Thursday, May 29, 2014

Caroline's Birth Story

I have been meaning to write Caroline's birth story for several weeks now, but every time I try to put the experience into words, I fail. So this time, I am  going to use someone else's words. So, with apologies to Kelle Hampton, here is goes...

Birth Stories. It is a common thread that runs through the tapestry of motherhood--all kinds of mamas, hundreds of thousands of unique and beautiful children, miles of earth that separate us, cultures and beliefs and families that identify us--but each of our children has a story of how they were welcomed.

This is Caroline Hope Eckert's.



The day after Easter, at 6pm, Matt and I arrived at the hospital for my scheduled induction.  I really wanted to NOT be induced, I wanted Caroline to come when SHE was ready, but the third trimester brought with it a gestational diabetes diagnosis, followed by 4-6 doctors appointments per week, a few high risk hospital admissions, and a decision to bring our baby into the world a little earlier than expected.  

Along with wanting to go into labor on our own time line, I also really, really wanted to have a natural birth. And by that I mean a vaginal birth with lots of drugs in a sterile and impersonal hospital setting with a slew of medical personnel on hand.   As it turned out, this too was a pipe dream. I could go into a LOT of detail about Terbutaline, Pitocin, Cervidil, Foley bulbs, and other means of inducing labor, but to make a long story short, NONE OF THEM WORKED.  We tried everything but smoking her out. The baby friend was clearly stubborn.  No idea where she gets that from.  And FYI, it's a good thing there weren't many others on the floor that night, because I let my rage be known...loudly.

I don’t believe in suffering silently.
And here's another fun tidbit.  THE EPIDURAL DIDN'T WORK EITHER.  I am serious. The spinal block that I requested literally the minute I checked into the hospital blocked NOTHING.  After 19 hours of excruciatingly painful labor ( There isn’t a damn thing on the planet that I want to do for 19 hours, especially not something that requires pushing a melon out of a hole the size of a cherry.), Caroline's heart rate began to slow down and it was decided that a Cesarean section was necessary, ASAP.  With basically nothing more than a local anesthetic, because I was lucky enough to be one of the one in a thousand people who cannot "metabolize" glucocorticoids.  

My anesthesiologist cheerfully told me that even though I was "missing out" on experiencing the vaginal birth process, I was fortunate enough to get the chance to be tough by having abdominal surgery with meds that didnt work. Hey, Silver Linings!   

Also, he breezily mentioned, I might have a tender stomach after the operation.  As it turned out, he underestimated that a bit as well.  A tender stomach is what you feel after you eat one too many burritos.... horrendous pain is what you feel after a knife slices through your midsection to pry a child from your loins.    Not cool, dude. not cool at all.  

 Small rant: I don't really understand why people get so upset by C-sections.  I don't think that the bond of mother and child is solely dependent on which body part the baby exited from.  A few minutes after the surgery commenced, they placed my beautiful daughter on my chest, and I couldn't have been more filled with love and absolute awe. I was in love the instant I heard her cry. Nature does what nature needs to do, and if a Cesarean surgery was what ended up happening in your case, then be thankful for the miracle of a happy and healthy baby. 





Her first breath took ours away.....

The rest of the day/week is sort of a Vicodin-fueled blur, but I can tell you that from then on, things went a little more as planned.  We did some skin to skin, and I was able to nurse her right away (she had a really strong latch!). My parents stopped in for a few minutes so Hannah could meet her new sister, and Matt's parents were fabulous, coming every day and bringing us all kinds of treats and helping a great deal.  We also had several other friends and family visit, including my cousin Rachel who took some amazing and priceless pictures for us that I will treasure forever.











 She was worth it all. The shots, the glucose tests, the IV hydration and BPP's and hospital stays, and difficult recovery....it all faded to black when I got to hold my sweet girl.  She is our rainbow girl, our dream come true.  

She is a dream baby. She has literally never cried for no reason, ever. I’ve never been around a baby with such a sweet disposition. She is a happy, friendly, agreeable little gal and I hope as she grows older she keeps those traits. She also has some crazy red hair.






The best thing about birth stories?

They are just the beginning. There is more to be written for our family, for our love, and for the life of our precious Caroline.

It's as if she's always been here.  





Jeremiah 1.5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. 















Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Stuck In the Middle With You (and the name reveal spoiler)

Hard to believe the second trimester is almost over....I am not sure if we will be blessed with more children after this one, so I am truly treasuring this season of creating a new life. Although my life has never lent itself easily to new transitions, so far this one hasn't been bad at all.

Has it been an easy pregnancy?

Yep.  No morning sickness, and the doctor says everything is progressing perfectly.  My only issue is that my belly is now so large I can barely bend over. And forget about shaving my legs, it's a lost cause at this point.  It's so long I told Matt I might as well donate it to Locks of Love, LOL.

Are you getting nervous about delivery?

Physically no, emotionally yes. I know when I hold the baby in the hospital and cuddle her in the hospital, during that vital mother-child bonding time, it will hit me like a ton of bricks that NO ONE did that with Hannah. That for months my baby was alone and had no one to celebrate her birth, dress her in cute clothes, or even take a picture.  It's crazy but I think giving birth will make my love for Hannie even stronger.

Are you planning a natural childbirth?

I'm having a natural childbirth in that it's natural to take drugs that lessen excruciating pain.

How's Hannah handling things?

Pretty good, but not super excited about sharing her things with the newbie. I tried taking some old baby clothes of her out of her closet to put in the baby's room, and she wasn't happy. At this point, I am basically smuggling onesies out of there like a mexican drug lord.  I told her if she gave the baby the quilt from her toddler bed, she could go to the store and pick out all new bedding. She let that marinate for a few minutes and then slyly says to me...I think I'll just wait till my birthday for the bedding. So yeah.

Do you feel the baby move?

ALL. THE. TIME. Like, she never stops. There are two things that get her really excited. Graeter's Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream and the sound of Hannah's voice. Both get me kicked in the ribs :-)


Have you been working on the nursery?

Yes!!!  Here are some pics....SPOILER ALERT...her name is on the wall :-)







So that is her name, Caroline Hope Eckert. We CAN'T WAIT to meet our Sweet Caroline. In the eternal words of Neil Diamond, 
Good Times Never Felt So Good.

Until Then,

Matt, Erin and Hannah