As you can see from my lack of blogging, the last trimester of my pregnancy was a bit busy. With working hard at my job, staying fit and going to the gym, frequent doctor's visits, preparing our home for the baby and having guests, little time was left over to sit down and reflect on all my twenty-something changes. But right now, my daughter is laying on her father's chest in the next room and I have a moment to reflect: to sit at my laptop with my coffee and think about my little blessing in the next room. Actually, I have more than a little blessing. I have a big happy family that I have no idea how I deserve: a husband, a stinky dog named Karma, and hyper mutt named Pepper, my orange cat Senor Gato, and my beautiful daughter Olivia. Since she was born 16 days ago, not a day goes by that I don't recognize how lucky I am. I don't take a single moment for granted.
So, how about a quick recap for those of you who didn't get my weekly updates via email about my baby's development? In the last weeks of my pregnancy, Olivia was healthy and putting on weight like a champ! She moved around a lot and I still felt good enough to do my fair share of moving. I worked out up until the day before Olivia was born. At my last weigh in I was up 35 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Everything else with my health was superb as well. I'd spent months learning the HypnoBabies technique for managing pain and having a natural childbirth. I also read a lot of books and did a ton of research. Needless to say, much the same as I handled my pregnancy, I was prepared and ready for labor. I knew the right questions to ask, I knew what I would and would not allow and I had a birth partner who knew what my needs were and was prepared to be my advocate!
My baby was due on Dec 5th. On Dec 4th I was having mild contractions sporadically (I didn't even know I was having them until the doc put me on a fetal monitor). This lasted for 2 days, and each day we thought for sure I'd be heading to the hospital. But labor didn't really progress for me. I had a consistent pain in my back that never got better or worse. I tried walking, zumba, running up and down the stairs, having sex, spicy food...nothing made it speed up. So on Dec 6th my doctor recommended she break my water. I didn't want to have any interference with my natural labor, but after 2 days of waiting I was ready for this little bit of assistance. We checked into the hospital (where the L&D department had been on stand-by for me for 2 days) at 3pm, and my water was broken by 3:30pm. Within 30 minutes I was having consistent and progressively stronger contractions. Fourteen hours later we welcomed Olivia Anne Stewart into the world.
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| Olivia hours after birth |
I spent those 14 hours managing my contractions naturally. Because I opted to not have any drugs, I was able to move around the room however I needed and even sit in a hot shower (which I did twice). During this time Doug did whatever I asked him to do, from rubbing my back to feeding me ice chips. He was incredible, and I honestly don't think I could have done it without him.
The nursing staff at Hilton Head Hospital was great! During my labor I had 3 different nurses tending to me. Two in the early hours (their shift ended at 7pm) and then one who stayed with us through the night. Everyone was incredibly supportive of my decision to give birth naturally, and I received many compliments and positive feedback.
I'll spare you the gory details of the delivery, though I am extremely proud and happy to share if you have any questions. Yes, it hurt and yes, it was hard. But I could feel everything my body was doing and knew exactly how it was working to bring my daughter closer to being in my arms. I understood the changes my body was going through and am amazed at how effectively it works. My body is designed to give birth, and it's not something we women should be afraid of. Our bodies are amazing.
As soon as Olivia came out I couldn't think of anything else but her. It didn't matter that the doctor was still tending to my body. I had a precious little girl in my arms, 7 lbs and 13 oz, and that was all that mattered. Within minutes she latched onto my breast, making me feel even more proud of what she and I can and did accomplish together. When the cord was done pulsating Doug proudly cut it. Shortly after the nurse took her to be cleaned and examined and I fell into the deepest sleep I've ever had.
Olivia Anne, who we have nicknamed Libby, was born on December 7th at 5:50am. During my last hour of pushing, I told Dr. Blessit I wanted to have her before 6am. She said it was far fetched, but possible if I tried hard enough. I hit my goal with 10 minutes to spare! Minutes after Olivia was born, Dr. Blessit told me she was impressed by how well I handled it and she had a tremendous amount of respect for me. I already felt proud, but the support and compliments I received from everyone around me afterward made me feel like a rock star!
The next 24 hours was tough: my body was healing and I was exhausted. But by Saturday morning I felt good enough to go home. The nurses and doctor checked on me and Libby regularly and were pleased with our recovery. We were able to go home a day early.
Doug took off the next week and we spent time learning how to care for our baby and getting into a routine. In my opinion we were both very calm for first-time parents and got the hang of it quickly.
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| Milk Drunk |
I look at her in complete amazement every day. We created this tiny little person. Her sweet face, tiny hands, soft skin..... I catch myself just staring at her throughout the day. I kiss her more than I've ever kissed anyone. It's hard to explain the feelings that I have for her and the joy I feel as a parent. I've heard other parents talk about it before, and nodded as if I understood. Now I know. You can't possibly understand until you hold your child. It's a completely foreign yet comforting experience. There's a mixture of love, joy, pride, and overwhelming emotion every time I look at her.
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| 2 weeks old |
Having my baby is the best thing I've ever done.
