22 March 2011

birth story, part 1.


i needed a deadline. i decided that it would be bentley turning 9 months. so here is my birth story! i kept a journal the 4 days leading up to the actual labor & delivery. this is it. i didn't edit it because i felt like a) that would take to long b) who likes ever likes the edited version better. unless it is a dirty rap song...but that's another subject. my labor was slow, and spread out over a couple of days. probably pretty typical for your first baby. we chose to stay home as long as possible because we a) knew the baby was safe even though my water was leaking & b) we knew i would be c-sectioned if we went into the hospital. i was going to do all i could to avoid that. so without any further disclaimers, enjoy.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
8:30 woke up b/c felt like I was wetting the bed…ran to the bathroom. Peed. Couldn’t decide if my water had just broken or maybe baby kicked my bladder & I lost control? Woke up Shawn & talked through possible options. We both wanted to lean towards it not being my water breaking because I was having no other real signs of labor. Tried to call mom for her opinion, no answer. Went back to bed.
9:00 same thing happened again. Tried to call mom again. Still no answer. There was one tiny spot of blood. Took a shower.
9:40 same thing happened again. Mom called us back, came over.
Just leaking. Did laundry, cleaned kitchen. Was having period type cramps in my lower stomach, but nothing to serious.
11:00 laid down for a nap
12:30 got up, leaking a lot, more mucus now.
1:00 watching Bonanza now---shawn is going to make eggs. It is pouring rain outside & has been. Also low thunder.
2:45 did more laundry, shawn is napping. Cleaned the kitchen, took out the trash. There is a cool stream of water running down the water & I found a dime.  Called andrea & maddie---maddie answered the phone saying, what you are in labor? Yes. Still leaking a lot. Baby is moving around…so far I have eaten 2 pieces of toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, the remains of my banana bread & a berry popsicle. I also put on some makeup, and maybe will straighten my hair.
3:08 straightening my hair, making raspberry leaf tea. I have Parent Trap on…again.
3:50 shawn got up from his nap. I drank my tea.
4:16 shawn is going to hy-vee. We have no food. Baby rolled around, my belly button sank all the way in…haven’t seen that look for a while. Have TCM on now…
6:36 back from a walk. I carried an umbrella because it was sprinkling. The colors outside are so vibrant! It is dark blue sky, green grass. Now we are eating the watermelon shawn got at the store.  It also just started to pour, like ‘the rainforest’.  Shawn brought me colorful crazy daisys! He also got snacks & magazines for either at the hospital or when we get back home.  We have the college world series on. The swelling in my feet & ankles is considerably down!
6:51 it is pouring. Shawn is messing with the carseat. He was going to go put it in…but to much rain.
7:04 kami texted me. She had a dream, baby is a girl. I have been texting with andrea, we are prepared to eat crow b/c so far this whole labor thing is easy. Aunt kerri has also been texting me & she isn’t worried that my water is leaking but I am not going into the hospital. That is very encouraging & comforting.
9:56 we ate bowtie pasta w/ alfredo & broccoli & chicken. I am pretty hungry. Also ate some baby carrots. We started 7 brides for 7 brothers…I fell asleep on the couch for a while…
Monday, June 21, 2010
Last night, at 11:00 Shawn ran to McDonalds to get a strawberry shake in celebration of Fathers Day. A few minutes after he left the electricity went out! I sat in the dark for like 10 seconds and then he called me…I thought he knew the power was out, but he didn’t. I almost had him turn around & come back home but then it flickered back on. I quickly got the flashlight from under the bed & started lighting candles. The power went back out. It was out until about 5 am.
Mom came over & brought a few snacks. We talked for a while & then she went home.
We had the windows open in the bedroom & it was raining pretty hard. We had candles lit and it was very relaxing. I slept pretty well, getting up a few times to go to the bathroom. When the electricity came on shawn got up & turned the a/c back on & shut the windows.
I got up about 11:15. I showered. I was on the computer for a while but feeling very emotional. I ate some cantaloupe & then had some cereal. Shawn woke up about an hour or so later, I was still very teary & decided to lay back down to calm down.  I napped for a while while the FIFA soccor game was on. Shawn went outside & laid out. Then he mowed the lawn…I got up & ate some toast & more cereal. I didn’t do to much, I felt like laying in bed so I dozed off & on. Grease came on which was good.
Andrea texted & she came over to watch the Bachelorette. That got me up & cleaning. Shawn went to wal-mart to pick up a few things. Dean, Kerri, Maddie, & Dylan came over & brought me a tiara & outfit to wear after I have the baby. Mom came over & brought me some black & blue cohosh. Shawn made chef salad & corn. Andrea brought watermelon that I cut up, crackers, & some garlic bread. Shawn planted the plants in his garden with mom & we ate dinner. We just hung out watching tv.—the goonies was on
At 12:00 am, Tuesday, June 22,2010 I took the blue & black cohosh.  I am going to take it again at like 2 am, or when I wake up in the middle of the night.
My contractions were semi-noticeable about every hour or hour in a half…but nothing to serious. this was before I took the b&b  so far I haven’t noticed anything else…


10:57 pm     Tuesday TODAY
got up close to 1 pm. I was having back & lower stomach contractions during the night. When I got up, I had a few more…but then they stopped. I didn’t do much…just made sure things were tidy, ate, & watched tv.  Shawn did a lot of work outside.  Tonight Dad brought over a mattress for the cradle, a cute sheep sheet, a case of toilet paper, & a sack of groceries.  Shawn went to Casey’s and got sub-sandwiches for our supper. We watched the college world series.  Dad also brought us a Bob Hope cowboy movie that we are going to start now. 
I have been carrying a stopwatch with me to time the contractions. Maybe they will increase because I am laying down.

ARE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT?! tune back in tomorrow to hear about us deciding to go to the hospital & what happened (or didn't happen) once we got there. 

ps. thanks for indulging me. 

5 comments:

summer said...

yes!! i am on the edge of my seat! i cannot WAIT for the next part:)

summer said...

oh, and i forgot to tell you how much i'm loving all the good movies:) was the bob hope one called paleface??

Andrea said...

i need to stop texting you! you're clearly in labor.

Anneliese said...

summer, i don't remember! my dad has tons of bob hope movies :) my little brother watches them...probably the only 2nd grader who thinks they are funny! :)

Kathy said...

Yes, all of us in the harvest fields of Kansas werer very concerned. Good thing we didn't come at the first signs. We would have been waiting awhile. Everything worked out so well after all.