kensjen
01-17-2006, 10:37 PM
Yes, the baby is here!! I was ten days early, and not expecting to have the baby too early, but that is fine! No complaints here!
Elizabeth (Ella) Reese was born last Thursday, Jan 12th. (same day as Alice, LOL!) She was 8 lbs 10 oz, and 20 inches long.
I typed out my birth story earlier, I'll copy and paste here!
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The night before I didn't really get any sleep. My back was really hurting, I was uncomfortable, and I was throwing up, but that wasn't really anything new. Thursday morning Jonah was up sort of early and in rare form and I just couldn't keep up with him. I called Ken around 10:30 and asked him if he could come home and take care of Jonah while I rested. I just wanted a shower and a nap!
Ken was home in about an hour and I got into the shower. I thought it would make me feel better, but I was actually feeling worse. I doubled over a couple of times in the shower, and that is when I started calling the back pain "contractions". LOL When I got out and we started timing them, they were 3 minutes apart. It was around noon by then. I started throwing things in a bag (no, I still hadn't packed!) and Ken called our friend to pick up Jonah. By the time she arrived I was definitely in labor and needing to do breathing exercises to get through the contractions. I am still amazed at how fast it came on!
We had called my midwife and she said she would meet us at the hospital. We didn't rush in, I was doing a few last minute things around the house, had Ken take some photos, things like that. He was Mr stressed out...and just wanted to go. For some reason I felt like I had to have everything in order at home before I left. We finally started to the hospital and that was probably the worst part of my day. It is about 25 minutes away, but it felt like an eternity. I could not get comfortable in the back seat of the car, I was trying to be on my knees, but that wasn't working. I also tried lying on my side with my foot up on the roof, :) . I just couldn't sit up or be on my back, the back labor was crazy. Meanwhile, Ken is driving like 85 mph and I am sliding around on the leather seats. It was a bit wild. I still felt like I was OK and not close to having the baby, but Ken seemed to be worrying about a highway delivery. ;)
We got to the hospital around 2pm. My midwife was waiting, and was wondering what took us so long. LOL She immediately checked me and I was 9cm!! Honestly, I was so surprised...I thought I was maybe 4 or 5. Hello!! I got right in the tub and that was nice. The jacuzzi jets were great on my back. My water had not broken yet and that was what she was waiting on. She checked me a few times, and the last time there was a huge POP! Yes, water broken! I was complete and ready to go. I went back to the room and got on the bed on my knees leaning over the back of the bed...sounds weird but it was the only way I was comfortable. I was like that for a few minutes and pushed a couple of times, but it was sort of awkward. I got on my side and had help with a nurse and Ken with my legs. My midwife said, "Your baby is right there, push a couple of times and you'll be done." And she was right! After a couple of big pushes, Ella was born at 3:24 pm! The whole thing was SO fast, but really it was perfect. I felt like I was in control most of the time, I got to the hospital in plenty of time, but wasn't there too long before she was born. I'll take a birth like that any day!! Of course if we have another child, I am sure it will be born at home after a few minutes of back pain!
When Ella first came out, my midwife had her by the feet and she was hanging upside down with her back to me...and she looked like a boy. Her girl parts were really red and swollen and looked like a scrotum. My midwife said "It's a girl!" and the nurse who was up by my shoulder said, "are you sure?" LOL I was thinking the same thing. She was laid on my chest then and I finally saw for sure...yes, a girl!
We spent the next couple of hours with her on my lap. We just looked at her and tried to find the perfect name. We had a list of about 4 names and a few different middle names, and we just "tried them on her" one by one. I have always loved the name Elizabeth (it would have been her middle name if not her first) but I did not want to have Liz, Beth, etc for a nickname. I thought Ella sounded really cute, and she can still have the formal name of Elizabeth. My Grandma's grandma was an Elizabeth, too. Reese is the maiden name of my Grandma's mom (my great grandma), so that is why we used that. And coincidentally, Ken and I share the same wedding day as my great grandparents, so it really seemed fitting. :)
It really was a wonderful experience. I am so happy with the way it all happened, and I feel great now. I am having an easier recovery this time and I am way more relaxed with the new mama thing.
Thanks for reading our story! I'll attach a photo that we took today.
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31805.jpg
Elizabeth (Ella) Reese was born last Thursday, Jan 12th. (same day as Alice, LOL!) She was 8 lbs 10 oz, and 20 inches long.
I typed out my birth story earlier, I'll copy and paste here!
************************************************** ***************************
The night before I didn't really get any sleep. My back was really hurting, I was uncomfortable, and I was throwing up, but that wasn't really anything new. Thursday morning Jonah was up sort of early and in rare form and I just couldn't keep up with him. I called Ken around 10:30 and asked him if he could come home and take care of Jonah while I rested. I just wanted a shower and a nap!
Ken was home in about an hour and I got into the shower. I thought it would make me feel better, but I was actually feeling worse. I doubled over a couple of times in the shower, and that is when I started calling the back pain "contractions". LOL When I got out and we started timing them, they were 3 minutes apart. It was around noon by then. I started throwing things in a bag (no, I still hadn't packed!) and Ken called our friend to pick up Jonah. By the time she arrived I was definitely in labor and needing to do breathing exercises to get through the contractions. I am still amazed at how fast it came on!
We had called my midwife and she said she would meet us at the hospital. We didn't rush in, I was doing a few last minute things around the house, had Ken take some photos, things like that. He was Mr stressed out...and just wanted to go. For some reason I felt like I had to have everything in order at home before I left. We finally started to the hospital and that was probably the worst part of my day. It is about 25 minutes away, but it felt like an eternity. I could not get comfortable in the back seat of the car, I was trying to be on my knees, but that wasn't working. I also tried lying on my side with my foot up on the roof, :) . I just couldn't sit up or be on my back, the back labor was crazy. Meanwhile, Ken is driving like 85 mph and I am sliding around on the leather seats. It was a bit wild. I still felt like I was OK and not close to having the baby, but Ken seemed to be worrying about a highway delivery. ;)
We got to the hospital around 2pm. My midwife was waiting, and was wondering what took us so long. LOL She immediately checked me and I was 9cm!! Honestly, I was so surprised...I thought I was maybe 4 or 5. Hello!! I got right in the tub and that was nice. The jacuzzi jets were great on my back. My water had not broken yet and that was what she was waiting on. She checked me a few times, and the last time there was a huge POP! Yes, water broken! I was complete and ready to go. I went back to the room and got on the bed on my knees leaning over the back of the bed...sounds weird but it was the only way I was comfortable. I was like that for a few minutes and pushed a couple of times, but it was sort of awkward. I got on my side and had help with a nurse and Ken with my legs. My midwife said, "Your baby is right there, push a couple of times and you'll be done." And she was right! After a couple of big pushes, Ella was born at 3:24 pm! The whole thing was SO fast, but really it was perfect. I felt like I was in control most of the time, I got to the hospital in plenty of time, but wasn't there too long before she was born. I'll take a birth like that any day!! Of course if we have another child, I am sure it will be born at home after a few minutes of back pain!
When Ella first came out, my midwife had her by the feet and she was hanging upside down with her back to me...and she looked like a boy. Her girl parts were really red and swollen and looked like a scrotum. My midwife said "It's a girl!" and the nurse who was up by my shoulder said, "are you sure?" LOL I was thinking the same thing. She was laid on my chest then and I finally saw for sure...yes, a girl!
We spent the next couple of hours with her on my lap. We just looked at her and tried to find the perfect name. We had a list of about 4 names and a few different middle names, and we just "tried them on her" one by one. I have always loved the name Elizabeth (it would have been her middle name if not her first) but I did not want to have Liz, Beth, etc for a nickname. I thought Ella sounded really cute, and she can still have the formal name of Elizabeth. My Grandma's grandma was an Elizabeth, too. Reese is the maiden name of my Grandma's mom (my great grandma), so that is why we used that. And coincidentally, Ken and I share the same wedding day as my great grandparents, so it really seemed fitting. :)
It really was a wonderful experience. I am so happy with the way it all happened, and I feel great now. I am having an easier recovery this time and I am way more relaxed with the new mama thing.
Thanks for reading our story! I'll attach a photo that we took today.
http://www.windsorpeak.com/dc/user_files/31805.jpg