated, and could literally feel the sack bulging out of my cervix. At that point, I began to question if I would be having the baby soon! HA! I told my midwife what I discovered, and she asked if I thought that tonight would be my night. “I honestly have NO idea! I mean, part of me thinks that surely something must be going to happen soon….” - - but I couldn’t guarantee to her that I was in active labor at that point! She suggested us putting the boys to bed, and then seeing if something happened after that. I don’t know HOW she knows these things!?!
Immediately after putting the boys down for the night, I crawled into bed and laid on my side, thinking about these contractions. It was seriously starting to irritate me that I couldn’t tell which way things were going. I felt out of touch with my body. 30 minutes passed, and Corey spoke with the midwife, asking her to come on out. Since she lives an hour and 15 minutes away, we knew it would take her a little bit to get here, but it was also just after 10:00 at that point, so the roads were more than likely clear for her to get here a bit sooner than normal. I was still second guessing everything – and telling myself that we were probably having her out here for nothing. I honestly thought at that point that we’d just be sending her back home with no baby in our arms yet. Corey said, “Better safe than sorry, though. Let’s just see what happens.”
Corey pulled out some chux pads and ran a hot bath for me. I got in there and little did I know that it would be a few HOURS before I climbed back out! The hot water helped me relax and made the back contractions ease up quite a bit. Thank goodness! While I was in the tub, though, the contractions gradually picked up and between 11:30 pm and 1:00 am, I was in full blown labor! With each and every single contraction, I motioned to Corey and he put his hand on my lower back just right to put pressure on my spine and ease the pain. It helped a LOT! I absolutely needed him there doing that for me, and he was just awesome.
The contractions grew intense, and I could feel the powerful waves start to push baby down and slowly start to spread my hip bones apart. The baby was moving down further and further, and pretty soon, I could feel such a pressure on my butt and the baby’s head at the opening. Now I was softly moaning and involuntarily pushing with each contraction. “Thaaaat’s good! That’s what we want!”, my midwife spoke gently. She grabbed her Doppler and kept a check on baby’s heartbeat here and there. “Baby sounds good! Everything is going great! You are doing PERFECT!”, she said. I could REALLY start to feel baby’s head coming out, and for some reason, I started to arch my back in the water. “If you’re going to have this baby in the water, then you’ll have to keep your butt below the water. If not, then let’s get out and try something different” my midwife told me. I felt like I was trying but to no avail to get the baby down past a certain point, so my midwife directed me to come forward and get up on my feet (with help, of course!). Corey and the MW assistant helped me up, and before I knew it I was standing up in the tub and REALLY pushing the baby out! Her head had crowned and more was coming out when the midwife directed the birth team to help me out of the tub and let me squat on the floor beside it. SQUATTING! How could I have forgotten about squatting? It works SO well and feels SO good birthing a baby that way. I should have been in that position all along! They helped me squat on the floor, and the baby’s head popped out so fast after that…and then the shoulders and everything else came out in practically one big motion. WHOOSH! It felt great! The baby was covered in the creamy vernix and I reached down to pick up my child “Oh my baby! Oh my baby!! I can’t believe it!”…after a few seconds, it actually occurred to me to see WHO I had just birthed, so I quickly looked down there and proudly, loudly exclaimed, “…and it’s a GIRL! Oh my goodness! A girl!! Her name is Gianna Belle! She’s so beautiful! A girl, Corey, a GIRL!!” I held her so close, and kissed her and loved her. She was just sucking all over her hands and was TOTALLY ready to nurse right from the get-go! I couldn’t believe that, either! This was a first for me! It was a bit before I could nurse her, though, and she pitched a FIT over it, too!
The birth team let the water out of the tub, cleaned it and ran a new, sparkly hot bath for me and Gianna. Within minutes, we were back in the tub relaxing and bonding. My midwife was also waiting for the cord to stop pulsating so that we could cut it. She kept checking it every so often, but it was a good 35 minutes before it stopped pulsating, and she set it up so Corey could come over and cut the cord. Then we had to wait on the placenta. Corey held Gianna now while I got in a in a squatting position in the tub to push out the placenta. After that, my birth team cleaned me off in the tub, and then helped me to my bed. Corey brought over Gianna, and I put her up to me to nurse, which she was past ready to do. She latched on like a champ and had such a strong suck! Whew! That kicked my uterus in gear again with those intense contractions! After that, my midwife gave Gianna a thorough checkup and found that she was very tiny indeed – weighing in at only 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 inches long! Everything about her is perfect. God has blessed us with another healthy baby!
Gianna Belle
6 lbs. 9 oz.
19 in. long
Born at 1:12 AM, April 2, 2007
http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/9...nna01smdp2.jpg
http://img472.imageshack.us/img472/8...nna01smyr5.jpg
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congrads! you have a beautiful babies! 
