Three Boys, One Girl, and Me: August 2009

Today was Collin's first day of kindergarten! He was mildly excited, and seemed concerned that none of his friends from preschool were going to be there. But when we picked him up he had made a friend (though he can't remember his name) and was excitedly telling us about how to find the cafeteria, that he got to pick his own lunch (at least between the chicken nuggets and burritos- of which he chose burritos) and that they have strawberry milk! He likes the kindergarten playground and as a special treat for "just the first day" his teacher brought them all an Otter Pop. He was also proud to report that he didn't get sent to the principal's office "even once"! We must admit, we were happy to hear that too!

He didn't want to wake up!

Handsome boy all ready to go!

His school, it was built in 1927.

Waiting for the bell to ring.

Following his teacher into the school.

Waiting with Mommy.

Waiting with Daddy.

After school, waiting to be let out the gate when the bell rings.

On Tuesday, August 4th Liam was due and I had no signs of labor in sight! After working all day and then hitting the grocery store we went home expecting a normal day on Wednesday. I went to bed at 11:30. It was a little later than normal, but I didn't think much of it. At 1:30 Terry came to bed. He woke me as he was getting into bed. I rolled over to cuddle up to him and Liam moved and (I thought) kicked me in the bladder. A little came out so I rolled back over and got up to use the bathroom. I didn't make it across the room before I had tons of water running down my legs! I got into the bathroom and told Terry that my water had broken! I'm not sure why, but it had startled me and I got cold and shaky. We called the midwife and she said to meet her at the birthing center at 2:30. Since we had time I got in the shower to warm up and calm down. As we were heading into the birthing center my contractions started though they were irregular and light.

When we got there as I was walking into the building I had another big gush of water. Fortunately I was still outside so I didn't get it all over the floor! The midwife brought me a towel and helped me get out of my wet clothes. She listened to Liam and checked me for dilation. I was at 4 cm and 80% effacement. She recommended we all try to get some more sleep and that she'd be in periodically to check on me. By 6 am my contractions were still pretty much the same so I got up and walked around trying to get things going a little faster. I started getting stronger contractions so I got back into the shower. I then spent the better part of the morning sitting cross legged on the bed resting my head against the birthing ball as the contractions got worse.

At around 11:00 I asked to get into the tub so the midwife checked me and I was 8cm and 90% effaced. She said that was the perfect time to get in so she filled the tub. I got in but I was so super hot that I couldn't stand it. I only stayed in about 30 minutes before I got out. Then I sat on the bed until I felt it was time to push. I started on my knees laying across the birthing ball but after a while of that my legs were so tired that I just wanted to lay down. I laid on my side and that is how I delivered most of the baby! I did roll onto my back to help the midwife get his shoulders out at the end. I thought it was amusing that I still delivered laying down even in the birthing center. I guess that I'm amused because so many people have that against hospital births, that they make you deliver that way. But that is what felt comfortable to me at the time so that is what I did!

I didn't have much tearing and I wouldn't have had any had Liam not had his arm up against his head, so I had to deliver his head plus the added width of his arm! Little bugger. I also pushed so hard that I burst blood vessels in both of my eyes so they look like I have pools of blood all around the white parts of my eyes. I also burst a blood vessel in my nose that caused a major nose bleed while pushing too. My poor DH was trying to get that stopped and I was trying to deliver a baby and just couldn't make myself care that my nose was bleeding! But because of all the bleeding I had to have an extra shot of something because the midwife was afraid I would hemorrhage. It had the side effect of making my cramping worse than normal, but nothing that a few Ibuprofen couldn't take care of, mostly....

All in all it was an interesting experience. It was very different from Collin's birth with the epidural and the hospital. The pain was more than I was anticipating but not until I hit about 9 cm, so I wasn't able to request any drugs by then! I do have to say that I don't feel that I had a much better birth, or that I bonded better with Liam or anything else along those lines by delivering this way. I don't feel bad that Collin's was medicated, and to be perfectly honest, if I did it again, I might go back to the medicated birth. But that might just be because I'm not far enough removed from the memory of the pain of Liam's!

Here are some pictures in no particular order.