Lucy Edith's Birth Story

**In the name of full disclosure, for all the squeamish out there, if a crowning baby weirds you out, than for the love of all things peanut butter and chocolate, CLOSE this tab.**

Now that we got that over with, let all of us adults move on.

Labor Day weekend was emotional for me. I was "due" that weekend, and my husband Jose had to work all weekend at the hospital- 4 days in a row- and he really wanted that good excuse of, "My wife is in labor," to call out with. Friday he worked, and I was up all night with our toddler who is getting his molars. Saturday he worked, and I was beyond exausted just starting my day out, after trying to get out of a toddler bed that I slept most of the night in at 40 weeks pregnant. I called my mother in law to see if she minded having the kids hang at her house for a bit so I could clean up around the house and get a nap in. She was free, so I took the kids over shortly before lunch, went home, and went to bed. I napped for 3 hours, which I never do, and felt so much better. I woke up having some contractions here and there, and I texted Jose about 5 pm and let him know to tell the oncoming nurses in report and his charge nurse that he might not be there in the morning.

By 6:30 pm, I was having contractions ever 5-7 minutes, and thought just in case, on the off chance that I was in early labor, I should see if the kids could just spend the night at Jose's parents, rather than go pick them up, and have to have someone come over in the wee hours of the night to sit should the kids wake up with the midwife team here. I checked with Jose at work, and he agreed, and so did his mom. The kids would spend the night, I would rest up, and he told the charge nurse that he was sure he wouldn't be there in the morning (I wasn't convinced I was in early labor, but he knew I was). 

Saturday night once he was off and home from work, we realized we needed to get a different hose or an adapter for the pool, so we headed to get that and some grub. We saw some friends at Panera, I ate a lovely salad, and kept on contracting every 5 minutes. We were home about 11 pm, and I continued to contract but it was slowing down enough that I could rest in between. I was very emotional, crying, and kept thinking, "what if this is not it?" My whole pregnancy was spent with irritable uterus, and I was having a hard time judging if I was in labor or not. Jose wanted to call out of work and have a baby already; I was worrying that if he called out of work and I wasn't really in labor or it quit, that he was going to get in trouble. I was feeling bad about him missing work, feeling bad about my mother in law watching the kids, just an emotional wreck about everything. Jose was about delirious from being up at 5 am for work, so I sent him to bed with the promise I would wake him if it was real, and I tried to calm down and lay down and rest with him. (He totally knew I was going to have a baby and there was no denying it, so he went ahead and called out of work and went around me being ridiculous. He had good intuition when I didn't. Thank God somebody did.)

Early morning, bleary eyed couch laboring

We both headed for bed. I was able to rest fairly well- it's crazy how much sleep you can get waking up every 4-10 minutes. Around 3 am, things started picking back up again, and by 4 am, I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes and had been for a while. At 4:30 I woke up Jose, who sprang into action. He started filling up the birth pool, and I called our midwife Jyl to let her know that things were real. With my last labors, once I started contracting every 2-3 minutes, I had a baby within a few hours, so I felt like I had to call her and warn her, since she almost didn't make it here for Jordi. She asked Jose on the phone if I thought she should come, and I told her not yet- and she made me laugh- "Well, why the hell are you calling me then?!" Looking back, I should have let the poor woman sleep!

Keeping busy during early labor

We kept in touch via text as I labored and started getting the house set up. At 5:45 am, I started making coffee cake for my birth team and I to have for breakfast. Then, I texted my friend Rachael, who was going to be a support and take pictures for us. Excitement started building. By about 6:30 am, Jyl had her coffee and came over to check on me. She asked if I wanted checked, and I was insanely nervous but wanted to know at the same time. I told her that if I had been laboring all that time and was 2 cm, I was going to be ticked. Turns out I was actually 6 cm, with a nice bulgy bag of water, but baby remained sky high in my womb. Rather than break my water, we continued laboring for a bit. I let Rachael know to come on down whenever, and Jyl caught Hailey (her assistant for the day who is also a student midwife) up to speed.

Jose and I ventured out for a walk up and down our street to get things going. We watched the sun rise, and were excited because Lucy, our baby's name, meant "bringer of light." By 7:30 am, everyone was present.

We moved inside. I ate breakfast, labored in the pool, on the couch, and in our room. Contractions were slower once every one arrived. I was coping fine, and hubby was being an absolute gem. Around 8:30 am, I asked Jyl to check me again so I could see what kind of progress was happening. I was toying with her breaking my water and just getting the show on the road. She informed me I was 7-8 cm, quite stretchy, and I told her to go ahead and break my water. Lucy still stayed sky high after my water was broken. I put on my Depends (awesome for laboring with your water broken) and we kept on.

Jose was such an amazing support.

My labor continued to slow, rather than pick up, after my water was broken. I labored in the pool, in the shower some, tried being on the ball in the living room (which I hated- I couldn't sit at all during this labor), on the couch, walked around the house (it was too humid and hot to go outside, I would have keeled over), and I was starting to get annoyed. My contractions were maybe every 10 minutes, and not consistent at all. We thought I may be having the post-transition "pause" of labor, where you catch your breath before pushing. I was starting to get tired and annoyed, so we decided to lay down and take a nap. The birth team retreated to the kitchen table to hang, while hubby and I snuggled in our bed and cranked the music. Jose jokes that it's the first time he has fallen asleep during a labor that I didn't get mad.

Nap time

After waking up a half hour or so later, my contractions were doing nothing. Diddly squat, in spite of charging around the house, stomping like a sumo wrestler, doing squats, bouncing on the ball...every 10-15 minutes I would have one that wouldn't even stop my talking. We decided to try the breast pump for a bit to try and stimulate some contractions...

...and that worked like a bleeping charm. After 5 minutes on it, it was as if I started contracting and didn't stop. One, after another, after another, and STRONG. Finally! It was about 10:30 or 11 am by that time, and I was hoping for a baby by lunch time. Jose and I walked across the house from the kids room to our room, and I announced I was hopping in the pool to labor again because my contractions were much stronger and I wanted the relief.

After some time of laboring in the pool, I thought I might feel pushy. I asked Jyl if that was okay, and she said to listen to my body. I tried a few positions pushing in the pool- squatting, reclined, hands and knees, and no matter what I did- it was like this baby was so high she was in my throat and was not going anywhere! I was pushing with all my might, and it was just not budging her. We decided to have Jyl check and see if I had some cervical lip.

 I did, and quite a bit, so it was time to start blowing through contractions and see if the lip would let up. She couldn't get a handle on how big the lip was since I was in the pool when she checked me and couldn't get a good feel. I moaned and blew and cried through contractions. I felt like I was doing something wrong. I felt so annoyed by my labor. The pain was increasing quite a bit and I couldn't get a handle on it. I had called out my birth team and they had been there for almost 5 hours and we didn't have a baby yet (last time, Jyl walked in the door and I was crowning, so this was a huge difference for me), and I felt like I was letting everyone down. I kept feeling like there must have been something I could do, or something I could try...I could not mentally let go and just accept the labor I had. I had been assisting Jyl at too many births; I was trying to manage my own labor, and getting bent out of shape when it was not going how I expected or desired it to, instead of trusting my midwife, my body, and God. I needed to get out of my head, and just deal with the labor I was given, not the labor I wanted!

My birth team continued being amazing. In spite of my whining and moaning way too loudly, they treated me like a queen. They massaged me. They held my hand. They brought cool cloths for my face. A cup would magically appear in front of my face to drink out of with wonderful ice cold water. Warm water would pour down my back during contractions. Jose was exceptionally amazing. Never in my life would I have dreamed that he could have been so good at anticipating my needs. He prayed over me, held me, kissed me, and made me feel so safe.

Hailey, checking on Lucy

Jyl did something that was so vivid in my mind. I was in the pool, crying with Jose, and she came over and held my hand through a contraction, massaging it. It was so comforting. Then she prayed for me, that I would have the stamina I needed and that my body would line up and do what it was supposed to do. It was just what I needed, when I needed it. We decided after that to have me get out of the pool and check and see what was happening with this lip.

By this time, it was coming up on about 12:15 pm. I was still having wicked contractions every 2 or 3 minutes. I laid back on my bed, Jyl checked me, and low and behold- still 7-8 cm. Baby had come down a smidgen, but was still sky high. NO! And now, the baby had moved from being in an good position, to occiput transverse (OT), which was fine, but baby was shifting from being anterior to OT, which could mean she was headed for a posterior position (face up), and we really didn't want that. We decided that I needed to do the "pancake flip," which is a method of laying down through contractions to try and get her to move into an optimal position in the birth canal. I was so discouraged at this point. I needed to pee before I laid in bed for this, and I sat up, and then promptly got sick. Thank God for a trash can close. My birth team held the trash, held my hair, rubbed my back, and gave me wet cloths to wipe my mouth out. I heaved and heaved and heaved into the trash. Every time I heaved I felt a gush of fluid. Finally, when I was done, I was able to get up and head to the potty.

 I peed, and after I stood with Jose in the bathroom and wept. It was 12:30 pm.  I was 7-8 cm. I had been since about 8 am. I was tired, frustrated, and so emotional. We prayed again. Jyl came in to the bathroom with us and we talked about our options. I was so defeated in spirit. I felt like my labor was completely ineffective, I wasn't going anywhere dilation-wise, my baby was turning from a good position to a not so good one, and I was going to surely end up at the hospital having a cesarean or something ridiculous. I let my mind take over, instead of focusing on my prize at the end. I decided to head to bed with Jose and try and get Lucy to shift into a better position, and Jyl went back to the kitchen table with Rachael and Hailey. I think she was debating leaving me because my labor had stalled, and coming back when there was more action.

Jose and I knelt beside the bed and I asked him to pray for me first. After he was done, I laid down on my right side at about 12:45 pm. Jose was right behind me, rubbing my back. I had tears in my eyes, the music played, and I prayed to God. I didn't know what else to do, so the Holy Spirit took over. I didn't have much left to give, I was spent, and just completely OVER being in labor. I blew and moaned through one contraction (contraction #1)

The next contraction (#2) came about 3 minutes later. I blewandmoanedandblewandmoaned and then suddenly I felt my self grunting. I was trying so hard not to let my self push because 15 minutes before that I was not anywhere near being ready to push. I couldn't help it. I groaned to Jose that I either needed him to help me get to the bathroom to poop, or I was going to have a baby right then. Jyl, Hailey, and Rachael could all hear me go from moaning to grunting and pushing and then yelling and came right in. I was on my side previously, and roared myself up onto my hands and knees on the bed.

 I had my trusty Depends on still from my water being broken, and Jyl was trying to help slide them off so she could get a peek and see what in tarnation was I bellowing about. I swatted her hand away and yelled, "NO!" at her. I grunted to Jose to just rip them off since I couldn't move. Trauma nurse training pays off- he had those suckers ripped off in 2 seconds. Jyl asked if I wanted to jump into the pool and have my water birth. I retorted that I was staying on the bed, since I was physically not capable of moving at that point.

Another contraction (#3) came and I could feel Lucy literally thunk into my birth canal. Total fetal ejection reflex; I was not able to control any of it. It was just happening. I was bellowing like a crazy woman, and Jyl was yelling at me to slow down pushing because I was going to tear, and I told her I couldn't slow down, because I couldn't control it. Pushing was completely involuntary. By the end of that contraction, Lucy's head was out, and I remained on my hands and knees.

 Jyl let me know her head was delivered and to let her restitute and turn. Jose was at my head, helping me stay calm, so he couldn't see what was going on. Afterwards, Jose was looking at the pictures, and had his mouth hanging open. He said it looked intense, and that was after him seeing a ton of births. I can agree- it was an intense way to deliver.

The next contraction (#4), Jyl caught Lucy at 1:02 pm.  The first thing out of my mouth was, "Is she really a girl?!" Since I was on hands and knees, she slide Lucy between my knees up towards me so I could see for myself. I was beyond excited. I laid on my side on the bed, and said, "Give me my baby!"

 I went to pull her up and put her on my chest, and all of the sudden, Jyl and Hailey were saying not to pull her too far- she had a true knot in her cord, and we didn't want to have it pull tight. All through labor, her heart rate was consistently great- we never knew her cord was knotted! Praise God that He protected her. Jyl, Hailey, and Jose made quick work of cutting the cord since my placenta was already delivering itself after a few minutes. Daddy had the honor of setting her free.

A true cord knot

Jose was handed Lucy so I could get maneuvered up to the head of the bed, and he did some skin to skin time with her to keep her warm until he could hand her back to me. I was almost going to delete the photo below, but Jose loves it, because it shows all the reality of what a home birth looks like.  Birth pool in the back, messy bed, chucks pads, and a daddy in love with his baby girl.

So in case you weren't keeping track, in 32 minutes I went from the complete bottom of the valley, to the top of the mountain. I only pushed for 3 contractions- and even then, *I* didn't really even push, it was my body. God was so good in hearing our prayers and getting me to finally dilate and have Lucy come meet us, because I was not able to hang on much longer! We did skin to skin immediately after while Jyl checked if I needed any sutures.

Skin to skin 

 No stitches were needed. Daddy snapped a quick picture and texted our families to let them know Lucy was here safe and sound. My birth team fixed me hot tea and honey, and then Jose fixed me lunch and fed me in bed while I nursed Lucy for the first time- she latched at about 30 minutes old and has never looked back. I got to spend some time getting to know my first girl.

Letting everyone know Lucy's here!

First latch

Getting to know our girl

Jose had some skin to skin time with Lucy while I got showered up. Then, it was time for Lucy to get examined.

This picture makes me fall in love with him all over again

Up, up, and away! 

Newborn exam  

Lucy Edith Molinuevo was born at 1:02 pm on Sunday, August 31st. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz and was 21" long. We are so, so grateful for her, for our amazing birth team, and for the Lord's provision and answer to prayer in bringing our first daughter Earthside.

The Redeeming Birth of Jordi David

Eleven days after the birth of Jordi, I am sitting here grinning about how amazing the actual event of having a baby can be. I have had a totally redeeming experience.

 After horribly traumatic experience birthing Levi, I knew that I would not be having our next child in the hospital. The birth story for him was painful for me to write; I was in physical agony for a few weeks after receiving 45 minutes+ and three packets of suturing material to my most tender of areas (which was started without any lidocaine- I had to ask for it, and the physician laughed), but I was also emotionally exhausted. You see, Jose and I had to be on the defense the whole entire time of labor. From the office wanting to admit me hours before I was in real, active labor, to me refusing pitocin multiple times so the MD could "get me delivered" and head home, to the insanely rude nursing staff whom I had to ask multiple times to nurse my baby, it was all a complete nightmare.

We tossed around the idea of a home birth with Levi, and Jose was just not comfortable with it. But after our experience last time, Jose said he would never again question my judgement when it came to where/how/with whom to birth our future kids. So when we found out we were pregnant with Jordi, we made a few phone calls and forged ahead into home birth territory- something neither of us will ever regret!

It's hard for me to pinpoint when actual labor began. With Micah, I woke up at 3 am on a Tuesday morning with contractions every 5 minutes apart, and they never ceased until he was born at 11:30 am on Thursday. That made for more than 2 days of laboring, and close to 32 hours of active, 2 minutes apart contractions. Everything was very definite. Levi was the same deal- woke up at 5 am in labor, had him at 1:58 the next morning. Labor never really stopped, and was about 20 hours total.

Jordi decided to make things very, very different for me. I shouldn't have every questioned that things would be different; after all, Jose and I bathed this whole birth in prayer during the pregnancy. I had contractions off and on a few days before "the day," but they would last around 6 hours and taper off. And they were never the real deal, breathe-and-focus contractions. But on Sunday the 7th, I knew I was done being pregnant and that Monday, October 8th, I would meet my baby. I even joked about it to Jose's mom. She was going to clean a house with my brother-in-law early in the day, and she had asked him if he was "ready for tomorrow"- I laughed and said to her "no, the question is are YOU ready for tomorrow, because I am having a baby!" We all laughed about it, and then she said please don't go into labor until after she finished.

I woke up at 5 am contracting every 7 minutes. They were those giddy, excited, easy contractions- early labor stuff. I finally got out of bed about 6 am and started my day baking and getting things ready for Micah to head to school. I decided to wake Jose up at 6:30 am the best way I knew how- letting him know that I was in labor, and that if he wanted to get frisky, now was the last time he could for the next 4 weeks or so (hah!). Besides, I needed a little help to get labor moving along faster :) We woke Micah up at 7 for school, then made some phone calls and let everyone know that today would be the day, we just didn't know when.

Contractions "piddled" as my midwife Jyl would say until around 10:30 am, when I got a break. They dropped off to every 15-20 minutes, and I decided to get some rest in since I knew they would pick back up later. I lost my plug the night before, but hadn't had my water break or had any other signs that things were speeding up. I had Jose check me because I was getting a little on the discouraged side. I was only 2-3 cm, so I just took the cue to take a nap, and told Jyl I would call her later when things were speeding up. Jose helped me set up the birthing pool and fill it with water, because I knew I wouldn't want to be doing it later when things were rockin' and rollin'. I kept my birth playlist on all day, keeping myself focused on the promises of God and knowing that we had committed this day to prayer for nine months.

Contractions eventually pretty much came to a grinding halt. Jon Foreman's song, House of God Forever, rang through the house. It quotes Psalm 23, and put my heart at ease. I put Levi down for a nap, made 2 loaves of wheat bread and a batch of cran-raisin-oatmeal cookies, and Jose, Micah, and our brother-in-laws Ian and Paul went on a hike after Micah got out of school. They left the house around 2 pm with not a blip on the horizon of labor. I laid down, and about half an hour after they left, contractions started back up again. Of course. While the house was so quiet I decided to pray, clear my head by writing my last pregnant thoughts, and prep for dinner.

The guys got back around 4:30 pm, and I contracted about ever 5-7 minutes, but nothing exciting. I was up making dinner, talking, walking around, folding laundry... still convinces that it was all the prelabor show and that I was probably only 2-3 cm. We ate dinner, bathed the kids, and they were in bed as though nothing was out of the norm by about 8 pm.

My only clue that things were happening was that the contractions were slightly more intense over the last few hours. One of my best friend's mom and Micah's teacher, Pam, called at 8 pm to see how things were going. I told her it was a little early to tell, but that "we'll probably have a baby by morning." I was convinced that this was going to be another days-long process, and because my contractions were so easy, that I wasn't into the real thick of things yet.

At 8:30, I had Jose call his mom and have her come over to spend the night. I didn't want to have to yank anyone out of bed to drive to our house in the wee hours of the night (since I thought it would take that long), and she was designated to be in charge of the kids. I tried to watch 30 Rock with Jose, but I couldn't sit still. I HAD to be standing up, rocking my hips during contractions. No exercise ball, no lying on my side, just had to be standing. She arrived at our house shortly after 9 pm, and we decided to go on a walk. I had still been talking to our midwife, Jyl, off and on during this whole time. I had also been talking to my sisters, Michaela and Christa, all day, as they wanted to be there for the birth as well.

In the time we walked from our house to the end of the block (about 6 houses down), my contractions changed from every 4-5 minutes, to 3 good, solid, moan-your-way-through contractions, then every 2-3 minutes. We turned around because it was insanely humid, and I was getting nauseated. I got in the shower to rinse off, and the contractions stayed every 2-3 minutes apart. I rocked and moaned, Jose either standing in front of me rubbing my head, or behind pressing on my hips and putting counter pressure on my sacrum. He was amazing. I didn't need to tell him what I needed, he just did it. He was my total rock through all of this.

I called Jyl after I got out of the shower and asked if it was alright if I get in the tub. My labor was really kicking in from about 9 pm when we went on the walk, and I was afraid that it would stall if I got in the tub. Only about 45 minutes had passed- it was about 9:45 Jose's mom sat on the couch watching Dancing With The Stars, and doing a word search book. She was completely oblivious to what was going on. I talked to Jyl on the phone, and she told me not to worry about it, to go ahead and get in, and that she would start getting ready to come on over. It was about  Jyl only lives about 10 minutes from our house, and her assistants would be en route, too.

I went to the bathroom, and while sitting on the toilet, got SUPER nauseated. I should have known I was in transition (those last few centimeters)- looking back, I know! I was handling the contractions so well, and I didn't have one tiny bit of bloody show yet, so I had my self convinced that it would be hours yet until we would start seeing any baby progress. Jose was also so supportive that I wasn't questioning anything that was going on, just making it through each contraction and then focusing on what to do next.

I got into the birthing tub about 10 pm, and WOW, was it relaxing. I should have spent more time in there! The warm water felt amazing. I had Jose turn the jets on, but it was just too much stimulus for me. We turned them off, and I knelt in the tub, leaning on the side wall. Coldplay "Fix You" was on. Jose sat directly in front of me on our bed, pouring warm water on my back during contractions and telling me really reaffirming things... "You're beautiful," "you're doing great, baby," "the baby is coming," things like that. He really kept my head in the game. I had Jose call my sisters and tell them to come on. We were going to wait for Jyl to get there and let me know how far I was, but I felt like they should just come.

Fast forward (literally, it was really fast!) fifteen minutes. We had only talked to Jyl about 25 minutes previous. I started getting the urge to push. That uncontrollable, my body won't take no for an answer, "I need to push now" kind of feeling. I told Jose, "call Jyl NOW." He says "what should I tell her?" I could only grunt out, "just call," and he figured it out. Jose goes to the white board outside our room and gets the emergency sheet of what to do in case she can't make it. Jyl picked up and Jose asked where she was in relation to our house. One street over.

I started to push again with the next contraction, and my water broke. He told Jyl I was feeling pushy and my water broke. He hung up and came back to me to keep me focused. I wasn't speaking a whole lot at that point, just doing what I had to do. I was panting between contractions, trying to wait for Jyl to come in the door. I reached back and felt everything bulging. The head was not quite there yet, but coming. After the next push, I had Jose feel if the head was descending or not. I was kneeling, arms grabbing the side of the pool, and I was biting the side of the pool to keep from pushing. He actually felt a little too firmly- the head had descended, and Jose pushed him back up. That was the one time I got a little testy- I yelped and told him not to touch me.

I heard the doorbell ring- Jose had locked the door when we came in from the walk! Jose ran from our bedroom to the front door, let Jyl in, and they both came rushing back into our room. Jose's mom was still on the couch, completely engrossed in the word puzzle book, and NO clue what was going on because I was so quiet. Jyl came to my side, gloved up, and let me know that his head was pretty much crowning; she had me breathe and let his head rotate. Then she basically says to Jose, "well, put your hands back here dad, get in here!" Jose was so excited at the chance to catch his baby. He jumped in the pool with me, and at 10:32 pm, Jordi David Molinuevo was born into Jose and Jyl's hands.

I yelled for Jose's mom to come, and she came running in, saying "what happened?!" I just held up Jordi, and she was in shock that it was over so quickly. She had only been at our house just over an hour! I heard the front door open, and Jyl's assistants, Danielle and Jen, walked in the door. I apologized that they had missed it, but I couldn't wait! Just another minute passed, and Christa and Michaela walked in the door with my brother-in-laws. Ian, Michaela's husband, is a photographer- he walked in with his camera (after getting my permission, of course) and just started snapping. The pictures are beyond words, and you can see them here. My labor playlist had been playing the whole time, and the song that came on was perfect- "para, para, paradise..." Coldplay always comes through.

Micah woke up at the same time as this to use the restroom, and Jose's mom asked if he could come in. We let him, and after the cord stopped pulsating, he got to cut the cord with Jose's help. It was a magical moment. The next song that came through was by Ascend The Hill, their take on "How Great Thou Art"- probably my favorite version ever. What a witness to everything that had happened!


Some more family came in unexpectedly, and after a few minutes, Jyl kicked everyone out and helped me get out of the pool, cleaned up, and settled into bed. Jordi was happy to nurse away. We had a good hour or so of just family time and letting him settle in. Jyl's assistants took my vitals as well as Jordi's, and Christa brought me gatorade and clam chowder to get my strength back up.

Our family members left shortly afterwards, and Micah got put to bed. I took a quick shower under Jose's watch. Then, Jose got to weigh Jordi and Jyl did his newborn exam. Once Jyl was sure both Jordi and I were recovering well, she and her assistants packed up and headed home. By 1 am, we were all alone, tucked into our bed, our first night as a family.

Levi slept through everything. In the morning, Micah and Levi came into our bed with Jose, Jordi, and I, and we introduced him.

As long as I never have a risky pregnancy or anything of concern with baby, I will most likely never deliver in a hospital again. It was so magical delivering at home. Such an atmosphere of love, quiet, peace, and respect. Jordi is so different, and was right from the start- and I believe it's because his birth was so surrounded with love, patience, respect, and reverence. There was no being whisked away, cord cut, scrubbed, blinded from ointments and poked for vaccinations, then given back thoroughly exhausted and discombobulated. Jose says he wishes that we would have had this opportunity to do it with all our kids. But hey- you live, you learn, you make adjustments, and once you know about something so great- you cherish it.

Last Week of the Second Trimester!

How Far Am I: 27 weeks pregnant today! Our baby is roughly the size of a cauliflower. I, on the other hand, am not.

Baby's Gender: Most likely a boy, but surprises have happened before :) We are anticipating a boy based on the last ultrasound, not looking again because we don't want to expose our little one to too much radiation unnecessarily, and if we have a surprise...wahoo for that too!

How Much Weight Have I Gained: +7 lbs total. I gained 2 lbs in the last 4 weeks. So far, my weight gain has been on target. My previous pregnancies I gained a total of 12 and 15 lbs respectively, and I am being extra careful not to go overboard this time around either.

Cravings: None whatsoever. Other than a piece of chocolate now and then...but isn't that most women, regardless of their womb status?! That, and fresh fruits/veggies. It's summer, so snap peas, cherries, and peaches are on the counter frequently to snack on.

Baby Movement: This baby is not as active in an, "I emulate a ninja" sort of way. Micah and Levi were both killer to my bladder and rib cage. Maybe I am just not far enough for this baby to be really wreaking havoc, but he (possibly she) seems much more mellow. Plenty of movement, just not so, how should I say, rambunctious.

Body Changes: My belly is starting to itch once in a while from the skin stretching, but I am combating that with coconut oil and lotion pretty often. I use face and eye cream, so after my shower at night, the rest of me just gets slathered up. I am having less round ligament pain, but am having to shift more at night while sleeping. I have had one or two little twinges of sciatic pain, which happened in the latter segments with both of our other kiddos, but both times it was from lifting things. Other than that, the only real complaint that I have is I am HOT! I have never been in the tail end of my pregnancy when it has been so hot (December and January kiddos), and I swear- I have never sweat so much in my life. By the way- I passed my OGTT with flying colors (my glucose was 87 at the one hour mark), and my hemoglobin was great- not anemic- so things are going well! My endocrinologist is monitoring my synthetic thyroid medication well, and I am currently taking prenatal vitamins, calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, probiotics, and occasional iron supplements. Hopefully my nutritional work will pay off and keep any harm from coming our way.

26 1/2 week bump

Sleep Habits: I am tired quite a bit lately. Keeping up with everything at home, two rugrats, being pregnant, and breastfeeding still definitely wears me out. I am mentally ready to hit the sack around 10 or earlier, but my body being so hot...tossing and turning...it seems I can't fall asleep until close to midnight. Jose is moving to day shift starting the week of July 24th, so hopefully having him home consistently at night will help me sleep a little deeper.

What Micah (5) /Levi (16 mos) Think of the Baby: Micah has been given the job (if he is present during the birth) of announcing the sex of the baby, and telling me what color the baby's hair is when they are descending. I figured that giving him a job to do would help take any "scariness" out of it, and make him feel important and included in the event if he is here. He is quite excited about that.

The bump is definitely more pronounced with Levi perched on top!

Baby Prep So Far: I started today on sewing more baby wipes (I got a good deal on flannel at Target). It's the first step of MANY that need to take place. I don't think it's quite set in that in 10-14 weeks or so we will be adding a family member. We also need to order new car seats that will fit in to the back seat of our Escort. The SUV is in the process of being sold (please pray it sells!), and if we don't have a bigger vehicle by the time baby comes, we will all be cramming in the little blue car. We were able to find great steel-framed car seats (VERY durable) that are much skinnier than average car seats, so our back seat will accommodate them. It's just a matter of deciding if we want to do the whole infant seat thing again, or just go with the one that is rear or forward facing for long term use. Decisions, decisions.

Birth Prep: More reading, more praying, more stocking my head full of positive birth stories/ scriptures/ affirmations to remember during labor. I have the exercise ball blown up and I am sitting on it and stretching every day. I ordered a new pregnancy Pilates video that will be here next week- I am SO excited about it. I really want my core, back, and pelvis to be in the best shape possible to aid in natural delivery. I have yet to clean our room out and rearrange things, but I am sure that will come in time. We are almost half way on paying down our home birth sum, which is exciting for us. We are having to cut a lot of expenses in order to come up with the money for our birth choice, but we really feel it's worth it. You put your money, time, and efforts towards things that are important to you. And this is something truly important to me.

Name Ideas: We are flip flopping. I have a friend who delivered her baby today, and he is still not named. I have a feeling that will be our situation in the near future. Jose and I are currently on the following trend, and it's likely to change by tomorrow:

• Jordi David- Jordi is a Spanish variation of Jordan. The name means "descending," and is significant in the Bible as being the place that Jesus was baptized...that John baptized...that feeds the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea...where Joshua crossed to Jericho... and so much more. It is an cherished resource for those living near it. We also thought it was fitting because our midwife Jyl's practice is Descending Dove Midwifery Services. We thought we could honor our first home birth with her, as well as pray for a baby that descends supernaturally, quickly, and with relative ease. (Jose's input- Jordi Alba was instrumental in Spain's winning the Euro Cup last month too). David traditionally means "beloved" in Hebrew. It would be a nod to King David, a man with faults, but still a man after God's own heart, as well as after a dear friend of ours- we cherish his friendship like he is a brother, and look up to his walk with the Lord.
• Jordi Iker: Again, Jordi for the above reasons, and Iker (pronounced "eeek-air" in Spanish)... well, because Jose has always loved the name, and because Iker Casillas is Spain's one-of-a-kind keeper.
• Luka Cristiano- Luka means "bringer of light," and Cristiano means "bearer of Christ". Enough said- we want our child to emulate both of those things
• Noah Declan- Noah means "peaceful; restful one," (who WOULDN'T want that in a child?!) and Declan is an Irish name meaning "man of prayer." Again, pretty self-explanatory.

We have a girl name picked out just as a back up: Nora Celeste Molinuevo. My dad made fun of Celeste because it rhymes with incest and molest, but Mom and Dad had the chance to name us weird names, and now we have ours. I mean, the only other Janece's I have ever met are black. I give the other Janece's props, because they are the only people who ever say my name right on the first time without me pronouncing it.


Plus Sized, Nursing, and Pregnant:  I have never been one to wear dresses. Or shave my legs very often because of the above reason. But because it's SO darn hot (like over 90 every day), and I have only 2 pairs of shorts that I can wear, I am wearing dresses more. The shorts are too hideous to really wear anywhere other than the grocery store, so when I put on the dresses, Jose is always telling me how cute I look with the belly, and that he feels bad that he's not dressed up. I don't want to be dressed up, and I don't feel like I look cute- I feel like an overheating walrus- but it's so nice to hear from him. As for nursing, Levi is pretty much weaning him self. He nurses anywhere from 0-3 times a day, and not always for nap or bed time. For the most part, he lets me know when he needs it, and it's not ever for more than a few minutes (sometimes 30 seconds or less) and he is done. I think at this point it's more for security and checking in with me than anything. He just wants reassured that if he wants to he can, and that mommy is not going to leave him. I have a feeling that when the new baby brings him the gift of milk again, he will pick right back up. But again, I am letting him go at his own pace, and not pushing him to wean or to nurse more frequently. One day at a time, friends.

Creating Your Birth Plan

A few weeks ago, I was asked to help teach a class at our local CareNet, which is a Christ-centered crisis pregnancy center. There was two topics for me to teach that night: Creating Your Birth Plan, and Coping Measures During Labor. Tonight, I give you the first section that I wrote. SO much to think about!

Creating Your Birth Plan

What is a birth plan? Put plain and simple, a birth plan is a way to communicate your wishes to the doctors, nurses, and midwives who will care for you during labor and delivery. It is not something that is set in stone; it simply lets them know your preferences. Remember that things can (and sometimes do) go wrong, and it is important to try and be flexible when that happens in order to best protect your wellbeing and your baby’s. It is something that is optional, not required, for you to bring with you to the hospital. It is best to start writing your plan and have your preferences figured out BEFORE you go in to labor! If you are unsure about a certain procedure during labor and delivery, be sure to ask your midwife or doctor.


How do I prepare to write one?
The best way is to do your research before you write one. Ask questions to women you know and trust will give you good advice about child birth. Stay away from seeking opinions from women you know who will only give you horror stories about their birth. Research what interventions are commonly done at hospitals or birthing centers in your area (epidurals, episiotomies, C-sections, forceps, IV accesses, external fetal monitoring, and the like). An intervention is anything that does not occur during natural, healthy delivery. For example, Lawnwood Regional Medical Center has a 44% cesarean section rate, and most area hospitals are close to 100% on the intervention rate: you can't even get away without an IV unless you sign an "Against Medical Advice" (AMA) waiver. Again, if you don’t understand much about a procedure, then ask! Once you understand what an intervention is, what it’s risks or benefits are, and how they affect your labor, you can make a better decision about if it’s right for you and your baby. Also remember to talk with the people you plan on having with you during labor. Your husband or support partner may have opinions about how he or she thinks labor should go. It’s a team effort to have a baby!


What should I include in my plan?

• First, decide where you want to have your baby. A birthing center, a hospital, or a homebirth with a midwife? There are many options to choose from. Take in to consideration your health during pregnancy, as well as the baby’s health.

• Next, you may wish to discuss who you want to be with you for support during your labor. Most hospitals will not limit you as to who you want present during labor and delivery, unless you are in an operating room for a C-section (then it’s one person). Words to the wise- don’t invite more than a couple of people to be with you. It can turn in to a competition for your attention, and take your focus off what you need to accomplish.

• Talk about positions for labor and birth with your midwife or doctor. Would you prefer to be on your side? Walking? Upright with pillows behind you? On a birth ball? Rocking chair? In the shower or tub (my personal favorite)? The possibilities are endless, provided your care provider is on board with you. Your preferences may change depending on how the baby is positioned in the birth canal. Talk with your provider about what options are open to you.

• Discuss the atmosphere you want during labor. Did you know you can bring music with you? Have the lights dim? Do you want to bring your own pillows or blanket for comfort? Do you want to wear your own clothes or a hospital gown? Are you allowed to be mobile, to help speed along delivery? Will you want to incorporate a certain childbirth technique (Bradley, Lamaze, hypnobirth, etc)? Do you wish to be allowed to eat lightly or drink?

• Pain relief is a huge topic. Would you like to have your baby without any pain medication? Do you want to consider IV pain medication, or do you want an epidural? Remember- there are many things to take into consideration regarding the baby and your health if you want to have pain medication. Any pain medication you have WILL be passed to your baby through the placenta. If you plan on breastfeeding, it may affect how awake your baby is and his or her ability to breastfeed during the first few hours.

• Speeding up labor is sometimes necessary if the baby is in distress, but often times used much more casually. Many times a mom will be given Pitocin to speed up her contractions. This can also make labor much more painful, and can cause unnecessary complications due to a doctor being impatient. Be sure to discuss with your doctor or midwife when they would use Pitocin, what the risks and benefits are, and that they are not just using it so they can get home to their families.

• You will most likely have you and your baby’s heart rate monitored during labor. Discuss how you feel about external fetal monitoring, internal fetal monitoring, or Doppler monitoring.

• Discuss how you feel about assistance during pushing- this includes having a forceps delivery (basically using tongs to help pull the head out), an episiotomy (an incision made to the surrounding skin to make it wider for the head), a vacuum delivery (having a vacuum suck the baby’s head out), and other interventions. Research the risks, benefits, and why you would need to have any of these included in birth. Decide whether you would rather allow your self to tear if need be, or to have an episiotomy done.

• Discuss with your provider what positions you will be able to push in. Depending on the provider and the baby's position in the birth canal, having the freedom to push in a position that is not what you see on TV can greatly ease your pushing. Pushing in the water, using a birthing stool, being on your hands and knees, or being upright/semi-squatting with someone to support behind you can all be effective in pushing your baby out.

• Talk about skin to skin contact after birth, whether you have a C-section or vaginal birth. Some providers encourage it, and some you have to ask. It greatly helps to regulate the baby’s body temperature, helps to promote bonding between you and baby, helps to regulate the baby's heart beat after birth, and also helps to stimulate breast milk production. Side note: After my first birth, I was actually chastised by a nurse at the local hospital for skin to skin contact after birth, being told that my baby would end up "sick" if I didn't put some clothes on him. His temperature was perfect (imagine that!) from my body heat and the fuzzy blanket on top of him. Sometimes you do have to educate the health care professionals around you- of course, in a non -confrontational way.

• If you have a C-section, discuss where you would like to have the baby after birth. If the baby is recovering well, would you like to have the baby with you? Or would you prefer to have a family member go with the baby to the nursery?

• Decide what you would like to happen immediately after the birth. Is there a special person you wish to have the honor of cutting the cord? I recommend asking that the cord not be cut until it stops pulsating, so the baby can recieve all of it's blood from the placenta. Do you want to bank any of the baby's cord blood? Speaking of the placenta, do you wish anything to be done to it? Some people wish for it to be discarded, or to take it home and plant it under a tree, or do something else ceremonially with it.

• Make and educated decision about how you wish to feed your baby. There is no right or wrong way to feed your baby, but there are definite benefits to breastfeeding that bottle feeding does not compare with. If you decide to breastfeed, ask for help from the nurses to breastfeed your baby within the baby's first hour of life, if possible. It's called "the golden hour," and babies that are able to latch on in this time period do significantly better.

• Next, talk about whether you want your baby to room in with you or stay in the nursery. Most mothers today wish to keep their babies with them, but if you need some rest, you can ask that the nursery keep your baby and bring him or her to you when the baby is ready to be fed. Keeping baby with you will help cement your bond and kick those maternal instincts in. Don't be afraid to ask for your baby, you worked hard to get them here!

Remember, a doctor or midwife is someone that you choose, effectively "hire," and if you do not feel comfortable with the way that they practice in the delivery room, or the way that you will be managed during labor, it is OKAY to seek out a different doctor or midwife. Being comfortable and not having to fear about the way a provider will treat you during birth can greatly effect the outcome of your birth. You can be as in control of your birth as you want to be (provided you and baby are laboring in a safe, healthy way), and don't forget to speak up for your self!

She'll be comin round the mountain...

I am finally, finally sitting here with children in bed, ready to process thoughts, after 6 long weeks of nausea, occasional throwing up, and being fatigued like nobodies business. It's been a long mountain to come 'round, but you can see my chariot pulling along...

Today marks the 12 week, good bye First Trimester, hello Second Trimester, finally feeling decent phase! I am owning and praying and hoping the previous statement. I hope to actually be churning out some decent material in the coming weeks. Sorry for the lack of blogging- my hubby was getting on me about it even- but between him working nights, traveling cross country for my grandmother's memorial service, chasing two kids under six years old, and being PREGNANT (hello!) I have been, say, slightly busy at times. I plan on putting up pregnancy updates like I did during Levi's pregnancy, but tonight will include a little of everything and answering questions that people have been raising to me quite frequently over the last two months since we announced a pumpkin coming to the patch.

Aren't you freaking out about having another mouth to feed? This is almost word for word what came out of a friend's mouth two weeks ago after finding out we are expecting. And the answer is, not in the least! We are excited. We consider having children to be on of God's greatest blessings. No, it wasn't super unexpected- we were not trying, but not preventing. Just letting God be in control and trusting. Yes, we know how this happened- apparently we are pretty good at it. And no, I am not getting a job again. We had a pretty firm "It's time for you to stay home, Jay," coming from both of us, and we have made it the last year on one salary just fine. There isn't really any excess, but we are having our needs met and that's all that matters. I don't want to worry about feeding teenagers; I just want to take one day at a time. I breastfeed, so there is no formula to pay for, and we use cloth diapers, which are for the most part completely paid for, and I will use them on our next child. So there really isn't a whole lot of expenses adding up.


Wait, you're planning on nursing? And you're still nursing this one? What?! Yes, and yes. Other than the first few hellish weeks, it gets a LOT better and for me, is way easier. I also know exactly what my child is taking in- the absolute best. With our firstborn, Micah, I only lasted 8 weeks and then he was weaned for a number of reasons, but this time around we are going strong and Levi is 15 months. I don't anticipate any problems. Levi has cut way back on the amount he nurses, and if he decides to completely wean during pregnancy, I won't be heart broken about it. If he does continue, I don't have any problem with tandem nursing. God gave you two boobs, it's not the end of the world :) Besides, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least 2 years, and after that as long as both baby and mother are content.

Are you finding out what you're having? Absolutely. I could have a surprise if we already had a girl and had stuff on hand for both, but at this point in my life, I feel like I just want to be as prepared as possible.

Wow...maternity clothes already...Unfortunately, yes. Your body's ligaments and core muscles are already stretched from the first time around, so you show much earlier with each consecutive pregnancy. Micah's baby bump required maternity jeans around 18 weeks. Levi's needed  little more give around 12 weeks. And this time, after 8 weeks I said heck with it. The rubber band trick just isn't cutting it! I haven't gained any weight- in fact, I lost a little, and am still down about 6ish pounds, but just can't fit the jeans from the belly pouch. And I am a belly sleeper! It's starting to get uncomfortable to sleep, so bring on the pillows.

Are you having a shower? A few people have asked me about this, and to be honest, I have no idea. I was always told it was tacky or made you look desperate having a shower after your first baby. That you knew what you were getting into getting pregnant, and you should have looked at your expenses.  But on the other hand, I have had LOTS of friends that have had showers with even 4+ kids. We'll see. If you really want to get us something, I wouldn't turn you down, hah! There are a few things that we will need, but no hugely necessary items right now. Cloth diapering stuff/gift cards to my cloth diaper retailer would be great. Also, we are going to be in need of a new vehicle that can actually fit 2 car seats and a booster, since our current vehicle won't. (I don't expect any one to donate for us getting a vehicle any more than I expect money to fall from the sky into my hand.) And if it's a girl, than of course frilly cute clothes. But for now, I can't tell you if there is going to be anything official or not.

You're....HOMEBIRTH planning? Isn't that dangerous/messy/totally hippy earth mother stuff? Yes, we are planning a home birth with an amazing CNM/ARNP who has almost as many years experience as I have been around. She worked in the military as well as hospitals for many years before becoming tired of the system running over a woman's ability to naturally birth, and did the smart thing and got out. I am a low risk patient- I have had 2 pretty uneventful pregnancies, and pretty uneventful deliveries. I understand there is no pain medicine at home. I didn't have an epidural with either birth, and if I am able to move and be in the bath or shower, if will help the pain greatly. It is perfectly safe; the midwife brings everything short of surgery to the house. And if something happens, I am about 15 minutes to the nearest hospital. It would take that long being in hospital to get an OR prepped if an emergency arose, so I am not too concerned. Another aspect of being prepared for a home birth is that you have extremely thorough prenatal care- much more than the 5 minutes an MD would give you at almost any OBGYN office in the country. Emphasis is placed on healthy lifestyle for mom to produce a healthy baby and an uneventful delivery. Please, if you are concerned, ask me about it, but if you want to bash my husband and I's decision before knowing fully why we are choosing the route we are, keep it to your self. No, I don't plan on eating my placenta for now, I am not a hippy, I don't consider it dangerous with the proper precautions taken, and it's not that messy. Everything is clean before the midwife leaves.

How in the world are you and Jose handling everything? Truth is, we take it one day at a time. It's the only way to handle it- if I look at the big picture, it's all a crazy, messy blur that I can't make out. We are, however, carving out a significant chunk of alone time for the first time in almost a year and a half. We have never left Levi for a night, and Micah has spent a night or two away in the last year, so it's seriously time. We are trying to go on a cruise for the first time ever the week after Easter. And if the finances just can't swing it, than we will just try and priceline a hotel and go away for at least a night or two. The last two times we have attempted something like this, things with the kids or work got in the way and we ended up going to the mall one time and Chili's another. WE NEED TO GET OUT! If we don't before the new baby comes, we won't for the next 2 years. I can see it now...deranged, delusional parents walking around like zombies...

Well, that's all the questions people had for me that I can think of. If you think of anything I forgot, let me know and I will see what I can do :)

The Birth Story...For those of you who know I want a home birth, and think I am crazy, here is why...

So today, two weeks later, I am finally able to sit down at the computer and share with you my birth story. Things did not go as planned, and I am glad that we were able to keep our minds open and just go with it. Being a nurse who often floats to the floor I delivered on, I am well aware of the complications that can happen, and am so thankful that things didn't end up how I thought they would- God was in control the whole time, He just wanted to make sure I knew that! PS-I am not sharing the doc's name or gender, because some of you know who they are, and it was the exact doc that I did not want :)

Thursday morning, 1/27, I woke up to contractions about 5:30 am. I laid in bed, and realized after waking up consistently every so often, that I might be in early labor. I grabbed my phone and started timing- about every 7 minutes apart. I stayed in bed, thinking  "today could be the day", but didn't get Jose up. With our first born, I was in labor thirty something hours. I knew it could take a while. Besides, I had my OB checkup that morning at 9:45.

I got up to use the restroom when the sun came up, was still having contractions every 7 minutes, and decided to get Jose up. We started packing some last minute things, throwing in laundry, and got all the dishes out of the sink. Micah had spent the night at my parent's the night before because I knew they were going to check me, and that's a little uncomfortable with him sitting there :)

We got to the doc a little early, and they put me on the monitor. Of course, my contractions hardly showed up, and as soon as I laid down on the table, they significantly slowed down. The PA checked me, and I was 3cm- "Alright, I'm going to send you over!" I thought she was crazy. Send me to L&D at 3cm?!? Every 7 minutes apart?! I knew my body, and I knew this was going to take a while, so I bargained with her. "Please, I live 15 minutes from Lawnwood. I know I have to have antibiotics during labor. My water has not broken. I PROMISE, if any things changes with my contractions or my water breaks, I will go straight there." She said okay, and told me to head there after lunch if nothing changed. Riiiiiiight. Fat chance of that happening. I wanted a natural labor, and the doctor that was on call was the only one that I did not like, and happens to be quite strict about being in bed, and on the monitor, pretty much the whole time. If I was going to be in labor for hours, I would much rather have been at home in my shower or in my bed, and allowed to eat and drink.

We got some Chipotle for lunch, and headed to the house. I took a bath, sat on my birthing ball, rocked, and tried to relax. My contractions increased to about every 3 minutes apart, and Jose started getting squirrly. By 1-2 pm he did seem like he wanted me staying home much longer, so I agreed to start packing up. We got in the car, and started driving towards Lawnwood, but in the car my contractions slowed again- ever 7-9 minutes or so. I told Jose to head to the ball fields near Lawnwood, and we got out and walked. After about 20 minutes, they were back up to every 3 minutes. We decided I should probably go get checked, but I had a feeling that I was not as far as every one thought. Jose thought my contractions were too close together, and my mom kept telling me that second babies are faster than first ones, so I caved.

After all that walking, we get to the hospital, head upstairs, and there are no clean rooms because so many women are in labor or just delivered. They were cleaning my room, and I was talking to my MD at the nurse's station, and then we decided to go visit my girls on 4th floor. It was so fun to chat with all my coworkers! My PCC was timing my contractions at the desk, and all my friends were there to wish me luck. We headed back downstairs, and at 3:30 the room was finally ready. I got in my gown and got checked- only 3-4 cm! I KNEW I should have stayed home. The doc would not let me leave, wanted me to stay on the monitor for half an hour and watch the baby, and then walk for an hour and see if I progressed. We got a salad (once I was admitted, I knew I would not be allowed anything other than ice chips), and proceeded outside to walk.

We booked around the hospital and all the surrounding streets for an hour, the sun going down, and freezing our butts off (about 55 degrees out). By the time we got upstairs to be checked again at 6:30pm, my nose was running, I was freezing, and contracting every 3 minutes. The doc had left to go home, and the nurse checked my vitals. BP was 130/86, heart rate was 110, and I was 4-5 cm. She called him, and he was concerned about my blood pressure. OF COURSE it was elevated, I had been charging around the hospital, I was freezing, and in the middle of a contraction! Because of that, and the fact that she said I was close to 5 cm, I bought myself a room for the night. And the worst part was- the doc said they were concerned about my blood pressure, and that I was on strict bed rest; and if I didn't start progressing soon, that they were augmenting my labor with Pitocin.

I, at this point, am thoroughly enraged. I basically tell the nurse to recheck my pressure- which was 110/70 after chilling in the room for a while- and ask her to call the doc and see if I can walk. When I was stationary, my contractions slowed way down, and I knew if I could not be up, that I would for sure not progress to "their" standards, and end up on Pitocin, and then end up with an epidural because of the pain. Everything I did NOT want. The doc, after being called back, did not budge, and I was left with the choice of either signing out AMA (against medical advice) and ticking off my doctor, or staying admitted, in the bed, on the monitor, with no freedom to labor as I wished. We ended up staying, because I knew I could not sign out AMA and then face my doc when I came back in- I would end up having a C section because they wanted to smite me :)

I got an IV in after 3 tries, and then I got  my new nurse after shift change, and she had absolutely no personality. She had been there 20+ years, and did not like the fact that other nurses were coming to check on me, that the super knew I was there, and that my husband was a Trauma nurse, and that I was a nurse.  Then the lab came in and blew more veins. My blood hemolyzed, and the lab had to come and draw me again. At this point, it's about 8pm and I am crying like a baby. My contractions have all but stopped, my beautiful labor plan is out the window, my husband is getting angry at my doctor and my nurse. I texted my family with the update, and to please pray that my body would take over and start contracting again so that I would not have to end up with an augmented labor. Jose and I turned down the lights, put on some worship music, and I tried to relax. The nurse gave me until midnight, when she would check me again, as my limit for the Pitocin to start if I had not progressed. I was supposed to be having a friend come watch the birth because she wants to be a midwife, but I had Jose text her and politely tell her no. I only wanted him there, not even my mother, because everything was going wrong.

About 10pm, I started having contractions again about every 5-7 minutes apart. Over the next hour, Jose helped me get up to the restroom about every half hour because I was on fluids (I secretly tried to get up a lot because every  time I was out of bed my contractions sped way up). He fed me ice chips, and rubbed my back, but I knew he was getting tired. He dozed between contractions, and I just woke him up when they got bad. I laid in bed and prayed and prayed and prayed. They were getting stronger- but not strong enough

All of the sudden, about 11pm, I started contracting every 2 minutes, and HARD. Jose was not being much help because he was exhausted, and I was having a really hard time coping with the pain- it was much stronger than with Micah. I was still only about 5-6 cm, and I was starting to cave and possibly want an epidural. I would have never in my life wanted one, but the contractions were every 2 minutes, lasting about 100 seconds, I was getting about a 15-20 second break in between. Then the nurse told me that my white count was too elevated for an epidural. I was ticked, not about the epidural, but because hours before I had asked her how my labs were and she said "everything was fine". I threw up in the bathroom because of the pain, and then asked for some Stadol (an IV pain medication), I asked for only half of the dose (1mg) because I don't do well with pain meds, and had her give me some Zofran with it. The pain medication did nothing for the pain, only made the room spin so bad I had to keep my eyes physically closed. Then it made me start seeing things with my eyes closed- weird colors, like I was inside a kaleidoscope.

Midnight came, and the nurse checked me. I was 6 cm, maybe a hair more. She would run it by the doc, who was there for an emergency C-section of another patient, but she said that my body had progressed enough and they would continue to monitor my pressure, but no Pitocin for now. Thank God! About 12:30, the contractions got really hard. Backtobacktobacktoback. Absolutely no break in between. Jose cut the music, I couldn't stand it any more. I was gritting my teeth and biting my pillow to keep from screaming. Polar opposite from Micah, which was much slower and more controlled. I made fun of women who were vocal during labor because mine was so silent and focused the first time. Now that I look back at this labor, I knew it was because I was in transition, and it was going FAST. I knew about 1 am that I would get a break for about 30 seconds from a contraction, and I asked Jose to help me to the bathroom because I had to go so bad. I sat on the toilet, shaking from the pain, and felt the intense urge to push. I pushed the bathroom door open, and told Jose to get the nurse. "Why?" "Just get the nurse now. I feel like I have to push."

He runs out and gets her, and by then I am already maneuvering back to the bed. He grabs the IV pole, and I get back in. Ms. No Personality nurse waltzed in, and says "I just checked you 40 minutes ago, you can't be ready yet." I retorted back that I was not stupid, and I knew I was ready to push. She checked me, and SURE ENOUGH, I had went from 6-10 cm in about 40 minutes. This is why my pain was so bad, why I was so unable to focus, and so vocal. Then she tells me- "You'll have to blow, the doc is still in the emergency C-section. So I blow. And moan. And blow. And accidentally push, then catch my self and make my self blow. After 15 minutes, I tell her that I can't blow any more, this baby is coming. She gowns up, gets everything ready, and thank God, another nurse walks in to see if the first one needs help. In about 2 minutes, I have Jose holding a leg, the new nurse holding a leg, and No Personality sterile-d up and ready to catch a baby. I am pushing, and Levi is crowning, and lo and behold, the doc walks in, and says "STOP PUSHING!" so that they could gown up and help.

I saw the doc walk in, and grunted "Thanks for joining the party!" Now, I know I should have responded with grace and courtesy, but REALLY? You screw up my whole labor, leave and go home for most of it, and then waltz in at the last possible second and tell me to stop pushing?! Are you crazy?!

No one will tell me what is going on or is speaking at this point, but I know, I just know, that I am probably pooping all over the place. I am pushing with reckless abandon, because I feel like it's the biggest BM of my life. Then, the doc says to stop pushing again, but I can't, and then Jose and the nurses are telling me too, STOP PUSHING! I ask why, and Jose says the head is out. WELL WHY DIDN"T ANY ONE TELL ME?! Of course I would have stopped pushing- I thought I was going to the bathroom everywhere and that's why everyone was silent! I give one final push when asked to, and then Levi is placed on my belly. That cry was the most beautiful sound in the world. I didn't care about pushing for the placenta. Or being sewn up with not enough Lidocaine. Or Ms. No Personality. Or the fact that my ideal birth had been so far from what actually happened. All that mattered was that Levi was there, healthy, and Jose and I had made it. In the end, everything worked out- No Pitocin, No Epidural, Natural birth! It was just in a round about way, and God's hand was over it the whole time.

Levi Mateo: 8 lbs, 5.5oz; Born 1/28/11 at 0158

Levi Mateo Molinuevo was born at 0158 on 1/28/2011, which is his Abuelo's birthday (Jose's dad!) He was a very healthy 8 lbs, 5.5 oz, and 20.5 inches long. We were able to go home the next day and add him to our family!