"New baby's" birth story!

Finally, 7 weeks and 2 days later I am writing out the amazingly perfect birth story that is "New baby's". :-) And editing it 3 months post birth when I have a bit more sleep under my eye lids.

Baby watch all began at 36 weeks when I suddenly began having bouts of prodromal labor off and on. I just had to make it to Christmas Day when I hit the 37 week mark and could deliver at the new Baby + Co Birth center! Of course, I googled prodromal labor and when Dr Google revealed it is often due to baby not being in the ideal exit position I sought chiropractors trained in Webster Technique and went several times, more walking/being vertical or horizontal, and lots of hands and knees time to get baby in the ideal exit position so these off and on bouts would stop dag gum it and when they would start again it'd be the real deal. So I wished anyways... When nothing was working to stop the prodromal labor and I saw 40 weeks come and go, one of my amazing midwives encouraged me to book a prenatal massage and just enjoy the weekend. It would, hopefully, be the last weekend with just my two big girls fighting for our attention. So, that's what I did. Well, I semi cooperated... I googled more food ways to kick start labor and figured since the girls like to help me in the kitchen why not make it beneficial bonding time and try some new foods to kick start labor? So we made and enjoyed "birthing brownies" and "jump start labor cookies". They were delicious!

"Jump Start Labor Cookies"

40w 5d I woke at 5am with a that-felt-different contraction. I had a couple contractions during the night that woke me but not enough to get me out of bed. I love my sleep too much to loose any for a silly ole contraction. Charles noticed I was up shortly after and decided to join me in the still dark and quiet morning. I told him not to get his hopes up but that I thought it was finally the real deal. I couldn't sit down during contractions nor between, not even on the birth ball which I loved in previous labors. So standing and leaning on the counter is where I remained. We debated on when to call my mom for her to head up since they had to battle Atlanta traffic coming to take over care of the proud big sisters and it was getting close to rush hour.

Sunrise on the morning of newbies birth day!

At 6:30am I made myself cheese eggs and made myself eat it all anticipating I would need the nourishment for labor, finally! I ended up calling mom to give her a heads up that this may or may not be the real deal. I would call back in an hour or so after we timed contractions and I showered to see if they phased out. The girls woke and wondered why mommy was walking and swaying and not talking for short time periods so we told them it looked like it was THE day! Although still waking up, they were so excited! While I was walking and swaying through contractions, I happened to look outside to see the sunrise and knew with it being as beautiful as it was that God was showing me this was indeed THE day we would meet our newbie! Biggest sister was reminding me of all the positions I could try during contractions that she learned from attending the childbirth refresher course with us and Little Sister was excited it meant Nana and Papa were coming and she could get all the barbies down from the closet to play with. Priorities. :-)

Not until 8am did I embrace today being it! We were meeting our third miracle baby, finally! Notified my mom between contractions to head on up but baby would be here before them! I called to cancel my pregnancy induction massage that was scheduled for 9am. I had my weekly routine prenatal appointment at 10:30am where we had discussed doing a sweep in hopes of turning the prodromal labor into the real deal. I was so excited none of that was needed now since I really wanted to stay away from interventions.

8:17am the text I sent our birth photographer to try and time her arrival too! "They are coming closer together but are getting shorter in duration. Like 45-90sec. They were lasting about 2 min from start to peak but sporadic in timing be it every 2 min to 10 min." {We do Bradley Birth so timing of contractions is different than traditionally}

8:20 am Charles called the midwife on call and was told if we feel like we should come, then come. Keeping in mind my weekly appointment was at 10:30am, I was thinking of holding out until then.

9am ish Charles felt we should head to the birth center and I was still feeling like it was too soon. I reluctantly agreed telling myself we would just be early for my appointment. I text our birth photographer that we would be seeing her soon!

10am ish we arrived at the birth center and I was definitely glad to be there. I was choking back tears on the drive there just flooded with emotions. Excited to finally meet this baby after such a trying pregnancy. Excited that the birth I have dreamed about was very probable to actually happen. Anxious how the girls would do without my mom there to watch them. So.many.big.emotions that I couldn't deal with while focusing on contractions!

One of my awesome Midwives (she had her baby 3 days later!)

Upon arrival I made some chit chat between contractions and then taken back to the birthing suite! It is so incredibly beautiful! So refreshing and inviting. So calming and TUB! Oh the tub! But first, had to confirm baby was head down. Yep and a 6/7! And then I let myself truly focus on birthing this baby. I'm not really sure what was happening as I go in when in labor. Eyes closed and completely block out everyone and everything outside. I focus on breathing and swaying. I ended up having to move rooms but when I entered the new room, I heard music to my ears. The glorious sound of the tub filling with water! I had to choke back tears, again, as this was the birth I've dreamed about for years!

Swaying and rubbing baby belly

After being checked couldn't get up until ctx passed

Counter pressure is about as awesome as this lady is!

10:30am I entered the tub! Oh what relief! Being dubbed the midwives epidural is so true! It also had a sprayer and I'm pretty sure they tag teamed as the spray across my belly felt wonderful and only once, when the water got too warm and they had to cool it down, did I notice the pause in spraying. I definitely noticed that pause, it helped so much!

One time I opened my eyes and asked where the girls were. I could see them sitting in a chair watching a movie on the iPad and was told they were alright, that they were safe and cared for. The room was filled with support not only for myself but Charles and the girls too. If any one of us needed something, someone was more than willing to get it! It was after that moment that I truly felt myself relax knowing the girls were safe and taken care of, as was I.

I hardly even had to ask for water this time as my amazing support team was regularly offering water or as I found I liked even more, watermelon Honest Co juice boxes. (The last three weeks I was craving watermelon which is super expensive out of season as we came to find out.)

I mumbled about needing to hold and squeeze something so Charles gave me his hands. I was rocking back and forth in the tub, wiggling my toes, low tones, and strong deliberate breathing. It was my rhythm. I remember mumbling something about my lips feeling weird and was just told it's normal, you're breathing great.

I started getting little urges to give tiny pushes. I could feel baby moving down the birth canal. The neatest sensation! When I finally vocalized something, "ouch", no one jumped and apparently that's normal when it is during labor. Haha

10:51am {midwife notes} I vocalized I felt my water pop.

And then I felt baby kick me from the inside for the very last time. Little stinker kicked me in the left rib for good measure just before swimming to this side.

11:23am {midwife notes} head visible.

11:24 am {midwife notes} Three pushes and baby was swimming!

It took me a minute to finally open my eyes and meet this new baby who was laying on my chest! I could hear my awesome support Team telling me to open my eyes and meet my baby but I just couldn't. When I finally did, I was in love!

What was this new bundle? And then I hear Charles proudly announce "It is a girl!" Our third Princess! What would we name her? It took us a couple of days to decide but we did.... We affectionately refer to our 9lb 13.3oz 21" long Baby girl Kathryn as 'chunk of love'.