Friday, July 29, 2011

Lyla Elizabeth Daiana Stacy's Birth Story






Finally, I had reached a pregnancy where everything was normal and right. I achieved the experience of being an overdue momma who just could not wait to fit in more than one outfit in the middle of July. Emotions of fear, happiness, readiness and exhaustion. This was my first REAL pregnancy. I didn’t have early labor, no premature delivery or anything! My body did what it was supposed to do and I experienced an emotion I had never felt before “belief in my body”! A woman really does not know what she is capable of until she carries a child and gives birth.

On Monday July 25th, I spent the day cleaning, packing and crying! I went through every emotion that day. I was angry for it had been a complete month since my father passed, I was two days “overdue” and my mother in law who was helping me pack for our move, packed all my food!! You can honestly say I was an emotional mess! I went through the day in the mood of “Don’t speak to me unless you’re spoken too.” Finally, the sun went down and the girls were in bed. Corey and I for once this week had some actual time to sit down and talk. We had a nice night while he worked on his class work and I sat going through old magazines cutting out recipes that I have a desire to make one day. We had a moment where we could just relax, talk, and spend some calm time together. We talked about what we wanted out of our experience of having a natural at home birth!

I climbed into bed knowing I had a morning of rushing around cause I had to be in Athens for a midwife appointment. I laid there thinking about how ready I was to welcome Lyla into this world, I can say I am SICK of being pregnant!! I was in deep sleep until I woke wide-awake at 3:18 a.m. thinking,“ouch, that contraction kinda hurt!” Fell back to sleep to only wake right before my alarm at 6:00 a.m. and I woke with a sure feeling today is the day. I woke Corey to tell him to get up and help me get things going cause I am having the baby. Without questioning me he got out of bed, we started a load of laundry, and I then realized my contractions were two-three minutes apart. I went to the restroom to only find a large amount of bloody show! I called Delphine and Holly to let them know that I was in labor. When getting into the bath to get all cleaned up my water broke. We let both our moms know and they arrived to our house quickly to help with Kerhia and Mia. We continued our morning routine while setting up the birthing tub and working with each contraction.
We decided to send our moms off to play with the girls. We wanted them to get out of the house a little bit and not worry with me trying to labor. They had a wonderful time out playing and came back home to mommy still laboring. They both went upstairs to nap just like every other day. Everyone relaxed around the house anticipating Lyla’s arrival.
I continued to labor in the pool which seemed to be the only relief from the contraction pain. They were very strong and tiring. I became very tired and just wanted the pain to stop. I begged for something STRONG!! Knowing not only was I not going to get something cause I am at home, but if I went into the hospital they would laugh and say you are way too far for anything. I was determined to express my desire for a “PAIN KILLLER”. Delphine then tells me to get out the pool I am not progressing in there and she wants me to try to go to the restroom. All I truly wanted to tell her is “NO” I am not moving, I don’t want do anything and I want this pain to stop.

Corey and I then walk up to the bathroom. Within minutes I remember yelling “oh sh*t” she is coming. Not being one too curse much, I knew I was ready. Delphine and Holly run upstairs to help. I then stand in the bathroom and push with each urge. Corey was underneath to be the first one to assist with catching Lyla. My mother, Delphine and Holly helping me as I stand there delivering my third little girl. As I continued the pushing process, I can remember how wonderful it felt! With only a few strong pushes Lyla was born into the arms of her father at 3:06 p.m. in the bathroom of our house. We did it! That is all I could think about! We accomplished a natural home birth! Elizabeth then walked the girls in to see their sister. It was absolute breath taking when Mia realized what had all happened. Thinking she was too young to have an idea, I hear her sweet little voice yelling “Lyla”.

The experience of having such a powerful birth was amazing! Having previous medicated hospital births with Kerhia and Mia having a natural home birth was extraordinary. Corey having the opportunity to catch Lyla as she was born and for us to have every second with her in the beginning was worth every bit of the pain. I won’t sugar coat it for you the laboring for 10 hours and the pain of child birth is hard but truly worth every moment. I will never forget that it was Corey who first handed Lyla to me after having her and the fact that a nurse did not rush her away. We accomplished the breast crawl within the first 30 minutes of her being with us. We spent those first moments together as a family how it was meant to be.

Friday, July 22, 2011

An unforgettable fear








Read this article before reading the rest of my post.

http://http//thestir.cafemom.com/baby/123431/hospital_gives_moms_wrong_babies?utm_medium=sm&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=natural_fanpage

After coming across this link online about a terrible mix up in the hospital of two babies and reading other mother's comments on the facebook about it. I had the urge to write a post on it. A lot of the mother's were being rude and nasty on facebook toward these mothers’s who had a hospital birth. I have had two past hospital births. Many of the women were saying "How in the world could a mother not recognize her newborn child?!"

I will never forget the fear that I had experienced when having Kerhia. My water broke at 33 weeks and the local hospital is not equipped enough to handle a premature baby if something were to go wrong. So they shipped me out of town to Charleston. I gave over my care to God and the well-educated staff at a larger hospital. Knowing that they would keep us in great care. They decided the best route of care was to slow my labor and to let me lay there for a couple of days to get her closer to be 34 weeks gestation. I agreed and they kept me VERY drugged, is about the best way to say it. I barely even remember the in and out episodes of those days. I can honestly say I had a painless birth! When it came to time to push every doctor in the whole OB department seemed to rush in. It was a mad house, I did not know a single person, I was so tired and medicated, and people were yelling and cutting on machines. It was not a peaceful experience. I then delivered my beautiful 4lb. 6oz. Kerhia Ann. She was breathing on her own and they were able to hand her to me for a brief second before rushing her off to NICU. I was very grateful for the chance to hold her. Though it was not a calm situation while holding her for the first time because everyone and their mother was still in my room.
Then two nurses rushed to my side and took her away. I was then told the earliest I could see her is an hour. That was very shocking for me. So I had to lay in my bed not knowing what was going on, where she was or what they were doing. I felt my pride as a mother being snatched right from underneath me. Luckily, my husband , mother and mother in law were all there to make sure she taken care of. As a mother though, I was not allowed too yet. Finally, after having Corey bug the nurses they said I was able to go see her.
As I make my way down the hall and buzz into the NICU I look around stunned by all the machines, crying and babies without a mother beside their side. My biggest fear was though, I don’t even know where Kerhia is. I have no clue. She was perfectly healthy. Maybe a little smaller than most but I couldn’t stop thinking if it wasn’t for having Corey by my side and him knowing her location. I would not have at all. I was so medicated and she was swept so quickly from my arms that I couldn’t give you all the details.. How does this process make sense? Yes, Kerhia was early and could use the intervention but why is it that they have the same process with normal healthy babies? So before, you judge a mother on this article. Stop and think about it. Why are they taken from the only thing they need the most to only be sat alone in this plastic crib for people to glimpse through a window at?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Lyla Elizabeth Daiana Stacy's little tricks!

Wednesday I spent the day over at my mom's house getting it cleaned and ready to be put up for sale. I was having contractions on and off all day. Eventually, they became pretty painful and I went home. I immediately called my midwife and birth assistant. They all arrived to my house around 10:45 and told me to just work with each contraction. As I continued working with them. My water broke in my living room around 11:30. A lot of water came out and my midwife estimated about 200 cc and enough a towel was needed and soaked. I just knew things were going to go fast from there.
As the night went on we decided I was not in active labor. To just go to sleep and we will work more in the morning. I rested really nice and Thursday walked, squatted and all day had leaking of my water. I just was not getting those strong contractions. We did the same thing all day Friday. I took some herbals to help and again nothing. All while this was going on we watched my vitals such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse, etc and kept a close eye on Lyla's heartbeat. We both looked GREAT! I stayed very hydrated and there was no concern for infection because I did not receive any vaginal exams. There is no such thing as a "dry birth" as long as the mother stays hydrated. Home care we believe that after rupture there is no reason to risk getting an infection to check dilation. Which in the hospital setting that is the complete opposite. As Saturday rolled around we were getting close to the 72 hour mark of ruptured membranes and wanted to get some blood work and ultrasound picture taken. Due to it being a holiday weekend we were unable to get into an outpatient facility. We all made the decision to go into the hospital knowing that could mean I lost my home birth plan. I knew that safety of baby and I came over location. I was happy that I had the option to go in and get the help.
We arrive to the hospital with my birth plan and we were very welcomed by the staff. They called the doctor on call. My midwife and birth assistant stayed with me the whole time! We ordered blood work and an ultrasound. They informed me if the ultrasound showed a low fluid level below 5 I would need to be induced with the use of PIT. We received my results from the blood work first showing my white blood count was a as good as it could be, means no infections. We then received what would determine the route of care the ultrasound results. My fluid level was a 13!!! Her heart rate was great and she looked beautiful!!!
My amniotic sac had resealed itself! This is a VERY rare thing. Only about 2.6% of women experience this and most experience this a lot earlier in their pregnancy!! With all the hydrating I did her levels filled back up and she is perfectly fine!! They then sent us home because we are now again a healthy momma and baby waiting on labor to return!

Here we go again... I am a pregnant momma with a healthy little girl all cozy inside waiting till she is READY!