The Herbal Bath

My favorite part of the whole birth experience, besides holding my new baby, was the herbal bath. Basically, after Peyton was born, I go to give Peyton her first bath. It was in the very tub I labored in for hours, but this time it was full of healing herbs. It was wonderful and beautiful. I wanted to share those pictures with ya. Even though the pain and excruciating and hard, I can't wait to do it again. It was an irreplaceable experience that it is so hard to put into words. Enjoy!

Birth Story - Part 4

After Ben's eventful outing to Wal-mart and the good laugh he provided Cindy, Abby, and Whitney (I laughed later...remember, I am dilated to a five and contracting hard), we were all focused and very ready to have this baby, me most of all.

I labored in the tub for what felt like forever. At about 4:30, mother nature called, and I had to get out of the tub to use the restroom. Cindy encouraged me to stay out of the tub and try and labor on some other things in other positions to get the baby to come down. I proceeded to walk, sit on the birthing ball while laying my head on the bed, and do whatever concoction with my body that Cindy said would help get this baby out. There was only one position I couldn't do. She told me to grab on the post of the bed and lean back and squat. WOWSERS! I have never felt such pain. I started to throw up, and I had to get up. All I remember saying was, "I can't do that, I am sorry, I can't." Luckily, they were nice and didnt make me do it again. I remember walking a couple times to the front of the birth center and I could see the sun. I couldnt believe it had already been that long. In the same building is Dr. Cindy and Dr. Jim Bob's office; me in my lovely pink robe, didnt want to be seen by all their patients. Then it dawned on me, "Will everyone hear me screaming all day? Oh man, I hope not." This is something that would haunt me for the rest of my labor. It didn't stop me much from screaming though.

When I got to the birthing center, I couldnt have imagined the pain getting much worse. Boy was I wrong. Throughout the rest of the morning, the contractions only heightened and increased in intensity. I hadn't slept in days, and Ann (who arrived at about 7am) was encouraging me to sleep and get some rest for what was ahead. SLEEP??? YEAH RIGHT! I could see Ben was more than exhausted, having been up for 15 hours, so I thought we could both try and get some sleep. I got in the bed and Ben sat on the chair beside it. Cindy and Whitney loaded me up with pillows to try and make me feel as comfortable as possible. I actually did get some sleep (about three minutes here and there) in between each contraction. It was the weirdest thing. I would be dead asleep and then BOOM, I would be screaming in pain. Eventually, I couldnt take it anymore, and I had to get back in the tub.

I know this is really weird, but the best place to labor (for all you women who want to go all natural) is on the old commode. For some reason, and I don't know why, it is so comfortable to sit on. Plus, I could put a pillow on the tank and lean on it. I went back and forth from that and the tub, which was convenient because they were two steps away from each other. At some point, I sorta blacked out. I remember screaming and moaning through the contractions, and I remember I was in the tub, but that is about it. There are only a few snapshots of things I remember. For instance, I remember saying, "This is so embarrassing, everyone can probably hear me!" and I remember Ann saying, "no, they can't, the walls are soundproof." (which I later found out, they could hear a little). I also remember saying over and over again, "what is taking so long, what are we waiting for." Ann kept telling me that we were waiting for me to make a pushing sound, and we would know it was time. It did cross my mind a few times to fake a pushing sound, and maybe they would let me push and it could be over. For all of you who have had a baby, you know it doesnt really work like that :-). I kept going in and out of consciousness in the tub, until I startled myself by pushing. The whole team came running into the bathroom, and Ann checked me and I was a 9 1/2. WHAT! I couldnt take anymore of it. She said there was just a lip of the cervix left, but that the baby's head was coming out crooked. For those of you who know me, I had a c-section with my first, and I just didnt want that again. Ann immediately told me to get out of the tub.

I got out and just about ran to the bed. I didnt want a contraction to come while I was walking. Ann asked Cindy to come and adjust the baby's head. She put her hands on my lower stomach and adjusted the baby's head. Ben prayed in my ear over and over, "Please let her come, Lord, please let me come." I was screaming that at this point :-). This is where the most intense part of my labor came. For the next hour, I had to breathe through each contraction and not push. That is so difficult to do. I needed to push, I wanted to push, but i had to fight the urge to push. I had to give time for the rest of my cervix to dilate. Ben would also probably say that this was the hardest part of labor. He was sitting up by my head, encouraging me through every contraction. I had my arms wrapped around his neck and would yank on his neck with every contraction. Sometimes he would say things like, "let me sit up real quick." I am sure he was in so much pain, not as much as me though! I was also squeezing the life out of Whitney's hand. Neither one of the complained. After an hour of excruciating pain, and Ann checked me again, and the baby was crowning! Thank the Lord, I was actually going to birth this baby!

Before I began pushing, Ann asked Ben to pray over us. Ben prayed what I am sure was a beautiful prayer, but I don't remember a word of it. I interrupted him when I screamed out my first push. Through the next few pushes, Ann praised me, but I felt like it was taking forever. I remember screaming, "CANT YOU JUST PULL HER OUT!?!" Ann responded by saying, "That is why God didnt put ears on the top of their heads." I wanted to laugh, I really wanted to...I would laugh later. Ben asked if they could put a mirror down there so he could watch (remember, he was by my head). I absolutely did not want to see any part of it (I kinda wish I had now). I proceeded to put for 38 minutes, which is really good for a first time pushing mom. Put a woman through active labor for 15 hours, you betcha she can push a baby out in 38 minutes.

When Peyton finally arrived, it was the most incredible moment of my life. They put her right on my chest and she laid there peacefully and looked at me with her beautiful blue eyes. They waited to cut the chord until it stopped pulsating, which was about 15 minutes. When it finally stopped, Ben cut the chord and she was finally ours to keep. I immediately called my mom and shared the good news. She cried and wanted to hear Peyton. For the life of me I couldnt get her to make a cry. She was so peaceful and happy. About 20 minutes later, I lost my placenta and I was officially not pregnant...YEAH!!!

Birth Story - Part 3 - this is where it gets funny...

So we FINALLY made it to the birth center. I thought we would never make it. I am just glad it was at three in the morning and not during five o'clock rush hour traffic.

As soon as I got there, Cindy checked me and I was a five. Darn. I knew there would still be a long night ahead of me. I knew I immediately wanted to get into the tub and get some relief. They (Abby and Whitney were there too) already had the bath water running and ready to go. I got into my lovely birthing clothes (aka bathing suit :-)). and got in the tub. I probably wasn't in there five minutes before Ben comes in and says he is going to run to Wal-Mart and get me some yogurt. I knew it would be a long night and I thought he could use the little outing. So Cindy sat in the bathroom with me and we talked in between contraction while my lovely hubby went to Wal-Mart.

I wish I could say that that was that, but this is probably the best part of my birth story. So Ben comes back into the birth center and I am still in the tub, laboring away. I hear Abby and Whitney laughing, pretty loud, and I just knew Ben had to be the reason. He is always telling some joke or story, yes, even when his wife is in labor. He then came into the bathroom to tell Cindy and I the story that would eventually have everyone, even me, laughing hysterically.

Ben went to Wal-mart for three things - yogurt, Gatorade, and bananas. So he got his three items and started heading to the front of the store. Keep in mind, it is three in the morning, so there's not much going on at Wal-mart. There was only one lane open, and Ben saw the light and started heading that way. As he is approaching the only open lane, he sees a large woman with an overflowing basket begin to head toward the same lane. In his mind he thinks, surely she will see my three items and let me go first. He quickly realized that wasn't the case when she started walking faster. She was almost running by the time they both reached the lane and she proceeded to go in front of Ben. Being the patient guy he is, he allows her to go ahead.

The checker finally finishes checking all of her groceries. Of course, she has tons of coupons and goes through all of them, arguing with the checker over each one he said was expired. After she swiped her credit card and spun the lazy susan that holds the bags four times!!!, she suddenly remembers that she has some curtain rods that she wanted to return. Of course the customer service desk is closed, so she proceeded to return the curtain rods, taking another five minutes. She argues with the poor clerk about the price, and she wants it to reimburse some of the cost of her groceries. He kindly explains to her that she has already paid for her groceries and cant go back to reduce that cost. Frustrated, she turns to leave.

"Oh, I forgot" she says. She forgot that she needed a gift card! Never once did Ben think to tell this woman, my wife is in labor, do you mind if I check out my three items real quick! Nope, he lets her come back and buy her stupid gift card. She asks for forty dollars on the card. The clerk makes the stupid mistake of asking her which card. She then asks to see all of her options. When none of those seem to tickle her fancy, she goes to a different checking station to check those. Once she finally picks one (the first one he showed her!!!), he puts forty dollars on the card. She swipes her credit card and is beginning to sign when she realizes, she doesn't want forty dollars on the card, she wants four HUNDRED dollars! I know what you guys are thinking, you are thinking that i am making this up. That is what Cindy and I were saying when Ben was telling us this story while I am laboring in the tub. It was at this point in the story that I said to Ben, "At least her credit card didn't get declined." Ben gave me a little smile and said, "the story isn't over yet."

The clerk rings up her four hundred dollar gift card and she begins to swipe her card for the fourth time that night. Declined! Well of course it declined, she used it four times in a matter of fifteen minutes. The lady, however, couldn't understand that and immediately yells at the clerk. She demands the clerk call her bank and make the card go through. AT THREE IN THE MORNING! Poor wal-mart checker. He probably quit right after his shift was over. It is at this point that Ben finally decides to chime in. He very sternly explains that she can call the number on the back of her credit card. Ben says that she then looked at him with a glare and turns back to the teller. The teller says that yes, that is right, she must call her bank tomorrow. Mad and perturbed, she finally leaves for the door. WOOHOO!!! Ben finally checks out and talks a little with the checker.

I guess while you are in labor, there is no essence of time. Ben was gone nearly 45 minutes and the wal-mart is literally next door. It is a good think I had a great team helping me while he was gone. Now we all have a good laugh. I promise I will have a baby in the next post. I just couldn't leave this part of the story out. These details may be the things I forget someday, and that would just be a travesty.

Birth Story - Part 2

Little did I know, selecting the birthing center and midwife was the easy part. Now I had to actually deliver this baby.

Saturday, July 26, I started having mild contractions. They seemed pretty intense, but for those of you who have had babies, they were nothing like they would end up being. I tried to sleep, and would get a little bit here in there. THey were not consistent which made me think maybe it was false. After 24 hours striahgt of this, I decided it was time to call the midwife. After talking to Ann, she told me to lay down, get in the bath, and take a benadryl. After I did that, the contractions stopped. I finally got to sleep a little bit and get at least a little bit of relief. I woke up the next morning and the contractions were starting again. I opted to stay home from church, and unfortunately missed my own surprise baby shower. Ellie Kate and Ben did a good job standing in for me though.

We had lifegroup that night and I just couldnt imagine myself sitting there wih all those couples, going in and out of contractions. So we all opted to stay home. We wanted to get Ellie Kate out of the house though. We decided to take Ellie to the Wimp's house (a couple that volunteers in our youth department, who have great teenagers that our great additions to our youth group). Ellie Kate, even though she was only 16 months old, had turned into quite the fish over the summer. She loves loves loves to go to "miss Sue's" to go swimming. Ellie and Ben got in the pool and swam for hours.Sue sat on the edge of the pool with me as I went in and out of contractions. She timed each of them and kept saying, Meredith, they are getting closer. Once we finished there, we went home and I spent another evening in the tub :-).

Monday was no different than the previous days with the exception that my contractions were finally showing some regularity and were getting stronger. Because they had been going on for so long, my midwife encouraged me to take another Benadryl (that is known to stop contractions tha are from false labor) so I could get some rest. I finally got some rest, and boy would I need it for the night ahead.

That Monday evening we had ouf good friends Nick and Bekah over for coffee and dessert. Looking back, it as a pretty interesting night. I sat in our recliner while the sat on the couch. About every five minutes I would close my eyes and breathe deep as I tried to get through the contraction. Nick and Bekah (who dont have any kids), kept saying, Meredith, are you sure you are alright. I usually didnt answer them until I had finished each contraction, at which time I would smile and say "yea, im fine, not to worry." It is so amazing how a woman in labor with every contraction seems to go inside themselves, unaware of the world around them, and then pop out of it like it was no big deal. That is exacty what was going on with me.

When they left, Ben and I went to bed, and I really wanted to stay at home as long as possible. I got in the tub and stayed in there or hours. I kept refilling it trying to keep hot water. After a while, the hot water seemed to be going out faster and faster. I probably exhausted all the hot water in our tank that would have usually lasted a good week. At about 2am, I couldnt take it anymore. I couldnt walk or talk through any of my contractions. I knew it was time to call Ann. Ben called her so that she could actually make out real words and understand what was going on. Ben told her my status and said that Meredith wanted to know what she should do. Ann responded by saying, well, I guess the only thing that is left to do is have this baby. I still wasnt sure I could do it, but I knew the time was growing closer.

We called our good friend Sue who came over and stayed at the house while Ellie Kate slept. (Thanks Sue for folding all our laundary while you were here :-)). She also brought over the high-tech camera for us to use. Too bad we forgot to get it out until the baby was born. We did get some really great shots of Peyton in her first few moments though.

So, we were off to the birthing center to finally meet our little Peyton...

My birth story - part 1

Ok, Ok, Ok.... So I have had several requests (over the past 10 weeks) to post my birth story somewhere. I fully inteded on doing that, partially to let my friends and family know that wonderful experience I had, but also so that I can look back and remember that precious time. I hope I havent forgotten anything, but I figured, better late than never. Plus, you can all stop bugging me about writing it out!

It may take me several posts to put it all up. Its a long story that entails many parts. As many of you know, I chose to have this birth (my second birth) with a midwife. That is where my birth story begins....

I had a C-section with my first baby, and overall had a pretty cruddy experience. I didnt feel like I was being listened to, it was a very impersonal experience, not to mention the terrible recovery. I did, however, have a healthy beautiful litte girl, and that is all that matters. I knew I wanted more with the next one though.

A good friend of mine was planning on having her baby with a midwife at a birthcing center that was very near my house. She told me that her midwife was a Christian who's goal was to allow every woman to have their own personal birth experience in the way that God intended it to be. When I became pregnant, without much thought, Ben and I went and checked out the birthing center. We laughed at the thought of probably seeing all these hippie moms who probably wouldnt relate to us at all. The minute we walked in, we felt the peace of God on that place. After meeting Ann - it sealed the deal. She spent an hour answering all our questions and reassuring us that even after a c-section, she felt very confident that we could have whatever birh plan we desired. She even took the time to love on and get to know our oldest daughter, who was 12 months at the time.

Throughout the pregnancy, I saw Ann every month and then every week as my due date grew near. As oppose to my experience with the doctors with my first pregnancy, each visit was as long as I wanted it to be, I could ask as many questions as I wanted, I ALWAYS saw my midwife, and she remembered me every time. Those many not seem like big things, but compared to my OB visits, I almost cried when I left the office everytime. I knew I was in good hands.

Ann was not the only one that made a lasting impression on my birth story. Starting at week 20, I also saw a chiropractor that specialized in pregnancy and children. Dr. Cindy was such a sweet addition to my experience. It was as if the Lord had created a team perfectly designed for me. Dr. Cindy turned out to be a doctor, an encourager during my birth, a lifesaver during the pushing :), and a mentor for healthcare for my children. I couldn't and still couldnt do it without her. Her husband now takes care of our children's health needs, and he couldnt be a better fit for my kiddos. Does God know what he is doing or what?

People ask me a lot, "weren't you worried about the pain?" I know it sounds funny, but I didnt really think about it a lot. When I chose to have a midwife and to do it all natural, my mind didnt immediatly become consumed with "WHAT AM I DOING!" The Lord gave me such a sweet peace about it. And throughout my pregnancy, I was continually reminded that God had created my body to do this, and I could do it. Even the night I went into active labor and I knew I was going to have her, I wasnt scared like I was with the first. I knew I was exactly where the Lord wanted me to be, and I wouldnt have wanted to be anywhere else.

Looking back, I dont know how we ended up at Gentle Beginnings Birth Center, but it was God ordained and one of the best decisions we ever made. More to come....

Hi Monkeeeeeeys!!!

That is all I heard on Ellie Kate and I's first trip to the Fort Worth zoo. She loved the monkeys. You can tell that the only animals she has ever seen have been in her books, because she would see a real animal and say WOOOOWWWW! over and over again.
Here she is taking a look at the "zewas" (zebras).
"WOOOWWW!!!"
She couldnt get enough of the animals. I really need to take her more often.
She went with her best buddy, Jaxson. They both had a great time.

The big 2-5

So yesterday was my big 25th birthday. Wowsers. Half a century. I can't believe how much things have changed in the last five years. I graduated college, got married, had TWO babies!!, bought a house, moved to Texas, and overall just grown up. I can't believe it. I wonder what is in store for the next five years. Pretty scary to think about.

Honestly, on my birthday, I have a woe-is-me mindset. Everyone should do what I want to do on my birthday. Tell that to my two darling daughters. The ones who decided to have strange bowel movements, not sleep, and cry a lot - all on my birthday. I guess everybody does what they want to do on my birthday. Oh well, they are worth it.

So we are off to Jefferson City tomorrow night. YEAH!!! I havent seen my family since I had the baby and so much has changed. My siblings are growing up and my kiddos are growing up just as fast. I can't wait for the day when we can be closer. Please be praying for us as we head up there tomorrow. We have yet to travel with the girls...well anywhere longer than the grocery store. I am not sure Peyton has ever even been out of Tarrant County. We are leaving at 9pm, so hopefully it will go smooth and they will sleep all the way there. Sounds like wishful thinking to me. Hey, a girl can dream right?