One Month with Alaythia Ruth

Alaythia Ruth officially joined our family on Monday, January 26, 2015 at around 10:37 am after roughly 7 hours of intense back labor.  She weighed 8 lbs, 4 oz and was 21 inches long.  There were so many answered prayers regarding her birth (as the Lord has been so gracious to do with each of our children's births), and we are so thankful that she has been with us for over one month now!  Here is a post with a lot of pictures and some details about what our first month with this Sweet girl has been like.  (I'll post more details about the big kids soon also.)

First day of life... being burped by Daddy

Preparing for the car ride home from Memphis (where she was born)

newborn DIY photo shoot in our family room

smiles in the doctor's office
at her 1 week check up

Eating- Alaythia has been eating 7-9 times a day since birth.  At her 1 week check up, she weighed in right at her birth weight, and at a one month doctor visit she weighed just over 11 lbs, so she has quickly been putting on the pounds.  :)  Like Karis, she needs to burp often when she eats and will not latch back on until all of her burps have passed, which makes our nursing sessions last for 45 min or so even though she is only nursing for about 20 min of that time.  I am also block feeding her because yet again I have an oversupply of milk. And, though we have done a few bottles over the past month, I really need to be more diligent in giving her a bottle more often since I have such a bad track record with getting my babies to take bottles. 

Schedule- I've pretty much been trying to follow the pattern of eat, wake, sleep again this time, so though we don't have a schedule per say, that routine has led to some predictability.  Typically (for the past few weeks any way, baby Alaythia has been waking up between 7-8 am, eating once more before lunch, once in the afternoon and then cluster feeding all evening (as in 3, 5, 7, 9 o'clock) until she finally passes out (which means I'm usually not able to do anything in the evenings besides care for her).  Then she will usually wake up around 1 and 4 to eat some little snacks during the night.  Somewhere around her third week she had a tough time with falling asleep in the evenings and would stay up fussing from around 7 or 8 pm until 12 or 1 am.  In general we are past that now, though she does still have trouble falling asleep in the evenings once or twice a week these days (but it doesn't last nearly as long).

milk coma snuggles  (absolutely the best!)

Going out- Somehow we have been able to venture out quite a bit over the past month, though it now takes us twice as long to get out the door and more coordination than I care to muster on some days.  Alaythia does NOT like being buckled into her car seat but will quiet down when it is picked up or rocked a bit.  She sometimes falls asleep quickly in the car, and other times she fights sleep to the death while in the car (maybe because of gas issues?).  She really likes being put in the Foby (fake Moby) wrap though, so if she isn't sleeping when we get to our destination, into the Foby she goes.  :) Otherwise I put her carseat and Karis in the double stroller (or shopping cart) and let Enoch walk beside me.  We also do a lot of nursing in the car, since she is usually hungry again before we manage to get home.  

Other memories-

first tub bath (she was pretty serious but content)

• Alaythia makes really serious, somewhat grumpy faces when she is being burped (and also during her first tub bath).
• She has a good amount of dark brown hair on the back of her head, but up top it is short and thin. 
• Her eyes were so dark at birth that they honestly looked black to me, but now they have lightened up a bit and appear to be a beautiful shade of blue.
• Baby Alaythia has been doing a little tummy time almost everyday since her cord fell off, and now she is able to lift her head up an inch or two and hold it for roughly 30-60 seconds.
• Karis loves giving her kisses.. lots and lots of big, wet, happy kisses (she never gives just one!).
• Alaythia stopped being swaddled when she was 2-3 weeks old.  She does still sleep in the yellow rock n play sleeper though, which will probably be hard to break her of later because every time I lay her to sleep in her crib she has a mega spit up and wakes up crying.  :(
• During her first day of life she had a purplish, dusky face because her face was slightly bruised during birth. 

• I have been prone to dizziness and vertigo over the past 2-3 weeks for some unexplainable reason.  My OB checked my iron levels, which were fine, and suggested it may be related to breastfeeding.   He said that maybe oxytocin (the hormone released when breastfeeding) was causing the problems, and that it may resolve on its own.  It has gotten slightly better lately, but I think that is because I'm adjusting to the vertigo by making slower movements with my head/eyes.  (This has not been an issue for me when nursing my first two babies, so we are watching my symptoms closely to be sure we don't need to complete more testing.)

...and a few more photos...

all the girls

first spit bath (before her cord fell off)

smiles!

sisters   :)

being held by Mama

being held by her boys

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  (James 1:17)

 

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My First Birth-Coaching (Doula) Experience

If you've noticed that I've been somewhat quiet this week on the blog, you're right! But alas, I have a good reason- on Tuesday I was helping some good friends deliver their first child. Talk about exciting!!!  Those of you who know me well know that I love, love, love child birth, so I was so thankful that the Lord allowed the timing to work out perfectly for me to be by their sides for the whole thing!

Meet Kaylee & Colton!

(This is one of their last photos of baby still being in-utero.)

Now believe me that I could ramble on and on about every detail of Kaylee's labor, but that isn't my story to tell (as many of you mothers know). I will mention a few of the highlights though: Kaylee is the quietest laboring woman... ever! The nurses and doc kept commenting about how they couldn't believe she didn't have an epidural because she wasnt making any noises! Colton, her hubby, did a great job coaching her through the harder parts of labor.  And after 12.5 hours of labor, she was able to deliver her 8 pound 11 ounce baby boy naturally without any interventions or medications in the hospital.  Daddy, Mommy, and baby Collins are all doing good and are now at home.

Cute Baby Collins

One other thing that I can't help but note about this birth experience was how faithful the Lord was in answering so many specific prayers!!  Here are just a few:

• The Lord allowed Kaylee's own doctor (not the one on call) to deliver her baby.
• The Lord provided such sweet and caring nurses on both the day and night shift to care for them.
• The Lord helped her labor through the pain and continued showing His faithfulness, especially His faithfulness to His word (she had memorized several verses relating to labor and children and the Lord's provision).
• The Lord's timing was perfect in providing us a full night's rest before labor began as well as a day where Hugh was working at home so that he could help some with Enoch.
• The Lord provided two good friends to watch my children so that I could be at the hospital for all of her labor and the immediate post-partum period without worrying at all.  
• And most importantly, the Lord provided a safe delivery with a healthy mommy + a healthy baby!

Isn't God good?  We were all so incredibly thankful for His great provision!

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

to declare your steadfast love in the morning,

    and your faithfulness by night,

to the music of the lute and the harp,

    to the melody of the lyre.

For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;

    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
(Psalm 92:1-4)

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Welcome to Life Outside the Womb, Karis Grace!!

We are so, so thrilled to announce the birth of our second born child, Karis Grace!  She was born on Saturday, May 18th at 8:38 pm.  She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces.  The Lord was beyond faithful in so many of the details of her birth, to the point that we couldn't have written out a more ideal birth plan if we had tried.  (I will save those details for another post for now though.)

Karis has been a sleepyhead newborn for the past few days, but today she was more alert with open eyes.  Enoch has adjusted well to having a baby sister in the house with him, and he's quite interested in his "bah-bah".  Hugh's been doing a rockstar job taking care of him and the house, and yesterday my mom arrived to add in some extra help as well.  Recovery from this birth has been very quick and easy for me, for which we are also quite thankful!


For all of our family & friends who aren't here to see our sweet girl in person, here are a few pictures of her:

 

And a video of her wiggling around during one of her alert times yesterday:

For you formed my inward parts;

    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

    the days that were formed for me,

    when as yet there was none of them.

(Psalm 139:13-16)

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Tips for: How To Find a Good OB or Midwife...

This is an important topic to me and one that we just waded through ourselves, so I thought I'd write about it just a bit on here.  I should definitely qualify this post though by saying that we have become only moderately educated about childbirth (through a Bradley Method class and our own experiences).. we are certainly not professionals!   As a result of really looking into birth and all of its complexities and options, we have decided to pursue natural, un-medicated childbirth because we feel like it is the safest route and has the best chance of leading to healthy mama + healthy baby (which is our #1 goal).  No matter what kind of birth you're hoping for though, I hope this post helps you select a good care-provider for you.

Finding the right doctor or midwife is very important!  Just like you don't buy the first pair of shoes you pick up in the shoe store without noting size, style, and comfort, you don't want to just "go with" the first care provider you meet (or the one closest to your doorstep or the one all of your friends rave about).. You first need to decide what you're looking for (no chaco sandals in the winter time for this girl!) and then you want to determine which care providers in your area best meet your needs.

Here are some questions that I recently asked our care providers:  

• Walk me through a typical, natural birth with you as the care-provider…
• How much of the actual labor & delivery do you attend?
• What are the chances that you will be there for my labor/delivery?
• How often do you like to check dilation?
• Do you recommend routine 3rd trimester ultrasounds?  Why?
• Is eating/drinking allowed during labor?
• Will I have the ability to labor in different positions, with birth ball, and freedom to walk?
• Is intermittent monitoring okay?  How many minutes per hour (and how does it change as labor progresses)?
• Is a heplock okay instead of an IV?
• What are delivery positions are you comfortable with? (squatting, side lying, hands and knees, etc.)
• Do you or the nurses do perineal massage? 
• What would cause you to use an episiotomy?
• How do you handle decels in baby's heart rate and how do you tell the difference between true  fetal distress and normal decels?  
• How do you handle a cord around the baby's neck?  
• Are you willing to delay cord clamping?
• What is your process for placenta delivery?
• What is your process for clamping the uterus down after placenta is delivered?  Are you okay with avoiding pitocin, unless medically necessary?
• What is your policy on induction?  When and how would you induce?
• What is your policy on premature rupture of membranes (before labor begins) and how long would I have to deliver the baby before you suggested a C-section assuming no signs of infection were present?
• After my water breaks, how much time do I have to deliver and am I limited to bed?
• Does the hospital provide labor tubs in room?  Can I labor AND deliver in the water?
• Does the hospital provide in-room care for newborns?  If not, when will baby need to go to the nursery and for how long?
• Does the hospital provide family centered c-sections (daddy keeps baby skin to skin until mom is in recovery, nursing asap, private transition)?
• Where is the closest NICU?
• What is the hospital’s C-section rate?  What about yours?
• Do you encourage VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean)?

It would be wise for you and your husband to discuss these questions together and decide which ones are important for you both. You might even add to the list of questions as you think through other important issues based on your personal history, your current medical conditions, and your knowledge of the doctor/midwife/hospital you're looking into.  There are certainly many other issues to be considered than the ones I brought up here.  You should also think through the type of answer you're looking for on each question as well as possible follow-up questions before interviewing your care provider.

Remember, it's unlikely that you'll find any one person (whether doc or midwife) who will perfectly fit all of your needs/desires to a "T"... that's why it's important to decide which of these issues are most important to you and why.  Having an ultimate goal is helpful in this... our ultimate goal (again) is to choose the best option for a healthy mama + a healthy baby.  That's #1 for us.

Hope this helps!  If you have any questions about what types of answers we were looking for on any of these questions, feel free to comment below or email me, and I'll try to get back with you ASAP.   I'd also love to hear some of your own concerns/questions you asked/will ask your care provider!

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Preparing for Birth

This is one of those posts intended to mainly help me keep some goals but also to share with other expecting mommies who want to prepare for their own labor and delivery.  If you're a guy, this is probably not the blog post for you.  ;)

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So, like I mentioned in a previous post,  I'm attempting to intensify my labor preparation for the rest of pregnancy (all of third trimester).  Here is a list of the things that I think are important (especially for achieving a natural, un-medicated childbirth), and how I'm preparing for them (most of these are straight from our Bradley Method class that we took to prepare for birth with Enoch, which we would highly recommend to expecting parents):

• stamina - walking or exercising 4-5 times a week.
• strength & flexibility - stretching and doing pregnant exercises everyday (squats, kegels, tailor sitting, pelvic rocks, butterflies).
• increased blood volume {this is very important since blood loss during/after delivery is common and can lead to complications for many women} - drinking ChlorOxygen (from a tincture) in my water & tea, eating iron-rich foods, and eating vitamin C-rich foods to help with iron absorption.  I will also probably begin taking an iron supplement soon, but I need to ask my doc how much per day is best for me...  ALWAYS ask your doc before beginning to take any supplement while you're pregnant, especially since many prenatals have at least some iron in them!
• healthy baby - eating a healthy diet rich in protein and fresh fruits/veggies.  

Although I've been doing most of these to some degree throughout pregnancy, I feel like the last 12 weeks are a good time to focus and work hard at preparing for birth.  I'm sure I won't keep these goals perfectly, but writing them down sure does help to see that they're manageable!  :)

For those of you who are going to be first time mamas (or who are considering trying for a natural, un-medicated birth), here are some other recommendations:

• Write up a birth plan that outlines what is important for you during labor/delivery/post-partum and talk it over with your doctor/midwife.  You'll want them to approve and sign it before you're 37 weeks along.  
• Hire a doula (labor assistant) to help you labor; they are a tremendous help in achieving natural childbirth whether you're at home or in the hospital... In fact, I wouldn't want to be delivering at a hospital without one, personally!!  We loved having 2 doulas last time (one was an old pro, the other was training under her), and they were both amazingly helpful.
• Take a birth class with your husband... preferably one not offered from the hospital (because you will want more than 4-8 hrs of class time to absorb everything about birth AND getting an outside perspective is always incredibly helpful!!).  We recommend the Bradley Method of childbirth, like I mentioned above, but there are probably other good class options as well.  
• Take a breastfeeding class (one from the hospital is probably good if your hospital has a certified lactation consultant teaching it).  You could also go to some La Leche League meetings to learn and ask questions about nursing (and to meet some helpful ladies who will gladly walk with you through any complications you might have later).

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