Birth Story
Our little guy made it here! We named him Shane Alexander, and he is doing so well. I am including as many details as I can remember so sorry it's long! Skip to the end to see the good stuff. :)
Emery decided that she wanted to wake up early on Monday so we woke up, ate breakfast and then headed on a walk while it was still cool outside. We walked about a mile and then came back and I put Emery down for a little nap. Contractions started up a little after we got back, around 9 AM. They weren't very strong, but strong enough for me to tell they weren't just Braxton Hicks. They came every 10 minutes or so, and sometimes less frequently so I wasn't sure when things would pick up. I let Cisco know that I was having some contractions and that I would let him know if I wanted him home. They never stopped the entire time he was at work, but didn't get more intense so I didn't call him. I was pretty tired though because I had woken up early and cleaned the house, because I was pretty sure he would be born soon.
Right before Cisco got off work he told me he was going to stop off to get our brakes checked before he came home. I guess he didn't realize I thought it was going to be so soon, because I was thinking "you're stopping to get our brakes checked when I'm in labor??". When he got home, I was able to take a nap, still being woken up by contractions every once in a while.
Around dinner time I started thinking about what to make for dinner, but by 6 PM the contractions picked up so much I couldn't think about eating. I called my midwife at 6:15 and gave her the heads up. By 7:15 I called the midwife back to have her come over. At that point I was having to stand up and hold onto Cisco to make it through contractions. Emery thought we were hugging so she would try to get in on the group hug every time. It was so cute. Cisco's mom came to pick up Emery around this time, which was good because I needed to focus on what was going on. Cisco set up the pool and had it filling up by the time my midwives Stephanie and Jen got here.
I got into the pool not long after that and focused on breathing and relaxing through contractions. In between, my midwives talked and laughed with us about random things. It was nice to have that distraction and still pretty peaceful at that point. They turned the lights down and just sat there knitting a hat for the little one while they waited.
The contractions got really intense a little before 9 PM so that I wasn't interested in talking in between, and I switched from lying down to on my knees in the pool. I was having to make noise and hold onto Cisco's shirt while he put pressure on my back to make it through each one.
Less than an hour later I felt a slight urge to push, but didn't really make much progress. After a little while of really painful contractions with nothing happening, I asked Jen to check me so I would know how far I had to go. She did around 10 PM and said that I was complete and could start pushing if I felt the urge. My water still hadn't broken and I think that's what was making it hard to get him out. They were really painful and I remember saying I just wanted him out NOW, so that it would be all over. I continued to push and after a while of more really intense contractions I could feel him move down. After another little while I pushed and felt him right there, and I was so excited that I was almost done! His head started to come out, still without my water breaking, and then it finally broke when he was out past his nose. One more push and the midwife told Cisco and I to reach down and grab our baby. We reached down, felt his head and then pulled his body up as he came out. He was born at 10:51 PM.
It was such a relief to know that I was finally done! I checked to see what our baby was, because we hadn't found out the gender, even though I was so sure he was going to be a boy. Sure enough he was our little boy. I got out of the pool and went into bed with our little guy and I held him for a while until we cut the cord and got him weighed and measured. He was 7 lbs 7 ounces and 20 inches long. Emery was the same length and only one ounce lighter which I thought was pretty cool.
Overall it was a really positive experience and went just the way I would have hoped. My midwives were wonderful and Cisco was the best support I could ask for.
Right after he was born, checking to see what he was
Holding him in bed, only a few minutes old
Looking at Mom
With my Midwives Jen and Stephanie
Wearing the hat Stephanie made him
first family picture the next morning
Meeting her little brother- she stroked him back and forth and was so gentle with him. Today he was sleeping on the couch and she climbed up on her own and gave him a kiss.
I got into the pool not long after that and focused on breathing and relaxing through contractions. In between, my midwives talked and laughed with us about random things. It was nice to have that distraction and still pretty peaceful at that point. They turned the lights down and just sat there knitting a hat for the little one while they waited.
The contractions got really intense a little before 9 PM so that I wasn't interested in talking in between, and I switched from lying down to on my knees in the pool. I was having to make noise and hold onto Cisco's shirt while he put pressure on my back to make it through each one.
Less than an hour later I felt a slight urge to push, but didn't really make much progress. After a little while of really painful contractions with nothing happening, I asked Jen to check me so I would know how far I had to go. She did around 10 PM and said that I was complete and could start pushing if I felt the urge. My water still hadn't broken and I think that's what was making it hard to get him out. They were really painful and I remember saying I just wanted him out NOW, so that it would be all over. I continued to push and after a while of more really intense contractions I could feel him move down. After another little while I pushed and felt him right there, and I was so excited that I was almost done! His head started to come out, still without my water breaking, and then it finally broke when he was out past his nose. One more push and the midwife told Cisco and I to reach down and grab our baby. We reached down, felt his head and then pulled his body up as he came out. He was born at 10:51 PM.
It was such a relief to know that I was finally done! I checked to see what our baby was, because we hadn't found out the gender, even though I was so sure he was going to be a boy. Sure enough he was our little boy. I got out of the pool and went into bed with our little guy and I held him for a while until we cut the cord and got him weighed and measured. He was 7 lbs 7 ounces and 20 inches long. Emery was the same length and only one ounce lighter which I thought was pretty cool.
Overall it was a really positive experience and went just the way I would have hoped. My midwives were wonderful and Cisco was the best support I could ask for.
Right after he was born, checking to see what he was
Holding him in bed, only a few minutes old
Looking at Mom
With my Midwives Jen and Stephanie
Wearing the hat Stephanie made him
first family picture the next morning
Meeting her little brother- she stroked him back and forth and was so gentle with him. Today he was sleeping on the couch and she climbed up on her own and gave him a kiss.
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