Juniper's Birth Story

Juniper Evangeline

1.3.2017

6lbs  19 inches

Our fifth baby was due right around New Years. Her "official" due date was actually January 2 - but we honestly didn't think she'd wait that long. After all, three out of our four previous deliveries were "early" - up to two weeks! As we considered the due date, and the fact that we wouldn't have any help coming after she was born, we were REALLY hoping she would come sometime during the week between Christmas and New Years (which seemed very likely!) because Jacobs' employers do not give any Paternity leave, but they do give that week off. Our fingers were crossed! I also was hoping she would come before the New Year, simply because all of her siblings have even birth years, and if we were going to have an odd number of kids, it would be kinda cool if they all had even birth years. I know, it was a silly thought!

I had never done ANYTHING to try and naturally induce labor for any of my other births. But this time...with a wink from my midwife, who was nervous about me not having any help...I tried "labor cookies" (basically ginger snap cookies with extra ginger and a dash of cayenne pepper - I would say - ginger-with-a-SNAP cookies ;), I also tried curb walking, I ate spicy food, I made an extra strong brew of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea, we *you know*...and then for Christmas, Jacob surprised me with a beautiful cream colored Dutch bike, and I even took it for a spin (granted, I was already 4cm dilated at that point...it wasn't a super comfortable bike ride - but it felt nice to coast around the neighborhood, surely, my neighbors thought I was a little crazy!). But nothing worked. Quite frankly, I knew it wouldn't. But it was sort of fun to try ;) I knew she would come when the time was right...I just really hoped it was before Jacob had to go back to work. 

Well, we had a fun time with our little family during that week. But by New Year's Eve...I just sat in my closet and BAWLED. You know, sobbed. First - she was not going to have an even-year birthday. I know it's funny, but when you're very pregnant and have been sick due to pregnancy for almost an entire YEAR (I got pregnant in February last year, had an early miscarriage towards the end of March, then got pregnant right away after) you just get a little hormonal/emotional/insane towards the end. I also had anxiety about Jacob going back to work. And the kids going back to school. And having to go back to plan A B C D...etc. for when I went into labor. We already knew I had a history of precipitous births, and we really wanted to make it to the birth center in time. AHHHH! It was the worst New Year's Eve of my life. Yet, I knew...it could happen any day...

Well, my due date came. The very next day, Jacob would have to go to work, and the kids back to school. Yet, nothing was happening. It was a gorgeous day - 76 degrees, just beautiful. We spent time outside with the kids, and then in the evening, I decided to run to Target to get a few odds and ends that we needed. I remember coming out of Target and walking through the parking lot - it was about 6:30pm and the sun was about to go down. It was warm, and the sky had a beautiful warm glow. I thought to myself 'too bad, baby June, today would've been a beautiful day to be born.' But I didn't think it would happen that day. In fact, I got a few text messages from friends and family later that evening - between about 8 and 10pm - wondering if baby was showing any signs of coming? They knew it was my due date, and probably knew I was anxious for her to come. I texted back - 'I guess she is taking her sweet time. She wants her own year, and her own day - no holidays.' 

I was in bed by 10pm, just relaxing. Jacob was downstairs getting everything ready to go for the next day - packing his lunch and the kids' lunches for work and school, and getting his bike stuff all ready for his morning commute. Aspen came in to our room, and wanted to lay in bed with me because she kept thinking of something scary, and she wanted to just be close. So, I laid there with her as she drifted off to sleep. It was about 10:15pm by then. Not long after...I felt a surge - or at least I thought it was. A surge - or contraction. Hmm? I waited to see if more would come -- and approximately 15 minutes later, one came. I texted Jacob and told him I thought I had a surge and that I would time the next one and let him know. He came up about 15 minutes later, and right as I had my third surge. Even though to many it would seem silly to call the midwife after THREE surges, 15 minutes apart - we knew we couldn't wait. So, we called the midwife and we called the people on our list who said they could stay with our kids. THREE of them did not pick up their phones! Aspen was still laying in bed by me, and I told Jacob that maybe we should just wake up the kids, load them up, and go. I had no idea how long my labor would be, but I feel strongly we should GET THERE. We tried to wake Aspen up and quickly realized that waking all the kids and getting them into the car might take longer than we realized. So, we tried one last number - and luckily, they picked up. Approximately ten minutes later, about 11:15pm, we pulled out of our driveway and headed to the birth center, about 10 minutes away.

As we pulled up to the birth center and I opened my door, my midwife, Charlotte, met us. I had another surge so it took a couple minutes for me to get out of the car. It was about 11:40pm when we finally walked into the birth center and to our suite. We put our bags down, and I got up on the bed. I was wearing a little nightgown, and my special bracelet I had made from the beads that were given to me at my special Mother's Blessing, and as I touched the beads during a surge, I remembered the affirmations and beautiful words that were spoken and given to me to help me as I worked to bring my baby earth side. 

Charlotte listened to my heart, and my baby's heart, and checked vitals, and simply chatted with me. I had a couple more surges and then asked when we should fill the tub. Though they disinfect the tubs after each use, they also disinfect them before each use. So, it had about 10 minutes to finish disinfecting, and then they could fill it up. My surges were still not super close together - but they were long and pretty intense. Honestly, more intense than my previous labors - and I began to wonder about that Red Raspberry Leaf Tea brew I drank a few days prior...because each surge was definitely efficient. 

I slipped under the warm and welcoming water of the birthing tub about about ten minutes to midnight. Only a little over an hour prior I had been texting my friends and family telling them "nope, not today...no signs of her coming" and yet, here she was ON HER WAY! I looked at the clock - ten minutes till midnight. Well, she might not be born ON her due date, but I think she wanted to make a statement that she would be born on HER day. 

And, she was. I relaxed and floated in the water between surges, still not even super close together but close enough that I started feeling a lot of pressure and knew it would be SOON. Charlotte checked me and said I could start pushing if I felt like it. What!?! Really!?! Just then, I felt a TON of pressure and my very well-built bag of waters broke. And then, I just knew, baby was coming -- so after that, I pushed her right out in one push! I reached down and caught my sweet baby Juniper right into my own hands - it really was like catching a shooting star! I think Charlotte and the nurses were a little surprised at how calm I was and how fast it all happened! (Meanwhile, Jacob took some photos!) They completely trusted in me and I trusted in my body - and it was all very calm, zen, and QUICK! 

And suddenly, there she was, in my arms, her tiny cry breaking the silence. This sweet sweet soul who had been nudging me for years that she was to be a part of our earthly and eternal family - was finally here. Juniper Evangeline Carter. Just shy of 6 lbs. Born 13 minutes past midnight. Another tiny darling to love forever. We were so relieved, and SO happy she was finally in our arms!

I couldn't have asked for a better birth. 14 surges total!?! Honestly, my births have all been amazing. I tend to get pretty sick during pregnancy (especially with girls!) but my labors and births are amazingly calm, smooth, and quick! What a lucky mama I am! A mama to FIVE amazing souls! I feel so humbled and so happy. What a dream come true!

Hudson's Birth Story

Hudson Jude Carter

10.25.2014

7 lbs 20 inches

The rather amazing story of our Hudson Jude coming earth side (sorry, it's rather long): 

First, some background. So...if you know the stories of my other births, you know that I tend to have rapid or precipitous labors and deliveries. My first birth was quick and smooth - just under 5 hours of active labor - but my second and third were both very fast - second being about 2 and a half hours of active labor, and third being barely an hour and a half (and we came super close to having her in the hallway of the birth center!). Thankfully, my research, preparation, and practice - in particular my training and practice of hynobirthing (Mongan Method) - prepared my mind and body very well to cope with these quick labors. Instead of being terrified - I was simply surprised - but extremely calm. I have been able to relax to the point that I honestly LOVE labor and delivery - it is a very Zen experience for me. I am quiet, relaxed, and drawn inward to the extent that my husband has to just sit back and watch because I don't really "need" him to do anything (which is why I began assigning him to be my birth photographer ;) I tend to have rough pregnancies (especially with girls) and a quick, smooth, labor and delivery have always seemed like a gift to me. 

However, as we prepared for the birth of our fourth baby, we had moved to a new state. Texas is not as progressive as Seattle when it comes to where, when, and how to have a baby. While I had an OB that I adored in Seattle, a small hospital with an attached birth center that was set up wonderfully to support natural labors and deliveries - I found that Texas was simply behind the times in that regard. So, we decided to use a free-standing birth center with a midwife group. They were wonderful to work with. The only problem is that the birth center was 30 minutes from our home. For most, that wouldn't be a problem. But considering that my third baby could've easily been born in the hallway of the birth center, and we lived a mere 5 minutes away - we were both a bit nervous about getting to the birth center in time for our fourth baby. 30 minutes!?! Our midwives, thankfully, were just as concerned as we were! They actually gave us instructions and set us up with a little portable car "birth kit" - just in case we ended up having to deliver on the side of the road somewhere. This was both wonderful, and slightly nerve racking for me! I could sense their being nervous about us making it, too. 

So, three days before his expected due date, on a Saturday, I had a few random surges in the wee hours of the morning. I was so excited! Maybe this would be it! I think I had like three. But once I got out of bed and showered, they completely stopped. Bummer. Maybe not today, after all. It was a lovely - gorgeous - autumn-ish day in Austin, so after a leisurely breakfast of German Pancakes, we decided it would be a wonderful afternoon for a little hike. Obviously, I was at the waddling stage - but still, a hike sounded perfect. We packed some lunches and got our little gang of hikers ready to go. We called and invited my sister and her husband to join us if they wanted to. They did! So - we waited for them to come over, and then we caravaned about 30 minutes to the trailhead. As we were hiking (it was mostly uphill natural stairs) I had a few surges. Jacob started to get nervous. I brushed it off. They were totally random and not coming in any pattern or consistency. We'd be fine. We hiked a little further, and then found a spot to eat our little lunch. After that, we started back. Across from the trailhead is a lovely little park - one of my very favorite in Austin. Woodlands Park. We decided to go over and let the kids play on the playground and run around for a bit. As they were playing, I needed to use the restroom. As I walked up a steep hill towards the public restrooms, I was suddenly hit by a powerful surge. It stopped me in my tracks, it was a painful sensation - I had not felt something like that before. I chalked it up to walking up the steep hill. And took my time coming down. About fifteen minutes later, my body started feeling a little crampy. Jacob decided that perhaps it would be good to start heading back towards home. IF for some reason things started happening - it would take a good hour to get to the birth center from where we were. So, we packed up, and headed towards home. I had a couple of surges during the drive home. Jacob let my sister know that there was a chance we might call them to come over at some point, if I went into labor. 

It was about 5pm by the time we got home. I decided to go upstairs to our room and lay down for a few minutes. Jacob decided to take the kids to the grocery store and grab a few last minute groceries and some pizza for dinner. While he was gone, I started having more surges. I decided to time them. They were somewhat random, but they were definitely coming. Around 6pm, Jacob and the kids returned and he checked in with me. I told him what was happening and that I thought, yes, something was happening - but I was content just laying there relaxing. There was no way I was anywhere near needing to rush to the birth center. He decided to call the midwives for their opinion. Because the surges were random and not in a perfect pattern, they told us to take an average. They said when they averaged TEN minutes apart they wanted us to come in right away. Okay - after only a few surges (from the time I started timing them, just after 5pm) they averaged 10 minutes. Really? We're supposed to go right NOW? But, we would rather be safe and get there early than have a baby on the freeway, so Jacob called my sister and about 20 minutes later - about 6:30, we said good bye to the kids and headed toward the birth center. I had only had 12 surges total since we got home. There was no traffic, so we got there in about 20 minutes. STRANGELY though, once we got in the car - the surges stopped. I kept waiting for them. I had maybe one during the 20 minute drive. I started to wonder why we went. 

We checked in with the midwives and they checked me to see where things were at. Baby was still really high, but I was already 5cm dilated and 80% effaced...so they did NOT want me going anywhere. I changed into my little black nightgown, and they set me up on the birth ball. I felt completely silly! NO surges! They still wanted me to stay. For 2 hours, I sat there on the birth ball, listening to birth affirmations and relaxing music, and joking with Jacob that this was crazy. The midwives decided to try to help things along - so they gave me a drop of blue cohosh under my tongue, and started to diffuse some clary sage essential oil into the air near me. Well, about 20 minutes later - at this point it was about 9:15pm - I FINALLY started having some surges again. I was so excited! They came one on top of each other - about 5 minutes apart but SO easy to handle. It was the craziest labor! I asked them at what point I should get in the birth tub, and they said, whenever I wanted. So, they filled it up and dimmed the lights, and I got in. Silence. Sweet, calm, silence, as the water enveloped me in the perfect temperature of the womb. Jacob sat nearby. I looked like I was asleep, and yet - finally, the surges were getting closer and stronger together. I glanced at the clock - 10pm. I wondered when I might meet this baby boy I had dreamed of meeting for so long!

Well, about fifteen minutes later, things got more intense - I was obviously in transition.  It was one of the midwives' birthday that day, and she joked that a perfect present would be to have my baby share her birthday! By 10:15pm, I felt like pushing. I had pushed 3 babies out before - and while not a cake walk, honestly, I barely pushed at all with babies number 2 and 3 - they just flew right out into the world. This time, something was different. I pushed with all of my might - and for the first time, ever - I said out loud "is he going to come out?" It was the most intense pushing I had ever done. I closed my eyes and seriously felt like maybe he was somehow stuck. Well, it seemed like a while to me - but it was mere minutes. I was determined. At 10:30pm - after fifteen minutes and probably about 5 pushing contractions - one of the midwives said he was coming - there he was! And "OH MY GOODNESS! It's his FACE!" One more push, my water finally broke - and he was out! Such relief from the pressure! Immediately, after they handed him to me, both of the midwives started completely GEEKING OUT! They told us that he had a very rare presentation - that now everything made more sense. My labor stopped because of his position. I had to push harder than ever before because I was pushing the BIGGEST part of his body through the birth canal instead of the malleable crown of his head. They said it was akin to a breech delivery - but much more uncommon. They went on to tell us that they had only seen this type of presentation in text books! And that generally, the labor takes a very long time and the baby gets stuck and an emergency c-section takes place. Also, the baby's face is generally very swollen and bruised - almost scary looking (google it). However, because my water didn't break until right when he was born, it padded both my bones and his face - and while he was a little swollen and bruised, he looked great and a day later you'd never know how traumatic his delivery was on his poor little face.

Wow. I heard them, but I was mostly just happy to have Hudson Jude looking up at me and in my arms. I didn't think a whole lot about anything except that he made it out safe and sound and - really - labor was easy peasy besides the last part of pushing where I momentarily doubted he would come out. But I was glad to know there was a good reason I felt that way, and sense to why labor had stopped. I honestly feel like if he had been in a normal position - I wouldn't have made it to the birth center. Now, it was a more difficult delivery - but at the same time, we got to where we needed to be. They are also set up at the birth center to do a 5 minute emergency transfer to the nearby hospital if there are complications, so I am so grateful we were there instead of on the side of the road. One of the midwives told me she couldn't believe how calm and relaxed I was during labor - that no wonder my babies are born and so calm and mellow. I took it as a wonderful complement. 

So - he was finally here. Our sweet and adorable Hudson Jude. I, of course, tore (as I did every single delivery) - so Jacob held our boy while they stitched me up. We made a couple of phone calls. Texted family and a few friends that he had arrived. And then, I took a shower and got cleaned up and we got settled into the family bed they had there in the room. One thing I love about the birth center, is that you don't have to stay long. Normally, a second (or third, or fourth) time mom only has to stay 4 hours - but that would have us going home in the middle of the night. Our kids were all asleep and my sister and her husband were there, so we decided to just stay the night at the birth center. 

I can NEVER sleep after I have a baby. I get the biggest adrenaline rush and am just SO excited - so I just stayed up all night, holding, cuddling, staring at our perfect little guy. So thankful. Jacob, on the other hand, was able to sleep just fine. So, while I sat in the rocking chair most of the night, Jacob slept. I held my boy, nursed him, rocked him, loved on him in the way only a mother can. What a gift he was to our family! I woke Jacob up early-ish because I wanted to go home. So, we got everything ready to check out and by 7am we left. The birth center has a kitchen, but because of the time I had Hudson - we didn't really get a good dinner. Just some snacks. I was STARVING! So, we decided to take a detour on the way home. We stopped at Kerby Lane Cafe for an early morning feast of a breakfast. Since it was a few days before Halloween, they had their seasonal pumpkin pancakes. We had such a yummy breakfast - a little date on the way home, before things got loud with FOUR kids! Ha! I have to admit, the waitress was like "wow, that's the tiniest baby I've seen - how old?" And I was like..."he was born last night" and her jaw dropped. I guess not many people take their newborn on a date when they are a few hours old. It was a fun memory made.

We took Hudson home - arrived about 9am -  and introduced him to his adoring fan club - his brother and sisters. It's always so magical when they meet their new sibling, just makes my mama heart explode!  Hudson's birth story really was amazing - we were incredibly lucky that everything worked out so well. And now, here we are, with FOUR babies! And oh, how we love them!

This is a little update (about a year and a half later...) - since many people assume he was "sunny side up" - but no. It was actually his squishy little FACE that presented! Around his birthday, and when people talk to me about it, I realize that I had a little bit of retrospective birth trauma. Everything turned out fine, yes - but every now and then I think about how crazy and scary it COULD have been, and it kinda freaks me out! Strangely enough, I am like this weird legend at the birth center! They all know the story and every time I go in - "oh, you're the one!" Yes, yes I am. I guess they actually had one more face presentation since I had Hudson - and she had to be transferred for an emergency c-section. Made me feel that much more grateful! If he was my first baby instead of fourth, I am not sure I could've done it! But, I did. And he is the happiest little guy - our happy Hudson! 

Hazel's Birth Story

Hazel's birth story is a short and sweet one. She was simply ready to come - and had a "precipitous" birth, just like her sister, but even faster! I wasn't even sure if I was going into labor because I'd had just a few sporadic contractions, so once they did start coming, we had some friends come over to watch the kids. The surges never were very regular - so I had no idea if I was really in labor - it was kind of throwing me for a loop. But around 5pm, they got to the point that I felt most comfortable on the floor in a yoga pose, and so I decided to ask our friends to come over after they were done with work. I told them there was no rush. They arrived at our house about 6:30pm. Jacob talked to them a bit while I made my way towards the car. I said hello, and my friend, Layla, said "you look so composed" - as I wore flip flops and yoga pants and dashed towards our garage. I could imagine the situation looked much different than the movies make it look! As we were backing out of the garage, our neighbor started talking to Jacob, and I decided we should probably just get GOING. We took off to the birth center - which was about five minutes from our townhouse - and as we entered the surges (contractions) were suddenly like a minute apart. I had to stop and get down in my favorite yoga pose (child's pose) in the hallway, and then stop again at the front desk and do the same thing. The nurse said "let's hurry to your room" and I said "let's RUN!"

We got to the room and I got up on the bed for another surge. Through my breathing I asked the nurse if she thought I'd have time to get in the jacuzzi tub (something I've done with both previous births and loved). She didn't really have time to answer - I barely had time to kick off my flip flops and get my yoga pants off because all of a sudden I felt my baby COMING! I barely had time to get my yoga pants off before Hazel came bursting out into the world! We had been at the birth center approximately 10 minutes. She was born at 6:59pm. I surprised myself and pushed her out while on my hands and knees - and as the Doctor on call came running into the room, she didn't even have time to get her special gear on. I pushed once and my water broke and the next time, she was out! I felt like even if I didn't push at all, she would've just swooshed out with the water! Still, I did tear (again - I've torn every time!). They told me I tear in the same spot because it's already weakened, but mostly because I have such quick deliveries. The nurse laughed and said, "to answer your question, NO I don't think you'll have time to get in the jacuzzi!" She also said "I just love it when we have to admit people AFTER the baby has arrived!" We didn't have time to do anything! It happened so fast, Jacob was kind of stunned. It was quick, but so bearable. I can honestly say that it was a delightful labor and delivery! As I rolled over and she was placed on my chest, suddenly I remembered: "Hey! Get the camera out! We need some pictures!" I had asked Jacob to actually photograph the birth this time, to give him something to do since I tend to be very inward during the whole process. But the labor and birth happened so fast, he missed it! Not to mention, he broke his arm the evening before, so it was pretty painful for him to pick up my big heavy camera - but he did anyway to capture the moments right after Hazel came earth side and entered our eternal family.

We literally called our friends who were watching our children about 20 minutes after leaving the house and told them the news, and to tell the kids their sister had arrived :) We spent time with Hazel and then called/texted family and friends and once she was all cleaned up and settled I put a headband on her and took a picture to send out.  I had permission to go home before midnight - but the pediatrician wasn't around that late to check Hazel out and there was no way I was going home without my baby. So, Hazel and I had a little slumber party at the birth center that night. The birth center served us a "celebration" dinner before Jacob went home for the night. We clanked our goblets together, full of bubbly sparkling cider - "Cheers! Way to go, team!" And then we agreed that next time we have a baby we had better go early so we aren't the ones having a baby on the side of the road! Ha!

I couldn't sleep, I was too excited. A new baby is WAY better than Christmas, and I still can hardly sleep, I just love holding her, cuddling her, looking at her, and listening to her cute little breathing and newborn noises. 

So, here are the images my special photographer took (thanks Jacob!) to capture Hazel's grand arrival. We feel so very blessed and lucky to have another sweet baby girl join our family. Her brother and sister just can't get enough - and neither can we. She's super tiny, and just perfect :)  

Aspen's Birth Story

Here's the story you've all been waiting for...
*warning* it's a long way of telling a short story!

First, I must say, I had been a tiny bit nervous about a second labor and delivery because my first went quick and smooth. Could I really top that? I was also a little nervous because of the whole GBS+ thing. And nervous about things going faster the second time around...

Well, I am happy to say there was no need to worry about any of it! My "precipitous" labor and delivery went ultra smooth and quick -- just perfectly. If I can top this one, that will be a wonder!

I woke up on Saturday - 12 days before my due date - to a sharp pain in my lower abdomen. I was a little surprised. It was a little after 6am. I laid there for an hour or so, and occasionally it happened again. All of a sudden, I had a little flash back to labor with Sawyer, and I realized I was having contractions, or surges as I refer to them. Jacob and Sawyer woke up about 7:45 and I told Jacob I had a few surges. He suggested timing them and moving around to see if they stopped. So, I laid there and we timed them. Sawyer laid there with me for a while and brought in some legos to play with while sitting beside me. My boys went downstairs around 8:30 to make some waffles. I didn't join them for breakfast. I just didn't feel like eating (which should have been a clue that I was in the early stages of labor!). I took a shower and laid back down. The surges were now coming at about 15 minute intervals. Jacob brought me some water and I just laid there listening to my hypnobirthing CDs and relaxing and breathing through each contraction as it came...in wonder and super excited that likely this was going to be it!

Around 9 o'clock I told Jacob we should probably call our friends to see if we could drop Sawyer off sometime in the next hour or so. I still felt like it wasn't time to go to the hospital, but I also wanted to get there in plenty of time to get the antibiotics...so we loaded up the car and headed over to drop Sawyer off. Can I take a moment to say how grateful I am to my friend, Allegra, and her husband, Dan, for taking Sawyer for us? Thanks, you two. I knew he was in the best hands and not far from us, as we headed to the birth center. I also knew he would be having such a fun time playing with his friend, Max, that he wouldn't care much about our absence. It was such a good feeling to leave Sawyer in such good care and company - that had been one of my biggest worries, but as I waved out the window to my friend as we drove off, I knew all would be well for our little son.

We got to the hospital's birth center a little bit after 10am. The surges were probably about 7 minutes apart by that time, but the same intensity. I was thinking they might not even admit us, but why not see. I LOVE the hospital where we delivered (Northwest Hospital). They showed us to our room (we lucked out and got the huge luxury suite) and when we met our nurse, we had our birth plan ready to hand to her. She smiled and said "we've already read it over twice...let's see..." and she had read it and was already fulfilling our wishes of a nurse who was supportive of and particular to natural birth. I also love that this hospital is a smaller, private hospital, and that the rooms are LDRPs (labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum), which means, you go to your room and that's where you stay the entire time. No checking in at triage, no moving after delivery - it's just super cozy and comfy to be all in one place. The nurse said they'd monitor me for about 20 minutes and then we could start the antibiotics for 20 and then they'd remove the IV (I had a heparin lock) so I could move around as much as I wanted. As she monitored me, she discovered the contractions were now 5 minutes apart (although intensity was still the same as earlier), I was dilated to 4cm, and 100% effaced. The baby was at a -2 station. She said we should stay :) We put on the hypnobirthing CDs to relax to (soft music in the background) and I laid there relaxing and breathing and thinking this was not quite what I had pictured. I thought things would be getting much more intense by now...but besides the surges being a little closer together, it was easy to handle. The worst part of it all, though, came when 2 different nurses had to try to give me an IV for the antibiotics. I was a bit dehydrated and they had to "dig around" in 5 different places before they got me all hooked up. Luckily, my relaxing hypnobirthing music and keeping my eyes closed and focused on breathing helped me ignore whatever they had to do. I kept reminding myself, I was doing the whole IV thing for the benefit of the baby. So...20 minutes passed quickly since I had the surges to distract myself from the IV in my hand. They took it out and asked what I wanted to do. I had requested minimal check ups, but was curious if I was progressing much. The doc just happened to come in to see how I was doing and she checked me, per my request. I was then 6cm and baby was still at -2 station. She said, as she checked me "I am going to guess 6lbs 12oz". (My guess was 6 and a half). It was probably around noon by this time. She was going on a lunch break - she casually told us another wonderful Doc would be covering her while she was off at lunch (with a side of Salsa lessons ;) We had been there for less than two hours, but I still felt like everything was easy to handle. I was glad we came in early, because if I would've waited until I felt like I should have come - it might have been much too late. Especially if I wanted any chance at the antibiotics to protect me and my sweet baby. I asked the nurse to fill the Jacuzzi tub. I'm not really into walking around while in labor. I prefer to lay back and relax and let my body just get to work. So, I got in the tub minutes later...ahh...heaven. I suppose I was in there maybe 20 to 30 minutes, with the surges still pretty much the same intensity, and 3-5 minutes apart, when all of a sudden I started feeling pressure. The nurse said if I started to feel like pushing to let her know. I told her I was feeling a lot of pressure, and I decided to get out of the tub. She asked if I wanted to get the birthing ball out. I said no. In fact, I went to the side of the bed, did a yoga pose, and told her I didn't think I'd be needing the birthing ball. (She had gone to get it at this point...) As she returned, she looked at me, and then realized things were moving really fast.

I got up on the bed. In between breaths, I said "I think she's coming!!!" The nurse was going to take a look, but when she glanced over she said "oh my, there's a head!" She hit the emergency button and the doc and a few others came running in. Just as they got in the room, my water broke. I swear that if I didn't push, she would've come out anyway with all that water! The doc said "go ahead!" and 6 minutes after my water broke, Aspen came "flying" out into the world, with her little hand by her head - just like her brother - at 12:46pm. I tore, again - those little hands! She was immediately handed to me. I looked at Jacob and he looked at me, and emotions were high. "Oh, Aspen, we have been waiting so long to meet you!" I kissed her wet little face. She looked at me with bright, alert eyes. I'm telling you, there is just nothing like the thrill and adrenaline rush of a natural birth! I feel like I was especially blessed with such a quick and easy birth because my pregnancy had been such a difficult one.

I felt SO good. I told the doc I felt like jumping off the bed. She smiled (and then said, maybe I should wait a little bit before jumping off anything ;) The staff respected our request of holding off on any eye ointment, etc. and we just got to cuddle with our darling baby for an hour before anyone else touched her. Later, as the nurse weighed her and bathed her, we found that the doc was right on in her weight prediction: 6lbs 12oz and 19inches long. Aspen was a full pound heavier and one inch longer than her brother.

We had been at the hospital about 2 and a half hours. They want to have the antibiotics in your system 4 hours for it to do much. Well, the antibiotics were in my system just over an hour...so I guess they didn't do much after all. The blessing was that my water broke immediately before the birth, so the risk of exposure was super limited. Also, she came so fast, that lessened the risk as well. She actually came SO fast that her head was perfectly round. She spent mere moments in the birth canal (no cone head for my girl!) I've had a few people ask me if I had a c-section since her head is so perfect.

After she was bathed and we spent a little more time with her before she fell fast asleep, I hopped up and took a shower and got dressed in my own clothes (so much more comfy!) We called family and sent out a text message with a picture to family. Jacob called our friends to tell them that he'd pick Sawyer up after his nap. They were like "already!?! Wow!" So, Jacob left me and our babe to rest and he picked Sawyer up around 4pm. They went home and made cupcakes and then came back around 6pm for our Celebration Dinner and Aspen's Birthday Party.

The hospital requests that every mother who delivers have a Celebration Dinner with her guests before checking out. The menu lets you choose filet mignon, and salmon, among others things, and comes with a bottle of "champagne" (martinelli's sparkling cider) and goblets for cheers. Our huge room had a family-sized table, so we ordered our little feast and sat around the table eating together and rejoicing. We clanked our glasses, the three of us - with Aspen in Daddy's arms - and celebrated being a family of four. After dinner, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Aspen and ate cupcakes (much to Sawyer's delight!) Later, I sat on the hard wood floor with Aspen in my arms, as she and Sawyer exchanged birthday presents. The celebration made the event that much more memorable and special for all of us, and helped Sawyer understand, at least a little. It was hard to have my boys go home without us - but Aspen and I stayed the night and then they came to bring us home the next morning. At Aspen's 3-day check up at the pediatrician's, they said she is doing perfect (no signs of GBS infection) and she had dropped to 6lbs 2oz. My babies tend to be blessed with the natural ability to nurse right away...so nursing is going well and as of day 3 the milk is a-flowing. Sawyer loves his sister, but I think it will take a little time to get fully adjusted to adding a new person to the family. He has noticed he doesn't have as much of my attention as usual...but he doesn't seem to associate it with his sister. He actually goes up to her and says "play, play" because he really wants her to play with him. He is as sweet as ever, and my heart just overflows as I watch my two babies interact (even though Aspen is so little, she focuses right in on her brother and watches him intently). My heart feels so tender as I behold the love it can hold for this little family Jacob and I have created together. I just love them all to pieces! I feel so very blessed and humbled as I have watched my biggest dream continue to unfold before me: being a wife and mother - my biggest wishes and the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Aspen Jane Carter
01.30.2010
6lbs. 12oz. ~ 19 inches

We are SO happy that Aspen is here!

Sawyer's Birth Story

I know some of you are curious about the details of Sawyer's entrance into the world, so I thought I'd share his story. Our story, really, because we both worked like a team to make it happen! I had always thought that when I had babies I wanted to do it naturally, without drugs or medication. My own mother did it with no problem, so why couldn't I? After following up with some research on childbirth options, I felt even more aligned with the natural way, and decided that was the way I would do it. Recognizing that you can't always predict how things will go and if there might be special circumstances, I also had to be open to whatever happened that would be best for me and the baby in the long run. But I planned to have a natural birth, nonetheless. I wanted to have as much control as possible over my body and giving birth to my baby. Jacob was supportive of however I wanted to do it, which I was certainly grateful for! So many people either straight out said I was crazy for wanting to do it naturally, or gave me a look like 'are you serious?' (Of course I was serious!)

So, we took childbirth classes through the hospital's birth center. They were okay. Most people in the class just wanted to know when they could get the epidural. Most did not seem to think they would need any other coping technique. I was slightly disappointed. After interviewing a few OBs to find out which patients had the most success with a natural delivery - and what methods or techniques they used - I learned about hypnobirthing. We found a hypnotherapist who specializes in labor and birth, and met with her for a couple of sessions to learn and practice the Mongan hypnobirthing method. I also read the book and outlined the exercises that felt best suited to me. I read anything and everything, watched videos - studied everything from The Bradley Method to Lamaze, and was fascinated by the film The Business of Being Born. I took from each what I loved and incorporated it into my hypnobirthing practice. The thing is, just like training for a race or a marathon (which, come on, labor definitely is!) we needed to practice. It was definitely more of a commitment. We practiced about 5 hours a week. Ideally, at least 30 minutes a day. Hypnobirthing consists of learning the skills of deep relaxation, visual imagery, and the like. The basic idea is to learn how to relax all the muscles in your body so that your body can do the job it was meant to do - give birth. Learning to be confident and trust in the body God created for women, which was made perfect for birthing babies, is also a key element. As you learn to trust in your body and the natural process of birth (and understand the physiological aspects of the birth process) you can then relax and prepare for a calm and gentle birth for the baby. By learning these skills, the idea is that you interrupt the fear-tension-pain cycle created by our culture's ideas and messages about childbirth. That's the long and short of it anyway! Now...

I woke up on Thursday, June 12th, with a sort of crampy feeling. I didn't want to wake Jacob, but I couldn't sleep. I could sense something was different. By 6am I was curious what was going on...was this really it? Were these the surges (contractions) I had been anxiously waiting for?  Jacob got up to get ready for work and found me sitting in the gliding rocking chair in the nursery. I told him I thought something was happening but I wasn't sure. Something was definitely happening - it wasn't painful, but it didn't seem to be stopping, either. He wondered if he should stay home from work. I told him he should go ahead and go. In the meantime, I had tried changing positions, and even showered and still, the little surges kept coming, sporadically, yet with somewhat of a pattern. Jacob called our Doc's office. They told him not to go to work, and to call and check in if they got closer together. By 10am the surges were coming about 5-7 minutes. We called to check in with our caregivers and told them we wanted to stay at home as long as possible. During our time at home, we listened to the hypnobirthing CDs, and we baked a birthday cake for Sawyer. I had read somewhere about having a labor activity, and I decided it would be fun to have something to look forward to during labor - the cake seemed like the perfect idea. And I was definitely in early labor! So, Jacob and I worked together and made a birthday cake for our baby boy! It was fun to do together. I was still amazed that today would be the day! As afternoon approached, we started considering when we should go to the hospital's birth center. I felt like we should get there before I got too uncomfortable. We packed things up and headed their direction, and checked in around just before 4pm. Everything was still quite manageable. They monitored me for about 30 minutes, during which time they said I was dilated to about 3cm and about 95% effaced. They told me the effacement was excellent. We met our nurse and discussed our birth plan with her. As we were doing so, I suddenly became quite nauseous and then vomited. Soon after - my water broke! Then things started to get rolling. We requested a nurse that was supportive of or particular to natural birth. And we got one - actually, we got 2 because they changed shifts not long after we got there. Our 2nd nurse was especially outstanding. Just like requested, I did not have an IV (as long as I stayed hydrated, which I did). Jacob did light touch massage and I used the birthing ball for a couple of hours. We continued listening to our hypnobirthing CDs with positive birth affirmations and quiet music. Things were peaceful, quiet, and moving along well, as far as we could tell. When things started getting more intense, we went to the Jacuzzi tub. Slipping under that warm water with the jets beating all around my body felt like heaven. But heaven didn't last forever. After about 2 hours in the tub, things suddenly got more intense, and it was then that they checked me and told me I was in transition, or at 7cm. I decided to get out of the tub - and they told me to get ready because baby would be here soon! About thirty minutes later, they told me to do a practice push - and then the real thing! I couldn't believe how good it felt to finally be at that stage - pushing and knowing I would soon meet my baby. They dimmed the lights in the room and we had quiet music playing, as requested. I feel so so blessed that we had such awesome staff who respected our wishes. I also feel grateful that my body allowed me to have the natural birth I had planned for. Pushing was my favorite part (isn't it everyones?) It just felt so good. The pressure was strangely excellent. You hear of people saying they had a pain-free birth. I won't claim that it was pain-free. The surges during transition took a lot of mind power to get through, and I was so grateful for all of my preparation that helped me remain calm and in as much control as possible - it was like riding some major waves, and anticipating when they might come or go. Like when you're surfing - knowing another huge wave is coming so you better get ready. And then, not knowing when the set of waves might end so you can escape safely to shore and rest. Yet, the brief break in between waves was so rejuvenating. Anyway, after 30 minutes of pushing and at 8:50pm, Sawyer entered the world! He was born with his little hand right by his head (I tore, of course). He weighed 5lbs 12oz. and was 18 inches long. A tiny little guy! They gave him right to me. He didn't cry, he just looked around wide-eyed at the new world around him. So mellow. They followed our request of holding off on the eye ointment the first hour for optimal bonding time and instant breastfeeding. He was just so so calm and alert. And CUTE! All the medical staff were amazed at how alert he was. I have to say, it was love at first sight. I am so enamored with my son. The day after we got home from the hospital, we had Sawyer's Birthday cake. We sang him "Happy Birthday" and the cutest thing ever was that when we sang, he looked right up at me and he smiled. He is awesome at nursing, and loves hanging out with his parents. After only 4 days, he just about back at his birth weight. Doc said that it usually takes 10 days and that he is really a great baby. Of course, I agree! He is a mellow little man, and so alert for a newborn! We certainly couldn't be more lucky or blessed. This is my dream come true - all I have ever truly wanted in life was to be a mom. Now, I am living my dream and loving it! And Jacob is loving it right along with me. Giving birth, no matter how it happens, is such a miracle! Hooray for life's miracles!!!