Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Chicken Nugget

After weeks of nonstop contractions, multiple trips to the hospital to stop them, and the joys of having a very low baby, it was finally time to have a baby!  My client was checked at 10:00 am this morning and was 4 cm.  The midwife swept her membranes and told her to come back in a couple hours, so she and her husband took a drive around town.


We all gathered at the birth center at noon, and mom was now 6 cm!  She decided to have the midwife break her water at 12:10.  Baby was already at plus 2 station (had actually been there for a few weeks!) and she was 90% effaced.  We chatted for a few minutes, but it didn't take long for the contractions to become intense.  We turned on Simon and Garfunkel, and worked on breathing and focusing. 



We decorated the room with some birth affirmations cards.  They were so pretty and inspiring!


At 1:15 mom got in the tub and said "Woah, it really does help!"  She also kept asking if she was in transition.  :)  She was.  



Dad offered support by rubbing mom's back.  This was her third child, but his first, and he was very excited/anxious/nervous, as most dads are the first time around!


Around 1:50 mom started to feel the urge to push.  She said she couldn't do it, which always means she is about to do it!


She was very controlled and instinctual.  She might not believe me, but she was!


At 2:o1, this little "nugget" (as they referred to him during her pregnancy) slipped into the world.  Covered in vernix with the cutest cone head ever.  Dad helped catch, and baby started crying right away.


I love this photo!  Mom's face says it all.


Dad got some skin-to-skin bonding time while mom delivered the placenta.  


Robert Cash
Born Wednesday, November 23rd, 2016
7 pounds 8 ounces
19 inches long


By 2:45, baby was nursing and everyone was tucked in bed.  


A beautiful, fast, and powerful birth!  His big brothers can't wait to meet him and celebrate Thanksgiving as a complete family. :)

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

A Perfectly Appointed Hour

While preparing for her upcoming birth, my latest client told me that she believed God had a perfectly appointed hour for her birth.  I just loved that!  And her faith in the process really helped her stay calm and positive as her due date came and went.  At 41 1/2 weeks, this mama was eager to hold her baby, but still relaxed and trusted in this process, which often requires much strength and patience.

Yesterday at her midwife appointment, she was 3 cm and 80% effaced, so they decided to try and kick start labor with the help of a foley catheter.  By early evening she was having mild contractions, but they were far apart and not causing too much discomfort.  By 11:00 pm they were starting to get intense, and around 12:20 her water broke.  I arrived shortly after and found my client laboring beautifully with the support of her husband and mom.  





 Her contractions were more intense than I expected them to be for a first time mom just a few hours into her labor, and by 2:00 am we were all driving down to the birth center.


Mom found some relief in the tub, but still had some hip pain.  She was so instinctual and naturally tried different positions.  I offered counter pressure and cool cloths. She was on the verge of having the urge to push, but it wasn't quite there yet.  At 2:45 am mom stated, "We're going to be here forever!".  It really made me chuckle since we had just arrived.  She went on to say hilarious things as the night went on.  :)

At 3:15, the midwife listened to the baby's heart beat and said "Baby is happy!".  My client responded with "Well his mama isn't."  :) Over the next hour she also said "Why doesn't he have a small head?!" and "I want it out!"

After a couple hours of almost pushing, the midwife decided to do an exam to see what was going on, and discovered that mom had a cervical lip that the baby was struggling to move past.  For the next couple hours, that darn lip would disappear and reappear frequently.   (It's amazing how strong one small section of cervix can be!)


But this mom was stronger than her cervix, and was willing to try anything to help her baby descend.  We tried several positions in the bed, and I love the picture above, where mom is using dad's foot as a modified stirrup.  They were such a great team the entire time!



We moved into the Birth Suite and tried dangling in the hanging rebozo.  Very physically demanding, but definitely helped baby descend.  By 5:00 am mom was tired and hungry!  We returned to the bed for a new position and some apple slices and honey sticks to help her regain some energy.  At 5:15 she was able to feel her baby's head, and that was very encouraging!  But by 6:20, fatigue and discouragement were right around the corner.  She asked her husband to pray for her and to pray for the birth to finish quickly.  She continued to reach down and feel her baby's head.  It was a slow delivery, but it was encouraging to feel more and more of the baby's head with each contraction.

Their prayer was answered at 6:58 am, Wednesday, November 2nd, 2016.



They didn't know if they were having a boy or a girl, and dad was able to announce that it was a girl!  They were pretty surprised!


Welcome Baby Blythe!
7 pounds, 8.5 ounces
21 inches


Checking out the placenta.  :)  
(My 4 year old son is sitting on my lap as I type this, and he is begging to see a placenta in real life, lol!) 



This duo was exhausted, and spent some time just resting and bonding while the midwives took care of everything else.  There was a small amount of retained placenta which caused some bleeding for mom, but she was able to focus mainly on her baby.  She kept commenting on how smooth her baby's skin was and how good she smelled.  These moments of bonding are so important because they literally imprint the mother to the baby and the baby to the mother.  A little over an hour after birth, they enjoyed their first nursing session.



Such a strong woman, devoted husband, and loving family!   Congratulations!