(no subject)
Breastfeeding is seemingly improving, but now my boobz are giant and engorged which is fun. Poor Miles is eating as much as he possibly can, peeing and pooping up a storm so I know I just have to wait it out for things to regulate. I swear each one weighs 10 lbs right now :(
He is an even more laid back baby than Spencer was, which is hard to believe. I think it has to do with the way he was brought into the world. It was a truly amazing experience. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birth. It was completely, everything we planned for and wanted. So here is our birth story::
Sunday I woke up completely miserable. It was hot and my hips were hurting something fierce. Brandon, Spencer and I went on a trip to TJ Maxx to buy new pillows for the house and get some lunch. Spencer was a terror the whole time, begging for toys, crying, carrying on. By the time we had spent an hour @ TJ we were totally done. We got falafel carryout and came home. I ate and took an hour nap out of sheer rotten attitude-ness, no one wanted to be around me. We went to dinner @ the MIL's house. She made homemade ribs, chicken, roasted cauliflower and bokchoy they grew in their own hydrophonics. My fav part of the meal was the sweet potato pecan pie we bought from this bangin' pie shop in town. After dinner I went to the "Dancing for Birth" class my doula puts on every Sunday night. We started out with affirmations and got on some birthing balls for some light stretching. My water broke after about 15 minutes of being on the ball (around 8pm). It never broke on its own with Spencer so I was delighted. There were two other preggo girls at the class and they were so excited for me. I stuck around for a bit longer doing some dancing before I decided to head home, spend some time with Spencer and pack some stuff for the birth center.
I started having some light contractions on the way home. I stopped at my MIL's where spencer and brandon were playing croquet with the rest of the family in the backyard. Spencer seemed excited but wanted to stay and play croquet so we let him stay there and Brandon and I came home. We gave him the option of coming to the birth but he really didn't want to so we didn't push it. The contractions began increasing in intensity and I had some bloody show, so I sat on the birthing ball at home while Brandon got our stuff together. Then we hung around and listened to some music and talked about how excited we were. After an hour and a half my contractions started really kicking in and I had one that lasted almost a minute and a half. I called my doula and she told me to start heading to the birthing center.
We arrived at 10:30. My doula (Rae) had already been there and secured the *best* water room with the biggest jacuzzi tub. When I arrived in the room she had put little electric candles all around the tub and had yoga music playing. It was so lovely. They monitored the baby for 20 minutes and then let me loose. I bounced on the ball and held Brandon for support through the contractions. It was like him and I were sharing the same soul we were so fucking in sync. Just touching him sent streams of positivity and support through my body. He was completely focused on me and fulfilling any need/want I had. I took a walk around the birth center with Rae, stopping every few minutes to labor through a contraction. After about an hour and a half, she filled the tub and I got in around 12-1230am. At this point my mom, MIL and FIL (brandon's dad) arrived. The water felt amazing and I loved the ability it gave me to switch positions with very little effort and no discomfort.
The midwife arrived about around the time I got in the tub. The back labor was horrendous, and Brandon rubbed essential oils into my lower back through the contractions while Rae pulled my hair. It was truly unbelievable that I could feel my baby move down through my body with each contraction. I never felt this with Spencer because I had an epidural. In fact, I didn't feel much of anything except for blind pain with no ability to match it to a source. The contractions were fucking intense. I was on all fours in the water, Rae had essential oil rags for me to breathe in and lots of lemon as I started to feel nauseous approaching transition. I held Brandon as I switched to a side lying position. If people were talking, I had no idea and didn't give a shit. The pain was the most profound I've ever experienced and the time rest in between contractions was so calming I nearly fell asleep every time.
A little after 1am I started violently throwing up. I swear I filled 4 buckets when I was done finally. It was horrible but I knew the end was quickly coming into sight and that the vomiting had helped my body fully dilate so i could bring my baby into the world. I started to feel the urges to push so it started. I pushed through about 3 contractions before I started to feel that familiar burning sensation. I put my fingers up there after each of these to try to feel the baby's head coming down. When I felt it I couldn't believe it!!!! It was totally wild to me. By this time the contractions were pure hell, I pushed a few more times before his head came out. It hurt like hell and I couldn't wait for another contraction to push out the shoulders so I beared down, pushed my legs against the tub wall and gave it everything I had. His whole body came out and my midwife caught him, throwing him on my chest immediately. The pain was gone, everyone was crying, especially Brandon whose wails of disbelief and delight were the only ones I really heard. I had done it!!! I couldn't believe it, I did it. I sat in the water holding him for about 20 minutes before my mom cut the cord. I held him as I showered off in the tub. No circumcision, no ointment, no vaccines, no bath, no nothing. My awesome nurse wiped him down and gave him right back to me. Brandon held him while my midwife gave me 3 stitches in the upper labia. I had a slight first degree tear probably because I pushed too hard. My placenta was gorgeous, it looked like a giant eggplant in a sac.
He nursed immediately like a complete pro. The birth center is pretty awesome, they never bothered us and we were able to go home at 5pm that same day.
I am so in awe of my body. Hands down the coolest thing I have ever done, to let MY body do what it was made to do.
He is an even more laid back baby than Spencer was, which is hard to believe. I think it has to do with the way he was brought into the world. It was a truly amazing experience. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birth. It was completely, everything we planned for and wanted. So here is our birth story::
Sunday I woke up completely miserable. It was hot and my hips were hurting something fierce. Brandon, Spencer and I went on a trip to TJ Maxx to buy new pillows for the house and get some lunch. Spencer was a terror the whole time, begging for toys, crying, carrying on. By the time we had spent an hour @ TJ we were totally done. We got falafel carryout and came home. I ate and took an hour nap out of sheer rotten attitude-ness, no one wanted to be around me. We went to dinner @ the MIL's house. She made homemade ribs, chicken, roasted cauliflower and bokchoy they grew in their own hydrophonics. My fav part of the meal was the sweet potato pecan pie we bought from this bangin' pie shop in town. After dinner I went to the "Dancing for Birth" class my doula puts on every Sunday night. We started out with affirmations and got on some birthing balls for some light stretching. My water broke after about 15 minutes of being on the ball (around 8pm). It never broke on its own with Spencer so I was delighted. There were two other preggo girls at the class and they were so excited for me. I stuck around for a bit longer doing some dancing before I decided to head home, spend some time with Spencer and pack some stuff for the birth center.
I started having some light contractions on the way home. I stopped at my MIL's where spencer and brandon were playing croquet with the rest of the family in the backyard. Spencer seemed excited but wanted to stay and play croquet so we let him stay there and Brandon and I came home. We gave him the option of coming to the birth but he really didn't want to so we didn't push it. The contractions began increasing in intensity and I had some bloody show, so I sat on the birthing ball at home while Brandon got our stuff together. Then we hung around and listened to some music and talked about how excited we were. After an hour and a half my contractions started really kicking in and I had one that lasted almost a minute and a half. I called my doula and she told me to start heading to the birthing center.
We arrived at 10:30. My doula (Rae) had already been there and secured the *best* water room with the biggest jacuzzi tub. When I arrived in the room she had put little electric candles all around the tub and had yoga music playing. It was so lovely. They monitored the baby for 20 minutes and then let me loose. I bounced on the ball and held Brandon for support through the contractions. It was like him and I were sharing the same soul we were so fucking in sync. Just touching him sent streams of positivity and support through my body. He was completely focused on me and fulfilling any need/want I had. I took a walk around the birth center with Rae, stopping every few minutes to labor through a contraction. After about an hour and a half, she filled the tub and I got in around 12-1230am. At this point my mom, MIL and FIL (brandon's dad) arrived. The water felt amazing and I loved the ability it gave me to switch positions with very little effort and no discomfort.
The midwife arrived about around the time I got in the tub. The back labor was horrendous, and Brandon rubbed essential oils into my lower back through the contractions while Rae pulled my hair. It was truly unbelievable that I could feel my baby move down through my body with each contraction. I never felt this with Spencer because I had an epidural. In fact, I didn't feel much of anything except for blind pain with no ability to match it to a source. The contractions were fucking intense. I was on all fours in the water, Rae had essential oil rags for me to breathe in and lots of lemon as I started to feel nauseous approaching transition. I held Brandon as I switched to a side lying position. If people were talking, I had no idea and didn't give a shit. The pain was the most profound I've ever experienced and the time rest in between contractions was so calming I nearly fell asleep every time.
A little after 1am I started violently throwing up. I swear I filled 4 buckets when I was done finally. It was horrible but I knew the end was quickly coming into sight and that the vomiting had helped my body fully dilate so i could bring my baby into the world. I started to feel the urges to push so it started. I pushed through about 3 contractions before I started to feel that familiar burning sensation. I put my fingers up there after each of these to try to feel the baby's head coming down. When I felt it I couldn't believe it!!!! It was totally wild to me. By this time the contractions were pure hell, I pushed a few more times before his head came out. It hurt like hell and I couldn't wait for another contraction to push out the shoulders so I beared down, pushed my legs against the tub wall and gave it everything I had. His whole body came out and my midwife caught him, throwing him on my chest immediately. The pain was gone, everyone was crying, especially Brandon whose wails of disbelief and delight were the only ones I really heard. I had done it!!! I couldn't believe it, I did it. I sat in the water holding him for about 20 minutes before my mom cut the cord. I held him as I showered off in the tub. No circumcision, no ointment, no vaccines, no bath, no nothing. My awesome nurse wiped him down and gave him right back to me. Brandon held him while my midwife gave me 3 stitches in the upper labia. I had a slight first degree tear probably because I pushed too hard. My placenta was gorgeous, it looked like a giant eggplant in a sac.
He nursed immediately like a complete pro. The birth center is pretty awesome, they never bothered us and we were able to go home at 5pm that same day.
I am so in awe of my body. Hands down the coolest thing I have ever done, to let MY body do what it was made to do.