Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baby. Show all posts
1/16/2011
1/15/2011
A Belated Birth Story
*edited August 16, 2011, to include details and thoughts I want to remember.
It's been nearly 7 weeks now, but in case anyone is still interested in Adrienne's brief birth saga, I'll share.
This was not an easy pregnancy. And it was probably worse because my first was so easy. I certainly knew in my head that no two pregnancies are alike, but subconsciously I must have expected to glide through the second as smoothly as the first. When that was not the case, it was hard for me to adjust my expectations and summon the necessary coping skills. Now that I know--for at least two of the discomforts that made this one difficult are all but sure to return with subsequent conceptions--I am hopeful and prayerful that God will grant me courage and strength to endure with greater fortitude. Being mentally prepared, I think, is half the battle.
Our predicted due date was Friday, Nov. 26--the day after Thanksgiving. Carolyn was 8 days "late," so I suppose it's no surprise that I was still pregnant on Saturday the 27th. My parents and my brother had arrived on Thanksgiving Day, but we didn't get the new guest room finished in time. So Carolyn slept in the pack-n-play in our room, leaving the futon in her room to my parents and the living room couch to Brian.
I started having contractions that were actually painful sometime early Tuesday evening (November 30). But they were short and infrequent, so I helped cook and generally continued on as usual. (Roast turkey served alongside Gingered Pumpkin Soup w/ Molasses Whipped Cream makes a fabulous pre-labor meal, by the way.) In addition to my parents and brother, my aunt was here for dinner, and Kevin was working on the house with our good friend Jim. So, being me and having an inordinate love of privacy, I didn't tell anyone that labor had begun. . .even when the pain became fairly intense and the spacing was close enough to start watching the clock (except Kevin, of course. I did tell Kevin, because you shouldn't keep secrets from your husband. Especially secrets like "we're going to have a baby tonight."). I know this bothers people, this keeping things to myself. And I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's not something I can explain easily, so suffice to say that it helps me. The introvert in me copes best with pain and pressure without extra attention.
Anyway, Carolyn went to bed a little late. The men worked late. The house didn't start settling down for the night until about 11, by which time I was having a hard time masking the contractions and confessed that we wouldn't be needing our scheduled "past-due ultrasound" the next morning. We settled into the living room for a few short hours, Kevin timing the contractions and bringing me sustenance, Brian providing distractions. (He's the closest thing I've got to a sister, you know, and he's priceless. Truly priceless.) By 2 AM, I was beyond ready to call the midwife. We'd been waiting because the timing of my contractions was not what it "should" have been to indicate imminent birth, but my legs were starting to shake and I was feeling as if I was in transition. . .which, as it turned out, I certainly was. By 2:50, we met Nikki, the midwife on call, at the birth center. She did a quick exam, found me dilated to 8 cm, and stepped out to phone in the nurse. (Because it is a freestanding birth center, there is no need for 24-hour staffing unless someone is in labor.) By 3:15, I was yelling for her to come back, and by 3:27, about the time the nurse arrived, I was back in bed with a baby girl on my chest.
I think Nikki would have preferred another 15 minutes, so as to have an assistant present for birth. Oops.
Adrienne was a compound-presentation, emerging with head and hand together. I almost laughed when Nikki said she saw a hand. Of course she did! I'd been feeling a small appendage jabbing my pelvic bone for months. In fact, at every appointment I was worried that the baby had turned breech, because I knew that was not a head I was feeling so frequently. Now we know that she is a die-hard thumb sucker and, no doubt, has been since conception. She was eventually documented as weighing 9 lbs 4 oz and measuring 22" long. Kevin--who had worked all day, before coming home to work on the house, before staying up to help his wife have a baby--was exhausted and went to sleep pretty quickly after we were settled.
Full of the adrenaline that comes immediately post-partum, I dozed a little between visits from the nurse and midwife to check on Adrienne and me. There was some delay in stopping my bleeding, requiring some medication. (I believe that the undue haste with which Adrienne finally entered the world was not best for me.) Also, Adrienne's heart-rate and respiration were elevated every time they checked, but would calm back down immediately. She simply didn't like being bothered. They were eventually able to record normal numbers by gently pulling the covers back and timing her breath manually, counting the rise and fall of her torso and watching the clock. I am so grateful they made the extra effort instead of bundling us off for further observation at the hospital, where we would have had to stay for 24 hours. As it was, we were released before noon.
If you haven't seen them elsewhere, here are a few other pictures from the birth-day.
It's been nearly 7 weeks now, but in case anyone is still interested in Adrienne's brief birth saga, I'll share.
This was not an easy pregnancy. And it was probably worse because my first was so easy. I certainly knew in my head that no two pregnancies are alike, but subconsciously I must have expected to glide through the second as smoothly as the first. When that was not the case, it was hard for me to adjust my expectations and summon the necessary coping skills. Now that I know--for at least two of the discomforts that made this one difficult are all but sure to return with subsequent conceptions--I am hopeful and prayerful that God will grant me courage and strength to endure with greater fortitude. Being mentally prepared, I think, is half the battle.
Our predicted due date was Friday, Nov. 26--the day after Thanksgiving. Carolyn was 8 days "late," so I suppose it's no surprise that I was still pregnant on Saturday the 27th. My parents and my brother had arrived on Thanksgiving Day, but we didn't get the new guest room finished in time. So Carolyn slept in the pack-n-play in our room, leaving the futon in her room to my parents and the living room couch to Brian.
I started having contractions that were actually painful sometime early Tuesday evening (November 30). But they were short and infrequent, so I helped cook and generally continued on as usual. (Roast turkey served alongside Gingered Pumpkin Soup w/ Molasses Whipped Cream makes a fabulous pre-labor meal, by the way.) In addition to my parents and brother, my aunt was here for dinner, and Kevin was working on the house with our good friend Jim. So, being me and having an inordinate love of privacy, I didn't tell anyone that labor had begun. . .even when the pain became fairly intense and the spacing was close enough to start watching the clock (except Kevin, of course. I did tell Kevin, because you shouldn't keep secrets from your husband. Especially secrets like "we're going to have a baby tonight."). I know this bothers people, this keeping things to myself. And I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's not something I can explain easily, so suffice to say that it helps me. The introvert in me copes best with pain and pressure without extra attention.
Anyway, Carolyn went to bed a little late. The men worked late. The house didn't start settling down for the night until about 11, by which time I was having a hard time masking the contractions and confessed that we wouldn't be needing our scheduled "past-due ultrasound" the next morning. We settled into the living room for a few short hours, Kevin timing the contractions and bringing me sustenance, Brian providing distractions. (He's the closest thing I've got to a sister, you know, and he's priceless. Truly priceless.) By 2 AM, I was beyond ready to call the midwife. We'd been waiting because the timing of my contractions was not what it "should" have been to indicate imminent birth, but my legs were starting to shake and I was feeling as if I was in transition. . .which, as it turned out, I certainly was. By 2:50, we met Nikki, the midwife on call, at the birth center. She did a quick exam, found me dilated to 8 cm, and stepped out to phone in the nurse. (Because it is a freestanding birth center, there is no need for 24-hour staffing unless someone is in labor.) By 3:15, I was yelling for her to come back, and by 3:27, about the time the nurse arrived, I was back in bed with a baby girl on my chest.
I think Nikki would have preferred another 15 minutes, so as to have an assistant present for birth. Oops.
Adrienne was a compound-presentation, emerging with head and hand together. I almost laughed when Nikki said she saw a hand. Of course she did! I'd been feeling a small appendage jabbing my pelvic bone for months. In fact, at every appointment I was worried that the baby had turned breech, because I knew that was not a head I was feeling so frequently. Now we know that she is a die-hard thumb sucker and, no doubt, has been since conception. She was eventually documented as weighing 9 lbs 4 oz and measuring 22" long. Kevin--who had worked all day, before coming home to work on the house, before staying up to help his wife have a baby--was exhausted and went to sleep pretty quickly after we were settled.
Full of the adrenaline that comes immediately post-partum, I dozed a little between visits from the nurse and midwife to check on Adrienne and me. There was some delay in stopping my bleeding, requiring some medication. (I believe that the undue haste with which Adrienne finally entered the world was not best for me.) Also, Adrienne's heart-rate and respiration were elevated every time they checked, but would calm back down immediately. She simply didn't like being bothered. They were eventually able to record normal numbers by gently pulling the covers back and timing her breath manually, counting the rise and fall of her torso and watching the clock. I am so grateful they made the extra effort instead of bundling us off for further observation at the hospital, where we would have had to stay for 24 hours. As it was, we were released before noon.
If you haven't seen them elsewhere, here are a few other pictures from the birth-day.
12/01/2010
5/05/2010
A Day in the Life
. . .as currently dominated by my stomach.
I wake up. I'm hungry. Knowing that I will soon be sick if I do not eat, I have breakfast--hopefully in time to ward off hunger-nausea, depending on how much I have to do to get Kevin and Carolyn ready for the day. Except, eating only brings on just-eaten-nausea. Sometimes it subsides after a while. Sometimes it is only replaced by hunger-nausea around mid-morning.
A light snack will buy me a few minutes of comfort. Then I'm hungry for lunch, which I eat. . .bringing on more nausea. And so it continues. I'm either nauseous because I'm hungry or nauseous because I've eaten. Does that seem like a Catch-22 to you?
On the bright side, I'm sitting here listening to Carolyn sing sweetly to herself in her crib as she waits for sleep to overtake her. And each glorious minute is worth the entire day of this.
I wake up. I'm hungry. Knowing that I will soon be sick if I do not eat, I have breakfast--hopefully in time to ward off hunger-nausea, depending on how much I have to do to get Kevin and Carolyn ready for the day. Except, eating only brings on just-eaten-nausea. Sometimes it subsides after a while. Sometimes it is only replaced by hunger-nausea around mid-morning.
A light snack will buy me a few minutes of comfort. Then I'm hungry for lunch, which I eat. . .bringing on more nausea. And so it continues. I'm either nauseous because I'm hungry or nauseous because I've eaten. Does that seem like a Catch-22 to you?
On the bright side, I'm sitting here listening to Carolyn sing sweetly to herself in her crib as she waits for sleep to overtake her. And each glorious minute is worth the entire day of this.
3/28/2010
Green M&Ms and Thanks-giving
We are indeed expecting a new bundle of joy, and I am intensely thankful for it. My dad says it's the green M&Ms you have to watch out for, so beware! (Shouldn't they put a warning on those?)
Baby should come some time around Thanksgiving, which seems appropriate. I hope to never take the miracle of a baby for granted. As a friend said recently, I want to treat each pregnancy, each baby, as if it were going to be my one and only and appreciate it completely. When one day the realization comes that one really was the last one, I want to have no regrets.
My thoughts repeatedly turn to the women who cannot bear a child and to the children whose parents are absent, and my heart aches for them. It is strange to be so joyful and so aware of grief at the same time. We cannot fully know why God blesses us in different ways or why He allows us to suffer deeply, and the only way I know to respect grief in the midst of joy is to respond with a grateful heart for the blessings I have and to teach my children to do the same.
I cannot begin to understand the ways of God. His thoughts are beyond searching out. Yet this I know: God is good, and He gives good gifts for His glory and our good. Whatever our current blessings are, let's appreciate them to the fullest and give our Lord the glory.
Baby should come some time around Thanksgiving, which seems appropriate. I hope to never take the miracle of a baby for granted. As a friend said recently, I want to treat each pregnancy, each baby, as if it were going to be my one and only and appreciate it completely. When one day the realization comes that one really was the last one, I want to have no regrets.
My thoughts repeatedly turn to the women who cannot bear a child and to the children whose parents are absent, and my heart aches for them. It is strange to be so joyful and so aware of grief at the same time. We cannot fully know why God blesses us in different ways or why He allows us to suffer deeply, and the only way I know to respect grief in the midst of joy is to respond with a grateful heart for the blessings I have and to teach my children to do the same.
I cannot begin to understand the ways of God. His thoughts are beyond searching out. Yet this I know: God is good, and He gives good gifts for His glory and our good. Whatever our current blessings are, let's appreciate them to the fullest and give our Lord the glory.
9/06/2009
Change of Venue
We've decided to make a change. Henceforth, all family updates--which means all pictures of Carolyn--will be posted at a new blog. I've already transferred my entire blog archive there, and all posts deemed private will soon be deleted from this blog. Larkspur Lane will survive as the primary blog for my ramblings and as my blog face to the blogging world . . .albeit with far less traffic, no doubt! This way, family pictures and personal information will be more restricted and I need not worry about how wide an audience visits here, linking from my comments on other blogs, etc. Though we are not currently limiting viewership of the family blog to approved readers, please do not pass on the new blog address to strangers without checking with us first. I will be sending out a mass e-mail with the new blog address. If you do not receive it, please let me know!
8/17/2009
Be Careful What You Wish For
A week or two ago, I was thinking rather wistfully that Carolyn really didn't like to be rocked. She's never really been a "rock me to sleep" baby. When she was really little, you could sometimes rock her to sleep, but it's never been the norm.
Well, last week, she was really fussy one night. She kept crying like she didn't feel good, and nothing was calming her down. Kevin finally sat in the rocking chair with her, and eventually rocked her to sleep. She was adorable, sprawled out across his chest, one leg sticking out across his legs and one tucked up next to his stomach. It was a precious moment.
One of many.
For now, Carolyn has apparently decided that the only way she wants to go to sleep is in the rocking chair. Most naps and nights, unless she falls asleep nursing, we're rocking her for a while, though not always until she goes to sleep.
It would be easy to be somewhat frustrated with this new turn of events, but I know that it is a season that will pass all too quickly. So I've purposed to treasure these days, however many there are, when my little girl wants to snuggle into my shoulder and drift off to sleep in the rocking chair. Sometimes, you get what you wish for. Enjoy it.
Well, last week, she was really fussy one night. She kept crying like she didn't feel good, and nothing was calming her down. Kevin finally sat in the rocking chair with her, and eventually rocked her to sleep. She was adorable, sprawled out across his chest, one leg sticking out across his legs and one tucked up next to his stomach. It was a precious moment.
One of many.
For now, Carolyn has apparently decided that the only way she wants to go to sleep is in the rocking chair. Most naps and nights, unless she falls asleep nursing, we're rocking her for a while, though not always until she goes to sleep.
It would be easy to be somewhat frustrated with this new turn of events, but I know that it is a season that will pass all too quickly. So I've purposed to treasure these days, however many there are, when my little girl wants to snuggle into my shoulder and drift off to sleep in the rocking chair. Sometimes, you get what you wish for. Enjoy it.
8/13/2009
Small Miracles
Today, Carolyn discovered that her nesting cups nest. It's the first time I've seen her put one inside another, study it, take it out, and put it back. It's amazing to watch someone grasp those simple concepts we take for granted.
6/18/2009
Misunderstanding
Carolyn and I seem to have miscommunicated today. She seems sure that I said today's agenda including climbing, and I'm quite certain I said no such thing.
I checked with Kevin. He's on my side.
I checked with Kevin. He's on my side.
5/28/2009
All Rolled Into One
My apologies for the dearth of posting these past 2 weeks. Things have been rather busy here, and most days I feel like I'm chasing my own tail (or, as my mother would say, running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. I assume you have to have seen that to truly appreciate it.). At any rate, to the detriment of my categorical links, I'm going to post one grand update of everything, starting with the house.
Tupperware (okay, so I gave her the Tupperware to play with. It's one of the great things about it!)
Straps--ALWAYS straps!
Magazines
*Edited 9/10/09
All the Trimmings
Our bedroom now has trim! It's been stripped of its lead paint, sanded smooth and smoother, then stained a lovely color similar to that of our floors. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful, warm, and rich our room feels now. Hopefully, by this time next week, we'll have a ceiling fan in there, too. I'm going to love this house when we get finished!
Ensconced
The living room now has light! Our friend and house-guru Jim (who also helped with the trim and. . .well, pretty much everything that's been done at all) came over one night last week, and he and Kevin installed light fixtures in the living room. The sconces match our dining room piece, and I'm really pleased with the resulting light. It's bright enough to be adequate for reading or handwork, but muted enough to be warm and comfortable. I suspect we will now go through light bulbs not quite so quickly, since we won't need to use the 5-light dining room fixture for all of our evening light!
Carolyn's Menu
Now almost 9 months old, Carolyn's menu options have expanded. You might be surprised at some of the things she likes.- rice
- oatmeal w/applesauce
- sweet potatoes
- avocado
- carrot
- lemons
- limes
- raw celery sticks
- dill pickle
- peaches
- pears
- bananas
Crawling!
We have a bona fide creeper on our hands now. Yesterday, she had great fun exploring every corner of the living room. . .and finding lots of cords she wasn't allowed to chew on. Over the past couple weeks, she's been into a lot of things:Tupperware (okay, so I gave her the Tupperware to play with. It's one of the great things about it!)
Straps--ALWAYS straps!
Magazines
A Little History
This dress was made for me--a few years ago, of course. The fabric for the skirt came from the dress my grandma wore to my aunt and uncle's wedding. See? (I think I told some of you it was from the dress she wore to my parents' wedding. But I wasn't there, you know? I was misinformed!)
At the Park
We made our first trip to the park with friends a couple weeks ago (well, first that Carolyn cares about, anyway). She was not too thrilled with the swings--she's not quite big enough to feel secure in it, I think. The slide, though, got lots of smiles. At first, she wasn't sure. But soon, I set her at the top and waited half way down while she rocked herself forward enough to slide down, with a big grin! We certainly tired her out--it's the first time she's been sleepy enough to fall asleep in the stroller. Usually, she's too interested in what is around us.Memorial Day Camping
We braved the church retreat this past weekend at the pastor's cabin in New York. It was fun, and Carolyn did really well--except for when we tried to sleep in the tent. She loved the tent, of course. Especially when the thunder storm came up. She was all giggles and squeals of excitement. But the sleeping didn't go so well. Either the noises of the mats on tent canvas, the unfamiliarity, or the general mugginess made for a miserable and fitful few hours of pseudo-sleep before we decided to move back inside. Oh well. . .we'll try again, perhaps when a thunderstorm doesn't necessitate using the fly and trapping in all that muggy moisture.That's A Wrap!
And that about catches you up. In between all of that, Kevin's parents came for a visit, we bought a crib and matching dresser for Carolyn, I sold the bassinet and furniture we previously bought for Carolyn on craigslist, Aunt Rebecca has been in and out, the weather has been cold, cool, warm, hot, rainy, and all of those again, and I've been generally trying to keep up. We have some videos, too. . .but, really, I think this post is about long enough.*Edited 9/10/09
5/01/2009
Belated News
Sorry for the delay--I have videos and pictures to share, but our other computer is on the fritz (again), so they'll have to wait. I suppose I could do the photos from this one, actually. . .I'll think on that.
At any rate, we're all back home after our travels. Carolyn has her first tooth and it has a little buddy just waiting in the wings for a grand entrance. She scoots and rolls with the best, getting up and down on all fours (sometimes hands and knees, sometimes hands and feet). One night in Florida, I went to sleep with Carolyn at a 90-degree angle to me, head by my side. I woke up a few hours later with her kicking me in the ribs. She desperately wants to crawl, but mostly belly flops or pushes herself backward--both of which make her somewhat angry. I tell her she has to keep practicing, but she says she prefers to grab my hands and practice standing up and walking.
We've expanded our foods to include rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, and avocados. And water. She likes water, particularly if she can have it from my glass, though she does pretty well with her soft-spouted sippy cup (Have you seen those? They're a quite nice intermediate step.)
Mirrors are a favorite entertainment. She loves to chatter and squeal at that cute baby that always seems to be there. Actually, she loves to chatter and squeal in general.
I'll work on those pictures. . . .
At any rate, we're all back home after our travels. Carolyn has her first tooth and it has a little buddy just waiting in the wings for a grand entrance. She scoots and rolls with the best, getting up and down on all fours (sometimes hands and knees, sometimes hands and feet). One night in Florida, I went to sleep with Carolyn at a 90-degree angle to me, head by my side. I woke up a few hours later with her kicking me in the ribs. She desperately wants to crawl, but mostly belly flops or pushes herself backward--both of which make her somewhat angry. I tell her she has to keep practicing, but she says she prefers to grab my hands and practice standing up and walking.
We've expanded our foods to include rice cereal, oatmeal, carrots, and avocados. And water. She likes water, particularly if she can have it from my glass, though she does pretty well with her soft-spouted sippy cup (Have you seen those? They're a quite nice intermediate step.)
Mirrors are a favorite entertainment. She loves to chatter and squeal at that cute baby that always seems to be there. Actually, she loves to chatter and squeal in general.
I'll work on those pictures. . . .
2/23/2009
We're well. And you?
Why the sudden glut of posting? Just making up for the long dry spell. . .
Carolyn is now almost 6 months old. She's getting better and better at sitting by herself for ever-lengthening periods of time. Tummy time involves spectacular push ups and that special swim style known as the Airstroke. She likes to lay on her stomach for quite a while, chewing on a toy or tossing the rattle around. Often we lay her with her chest on the boppy pillow for a while to give her a little more leverage, but she usually ends up kicking herself over it into an anger-inducing carpet face-plant. The exer-saucer continues to be the place of choice, but Carolyn is enjoying the swing again after a few week hiatus and is starting to play happily in the Johnny Jump-Up for a few minutes at a time. We get good giggles out of her when she's bounced--on the bed, in our arms, on the floor. And apparently it's hilarious when Daddy coughs.
We recently started giving her a pacifier at naptime, because Little Miss decided she couldn't go to sleep ever again without me laying next to her so she could nurse at will. With the paci, however, she's content to sleep on her own and usually takes 3 naps in the course of a day--2 short ones and 1 longer stretch. Then she's ready for bed by 7 and sleeps 12-14 hours, eating once or twice.
Rice cereal is still on the least-favorite list, as is tonight's trial carrot puree. The third night of rice feeding, she touched the spoon with her tongue 2 or 3 times, then shuddered and refused any further contact. She's intensely interested in our food, but apparently she's not as ready for it as she thinks she is. My water glass, however, sends her into spasms of ecstatic anticipation (and I do mean spasms--hold on tight if she's in your arms!), and she's pretty good at taking a sip in-between working the outside of the glass with her tongue and lower jaw.
The rest of us? We're well. Kevin's been working hard on the house, and I've been scouring the planet for new recipes to distract me from all the recipes in my box that use cheese (or some other dairy, but principally cheese). We've found quite a few really good ones, and I'm enjoying fixing some new foods.
This has been an irregularly scheduled installment of "Life With Us." More next time.
Carolyn is now almost 6 months old. She's getting better and better at sitting by herself for ever-lengthening periods of time. Tummy time involves spectacular push ups and that special swim style known as the Airstroke. She likes to lay on her stomach for quite a while, chewing on a toy or tossing the rattle around. Often we lay her with her chest on the boppy pillow for a while to give her a little more leverage, but she usually ends up kicking herself over it into an anger-inducing carpet face-plant. The exer-saucer continues to be the place of choice, but Carolyn is enjoying the swing again after a few week hiatus and is starting to play happily in the Johnny Jump-Up for a few minutes at a time. We get good giggles out of her when she's bounced--on the bed, in our arms, on the floor. And apparently it's hilarious when Daddy coughs.
We recently started giving her a pacifier at naptime, because Little Miss decided she couldn't go to sleep ever again without me laying next to her so she could nurse at will. With the paci, however, she's content to sleep on her own and usually takes 3 naps in the course of a day--2 short ones and 1 longer stretch. Then she's ready for bed by 7 and sleeps 12-14 hours, eating once or twice.
Rice cereal is still on the least-favorite list, as is tonight's trial carrot puree. The third night of rice feeding, she touched the spoon with her tongue 2 or 3 times, then shuddered and refused any further contact. She's intensely interested in our food, but apparently she's not as ready for it as she thinks she is. My water glass, however, sends her into spasms of ecstatic anticipation (and I do mean spasms--hold on tight if she's in your arms!), and she's pretty good at taking a sip in-between working the outside of the glass with her tongue and lower jaw.
The rest of us? We're well. Kevin's been working hard on the house, and I've been scouring the planet for new recipes to distract me from all the recipes in my box that use cheese (or some other dairy, but principally cheese). We've found quite a few really good ones, and I'm enjoying fixing some new foods.
This has been an irregularly scheduled installment of "Life With Us." More next time.
12/05/2008
Carolyn and Bob Dylan
Earlier this week, Carolyn was (for the first and, I'm sure, last time in her life) a little bit fussy. I was looking online for the words to the folk song "Froggy Went A-Courtin'." I found them, along with a recording by Bob Dylan, which I played.
Fussing stopped. Smiling ensued.
Music stopped. Fussing ensued.
Music began again. Fussing stopped. Smiling ensued.
Too Funny.
Carolyn likes to sing with us when we sing to her. In fact, if the person rocking her to sleep is not singing, she will probably sing herself to sleep. She's quite the vocalist, as my dad said, and we recorded her first smash hit to share with you.
Fussing stopped. Smiling ensued.
Music stopped. Fussing ensued.
Music began again. Fussing stopped. Smiling ensued.
Too Funny.
Carolyn likes to sing with us when we sing to her. In fact, if the person rocking her to sleep is not singing, she will probably sing herself to sleep. She's quite the vocalist, as my dad said, and we recorded her first smash hit to share with you.
11/20/2008
Drawn to the Light
Carolyn likes light. This is not unusual for infants, of course. We make some effort, however, to keep her from gazing at the television when it is on--which she likes to do.
Last night, she was laying across my lap while Kevin was playing the Wii. I didn't think she could see the TV, because there is quite a collection of items piled haphazardly on our coffee table. She continued to stare fixedly in that direction, however, so I moved a small box on the coffee table directly in her line of vision.
!!!
A good ten minutes of plainly dissatisfied chattering ensued, in which Carolyn clearly and not-so-concisely conveyed her displeasure while we. . .well, I'll confess it, we laughed.
Last night, she was laying across my lap while Kevin was playing the Wii. I didn't think she could see the TV, because there is quite a collection of items piled haphazardly on our coffee table. She continued to stare fixedly in that direction, however, so I moved a small box on the coffee table directly in her line of vision.
!!!
A good ten minutes of plainly dissatisfied chattering ensued, in which Carolyn clearly and not-so-concisely conveyed her displeasure while we. . .well, I'll confess it, we laughed.
11/08/2008
Carolyn Rolls Over
Today, I left Carolyn on her tummy on the bed, then left the room to get some things. She was fussing, then screaming, and when I came back a few minutes later. . .she was flat on her back screaming at the ceiling! Too bad I missed it!
11/04/2008
Weekend (Plus) in Review
It's been a busy few days! Kevin's mom and aunt came to visit last Thursday and stayed until this afternoon. Saturday was our 2nd annual apple outing with several families from church, and Carolyn's 2-month appointment was yesterday.
We really enjoyed the apple day. The weather was beautiful--sunny and nearly 70 degrees. After buying a whole bunch of apples (guess what I'll be doing for the next couple days!) and going to the dairy, we went to a state park and grilled lunch before taking a group hike through the lovely fall foliage. Carolyn slept much of the time, but she woke up during our hike and thoroughly enjoyed gazing at the great outdoors.
Carolyn's appointment yesterday went very well. She weighs 12 pounds and 10 ounces and is 22 inches long (more or less. . .she's not exactly cooperative with the stretching out and being still for a height measurement!). She got her first two vaccines, screamed heartily, and then slept through almost the whole evening. She woke up at 3:20 this morning running a good fever, but promptly vomited any grape Tylenol I forced down her throat. Fortunately, her fever subsided on its own in a little over an hour. We went back to sleep, and she slept soundly until 10 this morning. She's slept more than normal today also, but other than that seems to have no ill effects.
We have decided that Carolyn definitely has a serious sensitivity to dairy--any dairy in my diet results in great gushes of sour milk from her a few hours later. So I'm on a dairy hiatus until Christmas, when we'll try again and see how she handles it. Many infants grow out of a dairy allergy, so we are hopeful that will be the case here.
That's the news. Here are some photos to complement:
Daddy's the entertainer
The Five of Us
"Life is Good."
Family Photo
We really enjoyed the apple day. The weather was beautiful--sunny and nearly 70 degrees. After buying a whole bunch of apples (guess what I'll be doing for the next couple days!) and going to the dairy, we went to a state park and grilled lunch before taking a group hike through the lovely fall foliage. Carolyn slept much of the time, but she woke up during our hike and thoroughly enjoyed gazing at the great outdoors.
Carolyn's appointment yesterday went very well. She weighs 12 pounds and 10 ounces and is 22 inches long (more or less. . .she's not exactly cooperative with the stretching out and being still for a height measurement!). She got her first two vaccines, screamed heartily, and then slept through almost the whole evening. She woke up at 3:20 this morning running a good fever, but promptly vomited any grape Tylenol I forced down her throat. Fortunately, her fever subsided on its own in a little over an hour. We went back to sleep, and she slept soundly until 10 this morning. She's slept more than normal today also, but other than that seems to have no ill effects.
We have decided that Carolyn definitely has a serious sensitivity to dairy--any dairy in my diet results in great gushes of sour milk from her a few hours later. So I'm on a dairy hiatus until Christmas, when we'll try again and see how she handles it. Many infants grow out of a dairy allergy, so we are hopeful that will be the case here.
That's the news. Here are some photos to complement:
Daddy's the entertainer
The Five of Us
"Life is Good."
Family Photo
10/20/2008
We're Still Here
In case you are going into withdrawals for Carolyn-related blog postings, I'll just let you know that we're still here. Kevin has been working day and night this past week stripping paint from our doorways, window frames, and columns, so we've been staying at a friend's house.
Carolyn is coasting along like a model child, as long as I don't eat much in the way of lactose-loaded sustenance. Then she turns into a fussy baby for a couple hours before she spews everything she's ever eaten out on whoever is holding her. So methinks I'll not be eating much dairy for a while--at least, not much at one time. She does fine if I have a little bit.
We go back to the doctor in 2 weeks, and I fully expect Carolyn to weigh in at 12 or 13 pounds. She's developing a bit of a routine, with the exception of a day here and there, of cat-napping and eating all morning and early afternoon before sleeping 3-6 hour stretches through the evening and night. She's even put herself to sleep a couple times in the past week, without a tear. Currently, however, she's registering her complaint at being left to her own amusement this long, and I am being called to the rescue.
Pictures will come when we get settled back into our house.
Carolyn is coasting along like a model child, as long as I don't eat much in the way of lactose-loaded sustenance. Then she turns into a fussy baby for a couple hours before she spews everything she's ever eaten out on whoever is holding her. So methinks I'll not be eating much dairy for a while--at least, not much at one time. She does fine if I have a little bit.
We go back to the doctor in 2 weeks, and I fully expect Carolyn to weigh in at 12 or 13 pounds. She's developing a bit of a routine, with the exception of a day here and there, of cat-napping and eating all morning and early afternoon before sleeping 3-6 hour stretches through the evening and night. She's even put herself to sleep a couple times in the past week, without a tear. Currently, however, she's registering her complaint at being left to her own amusement this long, and I am being called to the rescue.
Pictures will come when we get settled back into our house.
10/11/2008
A Messy Week
This photo belies the story below. :-)
We've, ummm,enjoyed cleaning up after our little daughter this week. The climax of the week had to be on Thursday. . .
Carolyn only had a tiny bit of diaper rash, but it was evidently extremely sensitive. I hurried to change her diaper when she started screaming like the world was ending in the middle of the afternoon, only to discover there was barely anything there. She wasn't even wet, which is usually what prompts apocalyptic screams. Nevertheless, I changed the diaper and had almost gotten the cover secured when the screaming commenced again. Repeat performance. And again. By this time, I had gotten the message that the rash was sensitive. Hoping to soothe it, I ran a bath of warm water and got in the tub with her.
Evidently, it worked, because we were soon sitting in a tub of water that closely resembled a fish aquarium whose cleaning was overdue.
I decided I needed a shower.
So I emptied and cleaned the tub, still holding and comforting Carolyn, then put the infant tub in the shower, so she could continue to soak in warm water while I took a shower. She was perfectly content. . .until I took her out of the water and wrapped her in a towel, when the world began to end yet again. So, swaddled in blankets, we sat on the bed for a while while she nursed and dozed. . .until she followed her first act by soakeing the blankets, my robe, and the sheets.
Friday followed, when Carolyn expelled the entire contents of her little stomach, soaking her clothes, my clothes, and the couch. And today, as we speak, our bed sheets are in the washer after Carolyn couldn't wait for Kevin to get a diaper back under her when he changed her this morning.
And that, folks, has been the week with our almost-six-week-old angel.
We've, ummm,enjoyed cleaning up after our little daughter this week. The climax of the week had to be on Thursday. . .
Carolyn only had a tiny bit of diaper rash, but it was evidently extremely sensitive. I hurried to change her diaper when she started screaming like the world was ending in the middle of the afternoon, only to discover there was barely anything there. She wasn't even wet, which is usually what prompts apocalyptic screams. Nevertheless, I changed the diaper and had almost gotten the cover secured when the screaming commenced again. Repeat performance. And again. By this time, I had gotten the message that the rash was sensitive. Hoping to soothe it, I ran a bath of warm water and got in the tub with her.
Evidently, it worked, because we were soon sitting in a tub of water that closely resembled a fish aquarium whose cleaning was overdue.
I decided I needed a shower.
So I emptied and cleaned the tub, still holding and comforting Carolyn, then put the infant tub in the shower, so she could continue to soak in warm water while I took a shower. She was perfectly content. . .until I took her out of the water and wrapped her in a towel, when the world began to end yet again. So, swaddled in blankets, we sat on the bed for a while while she nursed and dozed. . .until she followed her first act by soakeing the blankets, my robe, and the sheets.
Friday followed, when Carolyn expelled the entire contents of her little stomach, soaking her clothes, my clothes, and the couch. And today, as we speak, our bed sheets are in the washer after Carolyn couldn't wait for Kevin to get a diaper back under her when he changed her this morning.
And that, folks, has been the week with our almost-six-week-old angel.
9/13/2008
A Verbal Update
Hello All.
Just in case you thought I forgot how to post anything but pictures. . .
we're doing well here. Carolyn is sleeping in 4-5 hours stints pretty much every night, and anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time during the day. She hates wet diapers and doesn't like dirty ones much, but she's generally calm and quiet while being changed. . .unless she thinks she's about to starve to death, that is. She's not really chubby, but her length means she's already too big for some of the newborn clothes--mainly the ones with feet. Everyone is amazed at how well she controls her head and holds it up. She's strong--already pushing up off of my shoulder with her arms and "standing up" when she gets anything to push her feet against. And her fist grip. . .well, if my fingers weren't still a bit numb anyway, she might squeeze hard enough to make them that way.
Kevin's parents fly home tomorrow, and my mom will follow on Wednesday. Then families from church are stepping in with frequent meals for a couple weeks. I think I may be the most pampered new mother ever--a whole month of help! I feel a little like a slacker, but it is really nice to be able to ease back into housekeeping slowly, and I'm thankful. On that note, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still a little sore and generally sleepy, but I've been able to help cook and do laundry the last couple days. On Wednesday, we went for a short walk around the block, and that was nice.
Tomorrow will be Carolyn's second Sunday in church. As you probably noticed from the pictures, she was baptized last Sunday in the christening gown I wore for my own dedication. We were glad to be able to have her baptized while all four grandparents were here to watch.
Kevin worked half-days this week, and he and his dad have been working hard stripping trim and doors in the afternoons. That's about all the news, I think. Diaper change calls. :-)
Just in case you thought I forgot how to post anything but pictures. . .
we're doing well here. Carolyn is sleeping in 4-5 hours stints pretty much every night, and anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time during the day. She hates wet diapers and doesn't like dirty ones much, but she's generally calm and quiet while being changed. . .unless she thinks she's about to starve to death, that is. She's not really chubby, but her length means she's already too big for some of the newborn clothes--mainly the ones with feet. Everyone is amazed at how well she controls her head and holds it up. She's strong--already pushing up off of my shoulder with her arms and "standing up" when she gets anything to push her feet against. And her fist grip. . .well, if my fingers weren't still a bit numb anyway, she might squeeze hard enough to make them that way.
Kevin's parents fly home tomorrow, and my mom will follow on Wednesday. Then families from church are stepping in with frequent meals for a couple weeks. I think I may be the most pampered new mother ever--a whole month of help! I feel a little like a slacker, but it is really nice to be able to ease back into housekeeping slowly, and I'm thankful. On that note, I'm feeling pretty good. I'm still a little sore and generally sleepy, but I've been able to help cook and do laundry the last couple days. On Wednesday, we went for a short walk around the block, and that was nice.
Tomorrow will be Carolyn's second Sunday in church. As you probably noticed from the pictures, she was baptized last Sunday in the christening gown I wore for my own dedication. We were glad to be able to have her baptized while all four grandparents were here to watch.
Kevin worked half-days this week, and he and his dad have been working hard stripping trim and doors in the afternoons. That's about all the news, I think. Diaper change calls. :-)
9/11/2008
Carolyn's Birth
This is going to be a long post. If you're not interested, don't read it.
A few have asked about Carolyn's actual birth, so I thought I'd share. No gory details, I promise. :-)
Our official due date was August 22, so at our appointments on the 18th and 25th the midwife started telling us about our options. In order to remain in the low-risk category and be able to give birth at the birth center instead of the hospital, you have to be between 37 and 42 weeks gestation. While we weren't enthused about the prospect of any induction methods--including herbal or other more natural ones--we were less enthused about the prospect of a hospital birth, where there are more restrictions on movement, eating, time spent laboring, and recovery stay as well as a higher incidence of C-section, medical intervention, and infection.
We didn't want to know specifics of dilation or effacement measurements, as they are not clear indicators of when labor will begin and we preferred not to get unnecessarily excited or impatient. The midwives made their recommendations with that in mind, and we didn't ask for more information than we felt we needed to make an educated decision. So, with 1 day to go before our official due date, I started taking supplements of Evening Primrose Oil, which is supposed to help soften the cervix to aid dilation and the start of labor. By our first post-40-week appointment, 4 days later, the midwife said the oil was no longer needed. She scheduled a precautionary ultrasound and non-stress test for Thursday the 28th. (The ultrasound was a fluid check. Amniotic fluid levels also have to be between certain measurements for a birth-center birth. The non-stress test involves wearing a fetal monitor around the belly for 20 minutes to record the baby's heartrate and the mother's contractions.)
On Thursday, the non-stress test was fine. The ultrasound tech estimated Carolyn's weight at 9 pounds, 11 ounces and also said we had a good deal of extra fluid. The midwife laughed--literally. I just wasn't that big, either by appearance or measurement. Ultrasound estimates are standardly 10-15% off anyway, so we weren't worried. Still, to cover all the bases, the midwife scheduled a second ultrasound and non-stress test with a prenatal specialist for the following Tuesday (September 2nd). If his results were the same, she said we would pay more attention. She also performed an exam on Thursday, and we found out after the birth that I was dilated to a 4. Also, we discovered via the ultrasound that Carolyn was still turned posterior--facing my front instead of my spine, which causes the more intense and painful "back labor."
We got a prescription for an herbal labor tincture that induces contractions and went to a compounding pharmacy to pick it up, but we opted not to use it until at least Saturday (which is why the tincture is still sitting on my bathroom shelf, unopened), giving my body as much time as we felt we safely could to progress by itself and still ensure our ability to give birth at the center.
During the day on Friday, I had a fair number of contractions, but nothing painful or more intense than I'd been having sporadically for a week or two. I stayed busy, cleaning and filling Carolyn's dressers that were just moved into her room on Thursday and finishing up some other preparations for my parents' arrival Saturday. By the time Kevin got home and we had dinner--somewhere between 6 and 7pm--I started having more intense contractions. They continued sporadically through the evening, usually about 20 seconds long and somewhere between 2 and 10 minutes apart. We decided to go to bed, not wanting to stay up all night for nothing and then be already tired when contractions began to come more regularly.
Unfortunately, lying down was extremely painful. I didn't feel the back labor so much while I was up sitting on the birth ball, but as soon as I got in bed to sleep it was intensely painful. I could handle it, but not sleep through it--so we got back up and prepared for a night of labor. Kevin slept sporadically on the futon in Carolyn's room, where we'd settled in for the benefit of the extra padding provided by the carpet--I found the best way to withstand the back pain, which got progressively worse, was on my hands and knees, or on my knees leaning over the birth ball. Also, the hands and knees position is supposed to help a posterior baby turn over, so I was diligently trying to help Carolyn help me. I can tell you that 12 hours on your hands and knees is not a lot of fun, and my muscles were exhausted by the time everything was finished.
The contractions themselves were not that severe, but the pain that focused in my back was. I slept about 15 minutes twice, both times interrupted by 2 or 3 contractions, which remained 2-4 minutes apart and 30-40 seconds long all night. By morning, I was exhausted and my back hurt badly. I had eaten a little through the night, but the back pain also took away my appetite and I was getting shaky from low blood sugar. We called the midwife on duty (Megan) about 8:30am, and told her where we were. I knew Carolyn hadn't turned and I was starting to wonder about my ability to endure many more hours. Megan suggested we try an inversion--putting my knees about 18 inches higher than my elbows, my body in a head-downward, diagonal position--for about 20 minutes, giving Carolyn a chance to disengage and have more freedom to turn over. She said we were welcome to come on in to the birth center, but it would be fine to stay at home until contractions were regularly nearly 60 seconds long and 5 minutes apart.
So, at 9 am, I had my knees on the futon and my elbows on a stack of pillows on the floor. Twenty minutes and too many very painful contractions later (I really don't recommend laboring upside-down unless you have to), I returned to hands and knees on the floor to facilitate turning, should Carolyn have shifted enough to do so. Within the next couple of hours, it was evident that the inversion worked. Although contractions continued, my back pain slowly subsided and then disappeared. The contractions then got more intense and regular, but were infinitely less difficult than the entire first 12 hours had been.
I got an hour or two of sleep through the day, waking up every 6 minutes or so but sleeping soundly in-between. My parents arrived around 3pm; Jen kindly brought them from the airport and then brought us all dinner later, and by 7pm--24 hours of labor behind us--I had been having firmly established, 50-second contractions every 4-5 minutes for 2 hours. We called Megan again. Though we didn't know I had been dilated some on Thursday, she did, and we met her at the birth center for a progress-check rather than settle in for another night of labor at home without knowing how close we might be.
I still didn't want to know any dilation measurements, so we just asked her to check and advise us if we should go back home or stay there. She did the exam, looked at us, and said she wouldn't tell us what it was. . .but it was a big number. We weren't going anywhere.
Kevin unloaded our clothes and snacks (at the birth center, mothers are encouraged to continue eating and drinking high-calorie items to keep up the strength and energy needed for labor and birth). We continued the same as we had been at home, me changing positions as often as desired and Kevin helping however I asked him to. I didn't spend any time on the bed, except every 3 hours or so when Megan performed an exam. Wherever I was, Megan or the attending nurse (Kimbre, for most of the night) checked the baby's heartrate every 20 minutes or so, then every 5 minutes after the membrane ruptured, and it remained strong and steady throughout.
By 1am, when my water still hadn't broken, Megan suggested a couple new positions to help the cervix finish dilating. We tried that for over an hour, without visible results, and Megan suggested that she break my water. Because I did have a good amount of fluid and was a week past my expected due date, they were concerned that perhaps there was too much cushion for the baby to break through. Also, she wanted to make sure there was not meconium already in the fluid.
I knew that I was getting tired and we needed to move things along, but I really wanted to wait for things to progress on their own. We asked for another 15 or 20 minutes to continue contractions in one of the new positions. Megan easily agreed--the midwives at the birth center all along made us feel like we were completely in charge of what happened or didn't happen. They advised as to what course of action they would like to take, but never once made me feel like it wasn't completely up to us.
I was praying that my water would just break on its own, but after another 15 minutes, I reluctantly relented and asked Kimbre to tell Megan she could come and artificially rupture my membrane. While she was gone, I moved toward the bed so I would be ready, but had to pause for a contraction--and then my water broke, suddenly and loudly. Megan and Kimbre heard it down the hall.
By now, it's 3 am. Commence pushing contractions.
Pushing was long and hard. I was exhausted from 48 hours with less than 3 hours sleep, and my muscles were jelly from the 12 hours on my hands and knees, followed by 20 in various other positions. I still didn't lay in bed, because natural birth advocates advise that a prone position is the one least likely to encourage a baby to come out. At one point, near the end, I thought to myself, "This is ridiculous. How did women ever do this without drugs???" And, a moment later, "Wait. I don't have any drugs!!!" I would have laughed, but I was busy.
By the time Carolyn actually came out--at 6:45--I was so shaky that it took Kevin, Megan, and Kimbre to support me so I could push. But we were successful, and little Carolyn emerged with no medical help or medication in her tiny system. She weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 inches long; and she was clamoring to breastfeed within 2 minutes of birth, before the cord was even cut. When she finished her first meal and nap, she was as rosy and bright-eyed and alert as she ever has been, as you've no doubt seen from her Birth-Day pictures.
After the birth, Kevin prepared a hot breakfast in the birth center kitchen, and we both ate, showered, and napped before heading home with our new arrival about 1 o'clock.
So. . .would I do it again? Absolutely. While I realize circumstances differ and childbirth decisions are intensely personal, Carolyn's eager alertness from the very first moment has completely affirmed my confidence in natural birth. I am so thankful that we were able to forgo any sort of induction or medical intervention and so thankful that we chose to wait patiently when action could be justified. I am thankful for the midwives whose experience and expertise supported and guided us without pressure or insistence. We sought from the beginning to trust God in the timing and delivery of this baby, and He has proven faithful in so many ways.
A few have asked about Carolyn's actual birth, so I thought I'd share. No gory details, I promise. :-)
Our official due date was August 22, so at our appointments on the 18th and 25th the midwife started telling us about our options. In order to remain in the low-risk category and be able to give birth at the birth center instead of the hospital, you have to be between 37 and 42 weeks gestation. While we weren't enthused about the prospect of any induction methods--including herbal or other more natural ones--we were less enthused about the prospect of a hospital birth, where there are more restrictions on movement, eating, time spent laboring, and recovery stay as well as a higher incidence of C-section, medical intervention, and infection.
We didn't want to know specifics of dilation or effacement measurements, as they are not clear indicators of when labor will begin and we preferred not to get unnecessarily excited or impatient. The midwives made their recommendations with that in mind, and we didn't ask for more information than we felt we needed to make an educated decision. So, with 1 day to go before our official due date, I started taking supplements of Evening Primrose Oil, which is supposed to help soften the cervix to aid dilation and the start of labor. By our first post-40-week appointment, 4 days later, the midwife said the oil was no longer needed. She scheduled a precautionary ultrasound and non-stress test for Thursday the 28th. (The ultrasound was a fluid check. Amniotic fluid levels also have to be between certain measurements for a birth-center birth. The non-stress test involves wearing a fetal monitor around the belly for 20 minutes to record the baby's heartrate and the mother's contractions.)
On Thursday, the non-stress test was fine. The ultrasound tech estimated Carolyn's weight at 9 pounds, 11 ounces and also said we had a good deal of extra fluid. The midwife laughed--literally. I just wasn't that big, either by appearance or measurement. Ultrasound estimates are standardly 10-15% off anyway, so we weren't worried. Still, to cover all the bases, the midwife scheduled a second ultrasound and non-stress test with a prenatal specialist for the following Tuesday (September 2nd). If his results were the same, she said we would pay more attention. She also performed an exam on Thursday, and we found out after the birth that I was dilated to a 4. Also, we discovered via the ultrasound that Carolyn was still turned posterior--facing my front instead of my spine, which causes the more intense and painful "back labor."
We got a prescription for an herbal labor tincture that induces contractions and went to a compounding pharmacy to pick it up, but we opted not to use it until at least Saturday (which is why the tincture is still sitting on my bathroom shelf, unopened), giving my body as much time as we felt we safely could to progress by itself and still ensure our ability to give birth at the center.
During the day on Friday, I had a fair number of contractions, but nothing painful or more intense than I'd been having sporadically for a week or two. I stayed busy, cleaning and filling Carolyn's dressers that were just moved into her room on Thursday and finishing up some other preparations for my parents' arrival Saturday. By the time Kevin got home and we had dinner--somewhere between 6 and 7pm--I started having more intense contractions. They continued sporadically through the evening, usually about 20 seconds long and somewhere between 2 and 10 minutes apart. We decided to go to bed, not wanting to stay up all night for nothing and then be already tired when contractions began to come more regularly.
Unfortunately, lying down was extremely painful. I didn't feel the back labor so much while I was up sitting on the birth ball, but as soon as I got in bed to sleep it was intensely painful. I could handle it, but not sleep through it--so we got back up and prepared for a night of labor. Kevin slept sporadically on the futon in Carolyn's room, where we'd settled in for the benefit of the extra padding provided by the carpet--I found the best way to withstand the back pain, which got progressively worse, was on my hands and knees, or on my knees leaning over the birth ball. Also, the hands and knees position is supposed to help a posterior baby turn over, so I was diligently trying to help Carolyn help me. I can tell you that 12 hours on your hands and knees is not a lot of fun, and my muscles were exhausted by the time everything was finished.
The contractions themselves were not that severe, but the pain that focused in my back was. I slept about 15 minutes twice, both times interrupted by 2 or 3 contractions, which remained 2-4 minutes apart and 30-40 seconds long all night. By morning, I was exhausted and my back hurt badly. I had eaten a little through the night, but the back pain also took away my appetite and I was getting shaky from low blood sugar. We called the midwife on duty (Megan) about 8:30am, and told her where we were. I knew Carolyn hadn't turned and I was starting to wonder about my ability to endure many more hours. Megan suggested we try an inversion--putting my knees about 18 inches higher than my elbows, my body in a head-downward, diagonal position--for about 20 minutes, giving Carolyn a chance to disengage and have more freedom to turn over. She said we were welcome to come on in to the birth center, but it would be fine to stay at home until contractions were regularly nearly 60 seconds long and 5 minutes apart.
So, at 9 am, I had my knees on the futon and my elbows on a stack of pillows on the floor. Twenty minutes and too many very painful contractions later (I really don't recommend laboring upside-down unless you have to), I returned to hands and knees on the floor to facilitate turning, should Carolyn have shifted enough to do so. Within the next couple of hours, it was evident that the inversion worked. Although contractions continued, my back pain slowly subsided and then disappeared. The contractions then got more intense and regular, but were infinitely less difficult than the entire first 12 hours had been.
I got an hour or two of sleep through the day, waking up every 6 minutes or so but sleeping soundly in-between. My parents arrived around 3pm; Jen kindly brought them from the airport and then brought us all dinner later, and by 7pm--24 hours of labor behind us--I had been having firmly established, 50-second contractions every 4-5 minutes for 2 hours. We called Megan again. Though we didn't know I had been dilated some on Thursday, she did, and we met her at the birth center for a progress-check rather than settle in for another night of labor at home without knowing how close we might be.
I still didn't want to know any dilation measurements, so we just asked her to check and advise us if we should go back home or stay there. She did the exam, looked at us, and said she wouldn't tell us what it was. . .but it was a big number. We weren't going anywhere.
Kevin unloaded our clothes and snacks (at the birth center, mothers are encouraged to continue eating and drinking high-calorie items to keep up the strength and energy needed for labor and birth). We continued the same as we had been at home, me changing positions as often as desired and Kevin helping however I asked him to. I didn't spend any time on the bed, except every 3 hours or so when Megan performed an exam. Wherever I was, Megan or the attending nurse (Kimbre, for most of the night) checked the baby's heartrate every 20 minutes or so, then every 5 minutes after the membrane ruptured, and it remained strong and steady throughout.
By 1am, when my water still hadn't broken, Megan suggested a couple new positions to help the cervix finish dilating. We tried that for over an hour, without visible results, and Megan suggested that she break my water. Because I did have a good amount of fluid and was a week past my expected due date, they were concerned that perhaps there was too much cushion for the baby to break through. Also, she wanted to make sure there was not meconium already in the fluid.
I knew that I was getting tired and we needed to move things along, but I really wanted to wait for things to progress on their own. We asked for another 15 or 20 minutes to continue contractions in one of the new positions. Megan easily agreed--the midwives at the birth center all along made us feel like we were completely in charge of what happened or didn't happen. They advised as to what course of action they would like to take, but never once made me feel like it wasn't completely up to us.
I was praying that my water would just break on its own, but after another 15 minutes, I reluctantly relented and asked Kimbre to tell Megan she could come and artificially rupture my membrane. While she was gone, I moved toward the bed so I would be ready, but had to pause for a contraction--and then my water broke, suddenly and loudly. Megan and Kimbre heard it down the hall.
By now, it's 3 am. Commence pushing contractions.
Pushing was long and hard. I was exhausted from 48 hours with less than 3 hours sleep, and my muscles were jelly from the 12 hours on my hands and knees, followed by 20 in various other positions. I still didn't lay in bed, because natural birth advocates advise that a prone position is the one least likely to encourage a baby to come out. At one point, near the end, I thought to myself, "This is ridiculous. How did women ever do this without drugs???" And, a moment later, "Wait. I don't have any drugs!!!" I would have laughed, but I was busy.
By the time Carolyn actually came out--at 6:45--I was so shaky that it took Kevin, Megan, and Kimbre to support me so I could push. But we were successful, and little Carolyn emerged with no medical help or medication in her tiny system. She weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 21 inches long; and she was clamoring to breastfeed within 2 minutes of birth, before the cord was even cut. When she finished her first meal and nap, she was as rosy and bright-eyed and alert as she ever has been, as you've no doubt seen from her Birth-Day pictures.
After the birth, Kevin prepared a hot breakfast in the birth center kitchen, and we both ate, showered, and napped before heading home with our new arrival about 1 o'clock.
So. . .would I do it again? Absolutely. While I realize circumstances differ and childbirth decisions are intensely personal, Carolyn's eager alertness from the very first moment has completely affirmed my confidence in natural birth. I am so thankful that we were able to forgo any sort of induction or medical intervention and so thankful that we chose to wait patiently when action could be justified. I am thankful for the midwives whose experience and expertise supported and guided us without pressure or insistence. We sought from the beginning to trust God in the timing and delivery of this baby, and He has proven faithful in so many ways.
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