Elizabeth

I've had a hard time keeping up with my blog as of late. I have a new baby on my arm most of the time, so typing can be a bit challenging. That's right! For those of you who didn't know, I finally had my baby girl on July 15th. I started having contractions on the 14th around 4:30 PM. I wasn't sure it was truly labor until around 9 PM when the bloody show finally came. I had been losing mucus plug for about a month already, so it was really exciting to finally get the bloody show and know I would be holding my baby soon. My mom arrived first, then my sister (Mariah), my midwife (Sheehan), and the midwife's apprentice (Gina). The whole birthing crew was here by midnight. My contractions were inconsistent (not uncommon for me) coming anywhere between 3-6 minutes apart, but they were getting stronger by the hour.

We all sat around the table for awhile before Mariah decided to go to bed since she knew Ethan, Madeleine, and Robbie would be waking her up early the next morning. Not long after she went to bed the rest of us decided to move to the living room. The baby was a little posterior, so I needed to get on all fours to encourage the baby to turn a little - the living room rug seemed like the best place to try that since Brad and Robbie were sleeping in my room. Once I was in the living room and things were partly set up I decided I didn't want to leave, so the midwife brought all the birthing supplies from my master bathroom (where I birthed Robbie) into the living room. Sheehan checked for dilation and found out I was about 5 1/2 centimeters dilated. With how far apart the contractions were Sheehan figured it might be awhile before I was to the pushing point, so everyone laid down. Sheehan laid down on the love seat, Gina on the couch, and my mom and me on the sheet that was laid out on the floor. After a few contractions I decided to start getting on all fours for them, because laying on my side started feeling too painful. I think it was on the second or third contraction on all fours when my water broke. I was a little surprised by that since with both of my boys my water broke right before the pushing point and with Madeleine the doctor caused the water to break so that my labor would progress (it wouldn't on its own). I knew, though, that the water breaking meant I would be going through transition, which would mean throwing up. I don't know why I have to do that every time, but I do! Yuck. And I did. Twice. After the first time I tried to get over to the piano and stand for awhile thinking that may help the baby to come down faster, but after getting over there I started feeling really light headed and nearly passed out (my ears were buzzing, everyone started sounding far off in the distance to me, and things were getting dark). I was quickly made to go back to the rug. Shortly after the second time I threw up came the pushing point. My mom got Mariah and Brad up to see the birth of the baby. Amazingly enough Ethan, Madeleine, and Robbie slept through the whole thing. I was more quiet than with any of my other births, so that probably helped.

I've had all of my children in different positions. With Ethan I was sort of on a birthing stool, with Madeleine I was in the crouched down position holding onto some metal bars they had especially for that position, with Robbie I was standing, and with Elizabeth I was on all fours. Strangely enough the contractions were still spaced apart a bit (not a ton, mind you, but more than usual for that point of the birthing process). She still came out in about 3-4 contractions, but I had to work on breathing her out in between the contractions since the midwife was telling me to push when I just couldn't seem to (there wasn't a contraction helping me out a good portion of the time!) Elizabeth arrived at about 2:45 AM (no one actually looked at the clock for a few minutes, but we figure it was between 2:43 and 2:45 AM). Sheehan happily told me it was my smoothest labor yet. They handed Elizabeth to me right after clearing out her nose a bit. She quickly learned how to nurse and nursed for about the first hour after being born! It took the placenta awhile to come out, but when it did it arrived with a big surprise. The cord wasn't attached to the placenta the way it normally is. The name of what it was is: Velamentous Cord Insertion (click there to read all about it). It's probably why I had an amniotic leak for so many months! The cord was attached to such a thin place in the membranes... my little Elizabeth is a little miracle baby! The cord could have come detached in my womb or even during birthing and caused serious problems... even death. I'm so very, very thankful she is alive and well. I had a feeling something wasn't quite right and cried a couple of days before she was born as I prayed that she would live. I had never done that with my other babies, but with Elizabeth I kept having this feeling that she was in danger. I'm so thankful everything turned out so well! Not only did she get all of her nutrients just fine in spite of the bad connection, but she ate really well! Sheehan weighed her as I was getting showered off and she weighed 9 pounds, 10 ounces! Wow. That's about 1 1/2 pounds heavier than Madeleine was and over 2 pounds heavier than Robbie! She didn't feel any bigger than my other babies coming out, although two days later I felt really bruised in my lower back and hips due to Elizabeth's size.

Things are going really well. Elizabeth started sleeping through the night after just a few nights. My contractions went away after just two nights, which I'm incredibly thankful for (normally I have them for 4-7 days/nights after birthing a baby)! Those can feel a bit torturous at times! My belly is shrinking back and I'm happy to be fitting into my normal clothing again.

Here are some recent pictures:

A week before I birthed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth the day she was born with Ethan.

One day old.

4 days old.

Brad and the boys. It was so cute when I looked out and saw Brad, Robbie, and Ethan all hanging out with our ox, Little Bill. I just had to have a picture!

Elizabeth at 6 days old during her second outing.

5 days old.

8 days old.

Ethan giving one of our little roosters a ride.

Elizabeth (8 days old) almost smiling as her brothers give her some attention. Robbie was giving her a kiss.

12 days old.