More Musings on our Homebirth, Update on the Family

So, there are a few things that I didn't mention about my birth and thereafter that I wanted to. However, one day postpartum is not the best day for remembering everything, obviously. First off, I had an amazing birth team. My best friend, Hannah, was here around 7AM to take care of Liam and just fill in where needed. She ended up boiling water for the tub and doing other things I'm sure, however I was giving birth, so I didn't observe them. :) My sister got here just a bit after Anabele was born (drove ALL the way from St Louis! 5 1/2 hours!) and organized food for everyone, cleaned the house while we were getting stitches and occupied Liam. She was here Saturday and Sunday (and boy was my house CLEAN when we got home! AND the laundry was all done!).

As far as this birth in comparison to Liam's, I've noticed a few big differences. I didn't have afterbirth pains very much with Liam, but I REALLY did this time. My midwife left me a tincture that really helped, although they are still coming a bit. I've noticed my lochia is much different and much lighter than with Liam. I attribute that to the more gentle birth process; no purple pushing, nothing forced, everything easy, calm and natural. I was also able to EAT and DRINK during labor, amazing how that keeps your energy up!

Even my stitches seems to be healing more easily and not bothering me as much. My swelling has gone down very quickly and I haven't felt afraid to examine my own body like I was with Liam. Everything was so mysterious in a hospital birth where I was in control of nothing going on, this time, I am responsible for my own well-being since it is MY body afterall. Of course I have postpartum checkups on the 1st, 3rd and 7th days after, then at the 3rd week and the 6th week. My midwife also checks the baby's weight and vitals, behaviors, etc. She checks on my emotionally, something I never received with a standard doctor's care.

So I am feeling pretty good, although I'm just planted on the couch, hanging out. Jonathan has been cooking, cleaning and tending to general Charlea-activities. Anabele is doing GREAT and nursing like a fiend. She latches herself on without my assistance, something I'd always 'heard' newborns could do...ends up they can. Her poop is definitely breastmilk poop! I'm surprised at how quickly she cleared out that meconium. She was spitting up like bright yellow...disturbing until I realized that my milk for some reason was REALLY yellow. The cream was almost egg yolk colored! Now it's more of a creamy white color, more of what I am used to. She loves to sleep, so she's only wanting to nurse a couple times in the middle of the night. I always wake up before she does, then rile her, change her diaper and nurse her. I forgot about all this newborn-y stuff. She doesn't LOOK like a newborn to me, though! She's so big, already digging her toes into things and trying to inch forward, it's amazing!

Liam is adjusting well. At first, he couldn't be away from her. He had to be touching her head constantly. Now, he's branching out a bit and ignoring her a little more. She has definitely learned to nap through ridiculous amounts of noise, having a three year old brother! I had no idea how BIG Liam was until I saw him next to her. He is such a BIG kid (even though he's still nursing). I'm so proud of him. He's always taking her toys to 'play' with, etc. We are all adjusting just fine and coming into life with a family of four instead of three. It's just such a blessing to have two wonderful and healthy children.

Anabele Grace's Birth Story

Wow everyone! I cannot believe we have a new baby again! This has been the most empowering, amazing experience of my life. I'm going to try very hard not to focus in this story about how this birth was different from Liam's, but rather just everything I can think of about Anabele's labor and birth.

First off, the day before I went into labor was HORRIBLE. I went to bed finally at 2 AM after a LONG day. Well, bam, at 4:05ish I woke up having a rock hard, non-painful contraction and my water had broken in bed. I went to the bathroom and cleaned up, told Jonathan to get the pool and things all ready and in position, then go back to bed until things picked up. By 4:30, I was definitely in labor, although it wasn't unmanageable at all.

I began by just laying on the couch in the dark with Liam beside me asleep. Every contraction (about every 10 minutes-ish) would come and I would concentrate on positives through it, but didn't need to change positions. Eventually, I was unable to lay down anymore during them. I began bouncing on the birth ball and rocking my hips through them while I watched a movie around 7AM. Liam woke up and hung out. Jonathan was up at this point as well. I told my midwife to wait a bit before coming over as things really weren't too heavy yet.

Around 8AM, I began showering during contractions that were about 6-7 minutes apart, but I still wasn't vocalizing through them. By 8:30, I made the bed and decided to lay on my side during the contractions. Jonathan laid behind me, dozing between contractions 5 minutes apart. They progressively got more intense and Jonathan was applying counterpressure to my spine to help me through. I was almost singing through my contractions, reminding myself "open mouth, open vagina" with long sing-songy Haaaaaaaaah's.

By 9:30 I could not lay down anymore through them. I got in the shower and my midwife arrived. She began setting up as I got out of the shower. My contractions were about 2 minutes apart and VERY intense. I hung onto the towel rack (oops and kind of tore it off the wall). After 10 of those contractions I was ready to be in the water and was feeling very pushy.

I got into the pool and Jonathan applied my counterpressure on my back at first. Things had REALLY picked up and this was definitely transition. My contractions were very close together and I resisted the urge to push until I could not resist anymore. I progressively pushed harder with each contraction but did very well at remembering to breathe in between pushes. I was REALLY grunting, primal and loud vocalizing at this point. I began feeling her head moving down in the canal and getting VERY bulgy.

My midwife's assistant was pressing on my hips as Jonathan was comforting Liam at this point since I was being so loud. I was on a modified hands and knees position as I beared down. As soon as I really felt her moving down, her head was crowning and not going back in when I reached down to check. My midwife supported me and just watched me do as my body told me to. As soon as Anabele's head was out, she just popped out at 10:59AM (7 hours of labor). I scooped her up out of the water and she was just perfect!

She didn't cry immediately, but looked around, thought about it and then cried just enough to let us know she was a strong girl :). I bled slightly afterwards, so as a preventative, my midwife gave me Shepherd's Purse and some homeopathic. Originally, they thought it might be from partial placenta separation, so we moved out of the tub as a precaution. My placenta came out quickly as I squatted on the pad by the pool. My bleeding had slowed and later when I was checked for tears since I was having some burning still, they saw I had a torn vessel that was bleeding, so no emergency, but better safe than sorry.

As I sat on the pad, Anabele and Liam both nursed and bonded. Liam was the first to hold her other than mom. We moved into the bedroom and rested while I got checked out and nursed Anabele. She was 7 lbs 15 ounces and 20 5/8 inches long. Everything about her is just perfect! At this point, my midwife and her assistant checked me out at my request for the burning and saw my tear. I was very swollen and neither were comfortable stitching it up because of the shape of the tear. Instead, we went to a different midwife who also works in a hospital and she did my tear repair very efficiently and quickly. I wish I'd been able to rest instead of go get stitched, but I was happy not to go to the ER. It was our decision and I am glad we decided to get it repaired because of where the blood vessel was that busted.

I am so proud of how positive I was during my labor and birth. I was in control, listened to my body and did everything as I felt I should. She is nursing like a champ and we are all feeling exceptionally well. I am amazed at how great I feel, but I'm still relaxing and taking it easy. More to come as I get the time. I'm just elated and proud of myself. This has been an immensely powerful and spiritual experience.

Belly Casting

Okay, so I regretfully did not do a belly cast with Liam, sigh. And I waited until 4 days until my EDD to do this one to boot. LOL. Apparently I wasn't too worried about going into labor. Anyway, this afternoon, Jonathan, Liam and I did the cast and it turned out surprisingly well. We ran out of gauze, so it wasn't as full as what I had wanted, but it'll definitely do. If I get to 41 weeks, I plan to do another, but not unless I go that long.

The process is fairly simple. Online, it said to buy the plaster strips from the hobby store, but A. we do not have a hobby store in Pittsburg, B. it was way cheaper my way. I had a big tub of plaster of paris powder and then I bought two rolls of gauze from Walmart (should have bought three or four). We didn't take pictures during because I was in me skivies, but here are some photos of the finished product. I don't think I will paint it, probably just sand it, seal it and hang it in our bedroom. It did NOT take 30 minutes to set and it does not feel good taking it off, just for the record. Jonathan's comment "We shoulda sprayed some Pam on you" was probably accurate. I did Saran wrap my underwear (not that it mattered, as Liam was plastering my legs and butt for me anyway) and I would recommend that. It really hurt to get it off with just the little tiny hairs on my belly, I can't imagine what ripping that off of pubes would feel like.

So here is our little baby!!! Come out whenever you want...anytime! :)

"Get in the tub!"

So my son ends up has infinite amounts of wisdom, well beyond his years. The amount of compassion, caring, understanding and just love Liam has blows me away. Jonathan and I discussed this last night and his response was very simple, "Well, of course he does, he has two parents who love him (and each other)." Amazing how that works out to the benefit of all parties involved. I see this daily in things like putting sunscreen on my back for me or bringing me a glass of water when I'm on the couch.

Back to my story. I told Liam that I was going to rest for a bit because my muscle hurt (when the storm woke me up at 7am, it literally SCARED me out of bed because a huge-ass limb fell right by the bedroom window, but I digress...I managed to jerk my foot out of bed at an amazingly unnatural angle and cramp up my calf). His response: "Maybe you should take a bath to feel better, mom. Then the baby can come out in the bathtub and I can play with it." I wish, kid. The anticipation of a new life to be added to our family is insane. I don't dislike being pregnant, in fact, I LOVE being pregnant, but I can't WAIT to greet this baby. Liam's anticipation is high, as well. He is constantly making small remarks about what he's going to do with the baby. We obviously won't follow some of his intentions, such as, "When the baby is born, then I can sleep with the baby in my room and you and dad can have your bed." While we haven't pressed him about when he wants to sleep in his own room, we've asked a few times, so he's decided that now would be a good time...as long as he can sleep with the baby, lol.

So today's good thought of the day is remembering Liam-isms:

-The Happy Dance
-Blowing fart water all over the tub as a baby...and finding that hysterical
-"I forgot to shut the fridge, sorry, I was Megatron."
-Being born with his eyes open
-"Singing "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in the car
-"My dog, Maggie, has really stinky farts" (in the middle of Bible study)
-"Your body is working REALLY hard to get the baby out, mom. Tell me, and I'll catch it."