Holding Pattern
While I'm in the holding pattern for a date for stent placement in my left internal iliac vein, my eldest daughter turned FIVE on Sunday, 9 February.
Yep.
I feel like I'm the parent now who says "where did the time go?!?"
But honestly, the days are LONG AF and the years are short!
For real.
However, my blog post today isn't about the crazy train of staying home full time.
I was going to tell Vera's birth story.
Another crazy train.
My original due date was February 13th, 2015.
But as it we reached February, it was looking like I would deliver closer to 7 February.
I was hoping for a Valentine's baby 💝.
I planned to work until I went into labor. 😐 A decision I look back on like, WHAT?!?! That was crazy!
I was in the OR that Monday with (TWO) lead vests/aprons on assisting with total hips and knees (about 6-8 surgeries). I was getting up at 4am to round on hospital patient's then head to see patients in clinic the rest of the week.
Thankfully, Friday was an "academic day" in our practice and I was able to sit/stand (without a lead apron/vest thank God) the entire day. I was uncomfortable sitting and standing but I felt HUGE at 40 weeks pregnant!
Saturday and most of Sunday passed without anything significant happening so I was planning to go to work on Monday...
Then, Sunday evening around 8pm, I lost my mucus plug (TMI?) and immediately started having contractions. Real ones, not Braxton Hicks type things. They continued to get stronger over the next few hours.
Around midnight, my husband recommended we go to bed.
I agreed and headed off to try and sleep.
By 4am I called my mom. I think I slept a little bit but don't remember.
Oh, I forgot to mention I was staying home to have the baby...
Yep. I'm that lady.
As Jim Gaffigan (comedian) says in one of his shows about home birth and midwives, why? "because we believe in witchcraft".
Not really, but I think it's funny. Watch the show.
OK.
So I've called my mom. Check.
I let people at work know I probably won't be there. Check.
Things were so calm and peaceful.
It was such a phenomenal experience.
Sometime later in the morning we let the midwife know I was in labor.
She came over around noon...only 4cm dilated. Good lord.
Really?!? I guess I had a ways to go.
Oh well, I kept telling myself: "I did an Ironman!"
I just kept treating it like that race.
One contraction at a time.
One of my very good friends came over to photograph the birth, SO thankful for these precious photos! Thanks Kelly 💜
Mary came back around 3pm. My water hadn't broken yet so we talked about a couple different ways to try and naturally break it (I'll spare you the details on that one).
An hour later, still no dice.
At this point I was about 9cm dilated.
So, she broke my water.
Well, I feel a butt she said...
Wait. Wait. What?!
Yes, a butt where the head should be...
Frank Breech
A frank breech is when the baby's bottom is down, but his legs are straight up with his feet near his head. ... At delivery, about 10 percent of breech babies are in a complete breech position.Jan 13, 2018
So...
Then we had to decided if we were going to go to the hospital for c-section.
"I'm not going to do what you all think I'm going to do and totally FLIP OUT!!" -Jerry Maguire
At that point, I was in the part of labor called "transition" and unable to make a decision.
My mom was concerned (of course).
My midwife was confident in delivering at home but ultimately we had to make the decision.
I made my husband decide.
We stayed home.
Two more midwives came over.
It felt like another day went by.
When Mary said it was time, it was go time baby.
9.February.2015. 17:27.
I'm going to be a "girl mom"?!?!?
Gulp.
Fast forward five years.
I have had to do a lot of work to be a girl mom.
I'm serious.
My natural inclination is not towards pink, tutus, high heels, all things that sparkle, etc.
Thankfully God didn't listen to my plans of being a boy mom.
Now I have Sweet Vera Lynn.
I really enjoyed the home birth experience. So much so, that I did it again two and a half years later!
Story for another time 😏
💜 IronTina
Yep.
I feel like I'm the parent now who says "where did the time go?!?"
But honestly, the days are LONG AF and the years are short!
For real.
However, my blog post today isn't about the crazy train of staying home full time.
I was going to tell Vera's birth story.
Another crazy train.
My original due date was February 13th, 2015.
But as it we reached February, it was looking like I would deliver closer to 7 February.
I was hoping for a Valentine's baby 💝.
I planned to work until I went into labor. 😐 A decision I look back on like, WHAT?!?! That was crazy!
I was in the OR that Monday with (TWO) lead vests/aprons on assisting with total hips and knees (about 6-8 surgeries). I was getting up at 4am to round on hospital patient's then head to see patients in clinic the rest of the week.
Thankfully, Friday was an "academic day" in our practice and I was able to sit/stand (without a lead apron/vest thank God) the entire day. I was uncomfortable sitting and standing but I felt HUGE at 40 weeks pregnant!
 |
| Due date 7.February.2015 |
Saturday and most of Sunday passed without anything significant happening so I was planning to go to work on Monday...
Then, Sunday evening around 8pm, I lost my mucus plug (TMI?) and immediately started having contractions. Real ones, not Braxton Hicks type things. They continued to get stronger over the next few hours.
Around midnight, my husband recommended we go to bed.
I agreed and headed off to try and sleep.
By 4am I called my mom. I think I slept a little bit but don't remember.
Oh, I forgot to mention I was staying home to have the baby...
Yep. I'm that lady.
As Jim Gaffigan (comedian) says in one of his shows about home birth and midwives, why? "because we believe in witchcraft".
Not really, but I think it's funny. Watch the show.
OK.
So I've called my mom. Check.
I let people at work know I probably won't be there. Check.
Things were so calm and peaceful.
It was such a phenomenal experience.
Sometime later in the morning we let the midwife know I was in labor.
She came over around noon...only 4cm dilated. Good lord.
Really?!? I guess I had a ways to go.
Oh well, I kept telling myself: "I did an Ironman!"
I just kept treating it like that race.
One contraction at a time.
One of my very good friends came over to photograph the birth, SO thankful for these precious photos! Thanks Kelly 💜
Mary came back around 3pm. My water hadn't broken yet so we talked about a couple different ways to try and naturally break it (I'll spare you the details on that one).
An hour later, still no dice.
At this point I was about 9cm dilated.
So, she broke my water.
Well, I feel a butt she said...
Wait. Wait. What?!
Yes, a butt where the head should be...
Frank Breech
A frank breech is when the baby's bottom is down, but his legs are straight up with his feet near his head. ... At delivery, about 10 percent of breech babies are in a complete breech position.Jan 13, 2018
So...
Then we had to decided if we were going to go to the hospital for c-section.
"I'm not going to do what you all think I'm going to do and totally FLIP OUT!!" -Jerry Maguire
At that point, I was in the part of labor called "transition" and unable to make a decision.
My mom was concerned (of course).
My midwife was confident in delivering at home but ultimately we had to make the decision.
I made my husband decide.
We stayed home.
Two more midwives came over.
It felt like another day went by.
When Mary said it was time, it was go time baby.
9.February.2015. 17:27.
IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 |
| Still wanting to be breech... |
 |
| photo cred: Round Lens Photography |
Gulp.
Fast forward five years.
I have had to do a lot of work to be a girl mom.
I'm serious.
My natural inclination is not towards pink, tutus, high heels, all things that sparkle, etc.
Thankfully God didn't listen to my plans of being a boy mom.
Now I have Sweet Vera Lynn.
 |
| Nursery. Lyrics from Multiplied by Need to Breath |
I really enjoyed the home birth experience. So much so, that I did it again two and a half years later!
Story for another time 😏
💜 IronTina
In love with that SVL !!!!!!! And her iron woman mommy and irondaddy and Iron Sashy of course. Xoxoxo
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