Welcome to life as a new mom! I can't believe that we're here. That two weeks have gone by. They actually let us take a baby home! Are they nuts? We don't know what we're doing.
I'm tired.
I'm in love.
I'm hungry as if it's third trimester again.
I'm thirsty all the time.
I get the best cuddles in the world.
3 am feedings may be exhausting, but his cute little smiles make it all worth it.
Things I've learned:
Everything is a phase. Take time to just enjoy every minute. It's hard. It's exhausting. I've never done a job as hard or as rewarding as being a mother. I feel like I am whole and doing exactly what I should be in this life.
These first two weeks have flown by. Gilles intended to take 2 weeks off work so we could get settled, figure things out and be a family of 3 (or 5 depending on how you look at it). It was absolutely wonderful having him home. He kept me fed, kept the dogs walked. Held Gabriel so I could sleep. Did laundry, changed diapers and was the biggest breastfeeding support I could have.
We had visitors nearly every day but no one stayed long. Just a pop by, a cuddle, a little help and then they disappear.
The second week, Gilles went back to work on the Thursday/Friday. Not intended, but I felt like I could do this, like everything was working, and I could manage. It was successful! Those first two days alone were really good. Then we had the weekend together before he went back to work full time. Having a little "trial" was really good for both of us. He got to catch up at work, I got to see if I was capable of caring for our son alone (had to be!) and then we regrouped at the end of the week.
Everything changes so fast. Every day there is something new to learn, a new skill Gabriel learns, or I learn. We are still figuring each other out but so far so good.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
The beginning of Adventures in Babywearing
Since before our son was born, I knew I wanted to babywear. The convenience and developmental benefits are amazing. With two dogs, taking them and a stroller for a quick walk around the block seemed a little more daunting than I thought I could handle. At least for the first little while.
I was lucky enough to be given a lot of different wraps prior to Gabriel's birth. I received a Moby wrap, 2 custom made Babyhawk Mei Tais (shorter straps) and a ring sling. I purchased a woven and was given an Ergo from a baby shower.
After the first week home, I tried the Moby for the first time. I couldn't walk very far yet, but I wanted to see if I was strong enough to wear him and go down the block. The amount of fabric that makes up the Moby is a little daunting. I watched a few youtube videos and followed the instructions on the website and had no issues tying it on and getting Gabriel in. A little slow to get everything on and situated, but I did it.
We took our first walk as a family!
I was lucky enough to be given a lot of different wraps prior to Gabriel's birth. I received a Moby wrap, 2 custom made Babyhawk Mei Tais (shorter straps) and a ring sling. I purchased a woven and was given an Ergo from a baby shower.
After the first week home, I tried the Moby for the first time. I couldn't walk very far yet, but I wanted to see if I was strong enough to wear him and go down the block. The amount of fabric that makes up the Moby is a little daunting. I watched a few youtube videos and followed the instructions on the website and had no issues tying it on and getting Gabriel in. A little slow to get everything on and situated, but I did it.
We took our first walk as a family!
I can't wait to start wearing Gabriel more and get out of the house with the dogs. We may not go far yet, but being hands free will be so nice.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Gabriel!
Been a while since I've posted! We've been busy!
Our little one made an appearance at 40 weeks and 2 days. We have a son, Gabriel.
Here is our story:
Thursday morning, May 8, I had an OB appointment and got a cervix check. There was absolutely no indication of Gabriel coming soon. I was closed, thick but soft, same as the week before. I had an appointment for acupressure at 3 that afternoon and thought I might as well go anyway, the relaxation would be nice even if my body wasn't ready for labour yet.
My mom had been staying with us for the week and decided to go home Thursday after my appointment.
Gilles got home from work around 5, we ate supper then took the dogs for a walk around 7pm. While we were walking I had to stop a couple times for what I thought may be contractions. They weren't painful, but definitely required no movement.
Around 8pm they were regular and coming faster than I thought they should be for early labour. We called our doula around 10pm when they were consistently 3 minutes apart and lasting 30 to 40 seconds to the peak. She suggested I get in the bath and see if that calms things down. It didn't, they stayed right around the same so we called our doula again and she came to the house around 11:30pm
At 2am Friday morning, we headed to the hospital because I had a bearing down feeling and the contractions were still consistent at 2.5 - 3 minutes apart.
They took me right into a delivery room because I was bearing down and grunting when we got there. They checked me and I was only at 3cm. They told me I needed to stop my body for trying to push or I would cause my cervix to swell. That was enough for me to concentrate really hard stopping.
After getting in the room I used the shower and birth ball a ton.
I sat on the ball and leaned my head on the bed. I picked a spot on the moveable tray the nurse was using and used it to concentrate. When that wasn't working anymore, we put the ball in the shower and Gilles and our doula swapped holding the shower head on my back and feeding me bites of granola bar and water. Apparently I smashed my face into the steel safety bars in the shower with every contraction. I thought I was placing my head. I didn't know this until a couple days later when I commented my forehead hurt.
My water finally broke while on the ball leaning on the bed around 6am.
The contractions were coming faster and harder. I asked to use the gas after they checked me at 8am and said I was 7cm. After using it for a while I was checked again and still at 7cm. The gas didn't do much for the pain, but it forced me to breathe through each contraction and relax. After a couple hours of what we think was transition, I was done and asked for the epidural. This was not our plan, but I believe there would be no way I would have been able to deliver Gabriel without getting a little rest. The Dr (whom I'd met before) suggested that the epidural would also speed things along at that point.
I was a champ sitting through the contractions while the epidural went in. It numbed my right side first so I spent a lot of time on my left side. I was able to have a nap and so was Gilles. They got me to turn on my right side, but Gabriel's heart rate dropped so they kept me on my left side. Our doula and Gilles both gave me a neck massage while I was laying there resting which felt like heaven!
I hadn't been able to go to the bathroom during the transition phase or while having the epidural for whatever reason, so they had to drain my bladder twice with a catheter. That helped move things along with the pressure from my bladder gone.
They checked me again at 12pm and I was 10cm. Baby was at 0 station so they let me be to see if baby would come further down with contractions. At 12:45 they checked again and baby had moved slightly. I started pushing. I first pushed on my side with my leg up in a hold. I would pull my knee up to my shoulder with every push. I didn't feel like that was working enough so I asked to squat. That was a fail, since my legs were numb. Since I was on my back, we propped me up with pillows and I was able to pull my legs back with every push. After an hour he was almost out. They used a very small vacuum to assist and he was born! Such a relief! The feeling of his head going through and then his shoulders was amazing.
We did delayed cord clamping and skin to skin immediately. He breastfed right away, was very alert and then did skin to skin on Gilles. Gilles said he just looked at him the entire time. Our doula got me tea and toast with jam on it. Delicious!
I had a small 2nd degree tear that needed some stitching. And what the Dr described as road rash on my labia. They put stitches in and said told me they would dissolve in the next week or 2.
We were moved to a recovery room (shared) around 5pm and given supper.
Gabriel was born May 9, 2014 at 2:53pm.
Weight: 6 lbs 6 oz
Length: 20 inches
Our little one made an appearance at 40 weeks and 2 days. We have a son, Gabriel.
Here is our story:
Thursday morning, May 8, I had an OB appointment and got a cervix check. There was absolutely no indication of Gabriel coming soon. I was closed, thick but soft, same as the week before. I had an appointment for acupressure at 3 that afternoon and thought I might as well go anyway, the relaxation would be nice even if my body wasn't ready for labour yet.
My mom had been staying with us for the week and decided to go home Thursday after my appointment.
Gilles got home from work around 5, we ate supper then took the dogs for a walk around 7pm. While we were walking I had to stop a couple times for what I thought may be contractions. They weren't painful, but definitely required no movement.
Around 8pm they were regular and coming faster than I thought they should be for early labour. We called our doula around 10pm when they were consistently 3 minutes apart and lasting 30 to 40 seconds to the peak. She suggested I get in the bath and see if that calms things down. It didn't, they stayed right around the same so we called our doula again and she came to the house around 11:30pm
At 2am Friday morning, we headed to the hospital because I had a bearing down feeling and the contractions were still consistent at 2.5 - 3 minutes apart.
They took me right into a delivery room because I was bearing down and grunting when we got there. They checked me and I was only at 3cm. They told me I needed to stop my body for trying to push or I would cause my cervix to swell. That was enough for me to concentrate really hard stopping.
After getting in the room I used the shower and birth ball a ton.
I sat on the ball and leaned my head on the bed. I picked a spot on the moveable tray the nurse was using and used it to concentrate. When that wasn't working anymore, we put the ball in the shower and Gilles and our doula swapped holding the shower head on my back and feeding me bites of granola bar and water. Apparently I smashed my face into the steel safety bars in the shower with every contraction. I thought I was placing my head. I didn't know this until a couple days later when I commented my forehead hurt.
My water finally broke while on the ball leaning on the bed around 6am.
The contractions were coming faster and harder. I asked to use the gas after they checked me at 8am and said I was 7cm. After using it for a while I was checked again and still at 7cm. The gas didn't do much for the pain, but it forced me to breathe through each contraction and relax. After a couple hours of what we think was transition, I was done and asked for the epidural. This was not our plan, but I believe there would be no way I would have been able to deliver Gabriel without getting a little rest. The Dr (whom I'd met before) suggested that the epidural would also speed things along at that point.
I was a champ sitting through the contractions while the epidural went in. It numbed my right side first so I spent a lot of time on my left side. I was able to have a nap and so was Gilles. They got me to turn on my right side, but Gabriel's heart rate dropped so they kept me on my left side. Our doula and Gilles both gave me a neck massage while I was laying there resting which felt like heaven!
I hadn't been able to go to the bathroom during the transition phase or while having the epidural for whatever reason, so they had to drain my bladder twice with a catheter. That helped move things along with the pressure from my bladder gone.
They checked me again at 12pm and I was 10cm. Baby was at 0 station so they let me be to see if baby would come further down with contractions. At 12:45 they checked again and baby had moved slightly. I started pushing. I first pushed on my side with my leg up in a hold. I would pull my knee up to my shoulder with every push. I didn't feel like that was working enough so I asked to squat. That was a fail, since my legs were numb. Since I was on my back, we propped me up with pillows and I was able to pull my legs back with every push. After an hour he was almost out. They used a very small vacuum to assist and he was born! Such a relief! The feeling of his head going through and then his shoulders was amazing.
We did delayed cord clamping and skin to skin immediately. He breastfed right away, was very alert and then did skin to skin on Gilles. Gilles said he just looked at him the entire time. Our doula got me tea and toast with jam on it. Delicious!
I had a small 2nd degree tear that needed some stitching. And what the Dr described as road rash on my labia. They put stitches in and said told me they would dissolve in the next week or 2.
We were moved to a recovery room (shared) around 5pm and given supper.
Gabriel was born May 9, 2014 at 2:53pm.
Weight: 6 lbs 6 oz
Length: 20 inches
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