Anthony's Birth

It's A Boy!

Anthony was born Feb 26 at 4:10 in the evening. He weighed 7.5 lbs and was 20.25 inches long. I haven't written about his birth until now because my brain has been in a fog and newborns know how to occupy your time. I never imagined it would be this much fun.

I had a home birth. I didn't care what anyone said. I had made up my mind. Many people said don't be a hero, but I felt like I was just doing what is natural. I also have a commitment to myself to stay drug/medicine free because I used OC medicines for years to control pain & migraines until I corrected my diet. Now I don't need them!

Most of the people I met that had a home birth had a good experience. I used a midwife, Chris Duffy. I liked her because it was easier and more relaxing than a doctors office. I could see her on my schedule, it was a very economical choice for us, and I wasn't rushed because of other patients waiting. Also, because of my health and life experiences I prefer to always try a natural approach first. Check out her web site is http://www.myhealthfreedom.com.

A Natural Birth

It was an experience I'll never forget! I started having contractions at 5:30am, of the Braxton Hicks variety. They were a walk in the park. The next stage is the dilating contraction and those were manageable, but very uncomfortable. The middle stage, the transition contractions, those are the ones where I was wondering what the hell I was doing! They took a tremendous amount of effort. Some fortunate people go through that stage so fast that they hardly notice them. I didn't have that opportunity this time. Finally my water broke, and for me, that's when things started getting exciting. The last stage of contractions are the pushing contractions. Those were also manageable. Also, I felt much more productive. At this point, I was standing up and squatting with my husband supporting me. (Yay for gravity!) I liked being able to move around and make myself feel better. I also loved it that my husband could be so involved. I never imagined I could share such an intimate experience as intense as this one with anybody. He made everything easier! He was a great comfort.

I had the baby in 4 hrs. and 15 mins. It only took 1 hour to push him out. When I saw my little boy I knew his dad was going to be overjoyed! I was so happy to see him. Everyone came over to see the new baby!

My Hospital Visit

Then I had to miss the whole reason for having the baby at home. I wanted to enjoy my evening with friends and family, take lots of pictures and relax. However, the baby developed a fever, so we had to go to the hospital. I was so disappointed. He didn't have anything wrong with him, but with fevers and newborns I felt like I should be safe than sorry. It was a long drawn out process that took too long to find out he was okay. I guess it doesn't matter what the reason is, staying in a hospital is stressful, frustrating and annoying.

However,there were some benefits. I needed stitches and lots of them. I had a bad tear, but due to the swelling I couldn't even feel anything, but I was glad to have everything repaired. I also learned a lot about breast feeding. So, in that area I had the confidence I needed to become a pro! If someone wanted to have their baby in that hospital,St Luke's The Woodlands,that is the one to go to. I was allowed to stay with my baby 24/7. I never had to leave him, not once and they are pro breastfeeding. I had a lot of support there.

Now me and my baby are best buddies and we enjoy each other all day!

The questions people asked me the most are as follows:

Was it messy? No, not really because everything was covered and hydrogen peroxide removed any small spots. I stayed in one area when the baby was coming out and my trip to the bathroom to remove the placenta wasn't far.

Did it hurt? I struggled the most during the transition contractions. The others were uncomfortable but manageable. I felt like being in control was worth it and it was also empowering. Doing something hard makes other things that used to seem hard easier.

Would I do it again? I don't know. I wasn't even sure I wanted a baby until the timing was right and then I knew everything was going to be okay. I'll know when I'm ready and the time comes what I should do. That just seems to be the way things work for me.

We have lots of great pictures on the Facebook site. If you want to see them follow the link below. It is easier to put pictures there until I learn to be a better blogger.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=24966&l=0a470&id=519275508