The pregnancy seemed harder than my first two. Maybe it's because I had 2 other children to care for while I felt super sick or maybe it was legitimately harder. I'm not quite sure. The first trimester was hard. I was so nauseous and depleted of any vitamins, nutrients and minerals that I was miserable. I was also depressed. I was irate and scary mean to my kids sometimes (I hate admitting...but maybe me sharing this could help someone else?). I felt tremendous guilt to be bringing another precious spirit into my home if I was going to be a monster. After going to the chiropractor and getting proper supplements and adjustments, working with Emotion Code/Bodytalk (energy work--ask me about it!), and trying to eat better (read: actually eat period...), I started to feel better. The second trimester wasn't so bad.
We were headed to DisneyWorld and a Disney Cruise for Christmas. I was feeling MUCH better. We were told we would have 1 ultrasound at 20 weeks to make sure all was well--they were more concerned about anatomy then gender. I really wanted to surprise my family for Christmas so we arranged for an extra ultrasound to determine gender. It was another boy! I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. I wanted it to be a girl so I could just be done having kids and not have any more hard pregnancies. It was so different that we would joke around that it was a girl. I knew it was a boy though. I just felt it. (AND I'M SO HAPPY WITH MAVERICK--I CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HIM!) So we surprised my family by purchasing a smoke bomb in blue and sent a package saying, "Just thought We'd drop a bomb...baby #3 is a ....?" Then they had to go ignite it and see what color it was!
Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/kayleighsearle/videos/vb.608000570/10158095199930571/?type=3&theater
We surprised Randy's family by having 3 little Mickey's on our cabin door on the cruise ship. To reveal to the world, we made a sign saying "It's a boy!" and went down Splash mountain.
Around 4 am Thursday (May 18th) morning, I got into the tub to see if the contractions would slow down. They didn't, so I called the midwife, photographer and Jen Cruz. Jen came to stay with the boys until the woke up. We met the photographer and the midwife at the center. Someone was already there and in the room I always pictured myself birthing in. But the room we had was beautiful and room. I would walk around and my "entourage" would follow: Mom, Randy, Grace (student midwife), Autumn (photographer).
Once again, as the day approached and the sun rose, the contractions slowed. So we ate breakfast and I was told to walk. I paced around the parking lot and matched up and down the curb which would bring contractions. But I was SO tired and frustrated that things weren't progressing. I broke down and sobbed--I thought for sure they would send me home. (I'm not sure on times, but I remember what happens next.)
I labored a lot on the toilet facing the wall with pillow on the tank so I could rest between contractions. I had to pee every two seconds anyways and everytime I sat down, a contraction would come, so to keep things moving, I just planted myself there. I was so exhausted and we agreed that I would shower and rest. Danielle finally decided to check me although we had talked about not checking just to see if anything was even happening. I was laboring so hard but nothing was happening it seemed. I was 4-5cm dilated.
I went to "sleep" between contractions. Danielle gave me some homeopathic pellets to encourage closer contractions. I also started the birth prep drops that I had been taking since 36 weeks but they had me taking it every 30 minutes. Contractions were coming but Maverick wasn't engaging. Lynette decided to see what he was doing during a contraction. So she was checking me during a contraction. Holy He!! that hurt. So he would come down during a contraction and then back up. He just wasn't staying down and engaging. So more homeopathy, rest, leg up on a peanut ball, birth tincture and birth stool. Contractions were now frequent and painful, but not really doing anything. I was also shaking pretty bad.
After a few hours, Danielle asked if I wanted to be adjusted by the chiropractor that worked downstairs. I wasn't opposed to it but with the frequent and painful contractions, the last thing I wanted to do was put pants on and walk downstairs. I also didn't want to have a contraction and be too vocal and scare everyone. So Tara (chiropractor) came upstairs and showed Randy how to rotate my pelvis during a contraction. They all were trying so hard to get me downstairs so that she could adjust me on the table. We finally made it down and she did some adjusting and things really got moving. Luckily Lynette had brought a bag down because I started to vomit. That's when I knew things were about to get real.
With the next contraction, I felt Maverick drop and my body just started to push. I told Lynette I was pushing and she quickly called Danielle (who was napping upstairs), "I need you down here now--she's throwing up and pushing!" I could hear Danielle run across the floor upstairs and down the stairway. Everyone was trying to get me upstairs fast. "You have to walk through the contraction." Hard and painful. I finally got to the room and the tub had been filled. I stripped off and climbed in the water. It felt great on my tired and sore body and even helped with the contractions. I squatted and waited for my body to do it's thing.
As I was squatting, I felt a POP. My water had broke! I've never felt that so that was cool to experience. I moved to my knees. I remember looking at Lynette and saying, "I can't do this! How am I going to do this?" Fear just set in. She was so reassuring and calming. I just let my body push and after 1-2 pushes, his head was out. Another push or two and his body came out with Randy ready to catch him! They passed him up through my legs and I was in complete shock. LOOK WHAT I JUST DID! As I was looking down at him, I noticed he had SO much hair! I checked to make sure that yes he was a boy. He was just so beautiful and perfect. PHEW!
I just sat there and tried to soak it all in-still just in a state of shock. 10-15 minutes later, I delivered the placenta. His cord was SO long. They cut the cord and we got out of the tub and onto the bed to check everything and monitor bleeding. I got Maverick back from Randy and we started nursing. Grace showed us the placenta and explained everything to us. It was so fascinating!
They filled the tub up again for an herbal bath. After I was done, they took all of his statistics.
We were headed to DisneyWorld and a Disney Cruise for Christmas. I was feeling MUCH better. We were told we would have 1 ultrasound at 20 weeks to make sure all was well--they were more concerned about anatomy then gender. I really wanted to surprise my family for Christmas so we arranged for an extra ultrasound to determine gender. It was another boy! I'll admit, I was a little disappointed. I wanted it to be a girl so I could just be done having kids and not have any more hard pregnancies. It was so different that we would joke around that it was a girl. I knew it was a boy though. I just felt it. (AND I'M SO HAPPY WITH MAVERICK--I CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HIM!) So we surprised my family by purchasing a smoke bomb in blue and sent a package saying, "Just thought We'd drop a bomb...baby #3 is a ....?" Then they had to go ignite it and see what color it was!
Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/kayleighsearle/videos/vb.608000570/10158095199930571/?type=3&theater
We surprised Randy's family by having 3 little Mickey's on our cabin door on the cruise ship. To reveal to the world, we made a sign saying "It's a boy!" and went down Splash mountain.
Third trimester brought back pain. I had a hard time walking, sitting, sleeping, living.... It was annoying. Finally going to the chiropractor regularly helped a lot. The last two months I felt useless. Sore, tired and irritable. I was hoping that I would go early.
(All pictures by Autumn Reynolds)
At 38 weeks, I had a massage, chiro adjustment, and emotion code done to makes sure that everything was dandy and in place for baby. During the massage, I was getting some good painful contractions but nothing happened really after that. May 12th came and went. May 15th came and went. (I had two "due dates"--one based off of cycles and another from ultrasound." May 16th, Tuesday night I labored al night and got bloody show. Close contractions that would spread out.
Labor stopped during the day. I labored again throughout Wednesday night and Thursday morning. I walked I swear10 miles in the previous 72 hours. I was exhausted!Around 4 am Thursday (May 18th) morning, I got into the tub to see if the contractions would slow down. They didn't, so I called the midwife, photographer and Jen Cruz. Jen came to stay with the boys until the woke up. We met the photographer and the midwife at the center. Someone was already there and in the room I always pictured myself birthing in. But the room we had was beautiful and room. I would walk around and my "entourage" would follow: Mom, Randy, Grace (student midwife), Autumn (photographer).
Once again, as the day approached and the sun rose, the contractions slowed. So we ate breakfast and I was told to walk. I paced around the parking lot and matched up and down the curb which would bring contractions. But I was SO tired and frustrated that things weren't progressing. I broke down and sobbed--I thought for sure they would send me home. (I'm not sure on times, but I remember what happens next.)
I labored a lot on the toilet facing the wall with pillow on the tank so I could rest between contractions. I had to pee every two seconds anyways and everytime I sat down, a contraction would come, so to keep things moving, I just planted myself there. I was so exhausted and we agreed that I would shower and rest. Danielle finally decided to check me although we had talked about not checking just to see if anything was even happening. I was laboring so hard but nothing was happening it seemed. I was 4-5cm dilated.
I went to "sleep" between contractions. Danielle gave me some homeopathic pellets to encourage closer contractions. I also started the birth prep drops that I had been taking since 36 weeks but they had me taking it every 30 minutes. Contractions were coming but Maverick wasn't engaging. Lynette decided to see what he was doing during a contraction. So she was checking me during a contraction. Holy He!! that hurt. So he would come down during a contraction and then back up. He just wasn't staying down and engaging. So more homeopathy, rest, leg up on a peanut ball, birth tincture and birth stool. Contractions were now frequent and painful, but not really doing anything. I was also shaking pretty bad.
After a few hours, Danielle asked if I wanted to be adjusted by the chiropractor that worked downstairs. I wasn't opposed to it but with the frequent and painful contractions, the last thing I wanted to do was put pants on and walk downstairs. I also didn't want to have a contraction and be too vocal and scare everyone. So Tara (chiropractor) came upstairs and showed Randy how to rotate my pelvis during a contraction. They all were trying so hard to get me downstairs so that she could adjust me on the table. We finally made it down and she did some adjusting and things really got moving. Luckily Lynette had brought a bag down because I started to vomit. That's when I knew things were about to get real.
With the next contraction, I felt Maverick drop and my body just started to push. I told Lynette I was pushing and she quickly called Danielle (who was napping upstairs), "I need you down here now--she's throwing up and pushing!" I could hear Danielle run across the floor upstairs and down the stairway. Everyone was trying to get me upstairs fast. "You have to walk through the contraction." Hard and painful. I finally got to the room and the tub had been filled. I stripped off and climbed in the water. It felt great on my tired and sore body and even helped with the contractions. I squatted and waited for my body to do it's thing.
I just sat there and tried to soak it all in-still just in a state of shock. 10-15 minutes later, I delivered the placenta. His cord was SO long. They cut the cord and we got out of the tub and onto the bed to check everything and monitor bleeding. I got Maverick back from Randy and we started nursing. Grace showed us the placenta and explained everything to us. It was so fascinating!
They filled the tub up again for an herbal bath. After I was done, they took all of his statistics.
8 lbs. 11 oz.
20"
Two-three hours later, we were on our way home! We had been given all of the instructions and we were told to rest because he would take a long stretch of a nap but I just couldn't. I still had so much adrenaline pumping through me which was so frustrating because I hadn't slept in three days! I was every level of exhausted but just could not relax and sleep.
The first week was hard. I was really weepy and full of anxiety. I was also in so much pain from my milk coming in and every time I would nurse, I would contract and that was crazy. I hadn't had that with my other pregnancies. The second week got a little better. My mother was great and I honestly stayed in bed for a week. I really needed that and feel that I've bonded really well with Maverick. I think some people thought I was a little stingy or selfish for not letting people come and visit but I really needed that resting time. We have SO much going on this summer I really wanted to make sure that I took the time to rest and recoop.
Here is the birth video: Birth Video
I need to give a HUGE thanks to Randy. He was my biggest support. I'm so grateful for his patience and willingness to help with whatever I needed. He really helped me believe that I could do it and I think it was a beautiful experience for both of us--hands on for both of us!
Thank you to my Mother. She was so supportive as I labored-even when I was not so nice and patient with her, she was patient and kind to me. Having her here after Maverick was here was so helpful as she cleaned, cooked and entertained the kids 24/7. I owe her SO much.
Thank you to Danielle and Lynette. You guys are amazing. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for having patience with me. Thank you for encouraging me. I had told you before the birth that I probably wouldn't want touched or talked to--but having Danielle remind me to relax my muscles and Lynette stroking my legs and hair, it was honestly just what I needed. Realizing that I won't have any of my future pregnancies with you makes me cry a little. You have a special gift and I hope you realize how loved and appreciated you are.
Thank you to Grace. You are a breath of fresh air. So peaceful and sweet. You are going to be an amazing midwife.
Thank you to Tara. Without you, Maverick would have taken a lot longer to come. You have a gift and I hope you realize the impact you've had on me and Randy and really reminding us the power chiropractic has to really heal and help us live an elevated life.
Thank you Autumn. You are so sweet. I still cannot believe you stayed the whole day. You have exceeded every expectation I had for a photographer and I will never regret hiring you. You have given us such a precious gift with the images you produced. You are so talented! I will never stop singing your praises! http://www.autumnreynolds.com
Thank you to my Mother and Father in law for helping us get our house ready when everything is already so chaotic! I appreciate you more than you know!
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