Welcoming Baby Lincoln

I had nearly this whole thing typed up last week and then my computer deleted it. That didn't go over well with my emotional post baby self. But I have finally gotten over it and am ready to try again. I have thought a lot the past week about the version I was writing and the version I sometimes wish I could write. How honest should I be? They (whoever those mysterious people of 'they' are) say that we shouldn't always paint our lives to be picture perfect on social media, but instead we should be real and honest. But sometimes social media isn't the place to share everything openly and honestly-you know? But I digress from the real task at hand-giving baby Lincoln a big welcome to the world of my blog!

To start at the beginning requires a bit of back story. My goal for this baby was to have another VBAC and avoid the c-section. When I left Texas baby was still breach which had me nervous. I spent the next month doing all kinds of inversions and sitting in different positions, doing flips in the pool, and LOTS of reading online…at least as much of that as I could fit in between graduation and moving and traveling. I think I was 37 weeks before we did another ultrasound to confirm that baby was head down!! I was so relieved. Then we realized that I was going to need to be induced. There are only two doctors in Pocatello who will deliver VBAC and they were both going to be out of town the days leading up to and of my due date. So reluctantly I set an induction date for Tuesday the 19, a week before my due date. I was dilated to a 3 and 70% effaced already by that point so I was hopeful that induction would go smooth if it came to that. But I was determined to go into labor on my own. I just knew it would be better and easier if I did.

On Saturday the 16^th I put my master plan into action : ) That morning we went for a long and strenuous (for a pregnant lady) walk. We walked down to the Wellness Complex, around the path, fished for a bit, and then back up the hill to our house. In total it’s about 2 ½ miles. By the time we started walking back up the hill my body was already tired and I started having some strong contractions and cramps. But I let Justin start pushing the stroller and I slowed my pace down and made it up the hill fine. The rest of that day I stayed busy and working. We washed the car, cleaned the house, etc. I was definitely having some good contractions throughout the day but anytime I sat down to rest they would stop so I didn’t put too much thought into them. All month long I had picked Sunday as the day I was going to have my baby. It worked well with Justin’s schedule, wasn’t too early but early enough, and it was before my induction date. But I figured it would happen late in the day. Nope.

Landon had gotten into our bed around 2 and I was having a hard time going back to sleep so I finally got up and went to the bathroom. Shortly after crawling back into bed I had a pretty strong contraction that really got my attention. I looked at the clock- 2:53 am. I had a couple more that were preventing me from falling back asleep so I decided I should time them. They were coming about 7 minutes apart. A few more of those and I decided I should start tracking my contractions for real. They were already strong and painful enough that I was quite certain this was the real thing but wanted to make sure before I woke everyone up and got the ball rolling. I went out to the couch and downloaded an app that times contractions. By 3:30-3:45 they were coming 3-4 minutes apart and I was already having to breath and relax through them. Also of note is during this time I had to go to the bathroom and let’s just say my body was cleaning itself out. I went a couple of times before heading to the hospital.

 By 4:00 I knew my time was getting short quickly so I woke up Justin and Jacque. By the time Jacque and Travis came I was having to stop and breathe and move through contractions. I like to lean over the table or counter and rock my hips back and forth. We got to the hospital at 5 am and thanks to my connections from Justin they took me right into a room and I didn’t have to do the whole triage decide if you can stay thing. I knew I was having a baby. They checked me right away and I was at 6.5. Dr. Jones (my OB, not Justin) arrived at 5:30. He checked me again and I was at an 8. He broke my water (which they had a hard time breaking) and I immediately transitioned to a 9. I worked through a few more good contractions and like always things were getting intense fast. I have to pause for a moment and give kudos to myself. I stayed the most calm and focused during this labor than any of my others. Big deep breaths, positive self-talk and imagery, and I tried to just lay perfectly still and not tense up any of my muscles. Although they kept telling me to relax my forehead so apparently all the tension from the rest of my body was concentrating itself in my forehead. Justin was also the most calming to me during this labor; I think perhaps his month in OB did more good than we thought. He said all the right things like, “Let your body do what it knows, relax and let your body work, your baby is coming, you can do this, etc.” I always need an outlet for the energy that contractions create and this time I liked having Justin push against my hand and I would push back. During one tough contraction he forgot to push on my hand and so I told him to “push” meaning push on my hand; the nurse heard me and thought I was saying it was time to push. She went off to get the doctor and I just didn’t stop her even though I hadn’t felt that strong urge to push yet. I knew I was pretty much there and it takes a few minutes for them to get everything set up and ready anyways. As I started to push they realized that baby was coming face up. Dr. Jones was able to reach in and get baby to flip. A few pushes and he was born!! 5:52 am, exactly 3 hours from my first contraction.

He weighed 7 lbs 15 oz and was 21 inches long. I don't remember the size of his head but I remember the nurses kept commenting on how big it was and saying it was 80th percentile! Which is funny to me because I don't look at him and think he has a big head. I wonder what he would look like with a smaller head?

 I had an episiotomy (I think) and still tore to a 3. Not surprising, that’s the way my deliveries go. I have big headed babies that come really fast. Delivering the placenta was way more painful than I remember it being with my others, and even getting my stitches I kept feeling things in some places. I was very ready for that part to be over, and it took a while because I needed a lot of stitches. I was pretty shaky right after delivery so I looked at Landon on my stomach but I didn’t really hold him before they whisked him off to measure and clean. About the time they took him though I was composed enough to want him and I kept asking them to bring him back to me. I did get him back and I was doing some skin to skin while they were still stitching me up and Lincoln was not happy and kept crying. As soon as they finished and I was able to hold him better he latched right on and started nursing and immediately he calmed down and you could feel him relax. He was just hungry!

His face was pretty bruised from his traumtaic entrance. I think some of the bruising was caused from him having to be turned. And Justin says that I started pushing before he had really come down far into the birth canal, so I pushed him all the way down and out quickly so I don't think it was a gentle ride for him. He also had some pretty good scrapes on the top of his head which we think are from getting scraped from trying to break my water. He also had blood in his eye (I don't remember the medical term for that). The poor guy was kind of beat up. But-his little bruises all over looked like freckles and let me tell you, he was the cutest freckle face newborn you've ever seen! I was kind of sad to see his freckles disappear over the next couple days because they really were pretty cute. I told Justin that on my last baby (maybe my next?) I am going to treat myself to an epidural and I'll deliver that baby nice and slow...and maybe I won't tear myself clear open and bruise my baby's face all up in the process! 

Jacque called and we did facetime with the boys when they woke up. She got them all dressed and brought them over to the hospital. The best part was watching the boys meet their brother-especially Landon. He was the first one up on my bed ready to hold the baby and he did not like that we made him let Matthew and Koyle have a turn. He still holds the baby more often than any of them. Landon LOVES babies, especially our very own baby Lincoln.

In the end all my predictions about this baby were spot on. He was born on Sunday-the day I guesseed. He had lots of hair, just as I predicted due to my horrible heartburn during pregnancy. And he was one of my smaller babies as I guessed. Everything worked out perfect with Justin's work schedule, he was born on his day off and they gave him the next day off too. He was able to be there supporting me through the whole thing. My labor and delivery went fast and smooth and I didn't embarrass Justin in front of his colleagues by doing weird things with my arms-in fact they all said I should be the one to teach the natural childbirth class because I did such a good job and was so calm.