Donovan's Birth

The past 48 hours have been such a whirlwind. I am still shocked and amazed at how everything played out. Definitely not how I imagined it in my mind. I find it impossible to even put onto words properly. I need to at least try while every detail is fresh in my mind. Let me begin several days before the birth. Since at least a week before, I had been starting to feel labor-like contractions every once in a while. They were mild and very sporatic, but I noticed that they were definitely different from Braxton-Hicks contractions. Each day they increased in frequency and sometimes intensity, but still nothing to worry about. Then, for several days, I would have regular contractions at night that I couldn't sleep through. I would wake from them at night and at first just try to ignore them. Finally, I would start timing them and eventually get up in case this was "it." The first night, they were around 15-20 mins apart. I got up eventually mostly cause I was really uncomfortable and hoped walking around might help or possibly jump start something. After about an hour of being up, they went away. I went back to sleep for what was left of the night and told Kev in the morning. The next night it happened again, only this time they were slightly stronger and about 10-15 mins apart. The next night they were 7-10. Each time I actually got up to possibly pack or prepare, they would taper off and go away. I had them sporatically throughout they day with varying intensity. Finally, late Monday night I went to bed and woke up from the usual crampy feeling in my back and tummy and was determined this time to just try and sleep through them. They were much more intense this time. They were coming every 7 mins or so. I decided to wake up Kevin so we could make plans. We ended up calling the midwife and had a baby sitter come right away. After speaking with the midwife, I started to feel the contractions let up. Dang!! False alarm again!! This time we had made someone else come over at 5 in the morning too, so I felt dumb.
Now we come to Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. I had been having contractions all day, but not timing them since they seemed far enough apart that I wasn't noticing them much. At night, of course, they picked up and I knew I was in store for another sleepless night. I also had noticed that I lost my mucus plug and since then, contractions seemed more intense. My midwife had called several times during the day to check in and suggested I try taking some Tylenol PM to help me sleep through contractions. I was DETERMINED this time to stay in bed. I did. I slept for about 8-10 mins at a time in between contractions. I was exhausted in the morning!! I had a midwife appt. scheduled for that afternoon, so I hoped she might have some answers for me. I felt crappy all day. I sent Kevin to work cause I didn't want him wasting vacation days. Josie was definitely not herself. She was throwing fits like crazy and was grumpy all morning. She could tell something was up. I made it to naptime and laid down to hopefully get some rest. My dad called and said he was on his way to come help. What a relief!! He had been in Chicago for business and been back and forth for the last couple days. Since my mom left, he was hoping to be our babysitter when the event happened. I got ready for my appt. while managing sporatic, painful contractions and met Kevin at the office. I had set myself up so I wouldn't be disappointed if no "progress" had been made. After all, that could change at anytime and I KNEW something was happening. Sure enough, I was dilated to about a 5 and 90% effaced! My body was slowly working for me while I went about my day. It was nice in a way, but also tiring to be in early labor for several days. It also meant that when I kicked into active labor, things would probably go really fast. She suggested we hang around the area in case things picked up. We live about 30 mins from the birth center, so it would be nice to be near by. Since I wasn't having consistent contractions right then, I decided we should go home, do some last minute things, put Josie to bed, and then head back. At this point, I was still in denial about possibly having the baby that night. Maybe really late, or even the next day, I thought. Definitely no hurry. I felt fine!! I really did feel fine in between contractions. They were still as far apart as 15 mins though they were strong enough that I couldn't walk or talk through them. I guess I was thrown off because the contractions were so sporatic. Plus, we had so many false alarms, I thought they could taper off at any moment. I was determined to put Josie to bed first, lol!! In between contractions, I threw together a pot roast and got all the last minute things together. I even sat on facebook for a minute. This all seems so crazy to me now. What was I thinking, lol?! Finally, at around 7:15, after watching me struggle through a particularly strong contraction, both my dad and Kevin said they thought it was time to go. I quickly agreed and had Kevin call the midwife while I waddled to the car. I knew the car ride was going to suck. At least for me, sitting or laying down felt HORRIBLE during a contraction. Standing or leaning on something made them not too bad. It must have been quite a scene. Actually, it probably was a lot like the typical ride to the hospital you see in movies. Kevin was going 90 mph and I was breathing/moaning/screaming "holy crap" through each contraction. It wasn't until then that the contractions started coming minutes apart. I really wanted to get out of the car and move around. Also, it was pouring rain. It had been raining all day. As we neared the birth center, I could tell I was trying to hold myself back from progressing. I'm pretty sure if I had relaxed, I could have had the baby in the car. By this time, it was about 8:00. Before I could get in the tub, I had to get that stupid dose of antibiotics since I was strep b positive. I had to lay on the bed and hold absolutely still so she could insert the needle and get the IV going. She checked me and I was dilated to 7. I could tell I was in transition as she was looking for a vein cause I could not stop shaking. The contractions seemed constant. I couldn't really tell where one stopped and another began. It took about 30 mins. to get the full dose since the needle kept falling out and my veins are so small she had a hard time getting one. Meanwhile, I was screaming and moaning like a madwoman, actually probably a lot like on TV, lol!! I was much louder during labor than I thought I would be. When I asked him later, Kevin said it wasn't as bad as I thought, though. He thought I was actually pretty calm. The laying down and holding still was the hardest and most painful part. If I could have been up and around, it would have been fine. Seriously, how do people labor in bed? I could take it standing way easier. It's hard to say whether the antibiotics really did any good. I mean, he was out minutes later. Had we known things would move so quickly, we probably would have passed on them since there is little risk anyway. As the dose was finishing, I told her I was feeling like pushing. She checked and I was fully dilated with the head right there. I again, felt like I had been holding back on the bed so I could have the baby in the tub. It was a mad dash to the tub. One person helped me undress, while another helped me get in my sports bra. My hair was driving me crazy at that moment so I irrationally looked for a hair tie to get it out of my face. No luck and I was starting to push while I was standing over my bag, so I quickly jumped in the tub. Somehow Kevin was able to get the video camera set up and running before jumping in with me. I REALLY wish I had had more time to labor in the water cause it really did feel great. Well, great compared to the bed. I mean, at that point NOTHING really felt great except getting the baby out. I vaguely remember someone saying "Ok, try to not push except for during a contraction" and me thinking "Yeah right!! I have no choice!! They just aren't letting up!!" The human body is truly amazing. I was not purposely pushing. My body was pushing without my permission and I had absolutely no control over it. It was CRAZY!!!! Little Donovan was born less than 5 mins. after getting in the tub after what seemed like a 5 min contraction. Can I just repeat, it was CRAZY!! 5 minutes!! I started pushing and could not stop. His head just popped out and before I could even register that, his body flew out too!! The midwife quickly unravelled the chord from around his neck and shoulder, but let Kevin catch him and bring him out of the water and onto my chest. WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED?!? Seriously, there was a big long moment where I was thinking, did I just really do that?! When they called out the time of birth, 8:46, I was shocked. Time seemed to stretch longer while I was there. We arrived at the birth center at 8, so it was super fast.
The endorphines in the room were overpowering. It was such a high to go through that and now have this precious little prize, perfectly formed and healthy, looking up at you. I felt so aware and present. Everyone was in awe and Kevin kept saying "You did it! He's here!" over and over again. We sat in the tub together for a long time. It felt so nice to sit and snuggle in the warm water. The water is awesome!! He opened his eyes right away and was so calm and peaceful. Eventually, Kevin cut the chord. They did all the initial checks and tests while in the tub and everything looked great. He also ate for the first time in the tub, only about 20 mins. after birth. He was a nursing champ from the start!! After what seemed like an hour, we dried off and moved to the bed for further checkups. As you can see from the photo's I bled surprisingly little, so that was good. The water stayed quite clean. Everything looked great and both of us checked out perfectly!! The next few hours were spent resting, celebrating, taking pictures and completing newborn exams. He almost never left my arms. Kevin held him while I took a relaxing herbal bath. That was heavenly!! We then ate the pot roast we brought (how did Kevin get that set up so fast? I still don't know!) and some of the fresh bread they had baked in the kitchen. I was super hungry since I had not felt like eating much earlier that day. I nursed Donny a couple more times while Kevin packed everything in the car. I was really ready to go home. I just wanted to get in my own bed and sleep!! We left the birth center at about 3:00 am and headed home. Josie was fast asleep and stayed so until 8 am. After a quick meet and greet with my dad, we rushed off to bed and got a little sleep. I'll continue day 2 in a separate post.

This picture was snapped within seconds of his arrival!!

This is my look off total, complete shock. I could not believe he was out!!




My midwife Julia (left) and her assistant Rachel. Julia was so wonderful!! She is so sweet and calm. It really helped to have her there.






Kevin and Donny taking a nap while mommy has an herbal bath.

Eating our after-labor pot roast, lol!

Julia doing some exams.



The famous Money dimple!!

Fresh out of the bath, enjoying some snuggles.

Donovan Elias Packard

For all you not on Facebook, I thought I would just let you know that he is here!!! Litttle Donny was born last night (7/28) at 8:46 p.m. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and is 20 in. long. He is perfect and everything is going amazingly well!! Don't have time for pics or story yet, but trust me, the story is a bit of a wild one!! We are home now and doing great! Will try to update with some pics soon. He was one of the 5% actually born on his due date. Crazy!

39 1/2 Weeks

This will probably be the last belly pic except for whatever we take during labor. It's currently 6 am and I have been up since 2ish with regular contractions. It took a while for me to come to the conclusion that I am truly in early labor this time since I have had false labor nearly every night this week. Seriously, I have been contracting every 10-20 mins for several days and not been able to get much sleep. I noticed before bed that I had lost my mucus plug and since then, contractions have been about 7 mins apart and fairly painful. Not planning on leaving for the birth center until things progress further, but it looks hopeful that it may be today. It's a bit tricky cause it's my second child and the birth center is a bit of a drive. I also am Strep B positive (again!) and will need antibiotics, so we don't want to wait too long, but I also don't want to be waiting around for hours for things to pick up when I could be hanging out at home. I think I will just know when it's time. I am just excited that it seems it will be soon!
My mom left yesterday morning to be with my sister, Sarah. She is having her baby today! Hoping cousins will share the same birthday!! My dad is here on business (and for the baby) so he is going to watch Josie for a little while. He can't stay long, so we will need to find alternate childcare, but at least we have that.
Anyway, my mom was here for 2 whole weeks!! It was awesome and she was such a huge blessing. We had so much fun and I feel terribly guilty that she didn't get her prize at the end. I was so sad that the baby didn't come while she was here. Oh, well........Guess she will just have to come back and visit soon!!
We did so many fun things. When my dad came in to join us, we went on a nice walk by the river and took some pictures. Just so you know, I had absolutely no desire to be photographed. 39 weeks is not the greatest time for glamour shots, lol. Yuck.
















Josie is big on wearing sunglasses lately. She will keep them on for an unusually long time for a toddler. She likes to wear mine, too. So cool.

Here she is wearing her own. This picture cracks me up!!

Who's counting?

38 Weeks

A few people have asked to see a pic of me not holding it up so they can see how much it sags. To really do it justice, I would have to show you my bare belly. Not sure if that would be too scandalous, but I may post one sometime. I may even get up the nerve to post what my post-labor belly looks like this time. I know I was super curious about what a belly looks like right after. I'm pretty sure for everyone, myself included, it's not a pretty sight. Fortunately, last time it went back to normal size fairly quickly. We'll see if #2 does me in........

So, just waitin' around here. My mom has been here for a week and it has been heavenly. Well, the one stress is that I feel I need to have the baby before she leaves on the 26th. It would be nice for both of us. Unfortunately, (well, maybe fortunately) it's not up to me when our son decides he is ready. I have abandoned all tries at guessing and have just decided that I really am fine waiting until whenever. If my mom were not here, honestly, I wouldn't really care when he came. I feel pretty good for 39 weeks and I have thought, "You know, if I really had to, I could do this another couple weeks or more and be fine." It's true. I'm patient. Afterall, no matter what, it won't be long now and at least this way, I am saving on diapers, sleeping a reasonable amount of hours, and spending lots of quality time with my family. I am trying to spend even more special time with Josie before it's no longer just her and me.

Of course, I can't seem to escape the pressures of everyone wondering if it's time yet, picking up the phone and asking,"Are you in labor?" or telling me different things to try in order to make him come tonight. Trust me, I do plenty and I can tell you he is just not ready yet, I suppose. They come when they are ready. The comforting part is that I feel completely ready at this point. My mom has been spotlessly cleaning my house, we bought a minivan yesterday, all the baby stuff is clean and ready, and I feel prepared to take on this new adventure. Now, I'm just trying to not think about it (or be reminded of it) every 5 mins. and enjoy our family of 3 just a little longer.

Since I get this question all the time and everyone seems to think it will help predict something, I will post the "stats" I got at my last appt. I am about 2-3 cm dilated and mostly effaced. The head is easy to find and is quite low. I have had countless braxton hicks contractions, many of them quite strong and almost painful, for several days now. I do feel like my body is definitely changing and preparing. All of this, however, doesn't really mean anything. It could remain like this for a few hours or the next 2 weeks!!

One thing is for sure, I am SO excited!! I am not really fearful at all. My only worry is what we will do with Josie if the baby comes after my mom leaves. Going to need lots of postpartum help from friends and the ward, I guess.

Anyway, I need to get some sleep. I have to try to remind myself not to get too sleep deprived and to stock up for the next little while.

For all you getting impatient to see Baby Boy, I'll go eat some fresh pineapple and jump on a trampoline before bed, k? : )

The Birth Plan.

*NOTE: I decided to change my ticker to a later due date. From the start, my due date has been more of a range. Though I know when my last period was, the ultrasounds were all giving different dates based on size. Since those are not always accurate, I decided to stick with the last menstrual period date. The problem with that was, I could have been wrong about my ovulation date and the ultrasound could be right afterall. Since the baby was "measuring smaller" and it's probably safer to use the later date, I decided to change it. It just changes my date from the 25th to the 28th. No big deal.

I was trying to put in to words what my plan is and I came across the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices. The articles explained my thoughts exactly. Though I'm not big on the whole Lamaze breathing method (I mean really, does anyone totally follow that in labor? ), they have some great resources. I like these because not only do they use evidence-based medicine, they just seem like plain common sense to me. If you ask most OB's or midwives, they would probably generally agree that these are all good practices and would help make labor easier and safer, yet many will completely contradict that in the name of convenience, policy, or fear of getting sued. Here are their views and links as to why they are important. PLEASE, please follow the links and read the articles. They are fantastic and give lots of great info!!

1. Let labor begin on its own - lead author Debby Amis, RN, BSN, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE

It's more exciting that way.... : ) No, actually my midwife would only induce in the circumstances noted in the article. Unfortunately, last time, one of those applied to me so I hope to avoid that this time!

2. Walk, move around, and change positions throughout labor - lead author Teri Shilling, MS, CD(DONA), IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE

The birth center is like a little house that you are free to move around in and use at will. (Follow the link for pics) It will be interesting to see what I feel like doing in labor and how I use that space. I will probably labor some in the tub, too.

3. Bring a loved one, friend, or doula for continuous support - lead authors Jeanne Green, MT, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, and Barbara A. Hotelling, MSN, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE

The plan is to just have it be me, Kevin and my midwife during labor. When the pushing starts, she will call her birth attendant to come and assist in the delivery and aftercare. My mom will hopefully be with Josie, so I don't plan on having her there.

4. Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary - lead author Judith A. Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE

Um, duh. Actually, it's kinda sad how much of an issue that one is. Obviously, we are hoping to avoid any complications and interventions, but of course, we are prepared to do whatever is necessary to have a healthy delivery.

5. Avoid giving birth on the back and follow the body’s urges to push - lead author Joyce DiFranco, RN, BSN, LCCE, FACCE

Really on board with this one cause it was what made Josie's birth so difficult. I regretted getting an epidural cause I know without it, I could have pushed her out without a vacuum. If I had been able to get in a better pushing position, I KNOW I would have been able to get her out easier. Vacuum extractors have some definite risks, so I will be glad to avoid that this time. Also, epidurals are not always an excuse for bad positioning. You can lay on your side while someone holds one leg as it says in the article. Much better position as it can reduce tearing and if you think of the anatomy of the pelvis, it's much easier for the baby to come out that way. Lying flat on your back creates an upward slope that the baby must come through before coming out. Wish the doctor had suggested side-lying for me last time. She said something about it AFTER, saying that it can help. Gee, thanks. It's probably not as easy or convenient for the doctor which is why it's not done as much.

6. Keep mother and baby together - it’s best for mother, baby, and breastfeeding - lead author Jeannette Crenshaw, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, IBCLC, LCCE, FACCE

Well, there's not really any other place to take him unless complications occur. Routine exams (Apgar and others) can be done while he's on my chest.

Here are some other parts to our plan:

*We will probably have a waterbirth. It just depends on how I am feeling and how the labor goes, but I assume that is what I will want and what will feel good.

*Kevin will be the one to "catch" the baby. He is VERY excited about this, as am I. He asked our midwife if there is any special training for that and she replied," Well, the baby will come out whether you are there or not, so all you have to do is let it come out, scoop it up, and hold it like a daddy. It's your baby, you'll be fine." Oh, and he'll cut the chord of course.

*After the birth, you are given a soothing herbal bath to clean off and soak in with your baby. Sounds nice, huh?

*We will be either bringing a fast cook meal, a pot roast, or possibly delivery (no pun intended, haha) after the birth to eat. I was STARVING after my labor with Josie. Even though I will be able to eat and drink at will this time, I'm sure I will want a nice meal after all that work. They have a full kitchen and can throw something in the oven if we need it. They also bake a loaf of fresh bread for you to take home or eat after labor.

*You are discharged from the center 4 to 6 hours after the birth. It will be nice to be home with our new family! The midwife comes to your house for the 12 hour and 48 hour postnatal checkup.

That's really all I can think of. Of course, any of this could change in a moment as labor can sometimes be unpredictable. I feel good about our plan and I hope everything goes smoothly or at least safely.

As far as any other updates go, I really have no clue when this baby will arrive, but I'm pretty sure it will be another week or so at least. I really feel like he will not come as early as Josie did. I don't know about any progress or anything (I do know I have slowly begun to dilate, but don't know how much). We will try to keep you updated and I'll try to take another belly pic soon!!

Snuggly

This is what Snuggly looks like brand new (left) and after about a year of love (right). This would be Josie's 3rd one. Fortunately, they sell them at Meijer for $10.

Josie loves her "snuggly" so much. I have been trying to leave it in her crib so she will only have it at bedtime. With all that's been going on, there have been a lot of stressful situations where I have let her bring snuggly along for comfort. If she has spent all day without him, she definitely misses him! I'll ask her if she wants to see snuggly (trying to get her ready for bed) and she will nod vigorously and say "yes" so excitedly, it seems she might cry out of excitement. When I put her in her crib with him and they are reunited, she sits and kisses him over and over again and pets his head. Then she lays down and hugs him tight. It's very sweet. The best part is, she's been SUPER affectionate lately with Kevin and me also. I get unsolicited kisses and hugs from her all day and she has let me sit and snuggle her a lot lately. This last week at church, for the entire Sacrament meeting, she did nothing but snuggle with me. No snacks, no books, just snuggles. She layed her head on my shoulder and just looked around, every once in a while looking up at me to smile. She had a nap before church so she wasn't even tired. Just feeling affectionate, I guess. My heart was about to burst with happiness : )

She's just so cute!!!

Josie is endlessly silly and sweet. Those are exactly two words that sum up her mood most of the time. She likes sweeping the floor with her hair:

Also, from when she was very young, we noticed she had a very "Type A," meticulous, organized part to her. If you give her a carton of crayons, she will sort or stack them instead of color. She loves sorting and stacking things. If you give her a bag of small items, she can find 100 different ways to organize them. All trash she finds MUST go in the trash. Things are just so with her and if they don't look right, she gets frustrated. I really don't know where she got it. I have always taught her to put things away and clean up, but she does it mostly on her own. Here she is sorting and stacking her new sidewalk chalk. It kept her busy for a half an hour.



On a warm, summer day, what's better than laying on the cool grass? She loves doing this.




And this...........


Making faces....


She will sometimes just close her eyes like she is just "taking it all in" and relaxing. She does it a lot when she is eating, haha......


Love that tongue!!

I decided that for my own sake (and a little for Josie : ) ) we needed to buy a big kiddie pool that we both could relax in. Josie loves it. Especially when I let her skinny dip before dinner. (Again, sorry for the weird coloring. I need to check my settings before snapping pics and I'm too lazy to edit.)





I just love this picture, haha!! This is a "Mom, will you quit it already and give me some more yogurt" look. Too funny.

Snuggling with daddy before bed. She does this a lot too : )