Tell me your birth story...

These are my experiences, but I'd love to hear yours:


Baby A - February 2009
What a surreal day!!! I woke up this morning having decently strong contractions every 10 minutes. Mr. W went to work and I told him I'd call if they got closer together. They were intense enough that I had to focus on breathing through them, and I realized my plan to focus on my finger was not going to work as well as I'd hoped. I called my sister and she gave me some good ideas and talked me through some of the contractions.

Then my friend came by to visit with her little boys. It was a nice distraction having her there -- I'm not sure I would've opened the door to anyone else because I was definitely in my pj's.

By 10:00 they were intense enough that I really wanted Mr. W's help getting through them. He came home from work. He made me lunch and rubbed my back and told me I could do it. I took 2 showers which helped a bit, but there was a LOT of pressure in my bum which was hard to cope with. My sister had that when she was close to transition, so suggested we go to the hospital.

We checked in around 12:30. I was dilated to a 5 and 100% effaced. They gave me a heplock. They monitored me and the baby and then allowed me to get in a warm tub. They monitored me once there too. Mr. W knelt by the tub and let me squeeze his hand. He was very good about telling me I could get through it. Very important when the contractions are so intense you're not too sure.

After an hour in the tub, they checked me again...I was dilated to a 6. The nurse, Jeanine, was really great and pretty much left Mr. W and I alone to deal with things. Then things started getting QUITE intense. It was really a great feeling to get through this without an epidural.

They started coming one after the other after the other. I couldn't find a comfy position, so I just tried to get through each one and rest a bit. Then they were so intense I started shaking a bit. The nurse checked me at about 3:30 or so and said I was dilated to a 9. Good deal too because it had been intense. That last 40 minutes or so were...wow...but then I kept feeling the urge to push, so I asked her to check me again. I was a 10 and she said my water must've broken already in the last minutes, but Mr. W and I never noticed it.

The nurse told me to follow what my body told me to, but sometimes it was hard to obey because of the pressure in my bum. But we started pushing and the Dr. came in after she was at station 3. Mr. W was there the whole time encouraging me and telling me he loved me. What a wonderful man. Then pushing, pushing, pushing with rests in between. I'm grateful that's how your body works.

Then her head started to show. Honestly, I couldn't keep my eyes open while pushing, so I didn't see. They just kept telling me to push, and I did, and then when her shoulders came out there was this GREAT release. It surprised me how quick it went and then there was just a euphoria! They put her up on my tummy and dried her off a bit there. It was amazing to see her. She was quite pink and DARLING!! It made all the pain worth it right then.

She breast fed both sides, but had a time keeping her tongue in so she didn't push the breast away. She is just cute as a button and we're SO happy to have her here. What an amazing day!! Mr. W and I are sitting together in the hospital in the recovery area and hope to be home as soon as possible. It all depends on what the pediatrician says and what's best for her.

We probably are going to hold off on having visitors for the first little bit just to make sure that she doesn't catch any of the sicknesses going around, but we'll be sure to post photos.



Baby E - October 2010
I've had a lot of thoughts this past week, many of which revolve around the need I have for gratitude. This labor/recovery was much more difficult than I'd anticipated -- initially I just wanted amnesia to take over and forget about it, but when I look back on it, I see so many things I have to be grateful for that I would like to share:

Dr. Craig had delivered Baby A and I liked having Mr. W being the only man in the room. When we checked into the hospital at 7pm I'd already been in labor most of the day. The contractions were very intense and was sure I was dilated at least to a 7 or more and they'd just wait an hour and catch the baby. They told me I was only a 5. They also told me Dr. Craig wasn't in and the Dr. on call was the only Dr. I'd heard negative things about and he was a guy. I requested Deb Flansburg, who Dr. Craig recommended if she herself wasn't in. They told me Deb might be checking in later that night, but as of yet, she wasn't in. I prayed that Deb might check in and deliver me instead of the other guy.

Another thing I had wanted was to not be charged two room day charges at the hospital. Labor and delivery is charged by the hour, but once you check in upstairs they charge you almost 300 smackers a day -- the charge renews at midnight, so if I'd checked in upstairs at 8, I'd still be paying almost 600, even though I didn't have many hours left in the day.

Sometimes when we pray, or wish for things, we are disappointed when they don't turn out the way we'd hoped or expected. Labor was so painful this time, that initially I was disappointed, but now when I look back on it, I see how ultimately God answered my prayers and I am grateful for that. Because it took me a while to progress (comparatively to Amy's labor) I was still in labor at 10:30 when Deb Flansburg checked in. I was hyperventilating apparently . Odd thing, by the way... when you hyperventilate, your surface skin starts to go all tingly and numb. This time I had a big bag of water (Esther must've been swimming around in there). I was only a 7 at 10:30, but they said my water might break at any time, so I couldn't use the Jacuzzi. Because I was that far dilated and now 100% effaced, Deb suggested breaking my water. I was already having an urge to push, so we said yes.

Within 10 minutes she was born. There was a bit of trauma/drama in the pushing but I'll spare you that. The important points are these: her head eased out without too much tearing (though I had to have a large skin tag from BabyA's delivery removed which required quite a few stitches). That was something else I'd wanted... not to tear much. All the stitches I had were superficial and not into the deeper muscle tissues.

Things that went better this time: because the cord was longer, Baby E was able to be put up on my chest and I was able to hold her skin to skin for an hour. They let the cord finish pulsing before Mr. W cut it. Mr. W again was the only man in the room. Since she was born at 11:15 and they give you an hour down in labor+delivery before checking you in upstairs, we didn't check in until after midnight. I was able to walk upstairs with Mr. W and Baby E instead of being pushed in the wheelchair (though I could walk after Baby A's delivery, my legs were all shaky for a while; this time they didn't shake much at all). So many of my prayers were answered.

From the pain, I did learn some things. First off, I learned that my body can endure much more pain than I'd previously thought possible. If Baby A's labor had been a 5 on my Richter scale for pain, Baby E's was an 8 or 9. I had many more thoughts about the atonement while I was in labor this time -- I don't fully understand how Christ suffered every type of pain, but I know that He knows what labor feels like... somehow. I had "How Firm a Foundation" running through my head this time in labor -- each verse ends up being about as long as a contraction if you sing it in your head. I want to share some of the verses: "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, my grace all sufficient shall be thy supply. The flame shall not hurt thee, I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine. That soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not I cannot desert to his foes. That soul though all hell might endeavor to shake, I'll never no never... I'll never, no never... I'll never, no never, no never forsake."

I am so grateful to know that Christ understands all of our pains, trials, heartaches, hopes and dreams. Though it didn't ease the pain, it was a great comfort to know that He understood the type of pain my body was experiencing. We, none of us, suffer anything alone. We always have the Savior who can relate to us and comfort us. I am also so grateful for the gift of the body that we have been given. It's amazing that our bodies can go through so much... especially the female body. It's a great gift to be a woman able to bear children -- to feel them kick and wiggle inside and see them come out with their miniature bodies all functioning. It is nice to know that the body can heal itself after such an ordeal. Though the after pains were much stronger this time, and I did get hemorrhoids again, now... a week later, I feel SO much better than I did just after she was born.

Now... on perspective: I happened to rip my stitches Wednesday night getting off the couch from nursing Baby E... (a 10 or more on my Richter scale for pain). There are two ways to look at it... one, to be sad . Or, two... now that Dr. Craig checked it and removed the remaining stitch... I have no more stitches to worry about -- and they can't rip or tweak again. I realize I need to be better about looking on the positive aspect of things, and that a positive can be found if we search for it. Hemorrhoids stink, but the positive thing is they don't last forever AND I live in a country with so many luxuries -- like I can afford to take a bath, or multiple baths, every day. AND I like bran muffins.

I am grateful that Baby E got here safe and sound. I am grateful that my body is healing. I am grateful for hot baths. I am grateful that Baby A loves her baby sister and is so helpful and willing to give her kisses. I am grateful to have a loving husband who held my hand during labor and cried from watching me in pain. I am grateful he honors the priesthood and can give blessings. I am grateful for a SUPER MOM who stayed with us for a week and helped clean/cook/play with Amy/stay up at night with Esther/change diapers etc. There is MUCH... oh so very much to be grateful for and positive about. I hope I can remember this lesson.

Knowledge is Power

Sir Francis Bacon said that knowledge is power... I am finally starting to really believe that.

I went to the Logan hospital today to ask the Labor and Delivery unit about more options for natural birthing women. The Orem Women's center which is IHC owned has a water-proof Electronic Fetal Monitor (EFM). Can you imagine that? Being able to sit in the tub or be in the shower and still get all the recorded info. the hospital wants you to have? With my second, who was posterior, I loathed being on the EFM and just wanted to get into the shower. I really hope that they will consider getting one for the Logan Hospital.

Knowing what your hospital's policies are, and what you can refuse, can make a huge difference in your comfort at the hospital and in your bill.

FOR EXAMPLE:
When your blood is drawn at the beginning of pregnancy, they test for ALL sorts of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. All fine and dandy if you don't know where your man's been or if you're sleeping around, but when you know you husband and yourself, then there's no need to have all of them tested. But it's something you have to ask for -- if you don't, they just run it all. Some very powerful words to learn are: "What's that for?"
If you already know your blood type for certain (from a Red Cross donor's card for example) then the only test they really need to do initially is to test your blood levels. You can opt out of the blood type testing, STD tests etc.

Also, if you're not going to have an abortion, there is really no need in having an amniocentesis done.

Most doctors will check at some point in your pregnancy for Gestational Diabetes with a glucose screen test. For most women this is unnecessary and there should be signs to show you if you are having problems that they can collect in your urine sample anyways. My last OB said it wasn't a crucial test, but it's standard to routinely test it, even though only 2-5% of women develop gestational diabetes and there are often outward signs.

When you check into the hospital when you are in Labor or after your baby is born, they will take some blood to test your blood type. If you already know your blood-type, from having it tested at the beginning, then there is NO need for this second test. Obviously, if they don't have your records, then they want to have it, but if you live in Logan and went to the Budge Clinic, they have your records and have NO need of taking this test. BUT, you have to know in order to decline it.