Here are my 9 pregnancy and labor facts:
1.) It's hard for most people to believe, but I loved being pregnant. Yes, there were moments along the way that I didn't feel terrific, but every moment was something I cherished. After our miscarriage, I promised myself that throughout my next pregnancy, I would enjoy every morning of nausea, itchy stretching skin, swollen feet, stretch marks and pounds gained because that would mean my baby was thriving. I made it a goal to be the kind of person that makes people look forward to pregnancy, not the kind of person who makes people fear it.
2.) Last October when we found out we were pregnant, we thought I was 8 weeks along. A few weeks later we had a scare because my progesterone levels were incredibly low, which can signal the pregnancy is no longer viable. However, after several ultrasounds and blood tests, they discovered the dating was just wrong and I was barely FOUR weeks pregnant. The negative side of this was that we were terrified for most of the first few weeks of this pregnancy, but the positive side was that we got to see our sweet boy on many occasions, not just our 20 week ultrasound.
3.) I was "in labor" for approximately 40 something hours, 24 of those took place in the hospital before baby boy arrived.
4.) The last meal I had before checking into the hospital was scrambled eggs and toast. Now, whenever I have that meal, it brings tears to my eyes because of the joy I felt when "powering" up to give birth to my sweet boy.
5.) Throughout our journey towards an all-natural childbirth (no IV, no pain medicine, limited, if any, medical intervention, etc.) I began researching and seeking a doula. Joe and I knew that if we were going to pursue our natural childbirth in a hospital setting, we would want someone educated, who was on our side, to support us along the way. After receiving a few recommendations from friends, we found JoHonna. Without JoHonna by our sides to aid us in our wishes for the kind of birth we desired, I know it would not have gone as smoothly as it did. She was there for ALL 24 hours in the hospital with us to walk the halls in the middle of the night, make me drink water throughout my whole labor, remind me to snack as much as possible, encourage Joe to take care of himself so that he could better take care of me, rub my back, adjust the heating pad on my back, apply counter pressure, brush the hair out of my face, tell me that I was so strong and share in our tears of joy when baby boy finally entered the world. A couple of weeks after Calvin was born, JoHonna presented us with a birth story written out for us to keep that we will cherish forever.
6.) I could give birth with no medicine 100+ more times, but nursing has been much more of a struggle for me.
7.) Chipotle became another food group as we ate it at least once a week throughout my pregnancy.
8.) For anyone who doubts the possibility to have an all natural birth in a hospital setting, has never met my phenomenal doctor and/or my nurses. My doctor was with us through all 9 months of pregnancy and was INCREDIBLY supportive of our wishes for an all-natural birth. Even during labor, when she suggested a couple of interventions to speed things up and I politely declined, she totally understood and let us know she was willing to stick it out with us. She was leaving that afternoon to go on vacation, but stuck with us an hour after she was supposed to leave because she told us that SHE would be there when our baby was born.
My nurses were true advocates to their patient. They were well versed on our birth plan and often implemented components of it before they entered our minds. They even came to check up on me the days after his birth.
9.) Make sure that your husbands know NOT to hold their breath when you're holding yours during pushing. Let's just say that the nurses noticed Joe was doing this in time to get him some water and a comfortable chair to sit in so that he would be able to enjoy those precious moments.
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