Back on blogger.com

Dear Midwife UK,

Thank you for reminding me that car seats can cause flat heads. Of course, my dear little boy isn’t sleeping ALL the time in the carseat. Only at night when I’m sleeping, too, just to be sure he doesn’t choke on any reflux. Otherwise, he’s either in my arms or in his crib during my wakeful hours so I can keep an eye on him. I also make sure he doesn’t sleep to one side too much. He’s very good at alternating and there are no signs of flatness.

As for your 2nd statement, I’m sorry if I come across that way. I don’t intend to and actually doubt I am coming across that way. Rather, I think you’re just being nasty. Oh well. If you truly are a midwife, may God bless you in your life’s calling. If you don’t believe in God, then thanks for your service to women.

Anyhow, I’m back on www.hillsidecottage.blogspot.com thanks to my hubby who rescued my laptop from the repair shop for me!

Thinking Back

I’ve been thinking back on my labor and delivery and am rather pleased at how little the doctor and nurse had to do! I was allowed to move as much as I wanted with only two 10 minute checks of heartbeat and contractions. I had an IV put in, but it was left unused (they thought I’d need pitocin). During delivery, they literally just stood back and let me do almost everything. The only time the doc intervened was when the head crowned (he gave my opening a little helpful push) and when he caught the baby. I didn’t need stitches and the afterbirth came out quite easily. They couldn’t believe how easy it was for all of us!

In other news, nursing is getting established but I think my tired little man isn’t getting enough “meat and potatoes” in my breast milk. He’s just a sleepy little thing and doesn’t nurse very long. This, I believe, is effecting his bowel movements…in that he hasn’t had one since he was in the hospital! My milk came in yesterday and I am using efforts to evacuate the pre-dinner beverage a bit so by the time baby latches on, he’s getting more meat and taters.

Any advice would be great!

Edited to add:  Literally, right after I posted this, baby boy pooped!  Praise the Lord! 

I’m also thankful that I’m not drowning in all the general rules of thumb out there when it comes to breast feeding.  I think following that “every 2-3 hours ’round the clock” rule helped in the demise of my breast milk for my previous two babies.  We’ll see how my method pans out for baby boy.  Of course, I’m adding faith in prayer to Christ Jesus.   Not that I didn’t pray for breast milk with my other two, but it was more of a faithless, crying plea of someone who’s already given up.  Anyhow, this time around I am generally feeding him every 2-3 hours, but it’s on demand as well.  So, if he’s tired and doesn’t want to wake and it takes 4 or 5 hours between feedings, so be it.  If he’s awake, alert and rooting, I’ll feed him every hour if he wants! 

So far, he’s not a very gassy baby and whatever gas he does get he passes himself.  Also, he’s not a spitter-upper.  He does spit up on occassion and has a touch of reflux (he sleeps upright in his carseat for the time being to avoid this) but it’s been very minimal. 

All that being said, I’m going to go stare at him for a while.

Baby Boy Arrived!

Monday, I set to work cleaning the house. Tuesday was set aside for more cleaning and Wednesday for grocery shopping. I was fully determined to give birth on Thursday or Friday. My son had other plans.

Monday at 10:30 pm, my water broke. Contractions didn’t start until 1 am when my hubby walked in the door of my labor and delivery room (he was out of town on business). Labor was slower than I expected, but not nearly as painful as my other labors. The contractions were quite tolerable until the end and even then they were amazingly tolerable…that is they were quite painful, but I could easily breathe through them rather than moan or scream. The pushing came naturally and with little effort on my end. 3 pushes and he was out looking like someone dropped him in a vat of butter! He didn’t cry, but was obviously well and alive. In fact, he rarely cries. He CAN cry, but he’s just really laid back. It takes a lot to get him mad and very little to settle him down again.

Anyhow, all in all, from the time my water broke to the time he was deliverd, my labor was 6 hours and 45 minutes.

Answered Prayers

Sometimes I wonder if I should get so excited when God answers prayers. I mean, after all, He’s God! I KNOW He answers prayers. It shouldn’t be a surprise! But I can’t help myself. I get so excited! Saturday night I prayed for some congregants who’ve been ill and have continually missed church because of illness. I prayed that they would be well enough to return to church on Sunday. They were ALL there! Even I was there, which was a desire of my heart, too.

I prayed last night in the midst of some great pains that I would have strength and no pains in order to do housework today in preparation for the baby to come. I woke up this morning, bright, refreshed, pain-free and full of energy! PRAISE THE LORD!!

The Lord is delivering my baby this week. I can’t help but trust Him in that!

Trusting in the Lord

I am trusting in the Lord that we’ll have the baby next Thursday or Friday. That way I won’t have to confront the doctor on the induction AND hubby won’t lose too many days of work.

I’m trusting in the Lord that I will be able to breast feed for at least 6 months, but preferably a year AND have enough milk left over to give my daughter.

I’m trusting in the Lord concerning our space issues. This little house is quickly getting smaller as our family gets bigger. ONLY God can solve that problem for us. I look forward to a great testimony.

Looks like no baby this weekend

According to my doctor, not much has progressed this last week despite the amount of pain I was in and the pretty strong false labor. I’m a little disappointed, but I have no problem waiting until…say…next weekend. Having a Father’s Day baby sounds perfect.

I’m also a little disappointed because on the notation on my paperwork he wrote “Induction Tues” (meaning the Tuesday after Father’s Day). I love my OB, but he is induction-happy. I’m hoping I have the baby before then to avoid confrontation. Otherwise, I’m going to refuse the induction. There’s absolutely NO reason for it. There is no distress or problems. I’d rather let nature do the work. Besides, baby will only be 38 weeks at that point. Surely, we can wait it out give him an even better chance.

Regardless, the way the doctor was talking to me, he thinks I’ll go before then anyway. I hope so.

Coming to Term

I’m beginning to feel like Bowen is going to make it to term or close enough (37 weeks). I’m either feeling pretty good or really bad, but the really bad doesn’t seem to be progressing into active labor. If it is anything like my daughter’s birth, I’ll just keep dialating and effacing like this until my water breaks and BAM, baby’s out in less than 3 hours. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what the doctor says tomorrow. It was the internal exam with my daughter that got the labor ball rolling, so maybe it’ll do the same this time.

Paperdoll giveaway!

http://raisinghomemakers.com/?p=450

The Waiting…

I had BAD false labor last night. I got up to every 10 minutes with the contractions, but they went away after about 2-3 hours of wondering “is this it?” They weren’t too regular. They were a bit far apart, but boy, were they STRONG! Soon, he’ll be here. Soon!

An Idea!!

I opened up Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready today to see what the projects were for my children. I haven’t touched the book in so long, so I was curious. Well, daughter’s is a cardboard humpty dumpty that spurred on an idea! I’m going to draft it today and see what materials I have on hand….hopefully within a few weeks, despite having a baby any day (or week) now, I will have it done and will post pictures!