I just recieved this email from Crystal today:
Walking update
From: Crystal Baumgartner
Sent: Fri 1/30/09 7:37 PM
I walked 180 feet today and 2 weeks from today I get to go home. I am sooo ready to be home. Will be different tho but not in a bad way. My medical finally went thru so I am happy to not have to worry about all the medical bills. I will be doing outpatient therapy once I get home so that is good. We will continue to work on my walking daily. We are hoping by the time I go home my walking will be good enough that maybe I can walk as far as getting in my door :). I will be in a wheelchair they say for a while but with therapy I may get to walk with a walker all the time. I am hoping that I will eventually walk by myself without any help but not sure on that either. Hope you all have a great weekend.
Crystal
Fantastic Girl! We are so very proud of you!!!! Keep it up Sweetie!
January 30, 2009
January 25, 2009
Mason is growing up!
Yes My baby is growing up! He is the ripe old age of 2 1/2 years old. He is assertive and opinionated and does not mind letting you know when something has not gone his way! (Kinda like his Mom!) He is really wanted his independence. He is into pushing boundaries and limits!
Yup He is growing up! I can HARDLY WAIT until he decides he is done with diapers!!!!!!
At our kitchen table he has been sitting in a booster seat. We put him in a booster seat about a year ago because he refused to sit in his high chair anymore. Well he is stretching his wings again..... He now refusing to sit in his booster seat. In fact I tried for a few days to just set his food at the booster seat and try to get him to just sit and eat. The booster seat is easier for me. He spills less, he is more contained, both of which are important things to me!
He doesn't care what is easiest for me. He is ready to move on. So instead of just sitting down where his plate is, he reaches up carefully (well as careful as a 2.5 year old can be) and picks up his plate. He walks it around to a regular chair, places his food on the table and goes back to the booster seat for the cup and silverware. Once his stuff is moved, he climbs into the regular chair and proceeds to eat his dinner! LOL!
So after doing that for about a week I figure he was SERIOUS about not wanting to use the booster seat anymore. So Tim took the booster off the chair and Mason helped him clean it up so it can be stored/donated/used for my daycare kids.
Here is a picture of them cleaning the booster seat!.jpg)
Yup He is growing up! I can HARDLY WAIT until he decides he is done with diapers!!!!!!
Family Fun!
Over the long weekend, Tim had 3 days off. This is highly unusual. 3 days off in a row is nice but the fact that the days were Saturday, Sunday and Monday, well that made it EXTRA special! It was completely a fluke that it worked out that way. We felt it was such a blessing we should celebrate it!!!! And HOW does the Bray family celebrate something like this stroke of good luck??????
We go BOWLING!!!!!!
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He takes aim and pushes off!.jpg)
Away it goes!!!!
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Second shot with Jasmyn's help..jpg)
So pleased with himself
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She LOVED bowling!
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Kaleb started off using the ramp... .jpg)
but then decided to try it alone. .jpg)
Still waiting for the ball to reach the pins....
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WOO HOO!
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I think Mason's favorite part was the ball return!
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Happy Little Bowlers!!!
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Mason too!
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We go BOWLING!!!!!!
Mason choosing his ball
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He takes aim and pushes off!Away it goes!!!!.jpg)
Second shot with Jasmyn's help.
So pleased with himself.jpg)
Jasmyn's turn
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She LOVED bowling!Kaleb started off using the ramp... but then decided to try it alone. It took FOREVER for the ball to reach the pins.
But he liked bowling just like Dad!
Still waiting for the ball to reach the pins.....jpg)
WOO HOO!
I think Mason's favorite part was the ball return!.jpg)
Happy Little Bowlers!!!
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Mason too!.jpg)
After bowling we played on the inside play land area at Triple Play. The kids were getting hungry and so was everyone else. We said goodbye to Mom who had joined us to watch the action! After Grandma left the kids needed fluids. It is very humid in Triple Play due to the water slides. So we all were parched. We ended up going through a drive thru for Lemonade.
By this point it was getting late and dinner time was approaching. We went to Tomato street Restaurant to have dinner. The kids were ANGELS during dinner. They played with playdoh and colored on the chalk board. It was a very relaxing meal, which again is unusual! Normally eating out is stressful and we have at least 1 meltdown! Not that time! We were truly proud of the kids! And everyone slept really well that night! We must have wore them out bowling! LOL!
The next day Tim and I spent the day cleaning our basement. Tim has a wonderful Shop area for all his tools. But it was a PIT and you could not find ANYTHING. Also my craft area downstairs was thrashed from making the pinata for Kaleb's birthday and also just left over Christmas messes. We spent about 4 1/2 hrs cleaning those 2 rooms. We now have a huge pile of stuff to go to either Goodwill or to a garage sale. It is nice to be organized again! And the kids were so helpful! They ran up and down the stairs taking trash out and getting stuff for us! They were the perfect little go-fers!
On Monday we just hung out and relaxed. I think I might have done some laundry, but all told it was a relaxing and wonderfully fun weekend with our family! And productive to boot!
January 24, 2009
January Crystal update!
I just received this email from Crystal:
I did it!!!
From: Crystal Baumgartner
Sent: Sat 1/24/09 5:53 AM
I did it today.... I walked 12 steps today and did a car transfer so I can get in and out of the car YIPPEEEE! i WAS WOBBLY at first but by the end I was getting more normal looking steps. My therapist said she thinks I will be walking with a walker by next Friday. So we will see. I hope so. Things are going good here. I get to come home Feb 13 as of right now unless they change the date as my progress gets better. So maybe I will come home early. So I will let ya know how I am doing with these update. Love ya all
Crystal
I am over the moon excited for her! She has come along way since December 8th when all this happened! She has gone from ~ we are not sure she is gonna make it~ all the way to ~ I get to come home Feb 13 ~ How completely incredible!!!!!
Thanks for all your prayers! They were heard and answered!
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I did it!!!
From: Crystal Baumgartner
Sent: Sat 1/24/09 5:53 AM
I did it today.... I walked 12 steps today and did a car transfer so I can get in and out of the car YIPPEEEE! i WAS WOBBLY at first but by the end I was getting more normal looking steps. My therapist said she thinks I will be walking with a walker by next Friday. So we will see. I hope so. Things are going good here. I get to come home Feb 13 as of right now unless they change the date as my progress gets better. So maybe I will come home early. So I will let ya know how I am doing with these update. Love ya all
Crystal
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I am over the moon excited for her! She has come along way since December 8th when all this happened! She has gone from ~ we are not sure she is gonna make it~ all the way to ~ I get to come home Feb 13 ~ How completely incredible!!!!!
Thanks for all your prayers! They were heard and answered!
January 17, 2009
Mason's Birth Story
My birth story actually starts back on the 1st of July, even though Mason was not born until the 19th. Tim, being an OTR truck driver was in Atlanta, GA delivering a load or maybe he was on his way home. Regardless he was a least 2 days travel time away from me. In Spokane we had just begun the heat wave that would rock temperatures into the 90’s. So it was HOT. I was hot, cranky, and not happy that the weather was so hot. Apparently I did not drink enough fluids on the last few days of June because on July 1st I woke up with swollen feet and very dehydrated. I started having contractions at regular intervals. I really thought I could be in early labor. I called Tim, he said he wouldn’t be able to be home until Monday the 3rd. I did not want to have this baby without Tim. So I called my midwife and she suggested taking some magnesium oxide and drinking over a gallon of water. So I did that and the contractions seemed to slow. By the 3rd I had the dehydration under control and the swelling was gone and the contractions had stopped. But mentally I still felt that I could go into labor at a moments notice, even though I wasn’t due for another 10 days.
On the 3rd I picked Tim up from Lewiston and he was home for the whole month of July. So we begin our waiting for Mason. During the waiting I tried my best to prepare for the birth. My Aunt Kathy sent me a beautiful Mandala that she created for me. My best friend and labor coach Sara painstakingly painted the mandala design onto my belly with henna. The process was long and tedious. So much love and work went into the henna design. Kathy had dreamed the mandala and at the center of it was a flower. Before falling asleep every night I would meditate on the flower and envision my cervix opening like the petals of the flower. I also envisioned my Aunt Kathy’s love surrounding my baby and myself and her energy giving me strength to give birth. Henna painting in and of itself is an ancient tradition. Women of long ago would paint each other’s bodies to mark rites of passage. So doing the Mandala design in henna not only united me with two incredible strong women in my Aunt Kathy and my best friend Sara but also the ancient women who painted each other while waiting for birth. Much the same as I was waiting for my son’s birth.
We went to a midwife appointment on July 5th and was told that my cervix was at a 2cm and 40% effaced. We were encouraged because it seemed that things were going to progress quickly. But alas the 11th rolled around and again we were at the midwife’s office and she stripped my membranes in hopes of getting my labor started. I was 4cm and 40% effaced and the baby was at –3 station. But the biggest news was that my cervix had moved forward and was inline with my birth canal. We really thought I would go into labor in the next few days. Mentally all these vaginal exams and numbers were a challenge. And coupled with the dehydration contractions on the 1st I really thought I should have delivered by then. I really felt that something was wrong with me and that my baby would not be born without some medical intervention. Since Kaleb was induced with pitocin and Jasmyn with Castor oil I really started to doubt that my body could go into labor on it’s own. I was depressed. I stopped taking phone calls from family and friends wanting to know "have you had your baby yet?" I hunkered down in my house and waited.
My Mom and I went crazy with labor waiting projects like making 4 different types of jam and jelly! Tim and I watched our favorite TV shows that we had taped in hopes of "relaxing the baby out". We rented movies. I would go to bed each night thinking…..Tonight could be it! But each morning when I would wake up I would think…… "Damn I am STILL FREAKIN’ PREGNANT!"
On Monday the 17th I went in for another prenatal exam. Linda our midwife stripped my membranes again and I left her office 5cm dilated and 40% effaced. I walked around Wal-Mart doing last minute shopping hoping that the contractions and cramping would continue. When I got home and took a nap the cramping went away. I woke up depressed and so scared that I would risk out of a homebirth since I was overdue. Or that Tim wouldn’t get any time with Mason before he had to go back on the road. I called my old friend and Midwife Valerie. She told me that it is normal for me to go overdue. That I was overdue with both Kaleb and Jasmyn and that Mason is no different. My body will work on it’s own. But she also mentioned a few things that I could talk to Linda about in terms of getting my labor going if I reached a point close to risking out of a homebirth at 42 weeks gestation. I got off the phone and felt relieved that she had faith in my body and that things could still work out and I could get the birth I really wanted. But in the morning I woke up….. STILL FREAKIN’ PREGNANT!
On Tuesday the 18th I went about my regular activities. My friend Sarah was in town and she stopped by to visit. I took a nap in the afternoon and for some reason when I woke up I was overcome with this horrible feeling that this labor would never start. Out of the blue at 5pm or so my midwife Linda called and checked in with me. She wanted to know how I was doing since she hadn’t heard from me since Monday. I spoke with her about what options I had in terms of induction if I got close to risking out of a homebirth at 42 weeks. She and I discussed breaking my water and or using misoprostol as an induction agent. We talked about the potential risks and benefits. We decided together that we would wait until the 20th to decide for sure what to do and make sure I really wanted to induce.
I was speaking to Tim about what she had said when my Aunt Kathy called. I gave her the update and she listened intently and asked a few questions. Then she made a suggestion that I pick an induction date closer to 42 weeks and then try to let the worry go. She said that picking a date in the future and knowing I still had that option might just free my mind up to go into labor on my own and even if I didn’t at least I could enjoy the next week of my pregnancy and stop stressing over it. She also ended our call by saying "no doors have been closed yet. You can still have the birth of your dreams." Basically that I hadn’t risked out yet and that Mason could still be born before any interventions happened. So I spoke with Tim and we agreed that the most important thing was that Tim be there for the delivery and that he help catch the baby. So to get that dream we knew we needed to have the baby at home not in the hospital. So avoiding any intervention that could put us in the hospital was very important to us both. So we decided to set the induction date for the 25th and let it go. We both felt a sense of peace and relief wash over us. We gave it up to Mason to decide when to be born and left the desire to control the situation behind us.
July 19th arrived and I was still pregnant but I wasn’t unhappy about it. We decided to go up to Sandpoint and visit my 2 aunts up there so that my Mom could pick up some furniture that she had bought from my Aunt Terrie. We loaded the kids up in the truck and headed down the road. We arrived in Sandpoint and I just felt like I wanted to go home. I didn’t want to be there and I wanted to rest in my own bed. I was cranky with my kids and my Mom and Tim. I rushed us out of there and we headed home. The ride home was bumpy and I was uncomfortable. The kids were cranky and I just wanted to take a nap. I remember telling Tim, "gosh I want a nap before I go into labor". He didn’t think anything of it, he just laughed.
We got home around 1:30pm. The kids and I laid down for a nap in my bed around 1:45. I woke up to a contraction. It was about 3:30pm. I laid there thinking…. "maybe I just need to pee" I had Jasmyn (2 yrs old) on one side and Kaleb (3 1/2 yrs old) on the other. I couldn’t get up without waking someone. I had another contraction. This one hurt and I had to relax and breath through it. After it was over I woke Kaleb up and climbed out of bed. I went into the bathroom and went pee. My discharge had changed from a brown mucous to a bright pink/red mucous. Could it be bloody show? When I stood up I had another contraction. So I thought….."hummm this could be it." So at 3:38 about 8 minutes after I awoke, I called Tim and told him to come home right now. Now I was pacing. I couldn’t decide what to do. I told Kaleb to go get Grandma, she was downstairs. He leaves. I decide to get some clothes and get dressed. Then I decide to call my midwife Linda and "put her on alert". She says that she will finish clinic with her 2 patients and then call me back but to call if anything changes. That was at 3:42.
I get dressed and have another contraction. I felt a gush in my underwear. I decide to call Sara. I tell her that "I think I am in labor but don’t know but ya know how you just know? You should come right away". I told her I had had a few contractions and that I was gushing stuff every time I contracted. It was a funny conversation. She told me she was on her way and hung up. Tim arrived home shortly after that. I was sitting at my computer sending out a few last minute emails and posting on a few message boards to let family, friends, and cyber friends know that I thought I might be in labor. I was having contractions and they felt better when I stood up. So I would be typing along and feel one coming and quickly stand up and sway with them. Eventually I got to the point where I couldn’t type anymore. I quickly told my Mom which web sites to update as I labored and then got down to the business of labor.
When a contraction would start I would hang on to Tim and slow dance. In between contractions he would rush around and make the final preparations for the birth. He would stop and hold me through a contraction and then rush around and show my Mom where the plastic sheeting was for the bed. And then rush back to hold me for the next contraction. I decided I wanted him to get the pool set up and start filling it because I knew it would take some time to fill and I wanted it ready once I decided to get in. So in between contractions he set up the pool in the dinning room and got the hose out. I was amazed that he never missed a contraction. He was always right there when I needed him.
Sara arrived around 4:30pm. Her husband Gerry helped her bring her things in and Tim asked him to help hook the hose up to the kitchen sink faucet and start filling the pool. Gerry did that and then left. I was feeling lots of pressure and felt the need to pee. I went a few times but the contractions were so much stronger when I was sitting on the toilet. I really wanted to avoid the bathroom, but I knew with all the water I was drinking that I would be back. On my last trip I was having lots of bloody discharge.
At 4:57 I feel a small gush of water. I am pretty sure my water was at least leaking at this point. Right about then our midwife Linda walks in. I was excited to see her and I felt well supported and loved by all the people there. Tim and I were still slow dancing through the contractions. Sara would rub my back and my arms and remind me to let my muscles relax and not fight the contraction. When Kaleb and Jasmyn would see us swaying back and forth they would come and hug our legs and sway with us. It was cute although kinda distracting. I didn’t want to shoo them away because it was so cute and I wanted them to feel included. I was happy when they got bored with us and our swaying.
Around 5:10 I got into the pool. The warmth of the water was so relaxing. I started out on a hands and knees position but that position was way to intense. So after the contraction was over I sank back onto my butt and let the water cover my belly. It was so warm and really helped me cope with the contractions and stay relaxed. Around 5:15 Linda listened to the baby. Kaleb was very interested in the baby’s heart beat. He kept calling Linda "the Doctor". It took me a few minutes to convince him she was a midwife not a doctor. After we listened to the baby Kaleb says "good job mommy, good job with Mason’s heartbeat". It was cute. Jasmyn came over to see what was going on and splashed me with some water, she then tottled off to the living room to watch a movie. Kaleb pulled a chair up in front of the pool and watched me through a few contractions. Then he said out of the blue…."Don’t poop in the pool Mommy". We all laughed and I told Linda that when we put Kaleb in the pool in our back yard that I always tell him that he has to tell us if he needs to go potty and that he can’t poop in the pool. Laughing was a nice way to spend time between contractions.
At the next contraction I was moaning and working through the contraction, Kaleb was still watching. All the sudden he says, "Look at me Mommy, Look at me. Take a deep breath Mommy, take a deeeeep breath". I had to open my eyes and look at him and smile. He was so cute. My own personal 3 year old doula! He was using the same technique on me that I use on him when he is throwing a fit. I guess he thought that my moaning was a "fit". After the contraction was over he asked me if I was Ok. I looked up at him again and smiled and said, "I am just fine. Mommy is OK, it just hurts a little bit when Mason is trying to get out of Mommy’s tummy, but Mommy is fine". He hopped off the chair and joined his sister watching a movie.
Around 5:37 the contractions seemed to be getting stronger. I could feel them peak in the front but my back was achy as well. I started saying things like "I want this to be over" Linda, Sara and Tim wold tell me how great I was doing and how relaxed I looked. It was so helpful to have them tell me that I looked relaxed because I didn’t feel relaxed at some points. I would hold my belly and try to encourage or envision Mason helping me birth him. Around 5:41 I commented that I thought he was working himself down because I felt pain at my pubic bone. Linda said it was probably my cervix not my pubic bone. Around 5:47 I had a few contractions back to back. I got little to no break between them. Things were starting to intensify. Sara and Tim would rub my arms and talk to me through the contraction and tell me how great I was doing and how relaxed I looked. Linda would remind me to keep my face relaxed and my legs relaxed. We listened to the baby through a contraction and as the contraction started his heart rate would accelerate then slow at the peak of the contraction then recover nicely afterwards. Mason would move around between contractions and also he would move his head around during the contractions as well. Feeling him move during a contraction was very intense, but also so reassuring, like we were working together to bring him out.
Around 5:55 felt a tremendous amount of pressure and I asked Linda to check me. I was 6cm, 100% effaced and baby was at 0 station. Yay! I knew it wouldn’t be long now that I was 100% effaced. I knew it would just get more intense from here. I told Mason, "Ok Mason I just need a half hour nap," It was again nice to laugh. Tim and I looked at each other and we both knew I was headed to transition. The contractions started to change. They were more intense and less time between them. The intensity and the way my uterus was contracting reminded me of my labor and transition with Jasmyn. I KNEW I was in transition then. I told them, "I’m in transition". Tim just smiled and squeezed my shoulder knowingly. Somewhere around here my Mom answered the door, it was the pizza delivery man. She had ordered pizza for dinner for my kids and for us after the birth. I bet the pizza delivery guy got an earful because I was moaning like a cow! She got the kids set up in the living room in their high chairs watching a movie and eating pizza.
This is when things got very intense for me. Around 6:06 I started to get the slightest urge to push at the peak of each contraction. I was feeling like I couldn’t handle it. I was saying things like "I don’t like this" or "I feel pressure" and "I feel like I want to cry". I was squeezing Sara’s hand and really having to try hard to stay relaxed. "Oh Mason Come on Baby". Around 6:20 I start to grunt at the top of each contraction. Linda checks me to make sure I am complete. I’m not. I am only at 9cm. She tells me I can push at the top but not hard. I try really hard to wait until the urge is overwhelming. At 6:30 My water breaks. Tim and Linda see a cloud of white come out of me. Linda says it is vernix. I am surprised because I really thought I wouldn’t have any vernix left considering I am 6 days overdue. Tim was shocked as well as amazed that he got to see it break. 6:33 Linda listens to Mason again. His heart rate is strong and he is handling the contractions well. I feel a very strong urge to push as soon as my water breaks. I feel like his head is right there. 6:35 Linda says "she’s complete and plus 2". And with that I start pushing. The pressure is always there. I feel like there is a bowling ball in my butt. It is a familiar feeling, I remember that both Kaleb and Jasmyn felt the same way. I knew I would be holding my baby soon and the pain and pressure would be over. Linda tells me to feel my baby’s head. I feel his hair and his skin all squished. I push again and I am trying to support the top of my vagina. I can feel it burn as it stretches. Linda says to slow down and listen to her so I don’t tear. I can feel her fingers stretching my perineum. I slow down and grunt and let my tissues stretch. Tim moves into position next to Linda. I push one more time. I feel his head slip out and then his body all in one fluid motion. Tim is lifting him towards me. I reach down and we pull him up together. All the sudden Linda says "Stop there is a cord." So we pause and we are fumbling around trying to get the cord unwrapped. It won’t unwrap. It is twisted and we have cinched it down when we pulled him out of the water. Linda submerges him again and I loosen and unwrap the cord. He is free. Tim hands him up to me.
Mason does a big cough and then starts to cry. I lift his leg and yes he is a BOY! 6:39pm Mason Alexander is water birthed into his Daddy’s arms!
I start to cry and I look around and see my Mom standing above the pool taking pictures. My kids are there with us, looking at their baby brother. Jasmyn comes right up to the pool and says "Look Mom, a Baby" She reaches her hand out and touches him.
He is crying and looking so beautiful. He is covered in vernix but otherwise clean. I wiped him down with a receiving blanket and held him close. Kaleb was watching from afar. After the cord stopped pulsating Linda clamped the cord and my Mom cut it.
Kaleb saw the cord and the blood and asked, "Dad is Mason’s tail Ok?" So Tim had to explain what the umbilical cord was and that Mason really didn’t have a tail. It was very cute. Shortly after that I felt the placenta and that it needed to come out. I pushed and out it came. Then I got out of the tub. Tim held Mason and showed him to Jasmyn.
I walked back to my bedroom to be examined and to check Mason out. I had a small skin tear on my perineum that did not require stitches! I was so relieved.
Mason weighed in at 7pounds 7ounces and was 21 inches long. His head was 34 cm in circumference. After our exams Mason started to root around so we nursed both sides. He took to the breast well and seemed content to be nursing. Kaleb finally came around to meet his baby brother.
After we nursed, got cleaned up and dressed my little family all cuddled up on the couch to welcome our sweet baby into the world.
Some things that were surprising to me about our birth was that it only lasted 3 hours from the first contraction to Mason being born. I was also surprised that he had so much vernix considering he was 6 days overdue. The best part was how alert and happy he was after the birth. He just looked around and was in awe to see his Brother and Sister. Jasmyn and Kaleb wanted to hug and kiss and hold him.
Jasmyn loved to kiss his feet and she kept saying, "Look Mom a Baby". Kaleb said, "Oh Mom I am so happy Mason is out of your Tummy". The love they have for Mason is so easy to see and so beautiful. Tim is just so happy to have caught his son. It was a dream of his since I was pregnant with Jasmyn. So I am so glad that his dream came true. The birth was exactly what I wanted. No interventions. A peaceful birth at home with my family around me supporting me and loving me. Mason was born gently with no time limits or restrictions. I assumed the positions my body told me to, I pushed when I wanted to, I relaxed and allowed my body to lead the way.
On the 3rd I picked Tim up from Lewiston and he was home for the whole month of July. So we begin our waiting for Mason. During the waiting I tried my best to prepare for the birth. My Aunt Kathy sent me a beautiful Mandala that she created for me. My best friend and labor coach Sara painstakingly painted the mandala design onto my belly with henna. The process was long and tedious. So much love and work went into the henna design. Kathy had dreamed the mandala and at the center of it was a flower. Before falling asleep every night I would meditate on the flower and envision my cervix opening like the petals of the flower. I also envisioned my Aunt Kathy’s love surrounding my baby and myself and her energy giving me strength to give birth. Henna painting in and of itself is an ancient tradition. Women of long ago would paint each other’s bodies to mark rites of passage. So doing the Mandala design in henna not only united me with two incredible strong women in my Aunt Kathy and my best friend Sara but also the ancient women who painted each other while waiting for birth. Much the same as I was waiting for my son’s birth.
We went to a midwife appointment on July 5th and was told that my cervix was at a 2cm and 40% effaced. We were encouraged because it seemed that things were going to progress quickly. But alas the 11th rolled around and again we were at the midwife’s office and she stripped my membranes in hopes of getting my labor started. I was 4cm and 40% effaced and the baby was at –3 station. But the biggest news was that my cervix had moved forward and was inline with my birth canal. We really thought I would go into labor in the next few days. Mentally all these vaginal exams and numbers were a challenge. And coupled with the dehydration contractions on the 1st I really thought I should have delivered by then. I really felt that something was wrong with me and that my baby would not be born without some medical intervention. Since Kaleb was induced with pitocin and Jasmyn with Castor oil I really started to doubt that my body could go into labor on it’s own. I was depressed. I stopped taking phone calls from family and friends wanting to know "have you had your baby yet?" I hunkered down in my house and waited.
My Mom and I went crazy with labor waiting projects like making 4 different types of jam and jelly! Tim and I watched our favorite TV shows that we had taped in hopes of "relaxing the baby out". We rented movies. I would go to bed each night thinking…..Tonight could be it! But each morning when I would wake up I would think…… "Damn I am STILL FREAKIN’ PREGNANT!"
On Monday the 17th I went in for another prenatal exam. Linda our midwife stripped my membranes again and I left her office 5cm dilated and 40% effaced. I walked around Wal-Mart doing last minute shopping hoping that the contractions and cramping would continue. When I got home and took a nap the cramping went away. I woke up depressed and so scared that I would risk out of a homebirth since I was overdue. Or that Tim wouldn’t get any time with Mason before he had to go back on the road. I called my old friend and Midwife Valerie. She told me that it is normal for me to go overdue. That I was overdue with both Kaleb and Jasmyn and that Mason is no different. My body will work on it’s own. But she also mentioned a few things that I could talk to Linda about in terms of getting my labor going if I reached a point close to risking out of a homebirth at 42 weeks gestation. I got off the phone and felt relieved that she had faith in my body and that things could still work out and I could get the birth I really wanted. But in the morning I woke up….. STILL FREAKIN’ PREGNANT!
On Tuesday the 18th I went about my regular activities. My friend Sarah was in town and she stopped by to visit. I took a nap in the afternoon and for some reason when I woke up I was overcome with this horrible feeling that this labor would never start. Out of the blue at 5pm or so my midwife Linda called and checked in with me. She wanted to know how I was doing since she hadn’t heard from me since Monday. I spoke with her about what options I had in terms of induction if I got close to risking out of a homebirth at 42 weeks. She and I discussed breaking my water and or using misoprostol as an induction agent. We talked about the potential risks and benefits. We decided together that we would wait until the 20th to decide for sure what to do and make sure I really wanted to induce.
I was speaking to Tim about what she had said when my Aunt Kathy called. I gave her the update and she listened intently and asked a few questions. Then she made a suggestion that I pick an induction date closer to 42 weeks and then try to let the worry go. She said that picking a date in the future and knowing I still had that option might just free my mind up to go into labor on my own and even if I didn’t at least I could enjoy the next week of my pregnancy and stop stressing over it. She also ended our call by saying "no doors have been closed yet. You can still have the birth of your dreams." Basically that I hadn’t risked out yet and that Mason could still be born before any interventions happened. So I spoke with Tim and we agreed that the most important thing was that Tim be there for the delivery and that he help catch the baby. So to get that dream we knew we needed to have the baby at home not in the hospital. So avoiding any intervention that could put us in the hospital was very important to us both. So we decided to set the induction date for the 25th and let it go. We both felt a sense of peace and relief wash over us. We gave it up to Mason to decide when to be born and left the desire to control the situation behind us.
July 19th arrived and I was still pregnant but I wasn’t unhappy about it. We decided to go up to Sandpoint and visit my 2 aunts up there so that my Mom could pick up some furniture that she had bought from my Aunt Terrie. We loaded the kids up in the truck and headed down the road. We arrived in Sandpoint and I just felt like I wanted to go home. I didn’t want to be there and I wanted to rest in my own bed. I was cranky with my kids and my Mom and Tim. I rushed us out of there and we headed home. The ride home was bumpy and I was uncomfortable. The kids were cranky and I just wanted to take a nap. I remember telling Tim, "gosh I want a nap before I go into labor". He didn’t think anything of it, he just laughed.
We got home around 1:30pm. The kids and I laid down for a nap in my bed around 1:45. I woke up to a contraction. It was about 3:30pm. I laid there thinking…. "maybe I just need to pee" I had Jasmyn (2 yrs old) on one side and Kaleb (3 1/2 yrs old) on the other. I couldn’t get up without waking someone. I had another contraction. This one hurt and I had to relax and breath through it. After it was over I woke Kaleb up and climbed out of bed. I went into the bathroom and went pee. My discharge had changed from a brown mucous to a bright pink/red mucous. Could it be bloody show? When I stood up I had another contraction. So I thought….."hummm this could be it." So at 3:38 about 8 minutes after I awoke, I called Tim and told him to come home right now. Now I was pacing. I couldn’t decide what to do. I told Kaleb to go get Grandma, she was downstairs. He leaves. I decide to get some clothes and get dressed. Then I decide to call my midwife Linda and "put her on alert". She says that she will finish clinic with her 2 patients and then call me back but to call if anything changes. That was at 3:42.
I get dressed and have another contraction. I felt a gush in my underwear. I decide to call Sara. I tell her that "I think I am in labor but don’t know but ya know how you just know? You should come right away". I told her I had had a few contractions and that I was gushing stuff every time I contracted. It was a funny conversation. She told me she was on her way and hung up. Tim arrived home shortly after that. I was sitting at my computer sending out a few last minute emails and posting on a few message boards to let family, friends, and cyber friends know that I thought I might be in labor. I was having contractions and they felt better when I stood up. So I would be typing along and feel one coming and quickly stand up and sway with them. Eventually I got to the point where I couldn’t type anymore. I quickly told my Mom which web sites to update as I labored and then got down to the business of labor.
When a contraction would start I would hang on to Tim and slow dance. In between contractions he would rush around and make the final preparations for the birth. He would stop and hold me through a contraction and then rush around and show my Mom where the plastic sheeting was for the bed. And then rush back to hold me for the next contraction. I decided I wanted him to get the pool set up and start filling it because I knew it would take some time to fill and I wanted it ready once I decided to get in. So in between contractions he set up the pool in the dinning room and got the hose out. I was amazed that he never missed a contraction. He was always right there when I needed him.
Sara arrived around 4:30pm. Her husband Gerry helped her bring her things in and Tim asked him to help hook the hose up to the kitchen sink faucet and start filling the pool. Gerry did that and then left. I was feeling lots of pressure and felt the need to pee. I went a few times but the contractions were so much stronger when I was sitting on the toilet. I really wanted to avoid the bathroom, but I knew with all the water I was drinking that I would be back. On my last trip I was having lots of bloody discharge.
At 4:57 I feel a small gush of water. I am pretty sure my water was at least leaking at this point. Right about then our midwife Linda walks in. I was excited to see her and I felt well supported and loved by all the people there. Tim and I were still slow dancing through the contractions. Sara would rub my back and my arms and remind me to let my muscles relax and not fight the contraction. When Kaleb and Jasmyn would see us swaying back and forth they would come and hug our legs and sway with us. It was cute although kinda distracting. I didn’t want to shoo them away because it was so cute and I wanted them to feel included. I was happy when they got bored with us and our swaying.
Around 5:10 I got into the pool. The warmth of the water was so relaxing. I started out on a hands and knees position but that position was way to intense. So after the contraction was over I sank back onto my butt and let the water cover my belly. It was so warm and really helped me cope with the contractions and stay relaxed. Around 5:15 Linda listened to the baby. Kaleb was very interested in the baby’s heart beat. He kept calling Linda "the Doctor". It took me a few minutes to convince him she was a midwife not a doctor. After we listened to the baby Kaleb says "good job mommy, good job with Mason’s heartbeat". It was cute. Jasmyn came over to see what was going on and splashed me with some water, she then tottled off to the living room to watch a movie. Kaleb pulled a chair up in front of the pool and watched me through a few contractions. Then he said out of the blue…."Don’t poop in the pool Mommy". We all laughed and I told Linda that when we put Kaleb in the pool in our back yard that I always tell him that he has to tell us if he needs to go potty and that he can’t poop in the pool. Laughing was a nice way to spend time between contractions.
At the next contraction I was moaning and working through the contraction, Kaleb was still watching. All the sudden he says, "Look at me Mommy, Look at me. Take a deep breath Mommy, take a deeeeep breath". I had to open my eyes and look at him and smile. He was so cute. My own personal 3 year old doula! He was using the same technique on me that I use on him when he is throwing a fit. I guess he thought that my moaning was a "fit". After the contraction was over he asked me if I was Ok. I looked up at him again and smiled and said, "I am just fine. Mommy is OK, it just hurts a little bit when Mason is trying to get out of Mommy’s tummy, but Mommy is fine". He hopped off the chair and joined his sister watching a movie.
Around 5:37 the contractions seemed to be getting stronger. I could feel them peak in the front but my back was achy as well. I started saying things like "I want this to be over" Linda, Sara and Tim wold tell me how great I was doing and how relaxed I looked. It was so helpful to have them tell me that I looked relaxed because I didn’t feel relaxed at some points. I would hold my belly and try to encourage or envision Mason helping me birth him. Around 5:41 I commented that I thought he was working himself down because I felt pain at my pubic bone. Linda said it was probably my cervix not my pubic bone. Around 5:47 I had a few contractions back to back. I got little to no break between them. Things were starting to intensify. Sara and Tim would rub my arms and talk to me through the contraction and tell me how great I was doing and how relaxed I looked. Linda would remind me to keep my face relaxed and my legs relaxed. We listened to the baby through a contraction and as the contraction started his heart rate would accelerate then slow at the peak of the contraction then recover nicely afterwards. Mason would move around between contractions and also he would move his head around during the contractions as well. Feeling him move during a contraction was very intense, but also so reassuring, like we were working together to bring him out.
Around 5:55 felt a tremendous amount of pressure and I asked Linda to check me. I was 6cm, 100% effaced and baby was at 0 station. Yay! I knew it wouldn’t be long now that I was 100% effaced. I knew it would just get more intense from here. I told Mason, "Ok Mason I just need a half hour nap," It was again nice to laugh. Tim and I looked at each other and we both knew I was headed to transition. The contractions started to change. They were more intense and less time between them. The intensity and the way my uterus was contracting reminded me of my labor and transition with Jasmyn. I KNEW I was in transition then. I told them, "I’m in transition". Tim just smiled and squeezed my shoulder knowingly. Somewhere around here my Mom answered the door, it was the pizza delivery man. She had ordered pizza for dinner for my kids and for us after the birth. I bet the pizza delivery guy got an earful because I was moaning like a cow! She got the kids set up in the living room in their high chairs watching a movie and eating pizza.
This is when things got very intense for me. Around 6:06 I started to get the slightest urge to push at the peak of each contraction. I was feeling like I couldn’t handle it. I was saying things like "I don’t like this" or "I feel pressure" and "I feel like I want to cry". I was squeezing Sara’s hand and really having to try hard to stay relaxed. "Oh Mason Come on Baby". Around 6:20 I start to grunt at the top of each contraction. Linda checks me to make sure I am complete. I’m not. I am only at 9cm. She tells me I can push at the top but not hard. I try really hard to wait until the urge is overwhelming. At 6:30 My water breaks. Tim and Linda see a cloud of white come out of me. Linda says it is vernix. I am surprised because I really thought I wouldn’t have any vernix left considering I am 6 days overdue. Tim was shocked as well as amazed that he got to see it break. 6:33 Linda listens to Mason again. His heart rate is strong and he is handling the contractions well. I feel a very strong urge to push as soon as my water breaks. I feel like his head is right there. 6:35 Linda says "she’s complete and plus 2". And with that I start pushing. The pressure is always there. I feel like there is a bowling ball in my butt. It is a familiar feeling, I remember that both Kaleb and Jasmyn felt the same way. I knew I would be holding my baby soon and the pain and pressure would be over. Linda tells me to feel my baby’s head. I feel his hair and his skin all squished. I push again and I am trying to support the top of my vagina. I can feel it burn as it stretches. Linda says to slow down and listen to her so I don’t tear. I can feel her fingers stretching my perineum. I slow down and grunt and let my tissues stretch. Tim moves into position next to Linda. I push one more time. I feel his head slip out and then his body all in one fluid motion. Tim is lifting him towards me. I reach down and we pull him up together. All the sudden Linda says "Stop there is a cord." So we pause and we are fumbling around trying to get the cord unwrapped. It won’t unwrap. It is twisted and we have cinched it down when we pulled him out of the water. Linda submerges him again and I loosen and unwrap the cord. He is free. Tim hands him up to me.
Mason does a big cough and then starts to cry. I lift his leg and yes he is a BOY! 6:39pm Mason Alexander is water birthed into his Daddy’s arms!
I start to cry and I look around and see my Mom standing above the pool taking pictures. My kids are there with us, looking at their baby brother. Jasmyn comes right up to the pool and says "Look Mom, a Baby" She reaches her hand out and touches him.
He is crying and looking so beautiful. He is covered in vernix but otherwise clean. I wiped him down with a receiving blanket and held him close. Kaleb was watching from afar. After the cord stopped pulsating Linda clamped the cord and my Mom cut it.
Kaleb saw the cord and the blood and asked, "Dad is Mason’s tail Ok?" So Tim had to explain what the umbilical cord was and that Mason really didn’t have a tail. It was very cute. Shortly after that I felt the placenta and that it needed to come out. I pushed and out it came. Then I got out of the tub. Tim held Mason and showed him to Jasmyn.
I walked back to my bedroom to be examined and to check Mason out. I had a small skin tear on my perineum that did not require stitches! I was so relieved.
Mason weighed in at 7pounds 7ounces and was 21 inches long. His head was 34 cm in circumference. After our exams Mason started to root around so we nursed both sides. He took to the breast well and seemed content to be nursing. Kaleb finally came around to meet his baby brother.
After we nursed, got cleaned up and dressed my little family all cuddled up on the couch to welcome our sweet baby into the world.
Our First Family Picture
Some things that were surprising to me about our birth was that it only lasted 3 hours from the first contraction to Mason being born. I was also surprised that he had so much vernix considering he was 6 days overdue. The best part was how alert and happy he was after the birth. He just looked around and was in awe to see his Brother and Sister. Jasmyn and Kaleb wanted to hug and kiss and hold him.
Jasmyn loved to kiss his feet and she kept saying, "Look Mom a Baby". Kaleb said, "Oh Mom I am so happy Mason is out of your Tummy". The love they have for Mason is so easy to see and so beautiful. Tim is just so happy to have caught his son. It was a dream of his since I was pregnant with Jasmyn. So I am so glad that his dream came true. The birth was exactly what I wanted. No interventions. A peaceful birth at home with my family around me supporting me and loving me. Mason was born gently with no time limits or restrictions. I assumed the positions my body told me to, I pushed when I wanted to, I relaxed and allowed my body to lead the way.Then
Now
January 16, 2009
Jasmyn's Birth Story
I have been going to Woman health for my prenatal care. I am happy with the care I am receiving from my MW Valerie. But overall I am very anxious about my birth. Tim & I have been taking Bradley Childbirth classes and are VERY committed to a Natural childbirth free from interventions and medications. My concern with Women health is that I don’t know who will actually be on call at the time I go into labor. And each Dr or MW has a different set of rules that they would ask me to abide by. So trying to plan for what will happen is difficult because I don’t know who will be with me. I am really longing for continuity in my care, but this is not a possibility at Woman health. In addition, Dr. Meline is suggesting that I induce my labor. He is concerned that since Kaleb was over 9lbs that this baby could be as well and be difficult to birth. I know that weight estimates at this point are often wrong and I really don’t want to be induced. I know that if I agree to pitocin that I would be setting myself up for the cascade of interventions that we talked about in Bradley Class, and it would be a repeat of my birth with Kaleb. Dr. Meline also had recently read that stripping a woman’s membranes could help shorten a women’s overall gestation. He had strongly suggested that I allow them to strip my membranes a few times from 38wk until I deliver. I allowed them to strip them 4 times in total. All it ever did was cause some bleeding, uterine pain and cramping and some intermittent contractions.
Discouraged, I spoke with Valerie on Monday the 12th of July about my options. I am 40w1d at the appointment. She checked my cervix and I am 3cm dilated, 70% effaced, cervix is about mid position and very soft but the baby is at a –3station. I feel like that is wonderful news even though I know it could still be a week or so. I really want her to be there for my birth but she is planning to be out of town for the week. She will get home on Sunday. So we schedule an induction for 6am Monday, I would be 1 day shy of 41wk. I figure that if I make it to 41wk I might as well have her induce me so that I can have her be there instead of Dr. Meline. But really I want to deliver before the induction. We talked about some natural induction methods. I asked about castor oil and she said she wasn’t sure of the dosage, and for me to check online or with my Bradley instructor. My Mom and I go to Wal-mart and buy castor oil. I am still not sure I will actually take the castor oil, but I want it on hand just incase.
I called my Bradley instructor that morning and she said that what I find online is probably fine for dosage. She also reminds me to trust my body and my baby and that I will likely go into labor long before the induction. On Tuesday night Tim & I talk about our options and we decide that I will take the castor oil in the morning. We both want to avoid the medical induction and feel that the castor oil might take more than once to actually work. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to do the castor oil once, let my body recover for a day or so and then try again. I was really hoping that we wouldn’t have to do it twice, but I knew I would if push came to shove and the induction was looming.
On Wednesday the 14th I woke up and had some breakfast. Around 10am I decide to do it. I get a 16 oz glass and pour 4 oz of castor oil in the glass. Then I fill the rest of the glass with Orange juice. I stir it up and all at once guzzle it down. I followed it with a chaser of some more OJ. My mouth feels all oily and gross. (I can still taste the oil and feel my stomach turn as I write this). I wipe my mouth out with a washcloth and immediately go brush my teeth. I know I have to keep it down if it is going to work. I am REALLY hoping that I don’t have to do THAT again! Within an hour I was running to the bathroom with diarrhea. I would not suggest ever taking Castor oil with OJ. It burns when it comes out! LOL! So after I would get off the potty I would climb into the shower/tub and have a baking soda sitz bath and then rinse off in the shower. My butt was raw. So I was using diaper cream after every trip to the potty to protect my skin. This went on for about 6 hours. When Tim got home from work I was so sick to my stomach. He watched Kaleb and I tried to get some rest. When I woke up I finally had a bit of an appetite. I had been drinking fluid all day, but no food. I wanted to stay hydrated just incase it worked. I didn’t want an IV in the hospital. In order to refuse it, I knew I had to be well hydrated. We had BBQ steak and a nice green salad and some fruit for dinner. I was so bummed that after all that work and feeling sick that I was not having any contractions. I was still just having the Braxton-Hicks ones that I had been having for weeks. We got Kaleb to bed and started watching the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. Tim fixed me some water to soak my feet in and then took my toe nail polish off. My Mom gave me a foot massage and rubbed my ankles since they were so swollen. At around 11pm I had been sitting for a while so I needed to use the bathroom. Tim got me some socks because my feet were oily from the foot massage. I went to the bathroom and peed. When I was standing up I felt a ****** POP****** and my water gushed out. Most of it landed in the toilet. I sat back down and hollered for Tim. I said "Tim My water just broke". Both My Mom and Tim came to the bathroom door. Tim asked "Are you sure?" I said "Yes I’m sure" My Mom says, "oh my you need a towel, and you need to get dressed" So they start scrambling around. They bring me a clean pair of undies and I shove one of Kaleb’s diapers into them to soak up any leakage. I put on some clothes and sit back on the couch in the living room. I call the on-call line for my Dr office. Dr Meline is on call. He says for me to come in right away. I told him that my contractions haven’t started yet so I will finish packing my bag, wait for my doula and then we will be in. He says OK, but I could tell he is irritated. I call my doula Sara at around 11:15. Sara is asleep. But she gets up and makes it here in record time. In the meantime I call my Aunt Kathy to alert her I am in labor. She lives 3 time zones away. So I woke her up too!
Tim wanted to go to the store and pick up a few things before we left for the hospital. I figured that since I hadn’t starting contracting yet and Sara wasn’t even here yet that he could go. My Mom was freaking out that we were so calm. So Tim left and Mom helped me finish packing my bag. As I was kneeling on the floor zipping up my suitcase I got my first contractions. It was about 11:45. Tim got home around Midnight and Sara got here about 5 minutes after that. I wanted to take a picture of my belly before we left for the baby book. I look way to happy and chipper to be too far into labor, right?!?!?!?
And then I went into Kaleb’s room to kiss him goodbye. I was crying when I kissed him because I was leaving him at home with Grandma and I knew that he would wake up to a brand new world with a sibling. I knew the transition was going to be hard. On my way back down the hall I got a very strong contraction that I had to lean against the wall and breathe through. It kinda reminded me… "hey get moving lady you have a baby to birth".
We left for the hospital at around 12:17am. The car ride was horrible. The position was bad and I hated feeling the pressure in my butt when I was sitting. I wanted to MOVE! In between contractions I told them I did not want an epidural for any reason.. I told them to stall me if I asked and to just coach me through. They agreed. We all knew that this was sane Jen talking. And that is decision was the one I had been working for all along.
When we got to the hospital Tim tried to drop me off at the door and let the nurse wheel me into the L & D floor. I refused. I was not a sick person I did not need a wheel chair. I could walk up. We parked in the garage and walked up, I insisted on helping carry my own pillow and camera bag. We got upstairs and into a room around 1am. I used the bathroom to give them their sample. I HATED sitting on the toilet. My contractions would double peak and become quite intense while sitting on the toilet. Dr. Meline had OK’d me refusing the IV so the nurse did not hassle me once she checked my urine and saw that I was well hydrated. She wanted me in a gown but I refused and put my own nightgown on. I had put snaps at the shoulders so that it was accessible, but it was soft and fit me better than the hospital gowns. Besides, I was not a sick person. I was a pregnant women having a baby.
I did not want a cervical check at that point but the nurse wanted to monitor the baby for 20-30 minutes. I got on the bed and let her adjust the monitors. I wanted to Move so sitting in bed was uncomfortable and I complained about it. Tera was my nurse and she asked the mile long list of questions while she monitored me and I coped with the contractions. Sara and Tim would rub my arms and say encouraging things to me to coach me through.
At 1:35am I asked her to check me and see where we were at. Basically I was in the bed, I know she wanted to check me and I didn’t want to have to get back in the bed later. So she checked me I was 3 cm dilated, 80 % effaced, anterior cervix and baby was at –2 station. So some good progress, my cervix was lined up where it was supposed to be, baby had come down and I was thinning out more. After she checked me I got up to walk around. I would slow dance with Tim, while Sara held a warm rice pack on my uterus really low. Every time I would have a contraction I would gush out more fluid. I hated the way it felt running down my leg and Sara was tired of sopping it up with paper towels off the floor. They did not want me to wear undies. So we grabbed a small hand towel and I held that between my legs while I walked around. Perfect! No fluid on the floor or legs!
Tim was really good about keeping me drinking water. After every contraction he would give me a sip. But that in turn kept me running to the toilet. I hated the toilet. I was also having lots of rectal pressure but thanks to the castor oil I had NOTHING left in there! I kept saying, "I can’t believe I am here and we are going to see our baby soon." I wanted to labor in water since it had worked so well with my 1st labor. I went into the tub around 2am. Sara would rub my shoulder and Tim would spray the parts of me that the water didn't cover. My Contractions are in my back and I am having a hard time relaxing my hips. I want to move again.
At 2:40 I am out of the tub. Slow dancing seems to be the only way to keep my hips and pelvis relaxed. Tera wants to monitor the baby again. I tell her I am not sitting down. So she squats next to where Tim and I are slow dancing and holds the monitor in place. After the monitoring is done I try all kinds of positions, sitting in the rocking chair, well that hurts my butt. I am feeling nauseated. My contractions are about 2 –3 minutes apart and about 50 sec long. I am saying things like "this sucks I don’t like it anymore". I try to lean over the birth ball on my knees in the bed. I just can’t get comfortable. I try laying on my side. Tim is applying a little counter pressure from behind. It feels good for a while.
At around 3:55 I was asking for the epidural. I was feeling so uncomfortable and not coping well with the contractions. Tera checks me again at 3:57am since I have to be at a 4cm to get an epidural. I am 4cm, 100%effaced probably –2 or –1 station but baby’s head is applied nicely to cervix. I am defeated by the news. Only 4cm?!?!?! I was so bummed. Sara and Tim are telling me how great I am doing and to just take one contraction at a time. I am saying "you are lying, I am not doing great I am out of control and freaking out" I tell them "I WANT AN EPIDURAL" Tim says "let’s try the tub again." I agree and climb in. I am on my side and Tim is applying pressure to my top hip. It really helps me cope with the pain. While in the tub I tell Tim that "I am angry and that I am worried I will look back at this experience and hate it all". Tim starts to feel bad but holds his ground and reminds me of all we have worked for and how close I really am. Since I feel like I am getting NO where with Tim I turn my frustrations on Sara. Poor girl!
We all know I have to have an IV before they can do the epidural and be monitored again. And since I am a hard stick for an IV I know I need IV therapy to put it in. I tell Sara to "Go get the fucking nurse and get IV therapy down here NOW". Everyone knows I am in transition EXCEPT me! In the meantime I am in the tub and I start to feel different. The contractions are different and I feel like they are REALLY moving the baby down. Sara comes back in and says IV therapy is on the way. I start to freak out and say "these contractions are different, they are pushing contractions". I want out of the tub NOW! So they get me out and onto the bed. Since I feel like pushing Tera checks me again. It is 4:40am, I am 6cm and baby is –1 station. I am grunting at the peak of each contraction. Tera tells me to stop because I will bruise my cervix. So I start to blow blow blow. IV Therapy has my IV in place by 4:50am. I am on my back, semi upright on the bed. I am still trying so hard not to push. "these are pushing contractions, I am pushing I can’t help it". They get me on my side and lower the head of the bed. Tim is still doing his counter pressure. Tera checks me again at 4:52, I am 8cm. She scrambles off the bed and tells me I don’t have time for an epidural and that she is going to call Dr. Meline. I am secretly relieved that I can’t have an epidural. Sara and Tim are coaching me through and helping me breath and blow. I would bury my head into the pillow and grunt at the peak. Sara and Tim were telling me to breath. It was horrible to not be able to listen to my body. The nurse comes back in and tells me not to push, I ask her why and she says the Dr is not here yet.
All the sudden a resident that I have NEVER seen before comes in the room. She is shaking and looks scared. She gets dressed quickly. I say "the baby is HERE" I am still trying not to push but grunting a bit at the peak of each contraction. The Dr is finally ready. They get me on my back and pull the towel from between my legs. You can see the baby’s head. I am having a hard time getting my legs apart. I don’t know if it is because I couldn't push for so long, or if I was just scared. So Tim is pulling one leg and Sara is pulling the other. I finally can push! I am screaming that it hurts and the nurse Tera said "well yeah it hurts" Like duh. I was not impressed with her. The Dr has her hands inside of me pushing down. I ask her what she is doing she says "I am keeping the baby from coming out". I am like "what?!?!?!?" thinking back I think she meant that she was keeping me from tearing, but it hurt very badly and I really wanted to kick her in the head. LOL!
I get the baby’s head half way out. I can feel my tissue stretch and it burns. I reach down and feel the baby’s head. It is all squishy and soft. I get the head out and the Dr stalls me saying that there is a cord. She unwraps the cord and I instinctively flip my weight onto one hip to make more room for the shoulders and I can feel the baby rotate. One more push and out the baby comes. It is 5:09am! Tim looks between the baby’s legs and says….. "IT’S A GIRL!" I am so excited, relieved exhausted. I start crying!
They hand her to me and I hold her while they rub her down. I am crying and saying "we did it, we did it" to Tim and Sara. I felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment in my birth! I was so happy she was healthy and a GIRL!!!!!.
The Dr having not had time to read my birth plan that requested delayed cord clamping, clamps the cord and directs Tim to cut her cord almost immediately. She turns blue and is having trouble breathing. They whisk her away to the warmer to give her oxygen. I am furious that they cut her cord.
At this point the Dr is checking me out to see if I tore. I am screaming in pain because it hurts. She is applying traction to the cord. I ask her what she is doing. She says the placenta needs to come out. I ask her why she is rushing the placenta? I tell her to stop pulling and to wait. She doesn’t. The nurse tells me that Moms who have babies so close together (only 18 months between Kaleb & this baby girl) often have boggy uterus's and can hemorrhage. I ask if I am bleeding too much right now. She says No. I tell the Dr. to stop pulling. She stops but it is too late, I feel the placenta has detached and is waiting to be pushed out. I am not happy. (later I would be even more unhappy since I ended up with a uterine infection from a piece of retained placenta or membrane). Dr. Meline arrives. Only about 20 minutes late! He checks me out and says that I have a small tear at my perineum and also one beneath my urethra. I tore in both those places with Kaleb’s birth so I am not surprised. Neither tear needs any stitches. They finally bring my baby girl back to me and tell me that she is 20 1/2 inches long, 8lbs 1 oz and has a 14cm head.
Her apgars were 7 and 8 because of the cord issues. Tim & I announce her name: Jasmyn Kathleen. I am in awe of her beauty and how awake and alert she is. She wants to nurse and start to root around. She latches on beautifully! Around 5:40am we call my Aunt Kathy and announce her name. She is thrilled! Tim & I are in awe of our baby girl and of our birth process. I learned so much about myself and felt so much more connected to Tim after going through this process. And we both felt so blessed to have a daughter. She is so beautiful and peaceful.
Now
Discouraged, I spoke with Valerie on Monday the 12th of July about my options. I am 40w1d at the appointment. She checked my cervix and I am 3cm dilated, 70% effaced, cervix is about mid position and very soft but the baby is at a –3station. I feel like that is wonderful news even though I know it could still be a week or so. I really want her to be there for my birth but she is planning to be out of town for the week. She will get home on Sunday. So we schedule an induction for 6am Monday, I would be 1 day shy of 41wk. I figure that if I make it to 41wk I might as well have her induce me so that I can have her be there instead of Dr. Meline. But really I want to deliver before the induction. We talked about some natural induction methods. I asked about castor oil and she said she wasn’t sure of the dosage, and for me to check online or with my Bradley instructor. My Mom and I go to Wal-mart and buy castor oil. I am still not sure I will actually take the castor oil, but I want it on hand just incase.
I called my Bradley instructor that morning and she said that what I find online is probably fine for dosage. She also reminds me to trust my body and my baby and that I will likely go into labor long before the induction. On Tuesday night Tim & I talk about our options and we decide that I will take the castor oil in the morning. We both want to avoid the medical induction and feel that the castor oil might take more than once to actually work. We wanted to make sure we had enough time to do the castor oil once, let my body recover for a day or so and then try again. I was really hoping that we wouldn’t have to do it twice, but I knew I would if push came to shove and the induction was looming.
On Wednesday the 14th I woke up and had some breakfast. Around 10am I decide to do it. I get a 16 oz glass and pour 4 oz of castor oil in the glass. Then I fill the rest of the glass with Orange juice. I stir it up and all at once guzzle it down. I followed it with a chaser of some more OJ. My mouth feels all oily and gross. (I can still taste the oil and feel my stomach turn as I write this). I wipe my mouth out with a washcloth and immediately go brush my teeth. I know I have to keep it down if it is going to work. I am REALLY hoping that I don’t have to do THAT again! Within an hour I was running to the bathroom with diarrhea. I would not suggest ever taking Castor oil with OJ. It burns when it comes out! LOL! So after I would get off the potty I would climb into the shower/tub and have a baking soda sitz bath and then rinse off in the shower. My butt was raw. So I was using diaper cream after every trip to the potty to protect my skin. This went on for about 6 hours. When Tim got home from work I was so sick to my stomach. He watched Kaleb and I tried to get some rest. When I woke up I finally had a bit of an appetite. I had been drinking fluid all day, but no food. I wanted to stay hydrated just incase it worked. I didn’t want an IV in the hospital. In order to refuse it, I knew I had to be well hydrated. We had BBQ steak and a nice green salad and some fruit for dinner. I was so bummed that after all that work and feeling sick that I was not having any contractions. I was still just having the Braxton-Hicks ones that I had been having for weeks. We got Kaleb to bed and started watching the movie, Pirates of the Caribbean. Tim fixed me some water to soak my feet in and then took my toe nail polish off. My Mom gave me a foot massage and rubbed my ankles since they were so swollen. At around 11pm I had been sitting for a while so I needed to use the bathroom. Tim got me some socks because my feet were oily from the foot massage. I went to the bathroom and peed. When I was standing up I felt a ****** POP****** and my water gushed out. Most of it landed in the toilet. I sat back down and hollered for Tim. I said "Tim My water just broke". Both My Mom and Tim came to the bathroom door. Tim asked "Are you sure?" I said "Yes I’m sure" My Mom says, "oh my you need a towel, and you need to get dressed" So they start scrambling around. They bring me a clean pair of undies and I shove one of Kaleb’s diapers into them to soak up any leakage. I put on some clothes and sit back on the couch in the living room. I call the on-call line for my Dr office. Dr Meline is on call. He says for me to come in right away. I told him that my contractions haven’t started yet so I will finish packing my bag, wait for my doula and then we will be in. He says OK, but I could tell he is irritated. I call my doula Sara at around 11:15. Sara is asleep. But she gets up and makes it here in record time. In the meantime I call my Aunt Kathy to alert her I am in labor. She lives 3 time zones away. So I woke her up too!
Tim wanted to go to the store and pick up a few things before we left for the hospital. I figured that since I hadn’t starting contracting yet and Sara wasn’t even here yet that he could go. My Mom was freaking out that we were so calm. So Tim left and Mom helped me finish packing my bag. As I was kneeling on the floor zipping up my suitcase I got my first contractions. It was about 11:45. Tim got home around Midnight and Sara got here about 5 minutes after that. I wanted to take a picture of my belly before we left for the baby book. I look way to happy and chipper to be too far into labor, right?!?!?!?
And then I went into Kaleb’s room to kiss him goodbye. I was crying when I kissed him because I was leaving him at home with Grandma and I knew that he would wake up to a brand new world with a sibling. I knew the transition was going to be hard. On my way back down the hall I got a very strong contraction that I had to lean against the wall and breathe through. It kinda reminded me… "hey get moving lady you have a baby to birth".
We left for the hospital at around 12:17am. The car ride was horrible. The position was bad and I hated feeling the pressure in my butt when I was sitting. I wanted to MOVE! In between contractions I told them I did not want an epidural for any reason.. I told them to stall me if I asked and to just coach me through. They agreed. We all knew that this was sane Jen talking. And that is decision was the one I had been working for all along.
When we got to the hospital Tim tried to drop me off at the door and let the nurse wheel me into the L & D floor. I refused. I was not a sick person I did not need a wheel chair. I could walk up. We parked in the garage and walked up, I insisted on helping carry my own pillow and camera bag. We got upstairs and into a room around 1am. I used the bathroom to give them their sample. I HATED sitting on the toilet. My contractions would double peak and become quite intense while sitting on the toilet. Dr. Meline had OK’d me refusing the IV so the nurse did not hassle me once she checked my urine and saw that I was well hydrated. She wanted me in a gown but I refused and put my own nightgown on. I had put snaps at the shoulders so that it was accessible, but it was soft and fit me better than the hospital gowns. Besides, I was not a sick person. I was a pregnant women having a baby.
I did not want a cervical check at that point but the nurse wanted to monitor the baby for 20-30 minutes. I got on the bed and let her adjust the monitors. I wanted to Move so sitting in bed was uncomfortable and I complained about it. Tera was my nurse and she asked the mile long list of questions while she monitored me and I coped with the contractions. Sara and Tim would rub my arms and say encouraging things to me to coach me through.
At 1:35am I asked her to check me and see where we were at. Basically I was in the bed, I know she wanted to check me and I didn’t want to have to get back in the bed later. So she checked me I was 3 cm dilated, 80 % effaced, anterior cervix and baby was at –2 station. So some good progress, my cervix was lined up where it was supposed to be, baby had come down and I was thinning out more. After she checked me I got up to walk around. I would slow dance with Tim, while Sara held a warm rice pack on my uterus really low. Every time I would have a contraction I would gush out more fluid. I hated the way it felt running down my leg and Sara was tired of sopping it up with paper towels off the floor. They did not want me to wear undies. So we grabbed a small hand towel and I held that between my legs while I walked around. Perfect! No fluid on the floor or legs!
Tim was really good about keeping me drinking water. After every contraction he would give me a sip. But that in turn kept me running to the toilet. I hated the toilet. I was also having lots of rectal pressure but thanks to the castor oil I had NOTHING left in there! I kept saying, "I can’t believe I am here and we are going to see our baby soon." I wanted to labor in water since it had worked so well with my 1st labor. I went into the tub around 2am. Sara would rub my shoulder and Tim would spray the parts of me that the water didn't cover. My Contractions are in my back and I am having a hard time relaxing my hips. I want to move again.
At 2:40 I am out of the tub. Slow dancing seems to be the only way to keep my hips and pelvis relaxed. Tera wants to monitor the baby again. I tell her I am not sitting down. So she squats next to where Tim and I are slow dancing and holds the monitor in place. After the monitoring is done I try all kinds of positions, sitting in the rocking chair, well that hurts my butt. I am feeling nauseated. My contractions are about 2 –3 minutes apart and about 50 sec long. I am saying things like "this sucks I don’t like it anymore". I try to lean over the birth ball on my knees in the bed. I just can’t get comfortable. I try laying on my side. Tim is applying a little counter pressure from behind. It feels good for a while.
At around 3:55 I was asking for the epidural. I was feeling so uncomfortable and not coping well with the contractions. Tera checks me again at 3:57am since I have to be at a 4cm to get an epidural. I am 4cm, 100%effaced probably –2 or –1 station but baby’s head is applied nicely to cervix. I am defeated by the news. Only 4cm?!?!?! I was so bummed. Sara and Tim are telling me how great I am doing and to just take one contraction at a time. I am saying "you are lying, I am not doing great I am out of control and freaking out" I tell them "I WANT AN EPIDURAL" Tim says "let’s try the tub again." I agree and climb in. I am on my side and Tim is applying pressure to my top hip. It really helps me cope with the pain. While in the tub I tell Tim that "I am angry and that I am worried I will look back at this experience and hate it all". Tim starts to feel bad but holds his ground and reminds me of all we have worked for and how close I really am. Since I feel like I am getting NO where with Tim I turn my frustrations on Sara. Poor girl!
We all know I have to have an IV before they can do the epidural and be monitored again. And since I am a hard stick for an IV I know I need IV therapy to put it in. I tell Sara to "Go get the fucking nurse and get IV therapy down here NOW". Everyone knows I am in transition EXCEPT me! In the meantime I am in the tub and I start to feel different. The contractions are different and I feel like they are REALLY moving the baby down. Sara comes back in and says IV therapy is on the way. I start to freak out and say "these contractions are different, they are pushing contractions". I want out of the tub NOW! So they get me out and onto the bed. Since I feel like pushing Tera checks me again. It is 4:40am, I am 6cm and baby is –1 station. I am grunting at the peak of each contraction. Tera tells me to stop because I will bruise my cervix. So I start to blow blow blow. IV Therapy has my IV in place by 4:50am. I am on my back, semi upright on the bed. I am still trying so hard not to push. "these are pushing contractions, I am pushing I can’t help it". They get me on my side and lower the head of the bed. Tim is still doing his counter pressure. Tera checks me again at 4:52, I am 8cm. She scrambles off the bed and tells me I don’t have time for an epidural and that she is going to call Dr. Meline. I am secretly relieved that I can’t have an epidural. Sara and Tim are coaching me through and helping me breath and blow. I would bury my head into the pillow and grunt at the peak. Sara and Tim were telling me to breath. It was horrible to not be able to listen to my body. The nurse comes back in and tells me not to push, I ask her why and she says the Dr is not here yet.
All the sudden a resident that I have NEVER seen before comes in the room. She is shaking and looks scared. She gets dressed quickly. I say "the baby is HERE" I am still trying not to push but grunting a bit at the peak of each contraction. The Dr is finally ready. They get me on my back and pull the towel from between my legs. You can see the baby’s head. I am having a hard time getting my legs apart. I don’t know if it is because I couldn't push for so long, or if I was just scared. So Tim is pulling one leg and Sara is pulling the other. I finally can push! I am screaming that it hurts and the nurse Tera said "well yeah it hurts" Like duh. I was not impressed with her. The Dr has her hands inside of me pushing down. I ask her what she is doing she says "I am keeping the baby from coming out". I am like "what?!?!?!?" thinking back I think she meant that she was keeping me from tearing, but it hurt very badly and I really wanted to kick her in the head. LOL!
I get the baby’s head half way out. I can feel my tissue stretch and it burns. I reach down and feel the baby’s head. It is all squishy and soft. I get the head out and the Dr stalls me saying that there is a cord. She unwraps the cord and I instinctively flip my weight onto one hip to make more room for the shoulders and I can feel the baby rotate. One more push and out the baby comes. It is 5:09am! Tim looks between the baby’s legs and says….. "IT’S A GIRL!" I am so excited, relieved exhausted. I start crying!
They hand her to me and I hold her while they rub her down. I am crying and saying "we did it, we did it" to Tim and Sara. I felt such a sense of pride and accomplishment in my birth! I was so happy she was healthy and a GIRL!!!!!.The Dr having not had time to read my birth plan that requested delayed cord clamping, clamps the cord and directs Tim to cut her cord almost immediately. She turns blue and is having trouble breathing. They whisk her away to the warmer to give her oxygen. I am furious that they cut her cord.
At this point the Dr is checking me out to see if I tore. I am screaming in pain because it hurts. She is applying traction to the cord. I ask her what she is doing. She says the placenta needs to come out. I ask her why she is rushing the placenta? I tell her to stop pulling and to wait. She doesn’t. The nurse tells me that Moms who have babies so close together (only 18 months between Kaleb & this baby girl) often have boggy uterus's and can hemorrhage. I ask if I am bleeding too much right now. She says No. I tell the Dr. to stop pulling. She stops but it is too late, I feel the placenta has detached and is waiting to be pushed out. I am not happy. (later I would be even more unhappy since I ended up with a uterine infection from a piece of retained placenta or membrane). Dr. Meline arrives. Only about 20 minutes late! He checks me out and says that I have a small tear at my perineum and also one beneath my urethra. I tore in both those places with Kaleb’s birth so I am not surprised. Neither tear needs any stitches. They finally bring my baby girl back to me and tell me that she is 20 1/2 inches long, 8lbs 1 oz and has a 14cm head.Her apgars were 7 and 8 because of the cord issues. Tim & I announce her name: Jasmyn Kathleen. I am in awe of her beauty and how awake and alert she is. She wants to nurse and start to root around. She latches on beautifully! Around 5:40am we call my Aunt Kathy and announce her name. She is thrilled! Tim & I are in awe of our baby girl and of our birth process. I learned so much about myself and felt so much more connected to Tim after going through this process. And we both felt so blessed to have a daughter. She is so beautiful and peaceful.
Our first Family picture.
Then
Now
Birth Stories!
I have been meaning to post my birth stories on my blog for sometime. I am part of online communities and often someone will ask me about my birth experiences. I, like most women, LOVE retelling the stories. I especially like retelling the stories because all 3 of my births are so different from each other. Kaleb birth was induced, fully medicated and in the hospital managed. Jasmyn's birth was low intervention, no pain meds, but in the hospital. Mason's birth was No intervention, home water birth. So the stories are very different and I am very proud of each one of them.
So I will start with Kaleb's birth story and then add Jasmyn and Mason's. I am hoping that one day soon I will be able to add a birth story for baby #4, if I can ever get pregnant! Stay tuned!
So I will start with Kaleb's birth story and then add Jasmyn and Mason's. I am hoping that one day soon I will be able to add a birth story for baby #4, if I can ever get pregnant! Stay tuned!
Kaleb's Birth Story
It was December 28th 2002 and our induction date was finally here. I am 11 days overdue and boy am I miserable! On our way to the hospital we stopped at the Mustard Seed restaurant where I got an order of Sweet & Sour Chicken and rice. I thought that I would need the food for energy during labor. I ate it in the car on the way to the hospital. We arrived at Deaconess Medical Center at 5:40pm. The nurse checked us in, took my vitals and had me pee in a cup. They were having problems with the computer system so the check in process took quite a while. At 7pm the nurse tried to get an IV started but she blew out one of my veins, so she called an IV specialist. At 7:20pm the IV specialist came in and got the line in. At 7:30 the midwife on call Kathy Bentley, came in to say hi. We also had a nurse sift change and Wendy came in. Wendy was a wonderful nurse. She was the nurse who had helped us when I was in the hospital with pre-term labor. It was nice to see a friendly face.
Midwife Kathy did an internal exam and found that I was 2-3 cm dilated 50% effaced and the baby was –2 station. She told me if I wanted I could just start with pitocin and skip the cytotec as my cervix was ripened enough to do that. But she also said that sometimes Cytotec causes women to go into active labor and they wouldn’t need pitocin. We were trying to avoid the pitocin so we choose to go with the cytotec first. At 7:50pm Kathy inserted the cytotec. I had to stay in bed for an hour to make sure the cytotec dissolved. She said that we can continue the Cytotec throughout the night. We could re-dose every 4 hours. Kathy also wanted me to try to get some sleep. She told me that they often use Morphine as a sedative for laboring women. She told me when I was ready to go to sleep to let the nurse know and they would give me the shot of morphine. At 8:10pm Tim & I called our Moms to give them an update on our progress. At 9:00pm Sara called to check on us. After Tim gave her an update, I called the nurse to request the morphine so I could sleep. At 9:15pm Wendy gave me the shot of morphine and I almost immediately felt sick to my stomach and felt lightheaded. Wendy said that it was probably from the Cytotec not the morphine. The cytotec also gave me stomach and bowel like cramps. So from about 9:30pm until 11:00pm I just felt sick. The morphine didn’t make me sleep at all. I just felt like I was drunk, but not drunk enough to pass out. It was horrible. So in between 11:00pm and 11:30pm Tim & I decided to just go ahead with the pitocin. We figured that I was already not sleeping and feeling crappy so we might as well just get labor going and get it over with. We told Wendy that we wanted to start the pitocin. She told us we had to wait until midnight because of the cytotec being in my system.
So in the meantime she suggested I get into the tub to relax. So I got into the tub around 11:30pm. At around Midnight I started to feel very sick to my stomach. So I got out of the tub and got dried off. I was headed back to bed to start the pitocin when all the sudden this wave of nausea hit me. At 12:10am I made a mad dash to the bathroom and threw up. So that Chinese food all the sudden did not sound like such a good idea! After I threw up and then dry heaved for a while, Wendy got me cleaned up and back into bed. At 12:45am we started the pitocin. The contractions were not that bad. I tried to rest off and on. Tim went ahead and got into his cot to try to get some rest. At about 3am I felt this "pop-pop" feeling in my lower abdomen. It was between my belly button and pelvic bone. I thought it was weird to feel such intense contractions in one place. I tried to go back to sleep. Then about 15 minutes later I needed to go to the bathroom. I asked Tim to come over and help me maneuver the IV pole. He got up and came over to help me out of bed. I stood up and feel this **GUSH** and felt fluid run down my legs. I guess the "pop-pop" was my water breaking. We called Wendy and she checked the fluid and said it was clear and looked fine. I went to the bathroom and had some "bloody show". We decided that since things were moving right along that we should call and get Mom and Sara at the hospital. I also called and updated Aunt Kathy.
After I got cleaned up and they changed my bed, they started a bag of penicillin since I am positive for Group B Strep. Then the contractions got stronger and stronger to where I needed help through them. Wendy brought us a birthing ball and I sat on that and leaned up against the bed. When a contraction would hit I would breath and rock back and forth on the ball while Tim rubbed my back. Between the contractions I would lean forward and rest my head on the bed and try to doze. We did this for about an hour. At about 4:40am I felt this wave of nausea come over me. I knew from earlier than evening that once the wave hit me I should head to the bathroom. I told Tim to help me maneuver the IV pole and fetal monitors. We headed as fast as we could to the bathroom. As we were rounding the bed, Mom walked in. Unfortunately, at that same time I could no longer wait and I threw up at her feet! Tim hit the call button and Wendy came in and threw a towel over the vomit so that I could make it to the bathroom, where I finished throwing up. Wendy decided my labor was in full swing so she stopped the pitocin. I was miserable at this point, so I asked Wendy for my epidural. She went to check on it, but the anesthesiologist was doing a c-section and had 2 other women ahead of me. When there is more than 1 women needed an epidural, the women furthest along in dilation gets to go first. So me being only 3 centimeters dilated was last on the list. So Wendy offered me some Nubain (a narcotic) to take the edge off the labor. I took her offer and then climbed into the tub. The jets in the tub didn’t cover my whole belly so Tim came in and sprayed the shower nozzle on my belly to help distract me from the pain. The Nubain made me feel a little woozy, like I was drugged and kind of out of it. I didn’t like how I felt.
Sara arrived at about 5:10am. Tim and Sara took turns spraying me with water. I dozed in between contractions while relaxing in the tub. I was really wanting them to hurry up with the epidural and asked Sara to check on it a couple times. She was afraid to come back and tell me how long it was away so at 6:15 Wendy came in and told me the epidural was ½ hour away. She said that I needed to be monitored for ½ hour before they could give me the epidural, so I got out of the tub to be monitored. The contractions were barely 2 minutes apart. I tried to doze between them. Sara & Tim helped me through them. They would stroke my arms and breathe with me telling me to relax, Tim would tell me when the contraction was coming to an end by looking at the monitor. I was sleeping between the contractions. At 6:30am Wendy did an internal exam. The baby’s head was at –1 station, I was dilated to 3 cm and 100% effaced. The baby’s head was right on the cervix, so they expected me to dilate more now. At 6:40 Wendy let us know that Kathy Bentley my midwife would be there around 8am.
At 6:45 the anesthesiologist arrived to start my epidural. I leaned over Wendy’s shoulders while Tina the anesthesiologist did the procedure. All I really felt was the first poke from the numbing medicine. By 6:55 the procedure was done and they put the epidural medicine in. Tina did a great job and everything was perfect. By 7:00am my butt was burning and felt asleep and my belly and vagina felt warm. The epidural was WORKING!!!! Sara at this point asked if I wanted pictures taken to remember the labor by. I said NO! At 7:05 they turned me to my left side and but a blood pressure cuff on my leg. Now that the epidural was in they needed to monitor my BP every 15 minutes or so.
At this point I was very tired so I asked everyone to leave and give me a chance to sleep. At around 7:25 they changed nurses and Marcy came on to put in internal monitor for the contractions. I was at 4cm and –1 station. Marcy was an interesting nurse. After she made a joke she would suck air in through her teeth in this very obnoxious way. That little habit of hers was annoying all the way through my labor. It is funny now that I think of it. At around 7:30 Sara, Mom and Tim left to get breakfast. I slept like a log the whole time they were gone. The epidural was great. I could feel my tummy get tight with the contractions but I didn’t feel any pain! Everyone got back around 8am. They gave me another bag of penicillin for the Group B Strep and they wanted me to turn onto my other side so the epidural would work on both sides.
At around 8:30am I started to feel lots of pressure in my vagina and butt. The pressure was making me tighten my perineum so Tim started to rub my legs to help me relax. Sara warmed up some rice bags to put on my butt to help me relax. At 8:45 I asked to be checked again and found that I was 7-8 cm with a paper-thin cervix, and at 0 station. So in just over an hour I went from 4 cm to 8 cm. I loved my epidural!!! And because of my great progress they decided to re-dose my epidural. At 8:46 am my Aunt Kathy calls in for an update. She tells my mom to give me the message of encouragement and for me to think of all the women who have gone before me and to draw strength from them. Hearing that message was wonderful. I could feel Kathy presence with me in the room. I felt the whole room was full of peace and strength. It really helped me to be calm when I headed into transition.
At 8:50 Midwife Kathy arrives and re-doses my epidural. Kathy suggests I get on my back and kind of sit up so that the epidural will get down to soothe the pressure in my bottom. I keep saying, "the baby feels like it is going to come out my ass" and Kathy said " well that’s good". I asked Kathy to call Val, my favorite midwife from the clinic and let her know I was in labor so that maybe she could come down and deliver my baby. Val had told me to do have someone call her if I delivered sometime over the weekend. Kathy told me she doubted that Val would come but that she would call her and ask. Kathy came back a few minutes later and told me that Val is excited and is on her way! I totally cried tears of joy. I was so happy that Val would be there. During my prenatal visits Val and I had talked about how much I wanted her to be there. She told me that if she couldn’t be there that I had to trust that the right person would be there to take care of Tim, our baby and myself. I was so happy to hear that the "right person" was going to be her.
By this time Sara & Tim are working with me through the contractions. They are helping me relax and breath. At one point around 9:30am Tim said "alright sweetie I want you to take a nice cleansing breath" I, in my moment of pain, told Tim, "You can take your cleansing breath and shove it up your ass". In my defense I was in transition and the contractions were very intense about 2-3 minutes apart. At 9:43 they came in and put a catheter into my bladder to empty my urine as I couldn’t get up to pee nor did I have the sensation to pee. They also checked me again and I was 9cm. At this point I lay down on my left side to get more comfortable and tried to sleep some more.
At about 10:00am I feel my body start to involuntarily push the baby down. With each contraction I could feel my uterus move the baby down. At 10:05am they took my temperature and saw that I was running a low-grade fever of about 99.3 degrees. They were kind of concerned because of me being positive for Group B Strep. They were concerned I had an infection of some kind. It turned out that my temp was high because I was in labor and nothing else. At 10:10 am I started having to breathe the hee hee hee hoos through the contractions. I am also starting to do this moaning thing through the contractions. Where I moan and do the hee hee hoos.
At about 10:20am they do an internal exam to find that I am 9cm with just a cervical lip they are pretty sure the baby is facing my spine like it should be. I started asking where Val is because I know it is getting close. At around 10:25 I start to get the urge to push, but I am afraid to push. I know it will hurt more to push, so I wait and I breathe through the contractions with Sara and Tim’s help. My Mom later said that Sara & Tim were the "picture of devotion" as they helped me labor. At around 10:30am the nurses start to prepare the room and warm the blankets for the baby. At 10:35am the urge to push is getting stronger and the nurses and midwife Kathy all tell me its OK to push and help move the baby down. Tim gets the cameras ready. At 10:39 the nurse tells me to grunt and push down to help take edge off the contractions. I don’t believe it will help, so I just continue to breathe through them. Everyone in the room is really supportive and said things like, "Jen you are a strong proud life giver" and other words of encouragement.
10:45am the contractions started to peak higher and were only about 90 seconds apart. They decided to increase the IV fluids because my temp was still high and the baby’s heart rate was a little high. Val finally arrives!!! I feel so safe and secure knowing she was there and would deliver my baby. She checks me and says that the cervical lip had receded and the baby was right there ready to be born! Val says, "you are the only one who can push this baby out". Then she put me in a good pushing position and she and a nurse tried to grab my legs to help me push. I said "Wait, wait, wait, I want Tim on one side and Sara on the other". They moved out so that Sara & Tim could take position. I felt very strongly that Tim & Sara be there to help me. I didn’t want them to look on from the sidelines, I wanted them to be in the action!
At 11:00 am we started pushing. They had told me that some women like to push because they get to work with the contractions, well not me. I hated pushing. I could feel my vagina skin stretch and burn. The pushing only made that worse. So on some of the contractions I would just lay there and breath through them. Tim and Sara tried to encourage me to push, but I would tell them I didn’t want to push. I complained that it hurt and said. "No, I am not pushing". I am sure it was quite comical to watch, there I was writhing around on the bed pounding on the bed rails cursing and refusing to push all the while knowing that the only way to stop the pain was to push.
Eventually I figured out that I had to do it. Kathy the midwife was encouraging me and was quite the Drill Sargent/cheer leader. She was saying things like, "push the pain out of you". And then Val was there rubbing oil on my perineum and the baby’s head trying to help me not tear. She was encouraging me by telling me how far I had come and how much of the baby’s head was showing. She would tell me to reach down and feel the baby’s head. At around 11:27 I was crying and having a hard time focusing, then it was like I got a second wind and really started to push. The pressure in my butt was unbearable and I could feel my skin stretch and tear. Val was holding a piece of gauze over one of my tears to make it stop bleeding. Val then got her gown on and started to prepare for the birth. At 11:34 Tim was saying encouraging words like "keep on it" and " we are almost there". I could feel the baby rotating his head trying to negotiate the pubic bone. It was a weird sensation to feel his head move inside my vagina. Tim and Sara could see him rotate his head too. They said it was cool to see him move.
At about 11:36am the baby crowned and didn’t slide up anymore when I stopped pushing. I keep pushing and pushing. I would grab a quick breath and then go back at it. His head moved down and down. Then at 11:47am one final push and his head was out and then out slipped his body with one fluid movement. He was born! They put him right on my tummy. He started to cry before he was all the way out. He laid on my tummy all wiggles and wet. The covered him with blankets and started to rub him down. Everyone was asking what’s his name? What’s his name? Tim and I at the same time said, KALEB JAMES. Everyone was excited and talking at the same time and hovering over the baby.
Tim cut the cord and they whisked him off to the warmer to be dried and checked out. 
Much to our surprise Kaleb weighed in at 9lbs 2 oz and was 20 ½ inches long, his head was 14 ¼ inch in circumference. We were not expecting him to be that big. Val had estimated that he would only be around 7 ½ pounds. So we were quite shocked that he weighed over 9 pounds. 
I could hardly wait to hold him again. Everything seemed very surreal and seemed to move in slow motion almost. I couldn’t believe I had done what I did. It was the most amazing thing. It was almost unbelievable.
I delivered my placenta and Sara & I took a good look at it. It is a very amazing organ. Then Val repaired a small tear above my urethra and a larger tear in my perineum.
Much to our surprise Kaleb weighed in at 9lbs 2 oz and was 20 ½ inches long, his head was 14 ¼ inch in circumference. We were not expecting him to be that big. Val had estimated that he would only be around 7 ½ pounds. So we were quite shocked that he weighed over 9 pounds. I could hardly wait to hold him again. Everything seemed very surreal and seemed to move in slow motion almost. I couldn’t believe I had done what I did. It was the most amazing thing. It was almost unbelievable. I delivered my placenta and Sara & I took a good look at it. It is a very amazing organ. Then Val repaired a small tear above my urethra and a larger tear in my perineum. About an hour later Kaleb breastfeed for the first time, and as I looked down at him I was overcome with such powerful love it was amazing. I can’t believe how much his birth brought Tim & I together and how much we love him. 
Our First "Family" Photo!
Then
Now
January 10, 2009
TTC update or musings.....
I have been giving our trying to get pregnant journey more thought this week. Mostly because I think I am nearing ovulation. And with ovulation comes the stress of trying to time intercourse to optimize our conception chances. All the while NOT discussing it with Tim as nothing is a bigger turn off to him than "planning" intercourse! LOL!
This cycle is just like all the ones before it. Normal normal normal. And I am having pain around my right ovary so I am assuming I will be ovulating on the right again. Which will result in me getting my period in 2 weeks instead of a positive pregnancy test. All of this makes me wonder if something is wrong with my left ovary.
We have been trying to get pregnant for months now. We are actually approaching the year mark for "trying". Now I realize the first 4-5 months my cycles were all screwed up. SO really even though we were trying to get pregnant it was not gonna happen because my cycles were not right. Then 7 cycles ago I started taking Metformin. And since I started taking Metformin my cycles have been perfect. Normal length, normal everything. And like clockwork over the past 6 and now 7 cycles I have had pain on my right side when ovulation approaches. Granted I get crampy on both sides, but the pronounced and significant pain comes from the right. I can also honestly say that during the past 7 cycles that Tim & I have made a very good effort to time intercourse to optimize our chances at conception. We have done very well in that department actually. And in past years when we tried to get pregnant before we have had similar timed intercourse and have gotten pregnant quickly. Dare I say... easily.
So what is different this time? The only thing I can figure is the blocked right tube. And possibly that the left ovary is not functioning correctly? Why else would I have gone 7 cycles and not ovulated on the left side. Why else am I not pregnant?
So what can I do now? Keep trying. Well yes. But what else? Clomid keeps entering my mind. But I am not sure that is even the best option for us. I know I probably just need to go back to the Dr. and have another consult with him. I have questions about the HSG results and how that fits into this puzzle. Before when I asked Dr. M about Clomid he said no because he felt I was ovulating and that Clomid would simply increase my chances of twins or triplets. But that was before Tim's workup came back normal. And that was also before my HSG came back with a blocked left tube. So would Dr. M have a different answer now that he has more information?
I have seen in my online research that Drs do give patients Clomid to make them produce eggs out of both ovaries in a given cycle. And that certainly would increase our chances of getting pregnant. But considering I only have one functioning tube, would the risk of twins really be increased? Or does clomid cause twins because an egg is released on both sides? If that is the case then with my situation it would not apply, right?
I guess I wrote all of this to basically figure out in my own head that I need more information from the Dr. I mean I can't even have an intelligent conversation with Tim about the Clomid without the answers on what our increased risk of twins is. We can't decide until we know what our options are and what risks we would be taking.
So if you read all of this... it is really just my way of getting to the bottom of the next step in my own mind! Thanks for letting me sit on your couch!
This cycle is just like all the ones before it. Normal normal normal. And I am having pain around my right ovary so I am assuming I will be ovulating on the right again. Which will result in me getting my period in 2 weeks instead of a positive pregnancy test. All of this makes me wonder if something is wrong with my left ovary.
We have been trying to get pregnant for months now. We are actually approaching the year mark for "trying". Now I realize the first 4-5 months my cycles were all screwed up. SO really even though we were trying to get pregnant it was not gonna happen because my cycles were not right. Then 7 cycles ago I started taking Metformin. And since I started taking Metformin my cycles have been perfect. Normal length, normal everything. And like clockwork over the past 6 and now 7 cycles I have had pain on my right side when ovulation approaches. Granted I get crampy on both sides, but the pronounced and significant pain comes from the right. I can also honestly say that during the past 7 cycles that Tim & I have made a very good effort to time intercourse to optimize our chances at conception. We have done very well in that department actually. And in past years when we tried to get pregnant before we have had similar timed intercourse and have gotten pregnant quickly. Dare I say... easily.
So what is different this time? The only thing I can figure is the blocked right tube. And possibly that the left ovary is not functioning correctly? Why else would I have gone 7 cycles and not ovulated on the left side. Why else am I not pregnant?
So what can I do now? Keep trying. Well yes. But what else? Clomid keeps entering my mind. But I am not sure that is even the best option for us. I know I probably just need to go back to the Dr. and have another consult with him. I have questions about the HSG results and how that fits into this puzzle. Before when I asked Dr. M about Clomid he said no because he felt I was ovulating and that Clomid would simply increase my chances of twins or triplets. But that was before Tim's workup came back normal. And that was also before my HSG came back with a blocked left tube. So would Dr. M have a different answer now that he has more information?
I have seen in my online research that Drs do give patients Clomid to make them produce eggs out of both ovaries in a given cycle. And that certainly would increase our chances of getting pregnant. But considering I only have one functioning tube, would the risk of twins really be increased? Or does clomid cause twins because an egg is released on both sides? If that is the case then with my situation it would not apply, right?
I guess I wrote all of this to basically figure out in my own head that I need more information from the Dr. I mean I can't even have an intelligent conversation with Tim about the Clomid without the answers on what our increased risk of twins is. We can't decide until we know what our options are and what risks we would be taking.
So if you read all of this... it is really just my way of getting to the bottom of the next step in my own mind! Thanks for letting me sit on your couch!
Optimus Prime Pinata
Just thought that I would post how I made the pinata for Kaleb's 6th birthday.
Here is a list of stuff you will need.
First I blew up a big balloon to make the shape I wanted. In this case just a big globe like pinata. I used a Dollar Store Punch Ball as my shape. You can make it whatever shape you want by taping different sized balloons together. My Mom made a dog bone once. Use your imagination!
Then tear up your newspaper into strips that will fit into your tupperware container. Put the Newspaper strips in a large container, I used a small box. Then mix up the medium for paper mache. I used Elmers glue and water. Basically I used 1 part water 1 part glue. I mixed it up in the tupperware container stirring with a small spatula.
Start dipping the strips of newspaper into the glue mixture. When the strip is saturated run your fingers down the strip to remove excess glue, catching the drips back in the tupperware container. Place the strip of newspaper onto the balloon. Repeat and overlap the newspaper strips by an inch or so over the strip next to it. Cover the whole shape. Repeat until your layer is 3-4 newspaper strips deep. Remember to leave an opening at the top of the pinata so that you can add candy to your completed pinata. Once your first layer is applied to the balloon(s), set up your space heater (or place pinata next to a heat source) so that hot air blows on the pinata and speeds drying. Cover your glue mixture wit the lid between layers so the medium does not dry up. You may need to make more batches of medium to complete your pinata. Each layer may take up to 24 - 48 hours to dry depending on how thick your layer is, how much glue you use, and the humidity in your room.
After the layer is dry and hardened repeat the paper mache process again. Dip paper in glue mixture, squeeze excess of paper and then place onto pinata. Overlap as you go. Cover pinata 3-4 times. Allow to dry completely by using the heat source again.
Next is the fun part! You get to paint it! I started with a base coat of just plain red.
First he drew them on paper.
Then he traced them onto the pinata with a pencil.
Then I used Blue paint and following his pencil marks put the flames on the pinata. It took about 2 coats of paint for it to cover the pinata paper.
After the blue paint was dry I coated the whole thing with clear coat varnish. I mostly did this so it would be shiny like the paint on Optimus Prime. Depending on what your shape/theme is, you may not need the clear coat.
The AFTERMATH
Here is a list of stuff you will need.
Materials:
Newspaper
Elmers glue
Water
Flat large tupperware dish with lid
stirring utensil
Work area that can get messy and stay that way until project is done.
space heater (optional but helps everything dry much faster)
Newspaper
Elmers glue
Water
Flat large tupperware dish with lid
stirring utensil
Work area that can get messy and stay that way until project is done.
space heater (optional but helps everything dry much faster)
Paint
Paint brushes
Clear coat varnish
Clear coat varnish
First I blew up a big balloon to make the shape I wanted. In this case just a big globe like pinata. I used a Dollar Store Punch Ball as my shape. You can make it whatever shape you want by taping different sized balloons together. My Mom made a dog bone once. Use your imagination!
Then tear up your newspaper into strips that will fit into your tupperware container. Put the Newspaper strips in a large container, I used a small box. Then mix up the medium for paper mache. I used Elmers glue and water. Basically I used 1 part water 1 part glue. I mixed it up in the tupperware container stirring with a small spatula. Start dipping the strips of newspaper into the glue mixture. When the strip is saturated run your fingers down the strip to remove excess glue, catching the drips back in the tupperware container. Place the strip of newspaper onto the balloon. Repeat and overlap the newspaper strips by an inch or so over the strip next to it. Cover the whole shape. Repeat until your layer is 3-4 newspaper strips deep. Remember to leave an opening at the top of the pinata so that you can add candy to your completed pinata. Once your first layer is applied to the balloon(s), set up your space heater (or place pinata next to a heat source) so that hot air blows on the pinata and speeds drying. Cover your glue mixture wit the lid between layers so the medium does not dry up. You may need to make more batches of medium to complete your pinata. Each layer may take up to 24 - 48 hours to dry depending on how thick your layer is, how much glue you use, and the humidity in your room.
After the layer is dry and hardened repeat the paper mache process again. Dip paper in glue mixture, squeeze excess of paper and then place onto pinata. Overlap as you go. Cover pinata 3-4 times. Allow to dry completely by using the heat source again. Once the sides are strong enough to retain the shape you desire, use a pin and pop the balloons inside. This will allow for better air circulation and allow for more even drying.
This next step is optional. Depending on what the age range is for the children or how many children will be breaking the pinata open, you may want to reinforce the pinata with string, yarn, wire, chicken wire, etc..... Obviously the stronger the reinforcement the more difficult to break open. For my pinata I used yarn for reinforcement. I did one layer of paper mache so that the shape was sticky with glue. Next I wrapped yarn around the shape in a criss cross manner until the shape was wrapped well with yarn. Then I did 2 more sheets of paper mache covering the whole shape. Allow to dry completely.
After the yarn layer is completely dry I added an handle. This is so you have something to attach rope to so you can suspend the pinata in the air once it is done. I used a strip of cloth. The cloth was long enough to reach all the way around the pinata and created a loop right above the opening I had left for the candy. I dipped the cloth in the glue mixture and applied it to the pinata. I then paper mached 3-4 thicknesses of newspaper over the top. You could also add another layer of yarn over this layer to reinforce the handle. Allow this layer to dry completely. Please note it may take additional time for this layer to dry because the cloth soaks up more glue than paper.
Place as many layer of paper mache as you desire to reach the thickness needed. Consider the group of people you are making the pinata for. If the kids are older or stronger, then more layers and reinforcement is needed so that EVERYONE gets a turn to hit the pinata before it breaks open. If the kids are little and not as strong, use fewer layers so that someone is successful at breaking it open! ***For my crowd of 2-6 year olds and we had 13 kids total I used 2 layers of yarn, and 10 layers of paper mache. Plus paint and clear coat. It was a bit too strong and we broke the stick before the stick broke the pinata. ***
Once you have applied enough layers and feel confident that the pinata is strong enough allow it to dry completely. I would give it a few days to dry completely all the way through.
This is about how big the pinata was compared to Kaleb. It took 1 week to get all the layers on and to get it painted and dried in time for Kaleb's party.
This is about how big the pinata was compared to Kaleb. It took 1 week to get all the layers on and to get it painted and dried in time for Kaleb's party. 
Next is the fun part! You get to paint it! I started with a base coat of just plain red.Then I wanted to put flames on it like Optimus Prime has in the movie Transformers. For this step I asked my brother Dave to come draw the flames for me.
First he drew them on paper.Then he traced them onto the pinata with a pencil.
Then I used Blue paint and following his pencil marks put the flames on the pinata. It took about 2 coats of paint for it to cover the pinata paper.
After the blue paint was dry I coated the whole thing with clear coat varnish. I mostly did this so it would be shiny like the paint on Optimus Prime. Depending on what your shape/theme is, you may not need the clear coat.
The finished project!!!!!
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Then the kids got instructions on "pinata etiquette"!
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Then the kids got instructions on "pinata etiquette"!*Wait your turn. Sit on your bottoms away from pinata while you wait.
* Don't swing until everyone else is sitting down.
* 3 swings per turn.
* Guest of honor goes first, then your turn is by birth order (or alphabetical)
* Once the pinata breaks please gather the candy and place in candy bowl.
* Candy is evenly distributed to each child and other party guests.
Big Swinger!
The AFTERMATHIt was a complete success! It was worth the sticky hands, dry time, and effort! Kaleb was thrilled! And that was really the point!
:)
:)
:)
:)
:)
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