Baby Helen has arrived

Well, she is over one month old now, and I am finally taking a few minutes to sit down and write a post.  Wyatt is playing and she is sleeping on me in the moby wrap. Things are busy. The house is a wreck.  I am exhausted.  It is the typical life with a two year old and a newborn.

Warning - the following is the birth story, and may be too detailed for some people's taste.

Helen Joy Naylor made her arrival at 11:46 am on Tuesday, March 5, 2013.  She weighed 8 pounds and was 19 1/4 inches long.  She is beautiful.  Early labor began on Monday evening around dinner time.  Justin really wanted to play softball, and he had a 7:00 and 8:00 double header.  So we went to the game.  The first game I spent chasing after Wyatt.  The second game I told Justin if he wanted to stay someone else had to watch Wyatt, because I was tired and the contractions were getting stronger.  We stayed for the second game and then took Wyatt to spend the night at Granny and Grandaddy's house.  We did a few last minute things around the house, got the birth pool set up, and then finally went to bed between 11 and 12.  I was able to sleep a couple of hours, then got up for awhile.  I watched the TV show "Bones" on the computer, while sitting on the exercise ball, and eating a snack.  I figured I should eat while I felt like it because I knew I would need the calories later.  The contractions hurt less when I was on the ball than in bed, so I stayed up for awhile.  After awhile I went back to bed to rest some more.  Again I was able to sleep a couple of hours until the contractions were too intense.  Again, being upright made them less painful, so I finished the Bones episode and Justin made us breakfast (it was about 5AM).  Once it was 6AM I texted the midwife to give her an update.  I continued to labor with Justin's support, and around 8-8:30 our midwives arrived.  Our birth photographer arrived a little later and Staci came at some point.  I spent my time walking around the living room,, kitchen, and study or sitting on the birthing ball.  Justin provided support or I leaned on cabinets during contractions.  After I was checked (they didn't tell me at the time, but after the birth Christy said I was only dilated 3cm at that point), Christy and Kelly suggested I try three contractions with one leg up on a stool on one side, and then three on the other side.  This was not fun, but helpful in having things progress.

That is as far as I made it that day in writing the birth story.  Now Helen is two months old and I'm going to try and finish this post.

So at some point I got in the water at the midwives' suggestion (it felt great) and continued to labor.  At one point I mentioned that it would be nice to have a way to relax my arms while in a hands and knees kind of position and someone thought of a beach ball.  It was perfect when blown up not too full.  Once I started pushing Christy let me know that I was already starting to tear, and that if I wanted extra support from them to try and minimize the tearing then I would have to get out of the water.  I chose to get out of the water, so we moved to the bedroom.  The time after that spent trying not to push was most definitely the most difficult part of the labor.  I had a lot of leg cramps at this point and after the birth, but my midwives and my hubby provided so much help and support.  I couldn't have asked for a better support team than Justin, Staci, Christy, and Kelly.  Thanks so much!

my midwife Christy

Aunt Staci there to do whatever we needed (like go get a beach ball, make me a smoothie, heat up the rice pads, etc)

Here is a picture of my resting on the beach ball in the birth pool.

Helen was twisted strangely and had a hand up by her face, which made the delivery more difficult.  I did it though!  Unlike Wyatt who came out all in one contraction Helen's head came out and then I had to wait for another contraction for the rest of her body to emerge.  It was very strange to hear when she started crying before even out all the way!  I heard her and kept saying, "My baby, my baby!"  What a glorious moment when I held her on my chest a moment later.  She was very happy to be with mama, and we even began nursing within that first hour or two.

I did have some tearing, and Christy was concerned at first that we might need to transfer to a hospital - but in the end it was minor enough to handle at home.  What an answer to prayer!   I did not get a waterbirth as I had hoped, but I had my beautiful baby girl at home and did not have to leave her for even a moment!  After I was all taken care of we took an herbal bath and let the family come meet our sweet bundle of Joy.  Wyatt enjoyed getting in the tub with Mama and Helen for the herbal bath.  It was a nice family moment before I was ready to get out and let everyone have their turn holding the baby.

8 pounds!  We were very surprised because the midwives thought she was  going to be a small baby.

Kelly - the other midwife who was there for the birth - is doing the newborn exam.

Daddy holding his baby girl for the first time.

Aunt Staci holding her niece.  Aunt Staci was a big help during the birth!

Our herbal bath was wonderful!

Daddy helping clean off her hair.

Big brother meeting baby sister.

 

Big brother wanted to get in the tub too.  He really liked "swimming" in it.

Our first picture as a family of four.

Holding baby sister's hand is still one of his favorite things to do.

 

Grandma and Pawpaw meeting Helen (who is named after Gena's mother)

Granny and Grandaddy with Helen Joy (who is also named after Grandaddy's aunt)

Grandma with her baby boy

During labor the rice heating pads I had made (from a suggestion at birthing class) were the best!  That and lots of counter pressure on my back from Justin.  I ate applesauce and had a peanut butter and banana smoothie, as well as the Sonic ice we picked up on the way home from Justin's softball game.  Being at home was so nice.  And thanks to our birth photographer Rachel Martin for the fabulous photography!  Thanks to Celebrate Birth Midwifery (Christy Martin and Kelly Bankes) for their competent and caring support during pregnancy, the labor and after the birth.  I finally finished this post and added the pictures (Helen is ten weeks old).  Whew - if there are any typos don't be surprised ;)