we have a girl! (update - story at post 28) - Page 2

[zenma]

welcome to your little girl and congratulations to your family!!

[Hollysmom]

Welcome to world sweet baby! Congratulations! Enjoy your babymoon!

[HardCoreMom]

hooray! can't wait to hear the story! enjoy her. glad she's loving on boobie

[Mama_Bear]

Congratulations!

[Jennah_Gole]

Congrats!!

[neverdoingitagain]

Congratulations!

Yey! Happy babymoon!

[rootzdawta]

Wow . . . all these big healthy babies!

Lots of congratulations!! All the best to you and your family!

[Pilgrim]

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, I had a cranial sacral session with a midwife (not mine.) The goal was not to start labor, but to encourage the baby to get into an anterior position. The midwife said that usually if the baby is going to turn, it happens about 24 hours after the session.

Later that evening, my close friend called to tell me that she had a strong sense that I would go into labor that night around midnight. Well, I had finally begun to lose my mucous plug earlier that evening (and my friend did not know that), and at 11:53pm, I felt my first contraction. It was light, but I *knew* it was my first, honest-to-goodness real contraction. I was so excited!

I was able to sleep most of the night. A few of the contractions woke me up. At 5:00 am, I got out of bed with DD, started some laundry, got her breakfast. I told DH to sleep in because he wasn’t going to work today. I sat and watched TV with DD, and my contractions were slightly uncomfortable, about 4-5 per hour. Not much going on..

But when DH woke up around 7, I joined him upstairs, and I noticed that when I got up, the contractions came faster and stronger. I called my midwife, and she said that was typical of early labor, and to rest or do activity as I pleased. Well, DD’s labor person had to teach that morning, so I decided to take a nap around 9:00, which I did. I woke up around 10:30, and my doula had come over. The house was very quiet. My doula was working crosswords, DH was at the PC, and DD was watching TV. My labor still seemed very slow.

My doula suggested some walking because I was concerned about a labor fizzle, and I was in a so much pain from the pregnancy itself, that walking was painful. So I did this very slow shuffle up & down my hallway. That got the contractions really going, and I decided it was getting to be a bit much, and wanted to lay down again to slow them down. So I laid down in bed again, but the contractions did not slow down. This was around noon. At 12:30, contractions were still coming fairly fast, and I was pretty durn uncomfortable! I called and asked that one of the midwives come on over.

At some point, don’t know when, I asked DH to fill the birth pool, which he got started on. I labored in the bed for a long time. I used controlled vocalizations – making a low “oooooooohhhhh” sound as the contractions peaked. I also used a TENS unit, with 2 stickers on my back.

Eventually, I could feel the baby moving down with the contractions, and I could feel my cervix opening. That was highly unpleasant!! I knew I was in transition, and I kept asking when the tub would be ready. It was halfway ready, and I *so* wish I had gotten in. But it seemed so difficult to move from the bed – I was very grounded there. I had my doula, a friend, and a midwife tending to me and the baby. DH was tending to everyone else, and looking back now, I so wish we had talked about it all more because I really missed him being there with me, and he’s totally a “there for me” kind of guy. But he could see that I had lots of support so he didn’t feel very needed.

Finally the tub was ready. I got up from the bed, and I really felt better. I wish I had gotten up sooner! Anyway, I wanted to pee before getting into the tub, so I sat on the toilet and was putting my hair into a ponytail. I suddenly *knew* and announced, “I need to push the baby out now.” I got up from the toilet, walked 2 steps to the birth pool, and got an uncontrollable urge to push. I leaned onto the tub and pushed, and my water broke – nearly on my midwife’s head! I hopped into the pool as fast as I could, and so did DH. I then became a bit unglued and felt like a caged animal –very primal. I had no time to get grounded. I was upset that it was happening so fast. But I had to push – there was no stopping it.

I called for DD to come into the room, and suddenly everyone was yelling down the hall for her. (She had been having an impromptu playdate!) I was very loud, I think. Loud with effort, loud with a little panic. DD had to run get her headphones! I pushed twice, and her head came out. One more push and her body was out. DH caught her, and our midwife helped him pass the baby under my legs so I could bring her up out of the water. (I was on my knees, leaning over the side of the birth pool.) I fished around for her, wishing I had taken a split second pause to look at her in the water. But I picked her up very fast, and there she was in all her beauty!

She did not cry. It was apparent to me that she was totally fine & healthy, but just not upset because nothing had been done to her. No vigorous towel wiping, no suctioning – just holding. She nursed within a minute or two. We still did not know the sex of the baby. DD kept asking, but I wasn’t sure when I would feel confident to hold her well enough to look, and she was nursing so comfortably. Eventually we did look, and everyone was so shocked that we did have a girl! Everyone, EVERYONE thought we were having a boy. I even had a bunch of baby blue receiving blankets all ready!

That first night with her, she nursed easily, and was mostly awake. At one point, she started rooting an spitting me out. I couldn’t figure it out. Then it dawned on me – “oh, I forgot, you have to *burp* the baby!) And that is exactly what she needed!

She was born at 3:54, weighing 9 lbs. 4 oz. 20 ½ inches long. I did tear, and the midwives were on the fence about sewing me up. I said “if you are on the fence, then don’t do it.” That’s because I do not respond to lidcaine and would feel the sutures. So they instead prescribed a week in bed with my legs sealed shut. A week later, I am healing wonderfully.

DD1 is thrilled with her new sister, and seems to be adjusting well. I am having to deal with those dreaded baby blues, which I did not have after DD1, and I am bothered with them! (see my other post.) But overall, we are extremely happy that she is here!!

[allnaturalmama]

Beautiful story. Great job, mama!!! Congrats!

[AngelaB]

Congratulations! Hope you are all doing well.
Angela

[Ruthiegirl]

Congratulations!!!