**This is the LONG VERSION with all the details of my water birth of Teddy mostly for me to remember in the future
Welcome to the world Teddy!
Teddy’s birth story:
PRE-LABOR:
Teddy’s due date was Dec. 13th so each day past, we got more and more anxious to meet our little guy. We walked/hiked a total of 10 miles on the trails near our house in the three days after his due date! The night I went into labor, I had walked with Jonathon and Cosmo to downtown Camas to his doctor appointment. We took the long route and walked four miles. It was peaceful and beautiful- there was a heavy fog that was peaceful and pleasant, no rain but it had rained the night before so there was a fresh smell and damp trees. Our minds were clear and our hearts and spirits full.
My mom had made us dinner that night- her famous egg noodle and chicken with asparagus on the side. Jonathon went upstairs to rest and I worked on his and Teddy’s Christmas present - matching shirts! “Papa Bear” for Jonno and “Teddy Bear” for Teddy. I don’t know why crafts always look so much easier than how they end up being! After about an hour and a half and two wasted/ruined shirts trying to do iron on transfers (ugh), I got frustrated and went up and threw Jonathon’s shirt at him and said “Merry Christmas- here is your dumb present!” Haha! He said he knew I must be getting ready to have a baby since my hormones were so crazy and usually that isn’t something that would tick me off THAT much. :)
I felt what I thought COULD be contractions for about an hour that lasted for 30 seconds and were pain-less (felt like I needed to pass gas or a mild menstrual cramp). I called my midwife who said this likely was NOT labor and to take a warm bath to calm everything down. I did NOT want to calm ANYTHING down— I wanted to encourage labor! So I was disappointed to hear that. Within one minute of hanging up the phone, I had my first “REAL” contraction! I began timing them and started noticing a pattern after about an hour.
Labor began on December 16th around 10:00 pm. (My prediction was always that he’d come on December 16th—one of my patients, Effie, said babies tend to be born closer to a full moon which would be Dec. 17th and typically first babies go a little later too. Pretty dang close and she was right on!)
Jonathon and I went for another walk to encourage progress. I soaked in the tub. When the contractions came every 3:30 minutes, we woke up my mom, got Cosmo situated in the laundry room, and headed to the hospital!
We arrived to PeaceHealth Southwest hospital around 2:00 AM on Dec. 17th. I was 4 cm dilated. My understanding was that first babies average a 12-15 hour labor. The nurse told me that most people dilate about 1 cm per hour, so I was thinking another four hours and I’d have a baby in my arms! At that time, I couldn’t full understand exactly what that meant or just how long that is!! I now understand. :)
I labored for about 16 hours. I understand why it is called LABOR now!
I planned on doing a water birth as water has always felt soothing to me and I, myself, was a water birth baby! So in our room was a big blow up tub along with a hospital bed. For the first few hours, I rotated between walking, sitting in the tub, laying on the bed, etc. After the pain felt more intense, my midwife Betsy checked my progress: 5 cm. FIVE. I’d only gone up ONE cm!!
I was emotionally devastated. I couldn’t believe after all that time and energy and pain, I had barely progressed at all. It made me question whether or not I could do this. I broke down and sobbed. (Looking back now this was one of two moments that I wonder if I actually was in shock because I couldn’t get a grip and felt so.. scared. :( If it’d taken this long to get to this point, how on earth could I handle even more intense contractions for that much longer. )
Jonathon’s instincts kicked in to get me out of pain which was exactly what I needed. I was hooked up by IV to Dilaudid and while the contractions still hurt, it took the edge off just enough to allow me to regroup and refocus mentally. Jonathon said this was a pivotal moment where he could see and feel a CHANGE in me that I knew I could do it.
I got back in the tub and Betsy played a meditation CD on labor. The gist of it was breathing and bringing you “IN THE MOMENT” and not thinking of anyone or anything else. (I also learned during this labor process that it is VERY difficult for me to NOT think of others. One of my “strengths” in the StrengthsFinder test by the Gallup group is that I’m an Includer. This is a great quality, except when I need to not worry about anyone else but ME. It was amazing the things I thought of- was Cosmo okay? Did I order the make up for Rona? Did my mom need to drink some water? etc etc) So the CD helped kill time and relax me for about 1 1/2 hours. My breathing was much calmer and I was in control.
*Jonathon said there were several moments during the labor that he was very impressed by how I was finding inner strength and moments where it seemed like I was surprising myself by what I was doing, but he was not surprised because he knew I could do it the whole time. One example is that I shared a testimony to the Cheryl and Betsy about my pioneer ancestors who traveled west to Utah and how amazing it is to think of those women who were pregnant traveling that great distance and giving birth on the trail— and how I share my blood with those strong women so if they can do it, I can do it! (Especially in a big comfy hot tub!)
Betsy checked me again: 7 cm!! YES! I now KNEW I could do it because I’d made so much PROGRESS. It is so important for me to find mini successes. I can conquer anything if I know I’m making progress.
The last couple hours were spent in the tub. Jonathon joined me in it at this point which I loved. He is my support and my medicine. As long as he was with me and supporting me, I was comforted and felt strong. He fed me lots of ice and encouraged me.
My mom, Lisa, was also with me the whole time. She was really great at taking pictures and recording the moment, And also making sure that I was drinking enough water or getting me anything I asked for. It can be hard to be around a woman in labor and trying to figure out what they want! She was patient with me during my stressful time. I really appreciated having her there with me.
My mother in law Susie had been at the hospital in the waiting room with my father in law Bob most of the morning and came in the room the last couple hours. Bob left for a meeting and came back in the room a few minutes before Teddy was born. Our main nurse was Cheryl. She had braces and a very sweet disposition. She was great. At one point after the labor was over, she even brought in some cookies from her break room for us to eat (“Isn’t that the best cookie you’ve ever tasted??”) because my dinner was not going to be ready for another hour or so and she knew we’d need SOMETHING to eat before that.
A couple other people came in at the very end right before I delivered so they could watch since they’d never seen a water birth before. I didn’t know this until after since I was so focused on being “in the moment” but they came and thanked me after for letting them share and witness such an incredibly beautiful experience. They had tears in their eyes.
THE LAST HOUR OF LABOR:
The last hour of labor with pushing was all-consuming both physically and emotionally depleting me. This was “in shock” point number two. I had zero pain killers in me at this point and the contractions were PAINFUL. I breathed my way through it and by the end was asking “What else am i supposed to do??” because I knew the next step was for him to be born! It felt like I needed to have a bowel movement so I just started pushing during the contractions.
My water broke about 20 minutes before Teddy came. It made me happy to have PROGRESS.
Next was Teddy finally getting close. I got so frustrated when I’d PUSH and use all that energy, then feel Teddy’s head literally slip back up into me when I needed to breath. Ah! I said “Betsy, can’t you just grab on and not let him slip back in!? All my hard work- GONE!” And she said “no, you’re doing great- just keep going!”
A huge moment was when she said “I see the head- he’s got DARK HAIR!” It brought a new sense of determination to me being able to visualize him finally.
I don’t know how, but somehow I pushed enough and felt a huge relief of pressure and knew he was out. Betsy told me “Nancy, lean forward and pick up your son.” and I said “I don’t want to- just hand him to me!” since i was so exhausted and just wanted to hold him!!! We both picked himself up at the same time and placed him on my chest.
TEDDY HAS ARRIVED:
I was in AWE. Since he’d been in the water, he was already clean. His skin was light and perfect and beautiful. He was calm and content. He was PEACEFUL. I looked at him in unbelief. Little Teddy was finally here in my arms!!!!! I did it!
He let out two little cries to let us know he was okay and then was quiet and peaceful and content. I held him for a minute soaking it in and then was nervous I’d get water in his mouth and he’d choke :( so I handed him to Jonathon to let him have his chance holding our little baby boy. I will never forget how much it melts my heart to see the way Jonathon looks at this baby with such love. Jonathon had a spark in his eye as he held him in his arms and smiled so lovingly.
Betsy handed some scissors to Jonathon and instructed him to cut the umbilical cord.
POST-DELIVERY:
After a few minutes, we handed him to a nurse to be checked while I got out of the water and prepared to be stitched up. Before they began the stitches, they laid Teddy on my chest. Holding him was incredible. Before I knew it he was moving his head around searching for a nipple! I couldn't believe that he knew what to do even before I did. I asked the midwife “what do I do??” since I had never breast-fed before and she said just let him do it. So Teddy was breast-feeding within the first five minutes of his life. Later on I learned that this is very valuable in establishing
good eating habits in the future, which he definitely proved true.
This is the only part of the delivery we wish could have been a little different. We’d had such a peaceful, loving environment with dim lights, quiet, and an overall good spirit in the room. Instantly the bright lights flashed on and Teddy was taken away and it was kind of confusing of everything going on all at once. That may have been true for any first timers though so now we can be more prepared for next time to expect it or even talk with the hospital about different options to not ruin the peace.
I’d torn in two separate places. Being stitched was almost more painful than the delivery itself. I didn't realize that having a break before this part would have been best. I was not ready for that kind of pain. Also, after Teddy was born, it seemed like all of the attention immediately went to him. Emotionally, it was difficult for me since I’d just been through the hardest thing in my life, and as soon as the baby was out, it felt in the moment like I was forgotten about. Jonathon did come over to be with me and that was comforting. The injection was almost intolerable. At that point, they gave me some pain medicine before continuing with the next injection and finishing with stitches. This did help some, but was still painful to finish up and I so badly just wanted to be DONE with pain! During the next few days (and still now a week later) my tailbone area was very tender. I learned it has to do with the amount of pressure I put on the area and how long I sit for without rotating. We tried different pain killers to relieve this but I never had much success due to my body not being able to metabolize hydrocodone and oxycodone in pill form. :(
We spent the next two days in the hospital healing and learning and resting. We slept, a lot! And loved looking at Teddy and holding him.
IN CONCLUSION, I am glad I got to experience a water birth and I do feel it was the best and most comfortable way for Teddy to enter the world. It was more painful than I was prepared for. With that pain, it caused me to dig deep for strength and taught me I can do anything. I’m still amazed I was capable of such an amazing thing- to bring a child into the world is incredible. Will I do a water birth again in the future? I’m not sure! We’ll decide that when the time comes. :)
In general, he was a very healthy baby. He was 7 lbs 15 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Everything looked within normal limits. He had several tests done while we were there which earned him the title of “WONDER BABY:”
**One person asked about something and felt bad that their experience had been such a negative one compared to Teddy’s and mine. SO this is for our memories, not for anyone to compare to.
-Hearing test: a gal came in and put some sticky earphones over his ears to test his hearing and brain response to sound. She said the average test takes about 10 minutes. Teddy completed it in 2 1/2 minutes! She said it was one of the fastest she’s ever seen.
-This is NOT surprising as Jonathon has very sensitive hearing
-Jaundice: the nurse that checked him for jaundice tested him and got a reading that he had a 0.0 chance for jaundice to which she responded “Wow, I’ve never got a 0.0 before! That is REALLY good!”
-Size: Our nurse Tamara called him “Paws” because she said he had such big hands and long feet. The hospital posts footprints outside of your room after your baby is born. Teddy’s feet were at least one toe longer than everyone else’s!
-Breast feeding: Lactation specialists came in the second day to check on how breast feeding was going and answer any questions I had. I said it seemed like Teddy was a natural and he just recently had eaten but maybe he’d latch on again to show them. He instantly latched and was sucking in perfect form to which they said “Wow, that is PERFECT. He is like the role model for babies of exactly what to do. That is AMAZING!” They just kept saying “wow!” and how great this was.
-Like I mentioned earlier, they gave credit to him being placed on my chest instantly after being born and getting to nurse so quickly after being born to establish good habits.
—I am so grateful to Teddy for making this part as easy on me as possible. I wasn’t sure how this was going to go and he’d made it much better than some of the horror stories I’ve read about. Thank you Teddy!!
ALSO in the breast feeding category: We took Teddy back to the hospital for an appointment when he was four days old so they could evaluate how breastfeeding was going and make sure he was taking in the milk okay and growing properly. I was told not to feed him for two hours before the appointment so he’d be hungry. The nurse weighed him and then I fed him for one hour and we weighed him again. She said “WOW. He ate 3 oz in one hour! Babies need only ONE ounce every three hours to grow properly. And he is already almost back to his birth weight which our normal goal is to accomplish that by two weeks old. He is doing AMAZING!” She was very impressed with Teddy.
——-I took Teddy in today (at a week old) to the doctor for a plugged tear duct and the nurse gave him a sticker that said “Yippee- I am growing!” because he weighs 8 lbs 4 oz. She was also impressed with how good he’s eating!
Sleeping: He’s doing pretty good for sleeping since we’ve figured him out a bit. Here’s the routine: change diaper, feed one breast, burp one minute, feed second breast, burp a few minutes. Rock him in our arms for a bit then place him in the swing. (He loves to MOVE. I attribute this to me moving so much while I was pregnant. I worked until the week of my due date and also walked and hiked up until the day he was born. That’s natural for him.) He likes to suck on one of our fingers for about a minute (The doctor recommended no pacifier until at LEAST 2 weeks or until healthy feeding habits are established and even recommended not using one if we could. We’ll see how that goes.) then he falls asleep in the swing for about 2 1/2 hours.
Jonathon and I have absolutely loved every minute of having Teddy with us. Our most favorite has been taking him for walks with us with Jonathon carrying him on his chest. We walked during pregnancy and dreamed about the day he’d be born and finally join us in our adventures. He enhances everything and makes our experiences even better.
We had a very big year this year and realize the perfect timing we’ve had. We moved out of my in-laws house into our dream home near the lake at time when it was very needed. I was able to work full time 45 hours a week as a dental hygienist up until the week of my due date. Jonathon was laid off from his job at UL about two months before Teddy was born which also happened to be a time where he got very sick and was healing. Because we had an inkling Jonathon’s position would be eliminated due to changes in the company six months ago, we have saved up financially so we could enjoy this time without as much worry. Now, Jonathon is able to be home with me and Teddy during this special time. When else would we ever get this kind of precious time together?? Sigh. Wow. I feel so blessed. And I LOVE LIFE. I love everything about our lives in this moment. I’m loving living in the moment and am also excited for the future.
Welcome to the world, Teddy. You are LOVED.
