Pregnancy!

After not necessarily trying to get pregnant for 2 1/2 years,without success either way,we decided we would give it one last shot naturally before we saw a doctor.

We took my CF doctors advice as well as peers and I took 2 tablespoons of extra strength robitussim twice a day for two weeks, starting the day after my period. We conceived our son July 1st 2011 naturally!

Around 8 weeks i had a minor scare, so i went to the emergency room and that was the first time i got to see our little baby, he was perfect and right on schedule and his heartbeat was fast and strong!! 

I did not see a doctor/midwife again until 14 weeks, Tyler was able to go to the Appointment with me and we both got to see our son, looking all human and swimming and such! 

i was nauseous from around 5 weeks until 14 weeks, but i only got sick once, i refused to allow my body to throw up, when i knew mentally the only reason i felt sick was because the changing in my hormones to grow my baby, so fought it tooth and nail and won! i only had a few other occasions of nausea throughout my pregnancy and it was never anything major at all!

 My skin broke out terribly almost from day one! My sense of smell was incredible! I peed like a race horse for the entire 36 weeks nearly!  Pretty much the usual normal, healthy pregnancy, with a few minor Cf complications, at 15 weeks pregnant i started to get sick, starting in my sinuses and working its way to my lungs. 

We had our 18 week anatomy ultrasound and found out our baby was a BOY, we named him Tex Michael! the next day i was on home IV antibiotics to help me kick whatever bacteria reared its ugly head!it worked and 2 weeks later i was off and feeling good! the rest of the weeks flew by, at 26 week went home for the our baby shower in Pennsylvania and to see Family,we were only home a few days and then the ticking started back up, time just kept slipping way, but i was okay with that, we could not wait to meet our son! at 34 weeks i started having contractions, they were making progress each day and by 36 weeks our Tex could not wait anymore!(See Birth Story)

Side notes:

My pregnancy was not complicated, it was very natural and normal, had the decisions been only up to me, i would not have had medical care, not would have i had my son in a hospital, in the end everything worked out pretty well, but i think it is important for you to know, i never looked at my pregnancy as high risk,or something that Needed to be taken care of by doctors!

I loved every second of being pregnant, not matter how much i peed, or got kicked and woken from a dead sleep, not matter how hard some days were to breathe when a foot was lodged between my rib and belly, i wouldn't trade a single second of that time for anything other than what it was!

I absolutely loved getting to see our son in my womb, but i hated the way i got to see him, knowing the things i know of ultrasounds! not matter how safe they can be, there is always a risk! Tex HATED when he was being looked at, even worse when they would push on my tummy too hard and move him, it made him so upset that he would often kick me for hours afterwards, after one of my scans i went home and cried and i told him how sorry i was, i had to specifically tell the tech not to push so hard on us!

http://drbenkim.com/articles-ultrasound-pregnancy.html

http://chriskresser.com/natural-childbirth-iib-ultrasound-not-as-safe-as-commonly-thought

Birth Day!

My due date was March 23rd,the day before my husbands birthday,we knew the dates were right because we are a military family!

On February 15th i started having regular contractions,i wasn't fazed by this,but instead started to clean the house in preparation for Tex's arrival!

The next day i had my OB appt, i had an ultrasound and they were concerned our baby's growth had slowed, for the first time in my pregnancy i allowed the doctor to check my cervix since i had been having fairly regular contractions, i was 3c dilated, -3 effaced, at that point she figured i wouldn't make it until the weekend and so we prepared our bag for the hospital,cleaned the house up(nesting) made sure our dog had what he needed and sat,(so to speak)in wait.

While i was concerned for our son's weight, and that i was dilating and having contractions i was in no hurry for my son to make his appearance, i wanted him to stay safe and healthy inside of me for as long as possible! The weekend came and went and so i made my next appt on the 22nd, i was 4c dilates and -1 effaced, the point when many women are sent to the hospital in wait for their baby, i had that option, but i chose to go home as i did not feel like it was quite time yet,my Mother instincts were and are very strong and i trusted myself and my bodies abilities to do what it was meant to do! Again i went home in wait,i started walking a mile every day,because sitting through contracting just was not comfortable,and walking helped me sleep each night!

 On February 25th, my intuition told me it would be soon, i was 36 weeks 2 days pregnant and i knew if my son came he would be perfect! that night i went for a long walk,i contracted nearly the entire time and when i got home my husband was home from work and asleep on the couch,i told him i wanted to go to the hospital and when i (woke) him he said he was not taking me to the hospital i didn't need to go, i was totally floored and walked away crying, wondering why he felt this way, i thought, how does he know what i need? around 11 i woke my husband up and told him i was going to bed, he said hold on i will come with you and he got a drink and we walked up stairs together, i told him about my contractions and asked him why he wouldn't take me, and he had no recollection of our conversation (sleep talking-common) but my contractions got a bit farther apart so i went to sleep with ease, and surprisingly fast!

Around 3 i woke up with one very strong contraction that took my breath away, turns out i had to pee and i went back to sleep.

5;30 rolled around and i couldn't sleep anymore, i knew it was the day, so i got up and took a shower, i did my hair and ate breakfast. at 7;00 i called my OB i knew it was her day off but she told me to call her when i thought it was time and she would meet me at the hospital around 8;00. Shortly after i woke Tyler and told him it was time to go to the hospital, it took him a second to realize what i was saying, he went to open his mouth and i told him i just made him coffee, he smiled and kissed me and proceeded to the shower, while i waited i got dressed, the excitement was sinking in and i was smiling non stop!

we pulled up to the hospital around 8;15 and slowly made our way up to labor and delivery, stopping for contractions. as we made it to the floor my doc was there waiting, drinking a cup of coffee, she took one look at me and said oh your ready, lets give you a check to make sure,but i feel like it is time! sure enough i was 9c dilated fully effaced with a bulging bag of water,she asked if i wanted her to break it or wait, i said lets just break it, we could feel my sons head right there! She went to get a wheel chair but i just got dressed and walked to my room,she laughed,she could not believe how calm and so sure i was!

i walked around, talking and laughing,drinking water,eating ice chips and peeing,lots of peeing(ha) after about 20 minutes she broke my water and i got dressed and kept walking around my room,my contractions got more intense and so i did more of what i had been doing,walking,talking,laughing,drinking and peeing, the last time i went pee i knew i had to push,the feeling was like nothing i had ever felt before, i held my hangs between my legs as i waddled over to my bed,kicking off my pants at i went!

Let me just state, i had a birth plan that my doctor was okay with, it was printed so that each nurse and aid could read it and know my wishes,it was strict and detailed,i had an IV that was saline locked,but i did not have anything else,no wires,no monitors,no-one telling me what to do.

I waited for no-one, i got on the bed on my hands and knees and my instincts took over, i find it funny i am using the word but here it is! PRIMAL, i started pushing as 6 people stood around me, doing paperwork,grabbing gloves,drinking water,and then all the sudden my doc said,where is the birthing bar? i kept preparing myself,breathing, i let out a strange sound that i think was supposed to me OWW,but then kept breathing,then the birthing bar was there and i clung to it,breathing and pushing,i knew if i pushed too hard i would tare,so i allowed my body to push,but i didn't force it!i grabbed the oxygen for a quick second and took an extra deep breath, as i did that my body involuntarily but naturally took over and i put my hands down to catch my sons head,he was sideways,born looking at his daddy!

my husband helped me lean back and with a gentle push my son came sliding out of me and in to my waiting arms,i pulled him up to my chest in absolute extacy!the nurses brought me warm towels and tried to clean my son off and make him cry, but i told them to back off and leave him be, i started to gently clean him off and kissed him and told him i loved him,i told him i was his mommy and he saw daddy when he was born! we waited until his umbilical cord was white a long done pulsing to be cut by daddy,and within 3 minutes i delivered my beautiful blood red,Thick placenta, i did suck out my sons nose and throat once as he was gurgling a bit,but he was perfect,bright red and beautiful!

My doctor told me she did his abgars on my chest (8-9) and he was doing great, she washed her hands and said she would come back by the next morning to check on us, then went to spend the rest of the day with her family, she texted me a few times to check on us and wanted to see pictures! I literally could not have asked for a more wonderful person, she was used to routine epidurals and IV's and monitors,but she went right along with my birth plan like a midwife would have! Once her and all the nurses left about 25 minutes after my son was born i finally put him to my breast, it was so funny to watch him lick in his sleep,my heart melted! i hand expressed a drop for him to taste and shortly after he latched right on and fell asleep nursing!

In the 28 hours following my sons birth not much happened, i showered and against my will my husband allowed the nurses to weigh and measure him while i was not looking,he thought it would be okay,but when momma bear came out of the shower naked to her crying baby,they nurses quickly handed him to me and my husband got a stern look and then hysterics from this momma!

we spent our time nursing and cuddling and bonding! i fought with pediatricians who gave me their two sense and opinions about them not being in the room when my son was born,especially since he was born at 36 weeks. he only left my site once,and for the one reason i regret the very most,Circumcision,it was the one area in which i was the very least informed,thankfully my son was okay and had no complications,but it will always be my biggest regret for taking away a piece of him,and his right to choose for himself!(When we know better,we do better). They wanted us to stay a full two days but it was unnecessary and so we left the next day late at night.

12 weeks pregnant!

36 weeks pregnant!

contraction!

Our first picture together!

And our second!

Daddy holding Tex for the first time!

Cuddles right after he Breastfed for the first time!

Right before Tyler and i gave Tex his first bath ever!

Right after his First bath!

Cuddling with Mommy!

Daddy cuddles!

Daddy admiring his work!

My son's birth will always be one of the most memorable day of my life, i hope that when others read my story that they will know they have rights,and that they CAN have the birth experience they wish to have,they do not have to be bullied,they do not have to be scared! Birth with no fear! Birth knowing your body was made for this,you body was made to grow and birth and then nourish your child!