My mom arrived Monday afternoon, because I though I was in labor. She had just gotten home from her mission on Friday, unpacked, had a family dinner, and then got on a plane to fly to Montana for me.
I had already had a false alarm the week before and Joy had flown up to spend a few days with me...no labor came, we had a marvelous time though, she helped encourage me, and helped keep my mind off of why I was not in labor. Since all of my other babies (except Sam) had been early, It was really wierd for me to go to my due date (May12) and I was a little nervous as to why I wasn't going into labor.
The Plan:
was that I would have a midwife come to my house and help me deliver this sweet new baby that I had been anxiously awaiting. But the best laid plans often find a way of going awry. So it was in this case. Saturday after Joy went home, Ryan took me out to dinner at Chili's. I got a phone call that the midwife would not be able to attend my birth. So...I was on my own. I have all the equiptment that most homebirth midwives have, oxygen, pitocin, resuscitation equiptment ect. Ryan was a little nervous, but I was determined to stay in control and have a nice, easy birth. One I was in control of, with no one telling me I was doing it wrong, or "encouraging" me to do what my body wasn't telling me to do. I got my wish. I had the most perfect birth. I listened to my body. I learned how strong my instincts are. I felt just what they baby needed me to do and felt like I could tell the baby what to do. It was so amazing! Ryan felt calm and was such a strength to me the entire time. It was the greatest experience we have ever had. I hesitated to share it, because I think you needed to be there to understand just how simple and natural and calming it was to give birth to Annalee. She has truly changed our family. And the experience of having her has made me a calmer, stronger, more settled woman.
I was woken with contractions in the middle of the night after I had gone on a really long walk the night before. I was able to go back to sleep though, and since I had thought that I was in labor a couple of times before, and it panned out to nothing, I didn't get too excited. By 6:00 am when Ryan got up though, the contractions were every 10 minutes, and they were real. I got up and figured they would go away as I got the kids ready for school, but they didn't. Ryan went to work to get his crew off and I got my crew onto the bus. Except Sam. He really wanted to stay home. That proved to be a good decision. My house was spotless and it felt so good to be where I was so comfortable, when I had those contractions that lasted a good full 2 minutes. Inbetween contractions I was able to laugh, joke, walk, and be normal, but during those 2 minutes, I had to rock , sway, and focus completely.
I tried jumping on the trampoline with Emma, but that was no good, it hurt too bad. I did play with the girls outside, and laughed at them trying to catch the ducks.
It was intense, but I had good breaks inbetween. The contractions only came every 10 minutes. Good, and bad. I knew they had to get closer in order for me to have a baby, but I hated the thought of them coming closer.
Finally, I decided that I really needed to have them come closer and just end this. I went inside after a 30 minute nap in the sunshine, to get my shoes, and the contractions hit me full force. I rocked on the green couch and tried a little back pressure from my mom and Ryan. It helped a little, my water broke here, but I decided that the tub is what I needed. So in I went.
In the tub, It was easier to deal with the contractions. Mara and Ryan poured water over my back the whole time, and it helped greatly. Sam took Emma downstairs to watch Strawberry Shortcake, she was asking a lot of questions and I needed to focus, I was glad he was there to do it. I was only in thetub about 15 minutes and I felt like I needed to push with the contractions. I checked, and I wasn't quite complete yet, I still had an anterior lip. With Emma, they made me push with an anterior lip, and it took 45 minutes of pushing, laying down in bed. This time with Annalee, I sat on the toilet and had three contractions, checked and I was complete. There was a bulging bag of water that broke on the toilet, and felt her head at my pubic bone. It needed a little help to get through, so I stood up and pushed with the contraction just until the head was passed my pubic bone, then I waited. I told Ryan she was coming, he got a towel, and with the next contraction I let her just gently come on her own without pushing. The next contraction, her body came, her daddy caught her and handed her to me.
I suctioned her out, and sat down. I asked for towels, to dry and stimulate her, and then I asked for the stethoscope to make sure her heart and lungs were good. She was amazing. I was shocked at how small she was. I thought for sure that going to her due date would make her as big as Sam(8lbs 2 oz) But she was so long and skinny. I couldn't believe it was a girl. I was so glad!
Mara was the best helper ever. She got so excited when she saw the baby that she ran down to tell Sam and Emma to come! Emma was traumatized about the cutting of the umbilical cord, so we had much explaining to do. I forgot in all my educating of her that she might find that scary, she was sure we were cutting the baby. We got it all squared away though, and she eventually understood that it was okay to cut the cord.
After the placenta, I got to bed while Ryan cleaned up the baby a little. She was so perfect.
We put her in the sling...
And weighed her...5lbs 14 oz
Then we measured her....19 inches
Couldn't have done it without the calm strength of my great husband and daughter, and the gentle encouragement of my mother and Becky.
It was intense, but I had good breaks inbetween. The contractions only came every 10 minutes. Good, and bad. I knew they had to get closer in order for me to have a baby, but I hated the thought of them coming closer.
Finally, I decided that I really needed to have them come closer and just end this. I went inside after a 30 minute nap in the sunshine, to get my shoes, and the contractions hit me full force. I rocked on the green couch and tried a little back pressure from my mom and Ryan. It helped a little, my water broke here, but I decided that the tub is what I needed. So in I went.
In the tub, It was easier to deal with the contractions. Mara and Ryan poured water over my back the whole time, and it helped greatly. Sam took Emma downstairs to watch Strawberry Shortcake, she was asking a lot of questions and I needed to focus, I was glad he was there to do it. I was only in thetub about 15 minutes and I felt like I needed to push with the contractions. I checked, and I wasn't quite complete yet, I still had an anterior lip. With Emma, they made me push with an anterior lip, and it took 45 minutes of pushing, laying down in bed. This time with Annalee, I sat on the toilet and had three contractions, checked and I was complete. There was a bulging bag of water that broke on the toilet, and felt her head at my pubic bone. It needed a little help to get through, so I stood up and pushed with the contraction just until the head was passed my pubic bone, then I waited. I told Ryan she was coming, he got a towel, and with the next contraction I let her just gently come on her own without pushing. The next contraction, her body came, her daddy caught her and handed her to me.
I suctioned her out, and sat down. I asked for towels, to dry and stimulate her, and then I asked for the stethoscope to make sure her heart and lungs were good. She was amazing. I was shocked at how small she was. I thought for sure that going to her due date would make her as big as Sam(8lbs 2 oz) But she was so long and skinny. I couldn't believe it was a girl. I was so glad!
Mara was the best helper ever. She got so excited when she saw the baby that she ran down to tell Sam and Emma to come! Emma was traumatized about the cutting of the umbilical cord, so we had much explaining to do. I forgot in all my educating of her that she might find that scary, she was sure we were cutting the baby. We got it all squared away though, and she eventually understood that it was okay to cut the cord.
After the placenta, I got to bed while Ryan cleaned up the baby a little. She was so perfect.
We put her in the sling...
And weighed her...5lbs 14 oz
Then we measured her....19 inches
Couldn't have done it without the calm strength of my great husband and daughter, and the gentle encouragement of my mother and Becky.
1 comment:
Mrlanie, what a beautiful post! Congratulations!
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