The Home WaterBirth story of Our Fourth Child.

At 40 weeks and 3 days I felt huge. I walked and swayed those early contractions away for almost 23 hours. I couldn’t sleep through them, and they kept me on my feet. Although I was growing tired, it gave me time to mentally prepare.

For the last 2 months of the pregnancy we had lived in temporary housing, and 2 months after the birth we would be embracing a military move for our family, including 4 young ones under the age of 6, from England to Germany. A lot occupied my thoughts those 9 months other than the impending birth… which brought me to 3 days past due bouncing on a birth ball in early labor thinking, “I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I’m NOT ready!!” *grins.*

39 week Midwife appt with my 2 year old son,

who was also homeborn. 

Around 1am the day of the birth I finally bounced myself out of denial enough to call our midwife, Jo and have her come over. We were doing well coping, bouncing on the birth ball, listening to a Hillsong playlist I had made, and also playing with the TeNS machine Jo, our Midwife, had let us borrow. (TeNS stands for “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation.” It is a small, battery operated box with 2-4 small electrodes on sticky patches that you apply to the mid and lower part of your back. You can control small doses of electrical pulses to the nerves under the skin. It is safe for both mother and child, and a somewhat effective method of pain control with no side effects.) Although the TeNS did more for the pain in early labor than in active labor, it was a great distraction to play around with.

 40 weeks and still counting...

Not too long after Jo arrived the contractions grew intense enough to get into the birth pool. At first I hesitated, which surprised me! I hadn’t stopped singing the praises of laboring in water since my second daughter was born in 2003, and the praises of birthing in water since my son was born in 2006! But the TeN's offered a sense of control I knew i'd have to  give up once in the water.

 To buy time to decide, I asked Jo to check my dialation and found I was 5-6 cm’s and 75% effaced, baby still a bit high, -2 station. Since I already had the TeNS machine off for the check and I knew I only had 2-3 minutes at best before the next contraction hit I figured “What the hooey?” and made a mad dash for the pool!! I was so thankful I had. It was like a long awaited sigh.

I was relaxed against the side, engulfed by warm, comforting water. It shaved time off as I relaxed deeply in the water. My hormones were able to kick in, which resulted in a better rhythm to my contractions, which gave a more efficient labor. I progressed quickly and within 2 hours of being in the pool, our baby would be born.

Resting in between transition contractions

as Jo takes my blood pressure. 

Transition commenced very soon after getting in and lasted longer than with any of my previous 3 births, over an hour! I thought I had this birthing thing down pat having already done it 3 times in the last 6 years, but this one was different. Just as I had coined this pregnancy my "wild card" being completely different than my others, so this birth followed suit. This was my longest lasting birth, longest lasting transition phase, and the only natural birth I let labor “get to me.”

 Everyone in the room knew it was time to push before I did. I kept mentally comparing this birth with my previous ones, when I really just needed to trust God and trust my body's ability. Leaning on your own understanding doesn’t get you very far, and for me trying to “think things through” almost became a hindrance to my labor. I do not think my transition phase would have been the hour long it was, had I let go and trusted earlier on. (Baby having a chin tilted up may have had something to do with it too.)

At the time though, I couldn’t figure out why things were so magnified. My son’s birth was very peaceful, rhythmic, and fluid. I would think to myself, “Why is this one so intense? Is something wrong?” I would reach to feel for a head and not feel a thing, which confused me as I could feel Joey’s head at around my second knuckle at this point.

Debating the effectiveness of the gas and air

during a transition contraction. 

It took a long time to realize that waiting for the same things to happen now, that did during my son’s birth, just simply wasn't going too happen. This wasn't my son’s birth! It was a new baby, and a new birth. This baby deserved that respect. I had to let go and stop comparing. This was my epiphany moment and with it came the realization that I did have to push and everyone around me was right!

  After a "3 minute pushing phase," my husband delivered our 4th child gently into the water! I breathed a huge sigh of relief, and lifted the child to my chest, discovering and announcing for the first time, "It's a GIRL!!" It was one of the single most gratifying, emotionally charged moments of my life. A gift I can tuck into my pocket and relive again and again.

 After a few minutes of laughing that she had hair (all our babies have been baldies) and how chunky she seemed (My first child was 4.11, and my next two were 6 pounders) we retreated from the pool and introduced nursing while waiting for the placenta. After half an hour we cut the cord, delivered the placenta, and weighed our new daughter, 7 pounds and 1 ounce, our biggest baby yet!

Soon we made the phone call for our sitter to bring the older children over to meet their new sister. I dressed her in the same "Coming Home" Outfit my 2 older girls wore from the hospital, a white sleeper with pink bows from head to toe, and "Daddy's Little Girl" embroidered on the chest.

The happy family, 12 hours afterbirth.

 When the children arrived they rushed over, giggling to see the baby, asking "Is it a boy or a girl?!" to which I replied, "Is the baby in blue or in pink?" Our 5 year old daughter yelled "PINK!" and the 6 year old daughter replied, "A GIRL! a SISTER!!" Our 2 year old son was a little taken back. Seems he really believed mommy was going to give birth to a ball. (Which is his all time favorite toy in the whole world!)

Today she is the sweetest little thing with blue eyes, blond hair that sticks straight up like a cockatiel, and a slightly timid smile.

Charlotte "Charley" Rose

 7 pounds, 1 ounce

20 inches long

40 weeks and 3 days

November 18, 2008

after 26 hours total labor

As for the water births of both my son and Charlotte’s, the most common question I get is the concern of the baby being born into water instead of into air. The child has been in warm water for the duration of the pregnancy, so the transition into a warm pool of water at birth is much the same. If "drowning" is a concern, we should ask ourselves, why haven't babies drowned in the womb? They are receiving oxygen with their cord, as the cord is intact baby will continue to receive oxygen until the breathing reflex begins, which usually happens when their heads are stimulated by the introduction of cold air, or when the placenta seperates. I have seen and heard of babies beginning to breathe when only their head has been born on land births, but I have never heard of this happening with water born babies.

We do not stimulate the child's head anymore than necessary during the birth while they are under water, and we don't hesitate to bring their head up to air. Once they are brought to air we wait for them to breathe on their own. We don't suction, throw a cap on their head, or rub them down to "stimulate" them. We cradle them, kiss them, keep them well within the warm water so they don't chill, and wait for them begin to breathe on their own.

Water birth gives many great benefits for both mother and child, a greater sense of relaxation and pain relief, which aids labor to progress faster. The Birth Pool was also my comforting, "safe" place. The water was my own. No one was crowding me, no one in “my space" unless I invited them in. It was all mine to focus all my energy and prayer into bringing forth this sweet child.

The warm water also enables tissues to be softened and increases elasticity of the skin. I have never torn with any of my water born babies. I have greater ability to move and change positions as gravity is minimized, which saves energy. My body works harder, yet I work less. Baby is given a very gentle introduction to the world, body temperature is maintained easily, and one of my favorites is the easy cleanup. I immediately have a clean baby to cuddle! It doesn't take anything to siphon the water out, throw away the sterilized liner of the pool, deflate it, fold it up and put it in a closet!

With our Midwife Jo, Charlotte 4 weeks old

Here are some of my favorite sites regarding risks, benefits, and common myths of water birth:

 http://www.waterbirth.org/mc/page.do

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/waterbirth.html

http://www.bellybelly.com.au/articles/birth/waterbirth-birth-in-water

 The first site also sells the "Birth Pool in a Box" which is the pool we bought and used for both my son and daughter's home water births. We just used new liners for each birth. Now that the births are over, all the kids can use it as a paddling pool in the backyard! (Oh, by the way, here is a link to my son’s home water birth story, also with pictures, for those fellow "birth junkies" who can't get enough stories! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/tinytoes/565746)

 Yours sincerely,

Kristy in England Germany.

Charlotte 4 months old

Side note**** Joey is 20 months old now and we are 4 months away from giving birth to a new brother or sister for him! we are again hoping to homebirth, and with this in mind i had rewritten his birthstory to make it a bit more concise and shorter than the original 12 page one lol....i really just needed a good place to store it to refer back to, and what better place than his orginal pregnancy blog? *** ;)

The Birth of Joseph James IV: Our first home-waterbirth!

Cra-zy [krey-zee] adjective, - zi-er, -zi-est, noun, plural -zies:

senseless; impractical; totally unsound: a crazy scheme.

Yes, I think I am crazy, as in, I am senseless; impractical, and totally unsound. Why? Because I want another baby and I just gave birth 4 months ago!

But is it really "totally unsound"?? I had my first two girls at 14 months apart. Actually, they were 1 day shy of being 14 months apart, so really they were born 13 months and 29 days apart, but eh whose counting? It was hard. The second pregnancy was not planned. It took me a good five months of the pregnancy to mentally adjust that is was "okay" and even "good" to have another baby so soon. The pregnancy was really hard on me. I was much sicker with my second pregnancy than with my first. I had a hard time keeping up with another infant while also growing a baby within me. I felt constantly tired. I was nervous, and even fearful, of having "two under two." and Then my second daughter was born. She was so beautiful. I cried when i first laid eyes on her, and then cried over the fact i was crying! I didn't expect to feel such a strong overwhelming emotion of love for someone I hadn't "planned" to come into my life yet. To have felt love for her like that, so overwhelmingly, i knew even though it was going to be "hard", we would be okay.

This is the day we brought Megan home from the hospital, and 1 year old Julia giving her "welcome home" kisses.

That first year was hard in some areas. Two in diapers wasn't as hard as most made it out to be, but two girls teething at the same time, or both sick at once wanting mommy to hold them at the same time was rough. There were good points, Julia got megan's first smile. (I was so jealous! but had a heart melted into butter at the same time) Once Megan learned to walk, it was smooth sailing from that point on! Things changed from "Julia and the baby" to "THE Girls."...wherever one was, the other was sure to be with her. At 6 months old Megan moved into Julia's room. Thier cribs were side by side. They have roomed together ever since, and always will no matter what size house we live in. Today at 3 and 4 years old, one does not go anywhere without the other. Last night I tucked Megan into bed after Julia had already dozed off. I gave Megan a kiss and a hug, then snuck over and quietly kissed Julia on the forehead. As I inched my way to the door Megan piped up, "MOoooM!! give Jewiah a hug!!" They take up for eachother too. They, seriously, are the best of friends.

And this is where I get into trouble. Joey is 4 months old now. At his last peds appointment he weighed in at 14 pounds and 11 ounces...he is getting so very big. I don't know what it is...if it seems that my "little baby boy" is already half grown (did i mention at 4 months old he is already wearing 9 month clothing?!)

Or if it is the constant reminder we have an "odd" number of children right now and we never wanted to have a "middle" child....

Or if it is remembering how I was so mean sometimes to my younger brother growing up. We were 3 1/2 years apart, the same age that Megan and Joey are apart, and there were times if I had a friend over that I was downright mean to my brother. I didn't want him "tagging along" and I made sure he knew it. I don't want Joey to feel "left out" when his sisters take off on a new adventure and leave him behind. With TWO older sisters so close to eachother, how often would that happen? Too often, I'm afraid.

And then when I watch the girls play, I watch one grab the other by the elbow and lead her over to some snail shell or rock, or something interesting in the dirt, and they both bend down together to explore it, talking, chattering and giggling over thier treasure. They do everything as a team. I like that. I think my family being bonded together as a team. I want that for Joey too. Even if that means ganging up against mom and playing tricks on her. Even if that means more work for me.

When I think of myself, the hard parts of pregnancy, labor, delivery and recovery, taking care of a newborn, adjusting to having EVEN MORE very young children, and less sleep? and more laundry? and more clutter?..and more noise?? and perhaps even a FOURTH carseat to buckle and unbuckle mulitple times a day, that if we choose to do this we should decide in the next few months and try to be pregnant before Joey turns one!!!....Aye yi yi...I think I must be crazy!! 

But when I see the girls huddled over a pot full of grass, leaves and flowers making "leaf soup", or playing games only they know the rules to, or when I hear one being left behind and the other stopping in her tracks saying "WAIT! where's my sishtur?!!"...my heart both melts and breaks a little...

 ...How could I enjoy so fully what my girls have together,

and not desire that for all my children?

(the two above pictures are of Joey and I in our cheesy matching outfits from www.motherwear.com)

P.S. For what it's worth, Joe has been on board for another child pretty much since Joey was dried off after birth lol!!! But seriously, we go back and forth. I'm not sure what we'll decide on...really I think i'd feel most at peace letting God make this decision for us. At least then I would know it was happening because it was what was best in God's eternal plans, and not based on my own selfishness, or emotions, or fears.

WOwee has it been a while! I have so much to talk about!

first: do you like my new siggy? The wonderful gals at www.Justgraphics.com made it for me! isn't it wonderful?! it is so *me*..i just LURVE it! it has one of my all time favorite mommy verses in it. *smiles*

second: Joey is doing great! he is 3 1/2 months old now, weight just over 14 pounds and is near 26 inches long!! He is 3 months old and wearing 6 month clothing! man is he growing!!!! he doesn't have much of a set schedule. we still nurse on demand (which is still every two hours during the day with the exception of ONE 5 hour stretch during the night). he gets sleepy and is usually asleep by 9pm at night, wakes to nurse at 1-2 am eating every two hours after that until 7am when he is usually awake for the day. he LOVES his baths and is the most ticklish little baby we've EVER had! He coos, giggles, squeels and babbles. he is reaching for toys and bringing them to his mouth, although he still is learning how to open his fists to grasp properly. he LOVES his playmat and johnney jumper! his eyes are turning darker brown and i think he is going to be like Megan, bald until 18+ months! he is just so sweet though, and diffinitly a momma's boy...he seems to really have a bond with me that none of the others quite had. maybe it is just becuase we are nursing so often, but the ways he smiles and grins at me are just so precious...those are the moments i pray for God to burn into my brain that i may reflect on them over and over when i am 80 years old! lol! 

Joey will have his 4 month check up in the next week or so. it will be his first well baby check since his 2 week, and his first time to get his immunizations. we are selectively/delaying vaccinations with him (more about this in a post to come). he did not have his Hep B at birth, nor any at 2 months, and will only recieve Thimerosol free Hib and Polio (IPV) vaccines for his 4 month check. I will take him back at 5 months to get his DTaP. We are spacing out his shots so that he only gets one and at most, two, at each visit and no combo shots. This will maximize his chances of not having any reactions or overdoing his still developing immune system, as well as acting as the easiest way for us to identify which vax's were problematic for him *should* any reactions occur.  We have been doing ALOT of research and reading on this, which as i said, will probably be in a post to come. I am just praying the pedi will understand our desire to vax our child on our own schedule and not his.

the girls are doing great!! Julia is 6 weeks away from her 5th birthday! I can't believe it! Megan will be turning 4 this July as well...where has the time gone? Julia is only 6 phonic sounds away from starting Word Formation and i am so excited about this! Megan is doing wonderful as well, she is especially smitten with Joey. i have a feeling they are going to be very close to eachother growing up.

third: the update on the g diapers...well, i had troubles getting them to fit Joey right. i always managed to get leaks out the legs, or the waist band would be too tight and leave a little red "belt" around him.  he never acted uncomfortiable, but i hated seeing it. so, figuring the smalls were too small, i tried the mediums...well, somehow they were too big. no leaks, but they just engulfed the poor child. so i went back to sposies and decided to let him put on a few pounds and try again. A month has passed and the excitement about the g's has waned, so now i'm selling them and just calling it quits. it was a neat experience and i don't regret it...if anything I am just peeved they didn't work as well as i had hoped. but none the less, cheers to new experiences lol!

fourth: we are in the process of getting a new vehical! as much as i hate buying "new" and hate (and i mean HATE with a vengance) having to make car payments (we usually buy our cars outright) but we have no choice being overseas...all used car dealers around are British and well, that would be fine if we wanted to pay in pounds and not dollars, which wouldn't be a big deal if the exchange rate wasn't so merciless.  anyway...so we are forced to by new. (eeeeeeew....if we were in the states we would NEVER choose this) but at any rate, God has been SO VERY GOOD (as He always is!) and has supplied perfectly for us to finance a new van and keep the payments manageable for us. Along with what we have saved, our tax returns, and the reimbursement from our homebirth, we will be able to put down 50% on a brand new '07 Chrysler Town and Country minivan!!! we hope to have it paid off in full in the next two years if not sooner. Both joe and i are so very very excited! It is already on it's way over the great pond to us. should arrive sometime this june/july time frame. and for all those that are wondering....we picked out a light pearl blue color!  i'll send pics once we get it.

fifth: my newest obession! WOOD TOYS!

 i am SO in love with them! seriously!! they are just so pretty, and long lasting..nice heirloom toys to hand down the generations...just classic in style and in imagination possibilities!! in the last 2 weeks i have completely sold and/or donated 80% of the girls plastic, battery operated, noise making, "let me do the thinking for your child" toys, setting to replace them with classic wooden ones.  (although they are so expensive it will take awhile to replace what i have sold..but the nice thing is, the girls never even NOTICED they were gone! sneaky sneaky and less clean up for me in the process! whoo hoo!)

my conversion came after reading this beautiful, well written article: House Art Journal: It's all about what I have to pick up off the floor. and She is so right!

Isn't is cute? It measure 32 inches long, so it is a good size! I think both the girls will enjoy playing with this, as will Joey when he is older. Plus it is just beautiful for me to keep and have on hand for future grandchildren. *winks*

Here is a link to the dollhouse we hope to get for Megan for her birthday coming up.

And here is an organic/wooden teether I am going to be getting for Joey as well: The "hands" and hat tips can be dipped in water and refridgerated, and the ring is made of untreated beech wood. The inside is filled with organic wool that retains the childs own scent and warms to body heat quickly...seriously, why wouldn't they become a quick favorite cuddle friend of any child?

So far, my favorite wooden toy sites are these: Nova Naturals, OOmpa toys, and Haba toys. anyway, i am super excited. I still have a few wooden rattles that my mom kept from when my brother and I were babies...i am super super thrilled to be able to give things for my own children to pass on to thier babies. It seems like with so many things anymore..natural really is better. I guess God really knew what He was doing when he created wood and not plastic?

*grins*

so there is a rather long winded update on all of us lately! some of these posts have referred to other posts on thier way...so just keep checking back! To include one terrific trip we just took last weekend to see Orford Castle. Pics and blog about it all are coming soon!

Love you guys!!

 G diapers were invented by a mom and dad whom upon learning of thier first pregnancy began researching diaper options. They were quite surprised there were only two choices, much as it had been the last 40 years or so...either cloth or disposable, and no options "inbetween". So, they invented thier own! Voila!! gdiapers, with the comfort of cloth and the conveinance of disposable! how may you ask? Well the outer layer is cloth with velcro "snaps" on the sides that attach to the back (so little hands can't undo them), there is a nylon liner that snaps into the 4 corners of the cloth diaper, and then the real key to gdiapers...a 100% biodegradable, FLUSHABLE insert! that's right folks! putting poo where it belongs..in the toilet! (I can not tell you what the thought of having no smelly trashcan sitting in my house feels like! especially since British garbage is only removed every OTHER week, Ugh!)

Both Joe and I thought about it for a few weeks and then an online friend of mine was selling her small and medium sized Gdiapers and a large lot of unused inserts for a great price and asked if i was interested! We talked about it and figured, eh? why not? If it's not for us, we can always ebay what's left lol. If we do end up liking the change (pun totally intended) we could end up "flushing" all our dirty stuff so no smelly house  or worrying of guests popping in, no worrying of buying refills for our diaper champ pail (which doesn't work anyway and the refills are nearly impossible to keep stocked at the base) as well as doing a much better part for our environment, and not to mention they are downright CUTE! Did you see that cute little red hawaiin number?! I will have to take some pics of Joey modeling some. *smiles* I would love to go into more depth about how exactly the flushable works, but babe is crying and if i don't get a start on the laundry i swear it will grow legs and eat me lol....just check out their website and videos page! it is amazing! did any of you realize that 1 disposable diaper takes over 500 years to biodegrade? i had NO IDEA! EEeeeK!

This could end up being quite a funny experiment in our house, but I am actually pretty excited! (excited about poo disposal?! what has happened to me??) we will keep you informed upon the arrival of  our gdiapers and how the experiement proceeds.

*grins and exits stage left to confront slightly moving pile of laundry*

So much has been happening! first his 2 week check that happened, well lol, 2 weeks ago lol...

He is growing like a weed! he was 6 pounds, 11 ounces at birth and weighed in at 2 weeks old at 8 pounds even and grew 2 inches in length! wowza's! i did have this funny thing that happened at his 2 week check. it seems we freaked out pediatrician out! now, keep in mind, this pediatrician is not the same ped we are seeing with Julia's height issues. that pediatrician is a female, the one we saw with the boy, in a male doc we all really like. anyway, here is a copy and paste of part of what I posted on a forum about what happened at the 2 week check up with Joey. I had titled it "Crunchy Family scares off Ped?"

we really do like him. he's a nice guy...etc. so i'm not sure what it was that made him so uneasy, whether it was me nursing when he walked in the room (which he almost did an about face, apologized and said he'd come back. i told him there was no need. babe was almost done, so he stayed, but sat in the furthest corner of the room lol...i was totally covered up by the way)..or if it was when we mentioned we had a homebirth (which he asked questions about, like he was disbelieving a homebirth could produce a healthy infant with no problems...not in a demeaning way, just in a "i'm curious, everything was ok, right?" sort of way..then he asked about emergency situations what would have happened...etc. all the same questions everyone asks when we tell them we homebirthed *rolls eyes*...so he checks out dear son, whom looks great. notices he is not circumsized, didn't say anything about it (surprised me) and i watch him like a hawk to make sure he doesn't try to retract dear son (he didn't) ...so he says, "he looks beautiful! go out and celebrate!!" (becuase i guess children born at home don't usually look beautiful? *wry smile*) all the while walking backwards towards the door, he asks if we have any questions (while he's still edging towards the door) then says if we do to just call (outside in the hall at this point), then pauses (still in the hall) and mentions vitamins while breastfeeding, says bye and leaves...then peeks back over the door (still in the hallway) and asked "you guys are going to vax, right?" we said, "uh yeah" he smiled, pleased enough ,and left..(truth is we are still researching that right now. we probably will vaccinate, although will be choosy which ones we do and at what age, but no use getting into that with a ped whom is standing in the hallway!)....Joe said, "wow, i think we scared him off."

i had to laugh...he just couldn't get out of that room quick enough, and the vax question really got me...i looked at joe and said, "well, it's official, we're a crunchy family otherwise vax's wouldn't have been a concern!" and Joe didn't even have his sling on and i resisted putting dear son in his "i'm special, i was born at home" tshirt lol! course, maybe it was also that we have two other children too for a total of 3 kids ages 4 and under? (whom were very well behaved btw)....this is where Joe said it was a case of "crazy family" perhaps lol  i chuckled all the way out to the car." Here is a picture of Joey in that tshirt I mentioned above by the way...

This was taken at 3 weeks old

and that's his "feed me NOW" face lol

at 4 1/2 weeks he hit a growth spurt that near wore this momma out! he is out of newborn diapers and getting into 0-3 month sized clothes already! When I step on the scale with him, and then re-weigh myself without him, i come up with him sonewhere between 9-10 pounds now. He won't go ack for another "well baby" visit until he is 2 months old. He is sleeping about 3 hour stretches at night (on "good" nights anyway) and still has "milk chocolate" brown eyes.

And lastly, here is a sweet poem a friend gave to me. I plan on taking this exact same pic and the poem and scrapbooking it in his baby book...or maybe take my friend's idea and frame it in his room...depends how creative i get lol....Thanks Brandie!

These are Joey's feet at 3 weeks old:

Tell me, what is half so sweet
As a baby's tiny feet,
Pink and dainty as can be,
Like a coral from the sea?
Talk of jewels strung in rows,
Gaze upon those little toes,
Fairer than a diadem,
With the mother kissing them!

It is morning and she lies
Uttering her happy cries,
While her little hands reach out
For the feet that fly about.
Then I go to her and blow
Laughter out of every toe;
Hold her high and let her place
Tiny footprints on my face.

Little feet that do not know
Where the winding roadways go,
Little feet that never tire,
Feel the stones or trudge the mire,
Still too pink and still too small
To do anything but crawl,
Thinking all their wanderings fair,
Filled with wonders everywhere.

Little feet, so rich with charm,
May you never come to harm.
As I bend and proudly blow
Laughter out of every toe,
This pray, that God above
Shall protect you with His love,
And shall guide those little feet
Safely down life's broader street.

Baby Feet
Edgar Guest
From the book "Rhymes Of Childhood'" ©1924

Hey everyone! just wanted to post a small update and a few recent pics. Joey is now 11 days old and growing like crazy! he has grown 1.5 inches in length since birth, and now weighs 7lbs 5 oz, up from his birthweight of 6 lbs 11oz! We have a wonderful nursing relationship which is something i really prayed for while pregnant. we had some difficulties with Julia, so i am very thankful to have such a good nurser this time around. anyway, here are some recent pics! Taken yesterday and today at 10 and 11 days post pardum:

Julia, Joey and I with our Midwife Jo:

(today was our last appointment *sniff sniff*,

she doesn't look old enough to have grown children does she lol?)

Joey's first set of overalls:

Megan giving kisses:

Daddy's boy:

and finally, an adorable sequence of Julia (4yrs old):

the birth story of my first ever home/water birthed baby:

 Joseph James IV.

 After two hospital-epidural births with my girls, I chose to try a home-birth with this baby...and a water birth at that! This was quite a change for this "mooshy" momma who used to say "I'll take the epidural in the 7th month please!" lol. My reasonings behind this decision were sort of a metamorphosis through this entire pregnancy along with bad experiences and scars lingering from my hospital births. I won't get into all of that here, I'll just say after a nervous on-call doc with my first delivery almost cutting me open for no reason other than his own peace of mind (thankfully didn’t happen though) and then an epidural "gone wrong" in my second birth, I had trust issues with doctors I didn’t know very well and had lost faith in medications.

 We moved to England 2 years ago and there is a whole new practice of doctors here. They roll you through the entire OB staff like a rotisserie chicken and although I was thankful for getting a chance to meet all of them, i just couldn't come to peace with the "hello, I am so-and-so *shakes hands* then gloves that hand and sticks it up my...well, you know."  You wouldn't go and do that to anyone you just met on the street, so why is it okay with this most important and intimate time in my life? After hearing of a friend's UC (Unassisted Childbirth, in that no “trained” medical professional attends the birth. Usually mom, or dad, or a friend of the family catches baby. UC seems radical, but again, in a normal healthy pregnancy birth isn’t to be feared. Mary had Jesus Unassisted in a barn with manure, flies, and fleas! Many people have UC everyday accidently with labors “too fast”..etc. Around our 4th or 5th month of pregnancy, I began researching. I had never heard of a UC before and didn't know what it was or that people could even do that. That research opened a whole new world to me...barriers of fear that had been ingrained in me since my childhood of the "horrors" of birth began falling down, brick by brick, and a new confidence and peace began to replace them. It was scary for me making this decision to homebirth. Very scary, but the base hospital had me more frightened. With Joe’s support we made the "plunge" (pun totally intended lol) to switch to an English midwife and deliver at home, around the 30th week of the pregnancy. I felt immediate peace and fell in love with "Jo" (short for JoAnn) Although I was a 3rd time mom, in many ways I felt like a first time mom with all the nervousness and anxiety of “going natural” for the first time, confidence issues came again and again...I truly didn’t know if I would be able to do it until the time came.

 I was due Nov 23rd and that day came and went without so much a twinge. The next day I began getting minor contractions coming every 20 minutes and lasting around 20-30 seconds. So minor I though they were BH's, the only thing "real" about them is they were consistent and they had a "wavelike" pattern to them. These lasted 24 hours consistently...but they were easy. By the next night I was tired of them and frustrated...either go away or give me something real! Joe and I slept 4 hours that night and I got my wish! I was woken at 2:30 AM with contractions that felt "different"...I watched the clock and they came every 10 minutes, then 7, then 5, then 3...I went to potty and had some bloody show...yay! Finally! This is it!

 I woke Joe about an hour later with the words I’d dreamed about saying for the last month: "We're in labor!" He began prepping the living room, setting up the birth

pool and laying out vinyl backed tablecloths on the floor and over furniture. I labored easily. I moved from room to room as I pleased. I couldn't stand laying down. They intensified and I felt "immobile" on the couch. Joe and I slow danced the contractions away that first hour. He'd hold me close, massage my back, I'd listen to the rhythm of his heartbeat and he'd "cue" me from our Hypnobabies studies..."Release" gave instant state of calm and hypnosis, "Relax" was a deepening cue on relaxation, "peace" was my own personal anesthesia cue. After a few hours contractions got a bit more intense. Suddenly swaying wasn't helping. Being my first time to labor not in a hospital I suddenly had options and began thinking of things I had read of in the hundreds of birth stories I’d read for months in preparation. I wanted to try hands and knees...I had never tried this position before. It was heaven! I don't know why or how, but it worked beautifully. I knelt by a big fluffy chair and stacked pillows in front for my head to rest. When one would come, Joe would come over and put counter pressure on my back. I had water with a flexi-straw next to me, and I grabbed my Hypnobabies CDs and began listening to those. They were wonderful. A whole CD full of positive birthing affirmations such as: "your body knows what it is doing, and is doing it wonderfully...your cervix is opening beautifully, open, open, open..." it kept me focused and calm, which was exactly why I’d bought them to begin with. My doula was back in the states and this was the closest thing I could come up with for a “doula on tape” lol.

 3 hours after the first contractions we call our friend to pick up our 3 and 4 year old girls and I got into the shower. Water always helped me progress as I labored in the bath with my second daughter for awhile...it was heaven! Of course it gives that extra shot of oxytocin as well. I had Joe bring me the birth ball and had a gardeners knee pad under it for my knees...when a contraction would come I would kneel against the birth ball. I had several in the shower and suddenly wanted to stay away from people...maybe it was knowing we had "company" coming to get our girls very soon, but as soon as I was dry I was up the stairs to be "away". I had to concentrate more now and I didn't like that Joe was so busy loading car seats and taking care of our other children...I wanted him with me. After the girls were gone I went back downstairs and labored kneeling against my favorite chair. I listened to our CDs and sipped water. Soon I began vomiting. This was a good sign to me. I knew we were nowhere near transition, but I remembered throwing up in early labor with my last daughter…it told me two things: 1) I was definitely in real labor as this is my body’s reaction to all the birthing hormones dumped into my blood stream and 2) my blood sugar was low, I needed to eat. I had Joe bring me some Gatorade and I asked him to begin de-thawing the homemade chicken noodle soup I had made and frozen for “labor day”. Our midwife arrived soon after. The time was around 6:30 am...4 hours after the first contractions. In between them she took my blood pressure, pulse, and listened to baby’s heartbeat…everything was well. She would do such checks periodically through out the labor which I appreciated. Helped me to know baby was coping well and it was doubly nice not being hooked up to anything anywhere and being “detained”. She checked me and baby no matter where I was or what position I happened to be in at the time, she adapted to me and that felt wonderful!

 Contractions were still coming the same, about every 5-10 minutes and lasting for only 20-30 seconds, but they required my full attention and I had to have my little "routine"...I had to have a place to kneel, if I didn’t I felt "stuck" and panicked. The midwife was wonderful. Let me know she was there, but stayed quietly in the background and just observed me. No silly questions or a mini-interview like I would have received from the nurses at the hospital. I LOVE how she respected me, and my space. I felt "safe," and relaxed with the ebb and flow of labor.

 Around an hour and a half later she asked if she could check me. I had no cervical checks during my pregnancy as I know my body doesn't "gear up" my cervix until active labor. I know what it feels like to be disappointed appointment after appointment after being told your body wasn't "doing" anything and I couldn't take that this time...having a home birth I needed my positive state of mind as much as possible. Allowing any kind of disappointment wasn't a luxury I could afford. I was afraid to let the MW check me. If I wasn't a 5 I knew I'd be disappointed and I didn’t want to become disheartened with a good amount of labor ahead of me, so I told her “Yeah…but if it’s not good, lie to me!” everyone laughed. On the couch she said I was 4 centimeters and stretchy but still quite thick, around 50% effaced and baby still high, negative 2 station as he had been the whole month prior. 4 centimeters, not too bad, not the 5 I hoped for, but close enough. I asked if I could get into the birth pool and she said not yet, but soon. I was afraid of that. I knew she liked to wait until around 5 centimeters. I understood but was a bit disheartened. With my daughter I labored from 2 centimeters to 5 centimeters in a matter of 2-3 hours in my bathtub at home…I knew how good the weightlessness of water felt and I knew my labor would speed up once I was in…but I waited. I decided to try walking around the house a bit as I knew from the many potty breaks Joe reminded me to take every hour, walking intensified them. This didn’t last long. I went into the kitchen to be with Joe as he was making himself and the midwife some tea, but soon I found myself back on hands and knees on the dining floor lol. I’d get up and wait a second or two, then bam, back down again…finally, as I realized I was using my daughter’s rocking horse to lean against instead of my birth ball lol, (and as I asked Joe to bring me the ball) I thought, “Well this is silly. So much for walking lol…might as well go back into the living room to our little “nest”…as soon as Joe brought it in I turned him around and we both went back to the living room.

 Around 9:00 AM we started “active labor”. They were becoming stronger and I felt a need to moan through them to help cope. Verbalizing felt wonderful and “happened” without really thinking about it. The contractions were coming around every 5 minutes steadily now and lasting 45 seconds long, only 15 seconds longer than the early labor contractions. Never was it “hard” to cope through and I had wonderful rests in between. Jo, our midwife, had me eat some of the chicken soup and then offered an aromatherapy massage on my lower back which I gratefully accepted. She used lavender oils along with the same “base” oils she’d used for my prenatal massage the day before. It felt wonderful. Every time a contraction would come she would put counter pressure on my lower back, then as it would end she would rub my entire back. Around this time my ear plug for the Hypnobabies was beginning to annoy me, so I took it out and threw it down. Joe stepped up the verbal cues at this point and I didn’t really need the CDs anymore.

 After about 20 minutes that pool was looking awfully good to me, even though I knew once I got in the water this wonderful massage would obviously end. I actually sat and debated for a few minutes which I wanted more lol, but finally the water won. I asked if I could get in yet and Jo said after I emptied my bladder I could. Argh. I knew walking would increase contractions. I knew I’d have 4-5 through the 20 feet of walking from point A to point B, at least one while on the toilet, and then another 4-5 for the walk back…but I wanted that pool! I mumbled something about “Nothing like motivation" and then slowly started my journey to the potty and back.

 It felt wonderful to be in the water finally! It was a little cold so Joe began boiling water on the stove to top it up. I can’t say enough about laboring in water. The weightlessness is so wonderful on the tummy and lack of gravity helps with changing positions. The pool was huge for my petite self, I could literally be in any position I wanted, still have belly well under the rim of the water AND have Joe in there with me! After about 20 minutes I asked him to get in with me to continue the counter pressure on my back. I mostly stayed at one end of the pool. It didn’t feel right sitting normally or trying to stretch out. Being on all fours felt better, but not as good as staying on my knees and leaning against the side of the pool with my upper body…that felt the best. The pool was specially designed with the help of midwives and mothers whom prefer Natural Childbirth and one of the features it specially had was handles on the outside. Through out active labor Joe massaged my back and Jo made sure I kept my hydration up by sipping water and applied a cool rag to my face or neck when I asked. My body was working hard, but again, nothing was ever unbearable and I was being taken care of very attentively. The blood pressure checks stopped when I got into the water (at least I don’t remember any being done) but she still kept up with my pulse and listening to baby’s heartbeat under the water. Again, it was so nice not having to adapt to “precautions”, but having them adapt to me and my labor. I felt so respected. An amazing change since my first birth in the hospital 4 years ago where I fearfully felt “left to the whims” of that on-call doctor, whom I barely knew his name and he had the power to make any split second decisions that would affect my body, my health, my recovery, my baby’s health and my future fertility!

 2 ½ hours later we began entering transition. I threw up again which I expected to happen and was encouraged by. I had read (Ina May Gaskin’s book I believe) that 1 good vomit during labor is worth 10 contractions against your cervix and I was all about trading some contractions in lol! Transition was hard, even though it only lasted 20 minutes it felt much longer to me. At this point they came every 2-3 minutes lasting 1 minute long, so I still had wonderful breaks in between. Transition was my “fear” of this labor as having two medicated deliveries before I had never felt Transition 100% full force, even when the epidural I had with my second birth was “splotchy” I knew what I did feel wasn’t 100% to what was Natural.  These contractions didn’t come on so strong they surprised me and I don’t remember many with double peaks, really, nature was quite kind to me. I had always envisioned them as a non-ending waterfall of mind delirious pain from what I had read in other birth stories…but these weren’t like that at all. It was painful and hard work, but it had it’s “end” and when they ended, they ENDED! I rested my head on the side of the tub and “slept” in between them. What was hardest physically was that at the peak of them I would feel a strong, sharp “zing” from my tailbone traveling up my spine...that was the hardest part, and even that sensation only lasted a few seconds and was gone when the peak was gone. I am thinking perhaps it was baby moving down into my pelvis, and he moved quite quickly, from a -2 station to a +4 station within 25 minutes or so. looking back I think the biggest challenge of transition is more mental than physical. The hormones are changing your contractions and your body to “transition” from dilating to pushing…and with this there seems to be natural release of “fearing” hormones. I suddenly felt doubtful and scared. Even though I didn’t feel like I had any reason to be. At one point I just started crying. One of those hormonal cries, I know you ladies know what I am talking about. You know “those” cries because you can’t think of any reason WHY you are crying, just that you FEEL like you need to. Yeah, one of those. Big fat tears quietly rolling down my cheeks and I couldn’t figure out why I was crying. It wasn’t because of pain. I was doubtful and feeling scared, but not so scared that that solely was what was causing me to cry. Mostly I was scared of how much longer this was going to go on. I DID feel like I was at the end of my rope and I was tired. But during this time I do remember feeling grateful. Grateful I was surrounded by so much love. As strange as it seems I fell in love with my husband even more at that moment. He had sacrificed so much to help me in those last 9 hours and he was still going strong. I had this amazing midwife being so attentive to me. At this point I had her on the other side of the pool wall holding both my hands massaging them. Her firm touch felt so good when the contractions would come. Especially the transition ones. Verbalizing wasn’t working so much with them anymore and at one point she began deep breathing and I mimicked what she did. Usually I labor with my eyes closed, but when I did that during transition I felt uncontrolled, like I was floating away. Watching her breathe and making direct eye contact helped me stay centered and grounded. At one point when one contraction ended I cracked a joke that she had “beautiful eyes”..which I meant, but thought would be funny to say at that moment lol. As everyone chuckled then I thought of Joe, dutifully behind me putting counter pressure with his whole body weight at each contraction, still using hypnobabies cues for me and encouraging me constantly, so I added a “You too!” to him, which made everyone laugh more. It felt good to chuckle. Even in transition there was laughter. Both laughter and tears within minutes of each other lol…I don’t remember laughing much with my other births.

 Soon I began feeling tired and I wanted to “move on” from these transition contractions. My legs would shake a bit with the contractions and make my teeth chatter. I wasn’t cold, but the shaking made me “feel” almost as though I was. Jo began putting more hot water in the tub which I was undecided if was needed or not, my face still felt hot and I still wanted the cold rag on my face and neck…it was a strange paradox, hot and cold all at once. Jo also brought in two teaspoons of honey for me to eat. Honey is easily broken down by the body and would provide fuel needed when the pushing began. (I also had 2 teaspoons of honey after I vomited in transition for the same reason, to replenish fuel sources that had just been lost) Not too much longer I started asking about pushing. Looking back I do think I had started to feel the “urge to push” at this point, but it wasn’t that “demanding” urge to push you hear about and I was unsure. In my previous births I had no urge to push, only immense pressure to know baby’s head was moving down. I was tired of breathing and coping, I wanted some control dangit lol! But at the same time I knew if I began pushing when my cervix wasn’t ready it could possibly swell and send us back a few centimeters. Jo was very encouraging that if I felt like pushing then I should trust that and obey my bodies signals. I tried a few pushes and boy they felt good! But still, I was doubtful...do they feel good because I am finally doing something, or feel good because I am obeying my body? I asked her to check me. She doesn’t like doing a lot of cervical checks as each one gives risk to introducing infection and I LOVE that, keep in mind I had only that one check earlier in the day for my entire pregnancy and labor so far. She mentions about me seeing if I can feel baby’s head. So I reach in to maybe my second knuckle and there he is! It was amazing to be the first, VERY FIRST to touch MY baby! And he was so close! I knew he had to be past the cervix, but what confused me was I felt something sqooshy over his head. I didn’t know if it was the amniotic sack, or a cervix lol. As I was trying to figure this out the first thing I said was, “well I don’t feel hair”…everyone laughed. I said I could feel a head, but there was something squishy over it and I didn’t know if it was the amniotic sack or the cervix. Jo reluctantly got a glove and said “this one’s going off the record!” lol and checked for me right there in the pool. She said, “OH Kristy! He is RIGHT there! That’s the amniotic sack over his head. He is ready to come out Kristy, push your baby out!” felt SOOOOooooo good to hear that!

For 10 minutes I pushed, although out of that time only got about 3 really good ones out, the rest were kind of experimental as I grappled with these new sensations and what to do with them. I stayed on my knees as I had been the whole time. It just felt right. I had heard of pushing to be “intense” and it was! Feeling my body push down while also feeling my pelvic cavity open up and my hips pushing “out”, all while the same areas were remaining “intact,” AND my perineum and ****** area bulging out…it was quite a bit to mentally take in and process! The only way any of it felt good was to push as hard as I could though it…there was no more thinking things through at this point. Only thing I cared about was getting baby out and getting him out NOW! These sensations, as natural as they were, were a bit frightening as I’d not felt them before and I wanted them over with lol! I also really wanted my baby here! I never felt the “ring of fire”. I did feel some burning towards the top, near the clitoris and I instinctively breathed through that because I really had no idea what to do with that sensation lol, but once it was over, even though I couldn’t feel the head crowning yet I pushed as hard as I could to get it there, once it got there I kept on pushing. I *knew* I needed to stop and let it come out gently to minimize chances of tearing, but I just couldn’t! Everything in me was pushing baby out and there was no way I could withhold any of it or myself! I just pushed passed it all and hoped I wouldn’t pay for it later! Finally I felt a head “pop” out, literally! It was such a relief! I heard Joe say, “I see a face! Awww...he’s so cute!!” what I didn’t know was baby was being born “in the caul”, he stayed in his amniotic sack the whole way. Joe said it looked as though he had pantyhose over his face and his little nose was sqooshed down lol.

With the next set of contractions I pushed as hard as I could to get his body out and although he was moving down, it didn’t “feel” like he was and I panicked a little bit. I remember saying, “Get him out! Can’t we just pull him out?!...I can’t get him out!” With the girls it seemed once their head was out, the rest of their body just “slipped” out, this seemed much much harder getting the body out. Jo instructed Joe to pull me back towards him while making sure we didn’t hit the head on the ground of the pool. As he helped lift me back onto him she helped with the shoulders and I pushed as hard as I could. It was one large weird fluid motion that ended with me sitting on my husband’s lap in the pool with a baby in my arms! Lol! I was so shocked! I think I may have had my eyes closed as I was going back because I didn’t realize all that was happening all at once. All I knew was “Okay, I’m going back on Joe, push push push!!” lol! Next thing I knew Joe had “caught” baby with the one free hand that wasn’t holding me, and midwife Jo had caught the other side of baby and both of them brought him to the surface and put him on my chest. I couldn’t believe it was all over! I was shocked to see a baby there! I said, “hi baby! Hi little one!” and heard him make a few squeaks and try to look around a bit. All along my brain is thinking, “it’s over already? We’re DONE?! Oh my gosh!! I can’t believe it! We’re done?! I DID it?! WE did it?! Oh, look at him! He’s so cute!” Then Jo asked to take a picture which is what you see here. Dh is crying, my weird expression is reflective to the myriad of thoughts going through my head all capped up with, “You want a picture NOW?!” lol..i am SO SO SO glad she took it though!

We stayed in the water for about 10 minutes, until I felt the contractions return for birthing the placenta. I wanted to birth the placenta on land so we could get a good estimate of my bleeding. Although we wanted to let the cord stay attached until it stopped pulsating I knew I needed to get out of the tub and overall it would be better if babe and I were unattached to do that. Joe cut the cord, Jo took baby and wrapped him up warm, my Joe got out and toweled off and changed clothes real quick. Joe took baby and then I got out, toweled off, put on my robe, and laid on the couch for some skin to skin time with my new son while we waited on the placenta. About 30 minutes later the placenta came out with a few easy pushes and I was examined...no tears! No skid marks! Completely intact! Yay!!

Joseph James IV

Born November 25, 2006

12:28pm England time.

6 lbs, 11 oz

18 ½ inches long

Apgars of 10’s all the way around.

Dark hair and brownish eyes.

 This birth was amazing to me. Yes, it was in some ways much harder than my hospital births, but in other ways it was a dream compared to them. It was such a blessing to not have nurses coming in and out of my laboring room over and over and over, with me wondering, why are they here? What are they doing? What do they want? Am I going to have to fight them over something? And when will they leave? It was SO nice being able to eat and drink what I felt I needed and whenever I wanted and not have to beg for ice chips then wait 20+ minutes to be given them. It was wonderful being able to do as I needed when I needed and not have to ask “permission” to follow my body’s signals and do what felt right. I loved not being tethered to a bed and being able to use all the amenities around me freely. I loved not being tied down with monitors and being worried about the “readings” or if I was “making progress fast enough”. Yes, going natural was hard, but even so only *really* hard for those last 30 minutes and I traded “hard for half an hour” for “an easier, more comfortable laboring” for 9 hours! I loved being treated as a person, and not a patient. There was much, much, much, much less “fear” involved with this birth compared to my other births. It was not an “event.” Not something that “happened” to me, but something that I DID. Something that I made each conscious decision about myself each step of the way. Something that I can call “my own”. Will I do it again? Probably. Unless we are deemed high risk and baby or myself truly needs the medical equipment available only at hospitals, then we probably won’t birth in another hospital. If it’s not needed, why be there? One thing that was really great with our midwife here in England is that they have so much more leeway given to them with birthing. Jo brought in a good 3-4 suitcases of “just in case” equipment…things she said she always had to have with her, but rarely ever truly needed. Involved with these supplies was an oxygen tank, iv lines and synthetic drugs for emergencies…such as “syntocin” (their version of what us Americans call pitocin) in case of hemorrhaging after the birth for example. I knew even if there was a problem, she was fully capable of taking care of us while we waited for an ambulance to arrive and take us to the nearest hospital 20 minutes away. I also knew from all my research that should an emergency occur it would have to be a very very very rare one for the extra 30 minutes to travel to hospital to be “too long”. Of course I am thankful this normal pregnancy turned into a normal delivery, but I wanted to reassure my family reading this that we were well covered and watched out for. Birth isn’t something to fear and in normal pregnancies, not something to be medically managed, but rather to be respected and allowed to unfold. God’s design is beautiful and the Bible doesn’t lie…we truly are “beautifully and wonderfully made”.

**Homebirth isn't for everyone or for every situation. It is very important the birthing mother be where she feels the most "safe". for me that was the hospital for my first birth, and it just so happened that this time it was my own home. I was blessed to have had a completely normal pregnancy in every way to be able to move forward with a homebirth with confidence, and also to have had so many wonderful resources to help encourage me and strengthen my faith in God's design. With that in thought I hope my experience encourages anyone contemplating a homebirth. Do the researc and then take confidence in what you find out, whichever way that pulls you. It was something my heart *personally* needed for healing, and I dedicate this birth story to anyone else whom needs "healing" from thier past births... for anyone whom has had a hard labor/delivery, whom has been taught through Hollywood’s desire for ratings on drama to fear birth, whom has sifted through horror story after horror story from friends or family or random ladies in the super market check out line, to anyone whom has been told your body makes babies “too big” or was deemed with “failure” to progress... to anyone whom was yelled at to "Push" only to be told they were doing it "wrong" or not "trying hard enough"...to anyone whom harbors scars of being told they were “broken” in one form or another…please check out Ina May Gaskin’s book “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”. It is a healing book. One that restores faith, peace, and beauty back into birthing. Birth doesn’t have to be frightening. It doesn’t have to involve the words “suffering” or “enduring.” For all those that want to make birth their own and not something that had to be “survived”, please look into this book. I highly recommend it. It changed my life.**

yep! he's here! came 2 days late on Nov 25th! i've copied and pasted this small update from my myspace:

Wehadababyitsaboy!
Current mood: ecstatic

He's here! Joseph James IV was born on Nov 25th (2 days late) via Home Sweet Homebirth straight into daddy's hands!! ( yes, it was a "planned" homebirth...waterbirth actually) it was so amazing! he weighed 6 lbs, 11 oz and we haven't done his length yet, but i am guessing 19 inches. He came at 12:28 pm England time after 7 hours of early labor, 3 hours active labor, and 10 mins pushing, apgars of 10's all the way around. God is so good and so worthy to be praised! will have a complete birthstory up soon ;)

~kristy

us just minutes after the birth: (yes dh was crying... i have a funny expression becuase i was still getting over the shock that he was here and we were "done"!)

Joey, just 3-4 hours after the birth:

he is a very good baby. very alert and curious of his new surroundings. He loves to cuddle and nurse and has only cried during diaper changes (but really, who can blame him? lol. i would too!)

Okay, had our appt. baby is looking good. blood pressure is still normal. baby's heartrate sounded great. got himself into the coveted OA position last night! (yay! everytime i'd get a contrax last night, which was every 2 hours when i'd wake to switch sides i was sleeping on,  i'd "tell" baby..get into OA, drop into my pelvis, putting nice, even, wonderful pressure on my cervix...i know, kind of silly, but it was keeping me focused at least) He is still around a -2 station. we talked of induction stuff. she offered to sweep our membranes today, but we declined and said next appt if we hadn't had baby we would then (at that point it is last resort to going for a hospitalized induction and she said they are very "managed", they don't just "aim" to get you into labor and then leave you alone, they get labor going via "A, B, and C" and then keep labor going every x-amount of hours by adding in D, E, and F...blech...i will diff be doing all kinds of natural techniques (mild or agressive) before then to try to keep from going into the hospital and having them do it "thier way!!" Hopefully the reflexology massage will help.

she pointed out each place on my foot as she massaged and how each point affects the body (uterus, breast area for oxytocin, and bowel area) and also used very specific oils. we used Rose oil to stimulate the Uterus, and Neroli & Manderin oils all combined in 2% ratios. it smelled, strong, but heavenly! she said they will soak into the skin, enter the bloodstream and hopefully "add" to the already present birthing hormones in my blood. she said it is a very mild way to try to "tip" you over into labor. i asked if it was quite common or worked very well in her experience as this was the first i'd heard of reflexology massage? she said it was hard to tell. some of her clients would go into labor the next day, but it is hard to know for sure if it was related to the massage or if they would have gone into labor anyway. this morning it seemed like we've lost bits of the Plug, but still doesn't mean anything since it wasn't the "tippy top" part. if it'd been the tippy top part we could be more excited about going into labor in the next 24 hours or so, but with it being bits and peices it could still be weeks away, but still, nice to see something happening lol. (maybe those were real contraxs last night afterall? i couldn't tell if they were Braxton Hicks or real ones. They were much more intense than what i'd had before, but they didn't "roll" like real contraxs, they just "gripped" my stomach and back area which is typical of Braxton Hicks)

anyway, Joe and i are going to go do a little bit of shopping. i am hoping staying on my feet will get this guy to drop more into my pelvis while he is in a good position. not having any contraxs or anything yet from massage...may be quite a few hours before i start to feel any effects from it.  crossing my fingers and toes though! this would be a fantastic weekend for baby to come (but like *any* day isn't good! lol!) The house is clean today and would love to include some pics of baby in a slideshow that is being shown at church on sunday! after baby comes we're not going to be taking him out for a couple weeks (flu season for one reason) and until i recover well and family adjusts..etc for other reasons. Having a picture up there with all the other children of the church would be a nice way for us to relax everyone else's curiosity and baby anxiety without me having to be there in person for them to see him right away.

****wish us luck and send us labor vibes this weekend. we'll keep you updated, we love you all but please don't call and ask if we've had him yet. it only adds to my anxiety, and anxiety dumps adrenalin into mom's bloodstream which can actually inhibit labor. Don't worry...no possible way we'd "forget" to call anyone once he is here!!!!! Just take "no news" as exactly that...no news. *wink* ****

This morning, upon walking lieasurely through my house, I remembered why I dont do crazy cleaning sprees everyday...

This house i had looking so good and worked so hard on for 3 hours yesterday was literally and totally DESTROYED TODAY!    

somewhere I saw this qoute: "Cleaning while the kids are growing, is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing."

so true, so true....*sigh*...I give up

okay..and now for something completely different! Julia has said some crazy things today and i just had to share!

earlier today after she "let out" a rather forceful fart:

"AH! mom! ouch!!...the toot tooted on me!!"

this evening upon browsing for dinner choices in the pantry with daddy:

Joe: "so Julia, what do you want for dinner?"

Julia: "I want "Ariel dogfood"

Joe: "ARIEL DOG FOOD? what are you talking about?

Julia: "That!"..then she points at this:

Disney would be proud.

So I woke up this morning at 4:00 AM, unable to go back to sleep. I laid in bed for 1 1/2 hours trying and to no avail, half pleading with baby, half pleading with God to just start labor already ...(We had laready brought Julia home at this point, and I was already in labor with Megan) Finally I ended with a half-hearted sigh of "okay okay okay...Just let these last few days/weeks be ones ssurrounded in Your peace and joy, content with where we are, and trusting where we will be. If we must wait, then let these last days be days to prepare me for the challenge and journey ahead... So I know when we do go into labor, the time is right, You have prepared me and You have prepared babe for that very moment and I can rest in your peace."

I rolled up and decided, half out of frustration of not falling back asleep, and half out of frustration of the total absence of any kind of cramping or anything remotely similair to the satrt to labor...to clean my frustration away. The house is a wreck, so I was diffintely not at a loss of "what to do" since I couldn't sleep. I was hoping maybe i'd either clean myself into labor, or at least exhaust myself to the point of being able to take an early nap. "Lucky" for me both girls were up at 4:00AM as well, both of them unable to fal back asleep either...so all 3 of us got up for the day at 5:30 am...Joe slept until his alarm went off at 6:30 then scolded me for doing "his" dishes, theones he'd procrastinated all weekend lol. I assured him he'd have his chance to do some of them, i didn't think i could get them all done, i just couldn't sleep and had to do something besides rolling from side to side in my nest of pillows counting how many minutes it took before whichever leg i was laying on began to fall asleep lol...*sigh*

when all was said and done, 3 hours passed and i had 3/4 of the dishes handwashed and drying (no dishwasher here), laundry started, playroom, bathroom, living room, and the girls rooms cleaned. all toys picked up. living room and hallway vaccuumed (all i could reach without moving the Transformer and I am not picking up a 20 pound transformer at this stage of pregnancy!) I have a load of pinks/reds to fold and to transfer out the load of towels into the dryer, then babysit the coin-op dryer for the next 2 hours or so until they are dry. otherwise i think i am pretty "done" with the house for now....got quite a bit done, although there is still more to do. It is the most cleaning i've done in one sitting in probably the last 6 weeks though.

so my question is....was this nesting? or just an attempt to get my "no baby yet" blues out of my system?... time will only tell i guess...*sigh* but not one contraction or anything during the whole thing...maybe it is all just wishful thinking...?    

well, as promised here is the belly timeline

At 9 weeks, 12weeks, and 14 weeks: 

15 weeks, 20 weeks, 24 weeks:

28 weeks, 33 weeks, and 35 weeks:

38 weeks sideview, 38 weeks fullview, and 39 weeks: 

We had our appt and everything looks great! baby looks great, still in the LOL position, but MW reassured it is still a good position, one that we can diff "work with" during labor. *sigh* I was hoping to have baby turned prior to labor, just a little less "work" to do then, but eh, what can i do? i have done the best i could up to this point and I will keep trying up until we go into labor. I am very satisfied knowing at least he is not "sunny-side up" anymore..he's isn't exactly with his back facing out either, (he's laying on his side right now), but at least he isn't posterior! so i am happy with that.  

His hearttones were in the 140's and he is measuring 35-36 cm's compared to measuring at last weeks appt at 37 cm's, we are suspecting perhaps he is attempting to drop down a bit (again...this "happened" once before, but by next morning he had "floated" back up, little booger!) and he is around the -3 to -2 station (as felt from palpitating on the outside,...so it's a guestimate of course)..i was telling joe I thought he had dropped down some, either that or his arms grew b/c he sure was drumming on my cervix last night!

i have lost a pound in weight, which is encouraging to me. I usually lose 1-2 pounds about a week before delivery...so perhaps this little guy will come pretty near his duedate afterall? i am thinking either a few days before, or a few days after. our next appt is set for next friday, I'll be 40w1d if we make it that far. she said we'd begin to discuss possible natural induction techniques...one being a reflexology massage that we could do that day if i chose to. as with all inductions if baby or body isn't ready yet, any contractions caused will eventually fizzle out, and she was also very reassuring that just because we hit 40 weeks we don't need to set into panic mode trying to get baby out as long as baby and i seem to be doing well, but that we'd just take it as it comes, keep trying things to get my body jumpstarted and wait. i really like how relaxed and confident she is in God's design of pregnancy and birth. it is such a breath of fresh air to not feel like i am sitting on pins and needles unsure of how things are going and if we *really* are okay!! i really really really appreciate the "no alarms" blaring just because we may hit 40 weeks with no baby yet. I think we are all hoping for a baby sometime in the next few days to week, but it was nice to be able to talk about the next appt in a relaxed and confident manner.

Oh...for those of you that have asked about dialation or "progress"...I am declining cervical checks this pregnancy...well, not really "declining" as MW only does them if i ask her to, so i'm just not asking for them lol! in the past my body doesn't seem to really "gear up" prior to well established labor...it is completley natural for me to go week after week with little to no change in dialation, effacement..etc as my body seems to like to wait until labor before really indulging lol. in the past this has led to the last few weeks prior to birth being filled with anxiety and hope for "change" only to be dissapointed when there was none. this time i am trusting that my body knows what to do and when to do it and am not "counting" on prelabor dilation checks. Plus, they are uncomfortiable, put you at risk for bacteria being moved up the birth canal and are unreliable as they don't tell you anything about when you will go into labor. one person can be 5 cm's dialated for weeks before delievering, another person (llike my past history) be only 1-2 cm's and then go into labor that very night!..so i am just saving myself the trouble and worry this time around. plus it will be more encouraging to me to assume i am not dialated at all, have that first check during labor and then be thrilled with hearing anything that is said that is above zero lol...verses being told i was 2 cm's at a prenatal appt, go into labor, get an eventaul check and then be told i am "only" 3 cm's...yes that is progress, but would "seem" like MORE progress if the week before i had assumed there was no dialation at all...make sense? it's all about keeping a positive frame of mind during birth and i am doing all i can to guard that "mental peace"!

So, until next week... (or a baby announcement if he comes before then!! )... our newest belly pics: last weeks pic (38 weeks) on the left, and this weeks pic (39 weeks) on the right, not much change really....

 It has taken me a few days to get an update out about our 38 week appt, but I was waiting on belly pics to post with it! Now I am ready!!

Our appoitnemnt went great! Baby measured at 37 cm's for 38 weeks gestation, which means he is STILL growing and is diff going to be my biggest baby yet!  Baby's hearttones sounded great, he was actively squirming all around and was around 150 beats per minute.  He flipped himself over from our last appt when he was in the fantastic and much coveted LOA position (along the left, back facing out, back of his head facing my left side) At this appoitnment he was LOL, laying on the left, kind of on his side, with the back of his head (occiput) facing the left side as usual. and once again he seemed to have his arm/s near his head. Joe was really involved and had the Midwife show him how to palpitate the belly and identify one bump from another...he confirmed, baby diff has an arm or elbow or something right up by his face!

Otherwise everything is fine. My body is not showing any prelabor signs with the exception of a gradual increase of Braxton-Hicks contractions for a few hours each night. I laugh that either baby really likes or dislikes the show "24". We are working our way through the series by borrowing dvd sets from a friend...we are currently on season 3 and it has been our habit to watch 1 or 2 episodes at the end of each night after the girls are in bed. Baby is always SO active during these shows lol! and lately, either his activity, or my adrenaline form the show, or baby's reaction to it, i dunno which or a combo of all of the above, but *something* during that time frame is what brings on the Bh's! and yes, they piddle out soon after the show is over and I am falling asleep for the night. (although one night they kept me up until 1 am! argh!) otherwise, no prelabor symptoms at all and just10 days to duedate!

Our next appointment is this friday at 39w1d gestation, *if* we don't have baby before then, which i really doubt we will...*sigh* but who knows? Joe jokes about baby being a week late and having a December birthday. Megan was born one day shy of my own birthday, I will forever have a "birthday buddy" because of it! I think Joe has wanted to share hisbirth month with one of our children as well, so i know if that were to happen it would really be a blessing to him...I on the other hand just don't know if i could make it another 3 weeks! the way this baby continues growing, the way my belly can seem to only be contained with Joe's clothing and none of my own cuts it anymore lol...

i can wait another week, maybe even two...but 3 is *really* pushing it for me...

Just what does this little man have in store for us???

okay, updated photos! one on left is from 37 weeks, one on right is at 38 weeks:

Holy cow! 3 weeks until duedate and as of today...we are "considered" FULL term!!!

I had my 37 week appt today and it went GREAT! little booger is FINALLY turned from posterior!!!!! he is LOA, laying wrapped around my Left side, head down and back beginning to shift to face out! i am THRILLED! i have been working so hard on getting him turned! now if he will just stay!! I also had the MidWife walk me through today how to palpitate my own belly and decifer butt from knobby knees, the back, and the head...this will help me tell if he stays anterior or tries to flip back again! i am measuring 36cms for 37 weeks, which is HUGE for me. oldest dd was 31 cms at delivery at 38 weeks... second dd was 33 cm's at delivery at 39 weeks and she was 6.7 pounds which is a good size for me...i am a bit nervous of this guy! lol! i have never in my life measured at 36 cm's before...this is all new to me and i still have a good 2-3 weeks to deliver! i was comparing my old pregnancy journals last night to this pregnancy and they are almost identical to my lastbirth which i delivered at 39w4d..so i think this guy will do the same. i know my body isn't making any "progress" towards readying for delivery and that's fine with me. Its nice having the journals to fall back on, because of them i know not to *expect* any, it's still too early for me, my body, and baby and i am fine with that.  i dont want to deliver before 38 weeks at least, and going the full 40 weeks is fine with me. i have to remind myself that size has nothing to do with maturity and having his lungs and immune system better developed is much more important to me than having him early lol. see if i sing that tune 2-3 weeks from now though lol!

updated photos: one on left is at 35.5 weeks, one on right is at 37 weeks and "full term!"

**Update** November 3rd- 2006

Yep, baby has dropped. Last night while cooking dinner i felt him move down, an increase of pressure on my pelvic bones and have since had an increase in potty break urges that produce little to nothing lol. This all tells me baby is dropping. This morning it seemed like my belly was "smaller", so i dug out the tape measure and sure enough, measuring 1 inch smaller in girth than before...I dont think he is completley engaged yet, as my track record has been i usually dont really engage until labor starts, but he is diff readying himself into position. I am so excited as it had been my prayer "God I don't care when he turns around or drops, just let him turn into position first and then drop immediatly afterward so he doesnt flip back around again..." And exactly that ahs happened! I am a bit surprised it is this soon though, i truly feel labor is a good 2-3 weeks off yet, but i'm not complaining!!!

"Thanks for the extra reassurance, God."

we are officially 36 weeks now. I can't believe it?!! But I am so excited! We go to every week appointments from now until delivery! It's getting so close! EEEEeeeP!!

so, i have the last two appts to update you on:

at our 34 week appt everything went very well. weight is good, no swellings, everything seems to be growing just fine. baby measured at 32 cm's for 34 weeks which is EXACTLY what megan measured at that stage (remember, she was 6.7 lbs at birth) we discovered baby was laying in the "LOP" position, or his back along my left side, head down but facing "sunny side up". Knowing about our ultrasound "IUGR" scare and after measuring baby's fundal height and then palpitating the belly for a good 5-7 minutes she said,  "don't worry, that is no small baby in there. you are just fine." it felt SO good to hear that!! baby had great hearttones (130-140 bpm) and she took considerable time listening, much different than the on-off again split second heartchecks I was getting from my past OB's...overall it was just a very very encouraging, wonderful appointment! it was low key and relaxed, i didnt feel rushed in any way. afterwards i felt hopeful, delighted, and reassured and in no way concerned, doubtful or scared as i had in some of my past OB appointments...although i did spend considerable time wondering why i hadn't had a midwife sooner!??? i dont think i will ever go back to OB care unless we somehow became high risk!

today, at our 36 week appt everything went very well! again, weight gain good for me, no swellings, no unusual concerns or symptoms to discuss. we did talk about baby's position some as i know this little guy has been facing the front and ideally we want him facing the back. i had been changing some of my postures and doing various excercises to encourage him to flip around, but also knowing my placenta is Anterior (attached at the front of my belly instead of towards the back) and that babies tend to like to face thier placenta's, i was a little disheartened if any of my work to get him to turn would actually be fruitful, or would he just flip back around to face his beloved placenta lol. i was also a bit concerned as it appears as though baby has dropped since last visit. i have had a few people tell me they think he's dropped, although i was still feeling pressure on my diaphram and haven't experienced an increase in potty breaks, i didn't think he had...but *if* he had already dropped then it would be much harder for me to get him to flip around to the OA position ideal for labor if his head was already engaged into the pelvis. After palpitating my belly this time we learned that baby IS lower than he was, but not quite engaged yet (so i still have time to get him to flip! YES!!!) but that most of all, he has grown 3cm's in 2 weeks time!!! so THIS is why my belly looks lower and, well, "HUGE"...baby did some major growing the last two weeks! he measured at 35 cm's for 36 weeks today! so this leaves me wondering...knowing he is now measuring BIGGER than megan did and Joe was 7.7 pounds at birth...may we have a 7 pounder on our hands this time??? his heart tones were good and strong again at 146 bpm. the girls were so excited this time. they crowded around my belly and watched intently as the Midwife pushed around and identified for us where the head was, where his little bum is, where his feet are, and then to our suprise, she speculates he may have his hands up near his head! she asked if i felt much around that area and i said yes, punches all the time, and sometimes like his head is turning from side to side against my pelvis (which isn't always pleasant lol) ...so she reiterated while pushing around a bit more, "yes, i think he has his hands up near his head"...thinking back to one of his 22 week ultrasound pictures he had his arm/s up near his head then too...

This is exciting to me (as we watched with megan) baby's sometimes carry on behaviors they have in the womb after they have been born. for weeks we'd watch first one, and then as megan gew, two little bumps insync rise and fall on my abdomen. we had no idea what it was, we guessed the usual: knees, feet, elbows..etc. when she was born we noticed that she would rub the side of her head or pull on her ear to fall asleep! she did this everytime she went to sleep and sure enough, we'd watch first the fist go up to her head, then the elbow rising insync with the motion...we had just figured out the "mysterious two bumps" and what she was doing all those times in-utero...we had watched her before her birth, and now after her birth, self-soothe! even now, at the age of 3, she STILL plays with her ears upon falling alseep! ...so Joey putting his hands up near his head is apparantly something that soothes him. i am glad to know this...it will remind me to leave his hands free when we swaddle him, so he will be free to move them by his head if he wants. God is just so awesome...it amazes me watching such a little unique life, from in utero, build personality!  so yes, overall a wonderful appointment! I was thrilled to see the girls get to be so involved and included in, and not just hushed away. The midwife also showed me some excercises I could do to help with the "aching hips" I've been having...that good ol' Relaxin hormone preparing my body for delivery by relaxing my pelvic joints, but perhaps the excercises will provide a bit of relief while we wait out these last few weeks to duedate. .. Otherwise we will see her for our next appointment, next week!

now, the last half of this page is showing what will probably be the last of belly pics before we deliver this little guy. We usually have studio belly pics taken at the end of our pregnancies, but being on the British Economy hasn't been too kind for us over here in that area. So my wonderful husband rigged a little "studio" at home for us and took these pictures with our digital camera a few nights ago!

 We are 8 months prego here, at 35w5d, less than 30 days to go! Most of the pics we took with the girls turned out blurry, so we're hoping to retake those at another time and try again...in the mean time, hope you like these. I am just so glad to have some to put in Joey's baby book, as both his sisters have pics of me pregnant with them in thier books too!  

Titled "Hope"

...this one is special to me, as these were Isaiah's baby shoes:

"Family"

"Big Sister-to-be (Again)"

"Guess how much I love you..."

(see how it looks as though he's dropped? He is so FAR out there!)

"SO Thankful..."

"Hippy Momma"

...Joe says all I need are flowers in my hair lol

"Less than 30 days!!!"

There are a few others at our Flickr site, and I will also add the ones inlcuding the girls when we get them done! Until next week...

Any predictions about when you think he will come? duedate is November 23rd. (hint to our past experiences: Julia came 6 days early and Megan came 3 days early...)

Sorry these are a week late! Here is also the 28 week pics to compare.

28 weeks on left, 33 weeks on right...

Front view at 33 weeks and 2 days:

Sorry I dont have much other neat-o info to add....

but i did find this NEAT-O pic on the internet!! I have no idea who this person is, or thier baby...but I just found it to be so cool!!

it was titled "Kick Inside"...

we had our ultrasound this morning, at 32 weeks and 5 days, to check on baby's growth and possibility of IUGR....baby looks GREAT!!!

Whooooo hoooo!!

It seemed at first that Joe wasn't going to make it to the appointment in time, but he did make it and was only a few minutes late, so he didn't miss much of anything. tech said baby is actaully measuring 1 day AHEAD of duedate!! and that everything looked fine. I asked specifically about the heart and organs and he said, it all looked good. (So I guess maybe baby was just in a starnge position, maybe laying on his side, when doc did the fundal height measurements...plus the lower baby gets the smaller those measurements will be anyway as my body begins to prepare for delivery...)

Towards the end of the ultrasound we did another check on gender, and WOWZAS! there is NOOOooooo mistaking this kid! Diff a boy!! The last shot we got to see was full on of the face. You could easily see the eyes, nose, mouth, even the detailed curving of the lips! I couldn't make it out too well because of the angle the screen was at, but Joe said it was amazing, and at one point baby opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue lol!! That was diffintely what excited Joe the most, seeing the face...his exact words were "it was absolutely adorable!" I feel sooooo much better! I forgot to ask about the weight guestimate, but I will at my next doctor's appointment when I'll get the "official" report anyway. Otherwise...rejoice with us!! Great great great report!!!

p.s. baby was in the LOT position pictured below...head down, but flipped over on the other side from last doc appt.