Elliott's Birth Story

I was terrible at keeping up with the blog before he was born and now I expect I will be even worse now that he is here but I can at least tell you of his birth. The morning of his birthday I was feeling miserable which was very frustrating because it was my first week of maternity leave and I was hoping to get a lot accomplished with the nursery and the house in preparation for his birth. My to do list included hanging art work, washing cloth diapers, touching up paint, and cleaning the house top to bottom. I was sitting around the house moping around with the stomach flu while Eric taken the day off to make sure I was ok. My symptoms were diarrhea and vomiting which was really just horrible being 9 months pregnant. Being concerned about dehydration we called the midwife to let her know I was ill and see if we should do anything in particular. She said the baby would be fine despite me feeling like death and I should just continue drinking fluids as much as possible and rest. I napped until about 3 in the afternoon when my stomach was really hurting and jokingly Eric pulled out his contraction timer app and began "timing" my diarrhea pains. I thought it was so funny that he wanted to try it and remember thinking how excited I would be when we would REALLY use the timer, because after all these weren't contractions... right?
After timing a few of the "pains" he stopped because nothing was really consistent like our birthing book mentioned they would be and I just continued to lay on the couch and watch tv. At one point I pulled out the exercise ball (which I had planned on using when I was in "actual labor") and just laid across it and felt some relief. I think trying to stay balanced on the ball was a really good distraction. At 6:30 I wasn't feeling any better although I hadn't had any more symptoms, in fact suddenly my stomach pains were sharper and came and went rather than being more of a constant dull pain so we decided to time the pains again. I really wanted to get showered since I hadn't done that all day and once I got upstairs to the bathroom I decided a bath would be more relaxing. I threw my hair up deciding not to shampoo and deal with blow drying it and got in the tub with some of my lavender bubble bath. After sitting in the tub for about 15 mins I suddenly felt horribly nauseous, and of course threw up.
At this moment I really felt like this was more than just a stomach flu but didn't give "labor" any more thought because all I could think was "This SUCKED"! I was able to get myself dried off and that was all I had the energy for. Again when I was in labor I had planned on wearing my black sports bra and black shorts but in the moment, screw clothes, and screw modesty! I was lying on the floor between our bathroom and bed in nothing but my birthday suit and didn't even care. Eric helped me get to the bed where the comforter and I played a game of "now you're too hot, now you're too cold", while Eric called the midwife. She wanted to listen to me while I had a contraction. I thought she was crazy, she wanted me to talk while I felt like a knife was being twisted around inside me, VERY funny Karen (that's the midwifes name, by the way, I didn't mention that before). When she realized I couldn't talk during the pains she was more convinced I was in labor and told Eric to call her by 10 if they got closer together. So Eric pulled out the timer and by 10 o'clock the contractions were 2-3 mins apart and I was yelling at him to call Karen and to call my mom. Karen told Eric she was on her way and to start getting things set up. You see, when you have a home birth there are precautions you take to protect your bedding and carpeting and generally you are able to do this in advance. But I was already in the bed and didn't feel like going anywhere so Eric was able to wedge some towels under me and then pulled out the "What to do if your midwife doesn't make it" list. This list includes things like turning up the temperature in the house to 80 degrees so baby is nice and warm and getting towels warmed in the dryer. Talk about freaking out, Eric was running around like a crazy person, poor guy. He was terrified HE would have to deliver our baby!
When the midwife and my mom showed up at 1, Karen the midwife, took a few minuets to set up her things and checked me to see how many centimeters I was. SURPRISE! I was already at 9 centimeters.... holy crap, this was happening! The midwife offered that if I was uncomfortable on my back that changing position to hands and knees might be more comfortable and I figured why not. I had only been on my hands and knees a moment or so when I felt a gush like I wet my pants. I was terrified, thinking the midwife or someone saw what happened I waited and when no one said anything I asked if I was OK. They all reassured me I was fine, but I said no, I felt something and the midwife exclaims, "Oh wow, your water broke"!
The second midwife arrived shortly after and the apprentice midwife showed up shortly after that. My contractions continued to get stronger. I decided to lay back down as the hands and knees wasn't comfortable anymore. The midwives were able to get the absorbent medical pads and plastic under me to protect the mattress at this time. My saving grace was Eric kneeling by the bed with cool rags for my forehead and ice water to drink, they were a great distraction when the contractions hit. What is amazing to me looking back, is that while I was pretty uncomfortable during contractions, in the time between my body took over and made me rest, preparing for the next contraction. During the resting points I was perfectly calm, kept my eyes closed and just focused on my breathing. Everyone was busy around me, doing what exactly, I have no recollection. Around midnight, Karen did another check and said I was fully dilated and that if I wanted to give a push to see how it feels, I could. So I did. It was such a strange feeling. Relief, progression, and anticipation are all how I would describe getting to push in labor. Knowing that each push would lead you closer to baby is so comforting and the excitement drives you forward. I thank all the hours I spent reading about labor and delivery, our birthing classes and the knowledge our midwife passed to us for how prepared and calm I felt at this moment. Now the moment that I struggled with was crowning, aka the "Ring of Fire". I started to panic and doubt myself big time. I was tired, exhausted, and this HURT, how could I keep going! Karen saw me struggling, took my hand looked me in the eye and essentially told me I could do this, I had come this far and did amazing and that I ultimately had no choice. This was the exact push I needed to push this baby out. When I had the next urge to push I listened to Karen's coaching on when and how hard to push. Then she told me I could reach down and feel his head, SO CRAZY! I looked over at Eric and he was getting choked up. Within the next few pushes we were being told to look down and see our babies head and at 12:55am he was out and in my arms. He was so precious. His cord was short so he only went as far as my stomach and since we were delaying his cord clamping that is as far as he went until I delivered the placenta. Within 20 minuets I delivered the placenta and Eric got to hold his son. Eric cut his cord after it stopped pulsating 15 minuets later. I got really emotional at this time. He was now out and ready to experience the world, no longer safe inside me and I just couldn't believe it.

It's funny to me, as I try to write an ending to this blog post, it is hard because its not the end, it is just the beginning :)

Closer to the End

So, once again it has been way to long since I blogged last. I began working part time and thought, oh I'll have much more time for this, and that has been the furthest from the truth! 

Around the time I last blogged we had recently started our birthing classes and were still getting the feel for them. We've enjoyed going and getting to chat with the other parents and learning the different positions for labor and what to expect. The greatest thing this class has brought us though is confidence that we have done our research well and have the best midwife and made the best decision for us. We have been seeing our midwife every 2 weeks now and have been gathering the supplies we will need for the home birth. She gave us a list (I LOVE lists) and we've almost purchased or gathered everything we need off the list. It includes the following:

• 2 drop cloths (to protect the carpet, birth is messy!)
• q-tips and alcohol for cord care
• flashlight
• tea, juice, munchies and a natural version of Gatorade
• sitz bath herbs
• underarm thermometer
• kleenex
• hydrogen peroxide (removes blood)
• menstrual pads (oh boy!)
• sheets, towels (enough for mom and baby)
• blankets
• clothing for baby

In addition to the list we ordered our midwives birth kit that she customized through a neat home birth website. It has more of the medical sterile items that you couldn't purchase at a normal store like chucks, cord clamp, gloves, booger sucker (to clear babies airway), ect. 

I feel like I have been in slightly crazy nesting mode and it feels so great to get things checked off the must do list. Today specifically was a huge day. We traded in an expired car seat kindly given to us by a former coworker to use for the trade in event at Babies R Us and got our first car seat! A great way to get recalled and expired items out of peoples homes, you bring in the old equipment to Babies R US and get 25% off the new one. Eric's next project will be to install it! Then today my mom called us when she was a block away from our house with the crib! Babies grandmas and grandpas were in cahoots and got us the crib, mattress and toddler rail we had been eyeing. Thank you so much to our parents for that, it means so much to us. It is now put together and looking stunning in the nursery, YAY! Eric also finished the touch up painting in the nursery, we found a used glider on craigslist that is now all cleaned up as well as an old dresser to go with the vintage feel. Between the glider and the dresser we've only spent $200! Nothing feels better than being thrifty!

We had our 34 week appointment this morning and health wise everything looks great! His heart rate is between 140-150, he is head down, and through the midwifes expert hands, feels to be about 5 pounds (nice and round just like we want him, no low birth weight babies). We talked about breast feeding and positions to make that easier and what the first few weeks will look like and that made it so much more real!

The next big things coming up: home visit by the midwife and her assistant to see the house again discuss everyone's jobs that day and a baby shower thrown by my mom, best friend Kelsey, and little sister! We have never felt more loved than to hear someone wants to throw a party for us. I can't wait to see all those we love.

Look how round the belly is in this picture! I think he was trying to escape through my belly button haha!

New Year Resolutions

The second trimester has come and gone! It is really sad to see that one go since I have felt so amazing. I love being pregnant! With the exception of a few nasty leg cramps or restlessness at night, everything has gone so well. I gained the 5 pounds our midwife wanted to see and in the past 4 weeks have gained 2 more. Generally around 26 weeks or so pregnant women go in for a glucose test to see whether they are at risk for gestational diabetes. A perk of having a midwife and planning a home birth is my care can be really specialized and rather than being flooded with unnecessary and stressful testing we can decide which to do and which are unnecessary. I am considered low risk for gestational diabetes therefore won't be taking the glucose test assuming the rest of my blood work continues to be normal. Other pregnancy tidbits, my skin is looking and feeling awesome, goodbye nasty pregnancy acne! And I've had some random and annoying nosebleeds. In other baby news, Eric painted the nursery! YAY! There won't be any postings of it until I have it more decorated however ;) I've been very itchy to get art on the walls and drapes up! I wish I could just snap my fingers and make it happen!
Eric and I attended our first birthing class last night, which we were both very nervous for. We chose to go with the Bradley Method birthing course for many reasons. They have a really excellent reputation for having a natural birth outcome, which is pretty important when your having a home birth ;) Also they really put their main focus on presenting birth as a team effort between the mother and the father, and aim at teaching Eric to be my labor coach. Not that I am an expert on birth (bahaha far from lol) but I am really excited for him to become more empowered and be able to successfully meet my needs during labor rather that feeling helpless and be a hugely important part of his sons birth, as opposed to being a nervous wreck. With these courses the instructors receive their certification to teach and then often teach out of their homes so generally I have heard its best to be referred to a great instructor. The trouble with this is our midwife is based out of Boulder and doesn't have many resources in northern Colorado so we were flying by the seat of our pants when we looked for a class. Luckily for us our instructors are great. It is a husband/wife team who teaches the class who had 2 hospital and one home birth. Just after the one class, I am already grateful that they teach it together. We actually get to see the husbands side of labor and really get to see how great of a team they have become through the Bradley Method. There are 3 other couples in the class, 2 are planning a natural hospital birth with an OB and 1 who is planning a natural hospital birth with a nurse midwife. I'm most excited to meet back up with them after the babies are born and see how our experiences all vary.
On New Years eve Eric and I were lying in bed discussing "resolutions" and usually we would say things like eating healthier or setting a savings goal but of course this year is so different than past years. My resolution is to put Eric's and our families needs above my own and be more selfless. Eric's resolution is to be a great husband and dad. While I didn't have a father as I was growing up that gives a girl plenty of time to see the traits that make great dads great, and Eric has all of those plus more. He is open-minded, kind, truthful, accepting, and a great leader. To find out we are having a boy made me that much more eager to watch him get to be an amazing father the way his dad was with him. I'm so thrilled to get to be a mother but equally thrilled to see their relationship grow.