Baby J's Beginning

I'm back! A few weeks before giving birth to my son, our old computer died and I just finally got a new one (Thank you, Taxreturnmas!).


So, new nursling, new story. So, let's start at the beginning.

Baby J's Beginning

 

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

At 6 p.m., September 28th, 2013, I tracked my first real labor contraction. The kids and I had just gotten in the van to head to the park. About 40 minutes later, I had my second labor contraction, and I decided it was time to head to Daddy's work, have dinner, and then go home and have a baby!

 

 Everyone pitched in, straightening up the house, and setting up the birth pool while Daddy ran to the store for a few last minute supplies.

After the pool was set up, it was time to get the girls to bed. I nursed Lola down to sleep with Lulu snuggled up behind me.
Once Lola fell asleep, my contractions really intensified thanks to the oxytocin her nursing released. I got into the shower and my contractions were already overwhelmingly strong. I got out, told Daddy it was time to fill up the pool and called my midwife.

I turned on some Dave Matthews Band and danced between contractions while I waited for the tub to fill up. Just as the pool finished filling, my midwife arrived. She checked Baby J's heart rate, took my blood pressure, and settled in. Soon, my two photographer friends, my aunt and cousins, and my dad and step-mom arrived, too.

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

After relaxing in the tub for a while, my contractions slowed down a bit, and my midwife suggested I get out for a little while to get them going again. I went outside for a few minutes and Daddy went to wake up Lulu. It didn't take long for my contractions to pick back up again and I soon retreated back to the warmth of the tub, this time with Rio and Lulu in tow.

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

Little Lulu was the perfect little doula. (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography)

 

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

I labored long into the night with my family by my side. (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography)
 

 I was really surprised by the intensity of my labor this time. Laid-back Lola's labor had been so gentle and sweet, I'd only had one contraction that really overwhelmed me, and that was right before I'd enter transition. And even transition with Lola was blissfully brief.
This time, my contractions required my full attention from much earlier on. Little did I know that the intensity of my labor was an indication of the intensity of my soon-to-be-born son.

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

The pain was intense, and I vocalized loudly through each contraction. Although it felt like an eternity, soon enough there came the first contraction where I felt pushy at the peak. It was almost time to meet my baby!

Then, the first full pushing contraction came and it felt SO GOOD! Oh, so good to push! I roared through the undeniable, unavoidable, un-ignorable (yes, I made that word up) urge to PUSH and it felt amazing. As intense as my labor contractions were, my pushing contractions were even more so, but what a powerful feeling! My midwife checked quickly to feel where the baby's head was, and it was just a few inches inside. She had me reach in to feel, and I held my fingers there and felt as he moved lower and lower with each push. Soon, more of his head was out than in, and I was holding the top of his head in the palm of my hand.

I just love Daddy's face here. Baby J's head was in my hand. (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 

After experiencing a 4th degree tear with Lola, I was really concentrating on breathing this baby out, with little bumps of pushing. Slowly, slowly, his head emerged. And then his head was out! I expected to do a lot more work pushing out his shoulders (because Lola was a giant 9lb, 14 ouncer), but instead WHOOSH! With just a little push, he was out.


 3:55 am, September 29th, 2013

 (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

 "Grab your baby, Nyssa!" And I pulled my tiny new one out of the water. Immediately, he was crying at the top of his lungs and Daddy remarked, "He's the loudest one, yet!" (Again, an omen of what was to come? But more of that in a later post.)

                                                                (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

                                                                  (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

                                                                  (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 Big brother Rio cut the cord after it had stopped pulsing. My placenta didn't detach right away and it was hard to see in the murky pool, so I handed the baby to his daddy and went to shower off.

                                                                (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

 After a few stitches (I had a very manageable 2nd degree tear this time), and baby J was weighed (8lbs, 8oz, just like big brother Rio!) and measured (20 inches!) and examined, I was put to bed to meet my new little boy.

 (Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

(Photo by Lindsay Lee Photography)

 

                                                               (Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.)

(Photo by Jessica Adkins Photography.) 

 

Just before the sun came up, I nursed my big girl Lola and my newborn together for the first time, and we all fell asleep as a family of 6.

 

A few hours later, I woke up to use the bathroom, and Big Brother and Little Brother snuggled together as I made myself something to eat.

Here are the links to the slideshows my darling photographer friends made for me:

Jessica Adkins Photography's Slideshow

Lindsay Lee Photography's Slideshow
(These are really beautiful! I just love them so much!)