22 Hours of Labor and a 5 minute Delivery

Now that I have a little break from motherhood, I can sit and recount the labor and delivery of little JSL.

It started at around 5 in the morning Tuesday when I started feeling what many women describe as "menstrual cramping".  I didn't wake D.L. at the time, because I knew this could be the start of a VERY long day.  So when D.L. woke up, he began planning his day for work.  For the past week and a half, everyday he would ask, are we going to have a baby today?  Are you in labor yet?
Side note:  I have to add that the evening before, D.L. talked to JSL and let her know that we were ready to see her and asked her to come when she's ready to see us!  So a few hours after their conversation, she started the process~
So as D.L. asked his routine of questions, I looked at him and said YES, I think I'm in labor and I think today is the day.  Of course, he was very surprised and looked at me in disbelief.  He asked, how do you know??  I don't know if you remember the Raven-Simone line from the Cosby Show, but I thought back to her line in a particular episode and said...I KNOW MY BODY!  So needless to say, DL called in to work and let them know he's off for the next week!

I will try to recap highlights of the day, because 19 hours of detail could get a bit long for a blog!

• 5 am - First feelings of cramping
• 8 am - Told D.L. -- It's time!
• 10 am - Called the doctor's office
• 11 am - Went in to the doctor's office and found that I was 100% effaced and 2 cm dilated
• Noon - Came back home and walked 2 miles on the treadmill through my contractions and walked the dogs with DL.  The doctor recommended walking to increase my dilation
• 2 pm - Went back to the doctor's office to see what progress the walking made - Found out I was 100% effaced and 4 cm dilated.  At this time, she recommended that I go to the hospital because I'm definitely in labor and having active contractions.  Because I was pursing a medicine free birth, I didn't want to go to the hospital yet, so I told her I want to go home for a couple of hours and then I will go to the hospital.
• 4 pm - Came home and labored for another hour and half
• 6 pm - Got to the hospital - After their assessment, I was 100% effaced and 5 cm dilated.   They asked if I wanted to be admitted and they could break my water.  Again, because I wanted a natural birth, I wanted everything to happen as it was supposed to.  So I decided not to get admitted, but I wanted to walk around the hospital for another couple of hours to increase my dilation.
• 7 pm - D.L. and I walked 5 flights of stairs up and down and walked the hospital hallways through INTENSE contractions.  As D.L. and I walked, I listened to my Hypnobaby Affirmations which was given to me by a friend.  Essentially, it was a CD of calming, positive affirmations to help motivate me that I'm made for this!  I do have to laugh and say that one of the lines on the CD says...(in a SLOW and CALMING voice) ~ After every contraction, BREATHE and send the anesthia to where you need it to go!  Yes, it was affirming, but there was definitely no anesthia in the breathes I was taking!  LOL!
• 8:30 pm - We stopped walking and got admitted.  At this time check I got to 6 cm dilated.
• 9 pm - We were in our L & D room!
• 1:30 am - FINALLY, my water broke at 8 cm dilated!  At this point, I still didn't want them to break my water because I would've been confined to the bed and could potentially need pitocin to increase my labor, which I didn't want.
• 2 am - Game time...the contractions were, as DL said..."off the Richter scale"!  Each pain seemed greater than the last
• 3 am - Getting from 9 cm to 10 cm!  At this point, this was the only time that I yelled and was vocal.  Before this time, I breathed through my contractions and my consolation was ice chips hand fed by DL, biting his shirt which he eventually took off for me so I wouldn't bite him, and holding onto DL's neck when the contractions seemed unbearable!
• 3:15ish - I told them I was ready to push!  DL was on one side and our nurse Anna (by the way, who is the MOST AMAZING nurse EVER) was on the other side.  My first push I stopped in mid contraction, so Anna assured me to just push through it.  So I said, okay, I'm having a contraction and I'm about to push.  Out came JSL's head!  Next push, out came JSL!
• 3:24 am - Our precious and perfect blessing arrived!

The nurses and doctor said I was an inspiration to all the women on the shift.  With no medicine and an all natural birth, I did it!  I never really talked about this goal of mine, because I was open to an epidural and didn't want to speak as if a natural delivery was my only way to go!

DL was my doula, coach, my husband, my friend, my advocate!  Every step I made, he was there the entire time to hold my hand and be my support.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience!

And when we finally heard JSL cry and saw her face...ALL the time, energy, pain and preparation was ALL worth it!

40 Weeks and 3 days - the morning of my L & D - Boy...I looked ready to deliver!

3:24 AM - She arrived! 

DL looks great, JSL looks comfortable, I look swollen, exhausted and tired!  LOL!

Introducing....Jiselle Simone Lavender

As you know...motherhood is NO joke!  When I get more time, more details on the labor and delivery to come!  But know....she's HERE!

One, Two, Three ~ Don't Go!

Well today, January 23rd (1.23.11) is the day I've had marked on my calendar and etched in my head for the past 40 weeks!  But as God continues to remind me, I'm NOT in control of HIS work!  As much as I like to try to plan without fail, some things are just out of my hands.  So needless to say, as I write this blog entry, L.L. is still resting comfortably in my womb!

As I continue to look for all of the labor signs, i.e., losing my mucous plug, seeing my water break, uncomfortable cramping or intense contractions....NOTHING!  My baby girl is going to come on her own time and when she's ready!  I have to be honest and say that selfishly, my "little baby bump" is getting bigger by the day!  Which I equate with having to lose more weight and exercise more to get the "extra" pounds off!  But, oh well....she's worth it!

Before I end this post, I want to say thanks to L.L. for allowing me to have an AMAZING pregnancy.  I can say that she has given me absolutely no trouble in utero!  I'm 40 weeks and still going grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning and enjoying my expanded waistline.  I never once had morning sickness, nausea or even the slightest food aversions!   Many of the pregnancy woes that so many women talk about, I was fortunate to not have to endure and for that I'm thankful and grateful!

So as I sit and wait for you to show your lovely face and introduce yourself to us, I will be patient as you continue to grow inside me!  Take your time and please be just as kind to me during labor and delivery!

See you soon!

The Day Before My EDD!

Well my official EDD (Estimated Due Date for you non-moms) is tomorrow, but as of my last doctor's appt. I haven't dilated at all, but I'm 50% effaced.  So what that means at this point...bottom line...it's "anyday" now.  I must admit that this waiting game is certainly nerve-wrecking.  Especially for a "my water may break any moment now" preggo, doing my day to day activity comes with a bit of reservation and fear!  The fortunate part is that I've been moving around and doing my thing up to this point...with swollen feet and ankles and all!  My mom and sister hate that though, but the good thing is that it doesn't happen consistently.

Since I've been off work for the last two weeks, I've been able to focus on more than I probably need to, but at least all of my "loose ends" have been wrapped up.

Things I've done while waiting...

1.  Finished Packing my bag!

• Snacks - A MUST
• Toiletries
• Nursing Camisole and all things Nursing
• Button down PJs
• Cosmetic Bag
• LL's first outfit
• My going home clothes
• Preloaded iPod and music station - I created a Labor & Delivery playlist with motivational sounds for that YOU CAN DO IT, BREATHE, PUSH experience!  And because I'm sometimes "extra" I intermittenly positioned our delivery theme song, Stevie Wonder's - Isn't She Lovely, throughout the playlist. - Gotta love this 1st time Mom thing!

2.  Finalized L.L.'s Nursery 

• I think I have everything that I need and want her to have at this point.  I admit, because of my self-imposed budget, I completed the nursery with more of a "look for less" feel rather than the "no expense spared" concept I originally had in mind!  But nonetheless, L.L will want for NOTHING!
• The LAST outstanding item is to get the 4 wall shelves for knick-knacks and books.  I will have to pick those up and put them up once she gets here!

3.  Groomed the Pups

• They are in for a RUDE awakening once LL gets here!
• Welcome to the back seat Nina and Miles!

4.  CLEANED~CLEANED~CLEANED

• I guess this is a bit of my nesting instincts kicking in, but it's really hard for me to know if it's nesting, or my OCD kicking in high gear!

39 Weeks - One Week? We'll See!

Today marks another official countdown of 7 days to get to my due date.  At my last appointment, the doctor told me that I haven't dilated, but my cervix is softening, so the Braxton Hicks contractions are doing their job!  So, in the words of my doctor, there's a 50% chance that she can come before the due date and a 50% chance that she can come after!  That's a good way to place a bet!

I had a mini home photo shoot this weekend when I was surprised by 2 of my BFFs from Texas!  So of course we took the opportunity to model and do what girlfriends do!  More pics of us to come in another post!

Here are a few pics from our shoot!

Winter Wear, Photo Shoot or Both?

I'm absolutely OBSESSED with these knit beauties!

Not only do I think about playing dress up with L.L., but I also think of practicing my photography skills and making her my muse!  My mom told me that when I was a baby, she would change my clothes 5 to 6 times a day, just take pictures of me in my different outfits.  And I remember seeing all the pics in my photo albums...I just didn't know they were all in the same day!  Could this obsession be a genetic disorder??

I'm already planning to buy at least 2 of these!!

A Dose of Placenta

One of my fave blogs that I follow had a post that really amazed me!  Yes, this pic above is the placenta aka, "the afterbirth" after her recent delivery.  After reading her post, I researched the nutritional value of eating the placenta and I found this concept even more mind blowing.  Especially when the article mentioned that the greatest benefits are garnered when the placenta is eaten raw!

In the blog I was reading, her doula washed, cooked and dehydrated her placenta and served it in pill form for her to take.

I applaud the holistic efforts and appreciate the natural and full birthing experience that many women hope to attain, but I think I will continue to take my prenatal vitamins and pass on a dose of my own placenta!

Daddy Nesting

The excitement of the new year and 2011 bringing us a perfect blessing, is certainly being felt by Daddy L!  Not only has he been waking in the morning to tell me of his latest dreams about a little baby girl, but he's also gotten in the mode of putting together everything that has "assembly required" in the instructions.  He's definitely being in his own nesting mode!

As a matter of fact, one of the dreams he shared with me was about him and the little baby girl in his dreams being at a wedding.   He told me he was holding her and she was pointing to the cookies, at the reception I guess, and when he gave her one she gave him the biggest smile!  The funny thing about him telling me about his dreams is that he mentioned that in none of his dreams, am I ever there!  So, I really don't know how to take that!  :-)  I have come to think that his dreams are his bonding moments until she gets here, so I'm left out of the dreams since it's his "daddy/daughter" time!  Yep, that's my interpretation of his dreams!

So the latest is that he has pulled out the car seat and is planning to go down the street to the firestation to make sure it's installed properly.  This is his next "Daddy to do"!

Britax Cowmooflage Chaperone Infant Car Seat

He also set up and placed in our bedroom the pack n play where we plan to have her sleep until she's about two months old.   Afterwards we're planning to put her in her room in her crib.  We'll see how this plan works for us when she gets here!  (By the way, nursery pics are coming soon).  

Graco Pack n Play Element Playard and Splash

Does Size REALLY Matter??

Of course this is the age old question that we ask about several situations, but in the case of my belly, the answer is NO!

So last week, I got a little nervous because at 36 weeks, my doctor measured my fundal height and told me that I'm measuring small, so she wanted to move my sonogram up to make sure everything is okay.  At 36 weeks, I should measure at 36 cm, but when she took my measurement, I measured at 32 cm.  My first thought was, haven't we discussed me being small before!

So I held my breath for a week, awaiting my sonogram appointment and prayed that her growth and development was/is fine.  So I'm happy to say...ALL IS WELL!  The ultrasound technician measured all of her parts and said she's measuring normal in every measure.  (sigh of relief)


So even though my measurement is smaller than my gestational period...baby girl is ALL there!  And as a matter of fact, they estimated her weight at 6.5 lbs, so we'll see soon!