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| 8-17-2014 |
Love
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Intoxicating
Today's quick post is brought to you by a large release of oxytocin. Which is the happiness hormone that mamas get when seeing, smelling or even just thinking of their baby. It's the hormone that helps with milk supply and will often trigger a milk let down. Sitting here today, I wanted to document this moment that I will cherish forever. A moment I have experienced every single day of Hudson's life so far and that I will never forget; the smell of the top of his head. My sweet boy was blessed with a head full of hair and there is NOTHING I love more than the smell of it. It's almost intoxicating! Men will never understand these tiny moments that mean so much to a mother. I already think about how he will one day grow up and that smell will fade... and even if it doesn't, I doubt he will appreciate his mother trying to sniff the top of his head when he walks into highschool. I just want to hold onto these moments because they are currently what I LIVE for.
Friday, August 15, 2014
Plan C?
For those who were a part of my life while I was pregnant, knew how important it was to me to have a natural birth. I didn't discover that I wanted a natural birth until I was 26 weeks pregnant and I was looking for a more personal experience. Something just didn't feel right with the doctor and hospital I was currently getting prenatal care at. After watching several movies and doing research, I FINALLY found the route that was right for me. I wanted to have a midwife and explore options that involved little medical intervention. I switched from a doctor to a midwife and starting mentally preparing my birth plan. I found a doula that was a God send and I was mentally and physically prepared for the birth of my son.
As I was approaching my due date, I was getting chiropractic care regularly to help ensure that my pelvis was in alignment for my sweet boy to make his journey more easily. It was through this process and mama's intuition (Which I was completely in tune with Hudson's position my entire pregnancy pretty much) that we discovered he was OP. This means that Hudson was "sunny side up" and not in the optimal position for birth. The evening of Tuesday June 3rd, I was doing a Miles Circuit which helps with spinning OP babies, my water broke. I was not having any contractions so I knew that it was going to be a long night and following day because my labor technically hadn't started yet. So I did exactly what no other pregnant woman would probably do, but I laid a towel on the bed... and I tried to get some sleep. Of course I called my mom and let her know that Hudson would be arriving soon and they should begin their drive from Colorado soon. I was planning on laboring at home as long as possible so I knew I better try and get some rest before I started taking the steps to get contractions going. I slept about 4 hours and finally contractions were slowly beginning around 5am. At that point, I got up, made a good breakfast and began drinking lots of water and siting on the birth ball. I also took a nice hot shower to get my body nice and relaxed.
It was about 7am when I started to feel contractions start coming along pretty regularly. My doula arrived around 8:30am and helped me start working through them. Before things progressed, I called the hospital so that they could notify my midwife that my water had broken. My midwife then texted me to see how things were progressing. She told me that she would be at the hospital around lunch time. My chiropractor came and gave me one last adjustment to check position of baby at 9:15am. While at home, my doula had me try several different positions and I started realizing what felt best and what felt good through contractions. In the meantime my hubby is notifying friends and family that it's game time. I labored at home until my contractions were 40 seconds long. We headed to the hospital around 1:45pm. I checked in; 5cm dilated and 90% effaced! Hudson was in the -2 station. We were off to Labor and Delivery- We were going to have a baby!
It was about 3:45pm when we got to our delivery room. My midwife had prepared it by turning out all the lights, lighting the room with LED flame less candles and had beautiful essential oils burning. We had brought our own speaker and there was music playing the whole time. It was such a beautiful room and I could not wait for Hudson to be born into such a peaceful environment. I labored for 3 more hours and I began to feel the exhaustion at that point. It was now 7pm and my doula suggested that I get in the tub. I labored on my hands and knees in the tub and the pain started to get very intense. My midwife came in and checked. I was now 8cm dilated and 100% effaced while Hudson had moved to the 0 station. She was now able to confirm that baby was OP. Kyle helped me through each contraction and I loved when he put counter pressure on my lower back. My doula rubbed essential oils on my legs and calves while I did exaggerated SIMS position with my midwife in hopes to get my pelvic floor to relax more. It was now 9:30pm. My midwife checked me again at 10pm, I was still 8cm dilated. It was like a light switch, all of a sudden the pain grew from a pain, to my hip may break. Something was different... I asked for an epidural. I could see the hesitation in my midwife's face because she KNEW that isn't what I wanted. 10:45pm, Plan B was in affect and the epidural was placed. At 11:30 pm, the lights were turned off and we all slept. Kyle NEEDED the sleep. My midwife went home to get a little sleep. 1:45am came and the nurses helped me rotate side to side with a peanut ball between my legs to encourage dilation but at 3:30am... I was still only 8cm dilated.
The moment then came that I wanted to avoid; Pitocin. We started pitocin to get contractions going stronger. 4:55am came and my midwife returned. I was still only 8cm dilated. I was constantly being monitored by taking my temperature since my water had been now been broken for so long. I was checked again at 6:10am, I was now 9cm dilated. It was now time for my midwife to go home. The new midwife came in and checked me at 7:20am... I was still 9cm dilated. I had them lower my epidural dosage so that I could feel more pressure. 7:50am, I was on all fours bent over the back of my bed to try and encourage dilation. I was also rolled side to side with a peanut ball between my knees and was completely dilated by 9:35am. The new midwife checked me and also determined that Hudson was not only OP but he was also asynclitic. (http://spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/all-positions/asynclitism) The midwife seemed confident that we could help him rotate even though I had no water. At 10am, I was pushing full force. I continued pushing for several hours in every position possible. During the lunging position, I could feel Hudson and Kyle could see Hudson but we just couldn't get him to turn his head. The OB on duty then came in and check me and confirmed that Hudson was OP and asynclitic. Since progress wasn't being made, Kyle and I had to make a very difficult decision.
A private conversation and several tears later, we decided that Hudson would arrive by surgical birth. Plan C was now the only option. Hudson William was born at 2:08pm on June 5th. He was taken over to the warmer and Kyle followed. "Hi Hudson, it's your Daddy!" Hudson weighed 9 pounds and was 20.5 inches long. He was brought over to my chest so I could see my perfect boy for the first time. I was really hoping to hold my son for the first time without being medicated but unfortunately, I was exhausted, hungry and extremely out of it. All I remember saying was "Hudson, you are perfect!"
Times and notes of my labor were recorded by my beautiful doula! You can find her information here if you are looking for a doula to use for your birth!
As I was approaching my due date, I was getting chiropractic care regularly to help ensure that my pelvis was in alignment for my sweet boy to make his journey more easily. It was through this process and mama's intuition (Which I was completely in tune with Hudson's position my entire pregnancy pretty much) that we discovered he was OP. This means that Hudson was "sunny side up" and not in the optimal position for birth. The evening of Tuesday June 3rd, I was doing a Miles Circuit which helps with spinning OP babies, my water broke. I was not having any contractions so I knew that it was going to be a long night and following day because my labor technically hadn't started yet. So I did exactly what no other pregnant woman would probably do, but I laid a towel on the bed... and I tried to get some sleep. Of course I called my mom and let her know that Hudson would be arriving soon and they should begin their drive from Colorado soon. I was planning on laboring at home as long as possible so I knew I better try and get some rest before I started taking the steps to get contractions going. I slept about 4 hours and finally contractions were slowly beginning around 5am. At that point, I got up, made a good breakfast and began drinking lots of water and siting on the birth ball. I also took a nice hot shower to get my body nice and relaxed.
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| Open Knees to Chest Position |
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| Getting my last adjustment from Dr. Jill DeLong |
It was about 7am when I started to feel contractions start coming along pretty regularly. My doula arrived around 8:30am and helped me start working through them. Before things progressed, I called the hospital so that they could notify my midwife that my water had broken. My midwife then texted me to see how things were progressing. She told me that she would be at the hospital around lunch time. My chiropractor came and gave me one last adjustment to check position of baby at 9:15am. While at home, my doula had me try several different positions and I started realizing what felt best and what felt good through contractions. In the meantime my hubby is notifying friends and family that it's game time. I labored at home until my contractions were 40 seconds long. We headed to the hospital around 1:45pm. I checked in; 5cm dilated and 90% effaced! Hudson was in the -2 station. We were off to Labor and Delivery- We were going to have a baby!
It was about 3:45pm when we got to our delivery room. My midwife had prepared it by turning out all the lights, lighting the room with LED flame less candles and had beautiful essential oils burning. We had brought our own speaker and there was music playing the whole time. It was such a beautiful room and I could not wait for Hudson to be born into such a peaceful environment. I labored for 3 more hours and I began to feel the exhaustion at that point. It was now 7pm and my doula suggested that I get in the tub. I labored on my hands and knees in the tub and the pain started to get very intense. My midwife came in and checked. I was now 8cm dilated and 100% effaced while Hudson had moved to the 0 station. She was now able to confirm that baby was OP. Kyle helped me through each contraction and I loved when he put counter pressure on my lower back. My doula rubbed essential oils on my legs and calves while I did exaggerated SIMS position with my midwife in hopes to get my pelvic floor to relax more. It was now 9:30pm. My midwife checked me again at 10pm, I was still 8cm dilated. It was like a light switch, all of a sudden the pain grew from a pain, to my hip may break. Something was different... I asked for an epidural. I could see the hesitation in my midwife's face because she KNEW that isn't what I wanted. 10:45pm, Plan B was in affect and the epidural was placed. At 11:30 pm, the lights were turned off and we all slept. Kyle NEEDED the sleep. My midwife went home to get a little sleep. 1:45am came and the nurses helped me rotate side to side with a peanut ball between my legs to encourage dilation but at 3:30am... I was still only 8cm dilated.
 |
| Kyle helping me through a contraction |
The moment then came that I wanted to avoid; Pitocin. We started pitocin to get contractions going stronger. 4:55am came and my midwife returned. I was still only 8cm dilated. I was constantly being monitored by taking my temperature since my water had been now been broken for so long. I was checked again at 6:10am, I was now 9cm dilated. It was now time for my midwife to go home. The new midwife came in and checked me at 7:20am... I was still 9cm dilated. I had them lower my epidural dosage so that I could feel more pressure. 7:50am, I was on all fours bent over the back of my bed to try and encourage dilation. I was also rolled side to side with a peanut ball between my knees and was completely dilated by 9:35am. The new midwife checked me and also determined that Hudson was not only OP but he was also asynclitic. (http://spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/all-positions/asynclitism) The midwife seemed confident that we could help him rotate even though I had no water. At 10am, I was pushing full force. I continued pushing for several hours in every position possible. During the lunging position, I could feel Hudson and Kyle could see Hudson but we just couldn't get him to turn his head. The OB on duty then came in and check me and confirmed that Hudson was OP and asynclitic. Since progress wasn't being made, Kyle and I had to make a very difficult decision.
 |
| Giving Me a kiss before heading to Operating Room |
A private conversation and several tears later, we decided that Hudson would arrive by surgical birth. Plan C was now the only option. Hudson William was born at 2:08pm on June 5th. He was taken over to the warmer and Kyle followed. "Hi Hudson, it's your Daddy!" Hudson weighed 9 pounds and was 20.5 inches long. He was brought over to my chest so I could see my perfect boy for the first time. I was really hoping to hold my son for the first time without being medicated but unfortunately, I was exhausted, hungry and extremely out of it. All I remember saying was "Hudson, you are perfect!"
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| My first moment with my son; "You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you, so wonderful you made me; wonderful are your works" -Psalm 139:13-14 |
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Times and notes of my labor were recorded by my beautiful doula! You can find her information here if you are looking for a doula to use for your birth!
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Feed My Starving Faith
Hello there! Well it's official, I have caved into the blogging world to join the masses of new mothers who wish to document the lives of their most precious creations; their children. I also wanted (actually needed) a hobby and this is a great way for our out of state family to be able to check in on our tiny world here in Norman, Oklahoma.
First order of business is to let you know why I chose the title Feed the Starving Faith. I was recently blessed with a beautiful son that we named Hudson William on June 5th. Since the day my water broke (which was 2 days before he was actually born), I feel like I have been faced with several life obstacles that have not only been a challenge each day but have been a test of my faith. It's only human to ask why and be curious as to how we were dealt such a crummy hand of cards. But through it all, it's important to know that He will let us bend but He will never let us break. The title of this blog is to be a constant reminder that we cannot feed our faith just in the time of need. The desire to serve Him needs to consume our everyday lives and I want to be a woman of God who is raising her family to love the Lord.
First order of business is to let you know why I chose the title Feed the Starving Faith. I was recently blessed with a beautiful son that we named Hudson William on June 5th. Since the day my water broke (which was 2 days before he was actually born), I feel like I have been faced with several life obstacles that have not only been a challenge each day but have been a test of my faith. It's only human to ask why and be curious as to how we were dealt such a crummy hand of cards. But through it all, it's important to know that He will let us bend but He will never let us break. The title of this blog is to be a constant reminder that we cannot feed our faith just in the time of need. The desire to serve Him needs to consume our everyday lives and I want to be a woman of God who is raising her family to love the Lord.
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