Miss Phoebe Priscilla

Wow! I feel pretty stinking proud of myself for the past week. Our little angel is officially one week old and doing amazing. Dan has been working for most of the week and I just jumped right in to finding our routine with our new life of two under two. I am completely in love with it! We took a walk after nap today and Lucy rode her bike while I carried Phoebe in the Solly wrap and I just was smiling so hard the whole time because it is exactly what I wanted my life to look like. God has answered my prayers times a million!

I'm also super impressed with myself for writing Phoebe's birth story WAY before I wrote Lucy's. Here it goes:

Little baby C2 was due on October 12, 2016, but Dan and I both thought her due date was closer to the 17th of October. Throughout that week, I got my membranes stripped twice and had a few non-stress tests to check that everything was going okay. She was a healthy little girl that wanted to stay in mama's belly! I was walking like crazy, eating pineapple, doing squats ALL the time and going to yoga to help this birth happen because I was totally ready! On Wednesday, October 19, I started having contractions right before I went to bed and they continued through the night, but very weak and not close together. I just knew something possibly could be starting! On Thursday, October 20, Lucy and I went to her gymnastics class in the morning and I hoped a little trampoline jumping may push my contractions a bit. We did a quick shop at Trader Joe's and went right to my doctor appointment where I got another NST and the midwife stripped my membranes for the third time. Third times a charm, right!? She told me if I spotted a bit, it was normal but if the bleeding was more than a period, I should be more concerned. I left feeling hopeful and started even to feel a little cramping. When we came home, Lucy and I ate lunch together and she went down for a nap very easily. Gymnastics and the doctors makes for a very tired girlie!

Contractions were definitely happening but still super light so I decided to lay down for a nap while Lucy was sleeping. After a few minutes laying there, I felt wet, so I stood up thinking my water was breaking and did not want that on the couch! I took my hand away and out came a LOT of blood onto the floor. Total panic moment, but I tried to stay pretty calm. I called Dan, Sarah and my mom. Dan left immediately to come home. Sarah started driving over with her girls and her babysitter to watch Lucy and my mom had already been on the way to my house. My amazing neighbor Lisa was on call to help me out with Lucy and when I called her she was literally pulling into our alleyway. Does God have amazing timing or what?! She was at my front door in one minute and made me feel so calm and got our bags ready for Dan to come home.

We left immediately when he walked in and went to Miami Valley triage. I loved every bit of my experience at Family Beginnings, but was not impressed at all with the triage in labor and delivery. We waited for a good 20 minutes when we got there even though we voiced huge concern about the amount of bleeding I was having. The nurse acted like it was no big deal and I asked to see the midwife. She was definitely more concerned about the amount of bleeding, but still saw that the baby was healthy and moving well. I was checked and only at 3 cm so we walked around the hospital for an hour before coming back to be checked. Dan had to finish a few notes from the day, so Sarah and mom walked with me and obviously provided quite a bit of entertainment. The contractions progressed like crazy as I was walking to about 3 to 4 minutes apart and after an hour, I was begging to go sit down. I was exhausted and starting to feel sick. When we got back to triage, I threw up and knew it was starting to get intense. When checked again though, I was only at 4. Hearing that number is extremely discouraging and it is one thing I'd change about next labor-- only check once at the beginning! As they wheeled me to family beginnings, I was really starting to doubt myself and the natural childbirth I was hoping to have. Family Beginnings is a natural childbirth wing in the hospital that makes it feel like you are at home: queen sized beds, huge birthing tubs and rooms, amazing nurses who are pretty much like doulas and just a wonderful ambiance with great dim lighting and a natural mindset shared by all the midwives, doctors and nurses. It was the perfect place to try for a natural birth!

We got in the room at 5:00 pm. I wanted to get in the tub as soon as I got to the room, so they started filling it and I labored with Sarah while Dan came back. The thing that felt best to me was to totally give my weight on to her body and sway back and forth. I was really proud of my breathing too. Low and heavy and definitely learned from my months of prenatal yoga. Thank you Mari Jo! Sarah was so perfect in those contractions before getting in the water. Dan took her place when he arrived and I could not wait to get in the water. The dark lights and warm water was seriously the best comfort tool at that time. I couldn't believe the natural relief that it gave me. Dan, Sarah, my mom and the nurses and midwife all continued to help with massage, back pressure and encouraging words for an hour in the tub. Dan got in the tub with me and he couldn't believe how different this experience was than my last labor. He kept saying this is so enjoyable! He was the perfect coach and said exactly the right things. The months of me talking about things that would help me and words he could say to me totally paid off.

Lila Rose and Cat were the two midwives with us and they were both concerned about my bleeding that was still happening, so they asked me to get out of the tub to check what was going on. My mom left to put Lucy to bed and thought she had plenty of time. As she left she said "Al, don't you have a baby without me!" and I never thought I would! Lila Rose checked my cervix and said I was still about 4-5 cm dilated, but to not feel discouraged because other great changes were happening. I was fully thinned out and the baby had come down very low. She could feel the head. Hearing 4-5 cm still really scared me and did not give me confidence at all. Sarah suggested laying on my side with a peanut ball between my legs. She warned it was really painful, but helped her progress pretty quickly. As soon as I got on my side, I started having the most intense and painful contractions. I could not control my body and I even felt the urge to push. I knew it could not be time yet because of how I wasn't close to ten. I had about 10 contractions and knew I was in transition. Most crazy insane feeling of having zero control and knowing that a baby was coming is such an out of body experience. I can't believe how cool our bodies are. My body knew to just start pushing and exactly how to do it. The heart rate was dropping and they had me turn to my other side. With just a few pushes, everyone was yelling about how close I was. They could see the head. I know I was screaming so loud! Lila Rose even said at one point, "Noise is good, but I think we need to relax a little bit." ha! Sarah and Dan both could not even believe I was actually pushing just a few minutes after being told I was at 4-5 cm. How did that even happen so quickly?

At 7:10, the baby came right out and they put her on my chest. I actually saw that it was a girl before Dan announced it. I couldn't even believe I just gave our Lucy a sister. The exact thing that I had with my sister was exactly what I wanted! Truly the best feeling in the world to have your baby put on your chest. The emotions were real and perfect and I can't possibly have asked for a better birth. Dan was so proud and we just both cried together. I was totally a rockstar! I did exactly what I wanted to do and I felt so strong! I prayed so hard during my contractions and could not have done this without my faith and God. Sarah and I joked before about how saying bible verses would be so out of my mind during labor, but I actually kept God on my mind and prayed for the strength to do what I wanted. It was amazing! Phoebe Priscilla was 8 lb 8 oz and 21.5 inches long and completely healthy!

I had a small 2nd degree tear so got stitched up right after delivering the placenta. Dan went and called his family while my mom stayed with me. She and I prayed Hail Marys over and over just to keep my mind off the stitching. It was very comforting. The next day Lucy came to meet her new sister and she was adorable. I can't believe how gentle and loving she has been to Phoebe, with the exception of playing peek a boo with a blanket on Phoebe's face. We're working on that one! Sarah and Nanny also came back with Madeline and Penelope and we had quite the photoshoot of the four girl cousins! We stayed in the hospital until Saturday because Phoebe's bilirubin was a little high.  Nanny and Pap stayed the weekend and Nanny is the most perfect middle of the night helper when Phoebe had a rough first night. We did not sleep at all! Since then she has slept so much better and does 3-4 hour stretches before I wake her up. Hopefully she continues this trend!

 I am so thankful for Family Beginnings. Dan told me tonight he hopes we can find another place like that at the next base we live at. Isn't it crazy after all that pain, you can't wait to do it again!? We love our baby Pheebs and can't imagine life without her!