Super Peter!

It's typical to hear of wives asking their husbands on a continuous basis to help out around the house. "Can you PLEASE pick up the house?" or "Can you PLEASE help with the dishes?" is only a glimpse of the types of requests that are typical in any given houshold. I'm not saying that all men are like that, it's just more common.

My scenario, however, is much different. My husband, Peter, LOVES to clean. You'll catch him vacuuming at midnight just in case I go into labor that night and he can't get it done the next day. He's the type where I have to ask him, "Honey, can you please NOT straighten the pillows tonight?" or "Can you take a week off in washing the sheets?". How I got so lucky to find a man that won't LET me do the laundry is beyond me, but I thank God for him. He's been my constant and my knight in shining armor and he's the best husband and dad any girl could ask for!

Being a mom

You hear about those mothers who struggle with baby blues and postpartum depression. I can certainly validate, but not relate. Not seasoned as a mother yet, there have been hardships this past week, but, all in all, I love every minute of it.

Breastfeeding does not come as "natural" as people might say. It is a learning curve. You and your baby both have to learn how to dance this dance together and it takes some endurance and practice. I have heard that it gets easier and you can begin to see it's natural effect take place, but you have to work to get there.

I was worried about the lack of sleep, but my baby has been good to me. She gives me 3 hr stretches at a time and as she learns to nurse better, our feedings have been easier and shorter giving both of us the maximum amount of sleep possible for a 1 wk old.

I've only been a mother for 8 days, and I have to say, I'm truly blessed to be where I am. Healthy, with a wonderful, supportive and helpful husband, I've certainly enjoyed every aspect of being a mother. I was so nervous before birth and I still am nervous for the journey to come, but I have to say, that I am more grateful and happy than I have ever been. There is nothing more rewarding and honoring than to care for a child of your own flesh and blood.

Surrendering Plan A

Having planned a home birth, my husband, Peter, and I did everything necessary to have a smooth and uncomplicated birth. Keeping up on a good protein diet, doing daily labor exercises, getting educated on what it takes to have a natural birth, and managing optimal baby positioning, everything was set to have such that.

As my due date (April 21st) approached, arrived and faded away into the past, three "warm up" labors (aka false labors) make me more and more anxious to meet our baby. Forty one weeks and 1 day at 8:30 pm, my contractions start and I am hopeful that this is it.

Lasting a minute long and spaced about 6-8 minutes apart, I tried to get some sleep and stay hydrated for the work that lied ahead of me. I called my midwife around 6 am though there was no real change in the contractions. My birth instructor came to give me support around 11 am and told me to start walking around and allow gravity to bring my contractions closer together. I was able to get them about 4 minutes apart but only when standing. If I were to sit or lie down, they would go back to 6 minutes apart. My midwife's assistant came over and assessed that I was 3 cm and 100% effaced. My midwife showed up around 7 pm though my contractions really never progressed any closer. She checked me and there was not only no change in dilation, but I was not completely effaced. She also assessed that Mara's head was cocked and not resting fully on my cervix causing me to not progress. Around 8:30 pm (24hrs after contractions started) she tries a technique to lift her off of my cervix and rest her back on correctly. What's meant to be a 10 min process, turns into a 25min process as she tries to bring my cervix from pointing back towards my tailbone to lining it up with my birth canal while I'm in a semi upside down position. As she is doing this, I begin to dilate rapidly. She turns me over when I almost reach 10cm so that I can rest (for I was in alot of pain) and wait for everything to complete progression on it's own. After a couple more contractions, like a rubber band, my cervix pointed back towards my tailbone and I had regressed to 5cm. Dissapointed, I was not ready to give up yet. Around 11 pm, with my contractions still 6 minutes apart, she checkes me again and I am at 6.5cm. Progression is slow, but it is progression. Though at this point, I begin to become dehydrated and my muscles weren't willing to hold me up much longer. By 3 am, I am checked again....no change. I'm uncontrollably shaking from exhaustion and dehydration and, at that point, my midwife starts talking hospital transfer. I needed rest and hydration on a cellular level and since the laws prohibit her from giving me an IV, I grieved and let go of my home birth plan.

We get to Parker Adventist around 4:15 am and my contractions are still 6 minutes apart and EXTREMELY intense. They give me an IV and an epidural (recommended by my awesome midwife) so that I can rest and get to 10 cm. They give me a small dose of pitocin and my blood pressure drops and Mara's heart rate wasn't responding well. They started to talk C section. They had other options to still shoot for a vaginal birth and I was hanging on to hope of somewhat keeping a part of my birth plan. They raised my blood pressure and Mara began to do better. They gave me more pitocin and with a few more hours I started pushing.

Forty one hours later from when labor had began, Mara Jade was born at 12:32 pm on May 1st. Beautiful and emotional, the experience was miraculous. Mara was put right on my chest so that she could hear my voice and I could see my baby up close for the very first time. She was 8 lb 4 oz and 20.5 inches long. Healthy and absolutely no complications after birth as far as the baby went. I managed, because of the long labor and extreme swelling, to achieve a 3rd degree tear that has made recovery a little more difficult than I was hoping. But, other than that, everything ended up wonderful.

Disappointed, I've learned all throughout the baby process that I am not in control and I am to surrender my thoughts and ideas to God and leave it in His hands. Would I try a home birth again? ABSOLUTELY! Though it is possible that my next birth could end up in a hospital again, I do believe in wishing for a plan, and being open to the endless possibilities that the experience might offer. All in all, I ended up with a beautiful, healthy little girl and I am thankful for everyone, my midwife, her assistants, doula, and the Parker staff for contributing to the birth of our baby girl. I am also appreciative for all those who kept us in their prayers throughout my pregnancy and through labor. I'm forever grateful.