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Jan 16, 2019

JUDE GREY KAISER 〰️ A BIRTH STORY



It's December 30th. 3 days after our little Jude Grey Kaiser decided to join us and I'm finally writing down my whole birth story before I forget any of the details!

Pictures by the amazing Janae Kristen. She also put together the SWEETEST video for us so be sure to scroll all the way down! 

It all began on Thursday December 27th when I woke up at 5:30am with some serious cramping. It was definitely not contractions but I was uncomfortable enough that I couldn't get back to sleep. I ended up waking Adam because I couldn't stop pacing and moving around and he kept saying this is it! But I didn't want to get my hopes up because I was 38 weeks and 6 days so he could be in there for quite a bit longer! The day went on as usual. I was just kind of uncomfortable all morning. I had a doctors appointment at 11:00am and by that time I was definitely having consistent contractions. I told my midwife (one that I hadn't met with yet) and she didn't seem too concerned or anything but I legit was like k this is it I'm gonna have this baby today! I hadn't had my cervix checked yet and decided not to have her check it just incase this was maybe false labor or pre labor. Adam went to work that morning and freed up his afternoon just in case. We were both really not sure what the day would bring.



So the day is going on and I'm contracting all day and they're getting more intense and closer together. I was running around like a mad person because I was so unprepared. My house was a disaster, our guest room wasn't put together, the carseat was actually the only thing I had ready haha! So as you can imagine I was running around in-between each contraction just trying to get as much done as possible. Come 5:00pm my contractions started getting pretty uncomfortable so I called my parents (who were an hour away) and told them they should come, I wasn't sure how fast or when it was going to happen but I thought it'd be good if they spent the night just incase. 



They got to my house around 6:00pm and by that time I was having to breathe through every contraction and stop what I was doing. I hurry and jumped in the shower, finished packing my hospital bag and got ready to meet my baby! By the time I was ready to get out the door it was 7:00pm. By then, I was really uncomfortable and felt like I needed help with my contractions. I texted my doula and told her we were on the way to the hospital! Adam was pretty shocked I needed to go to the hospital so quickly, one second I was fine and the next I was like get your shit together we need to leave!!! I think we made it out the door around 7:30ish?? And of course it was a blizzard :) Nothing like driving in a blizzard to the hospital. What's an extra 15 minutes of contractions in the car anyhow? Fml. We got the hospital, I had about 6 contractions in the car and made it through them all by breathing and listening to my hypno tracks on the way there. By this time I was having intense contractions every 5 minutes, which were lasting a minute. 



We got up to labor and delivery. Hurry and checked in and they put me in a monitoring room. I had my cervix checked and I was a 4 1/2 - 5cm! Wahoo! I was so stoked on that number and felt relieved. I wasn't sure where I was at in my progress so that was so great to hear. They put monitors on baby and we waited for an hour and worked through each and every contraction. (We as in me and my hubby and doula). The nurse came in an hour later, checked me again and I was a 5 1/2 6cm. So making progress again :) But my Midwife came in and was hesitant as to whether or not to admit me yet or not (omg I was so pissed) haha. She was saying that she really likes to wait until 6cm to admit patients and that maybe I could go walk around a little bit or blah, blah blah.... Water breaks. A very anti-climatic water break at that. For some reason I was stoked to maybe feel my water break early on this time (with Billie it broke on the 3rd to last push) but it literally just felt like I peed my pants a little bit. The timing couldn't have been more perfect though. We were all laughing because it was just literally perfect timing for the conversation we were having.




At that point, my Midwife (Claudia) said k lets get you a room things are definitely going to start rolling now. They got me in the room by around 9:00pm and I was all settled. Things really started getting intense. I began throwing up after contractions and had to really focus my breath on each one. I also needed help with counter pressure on my hips knees and back and had a wonderful team helping me do so! My doula massaged my ankles and feet after each contraction and it was so glorious. So time is going on and literally no one was in my room ( they just had my door cracked and were listening to my breathing) I was honestly kind of panicking. I felt like this birth, way more than Billie's I had to keep reciting my affirmations in my head. "I have everything I need to birth this baby." "My baby is happy and healthy." "My body knows what to do." I was having a hard time just being in my birthing moment (which I didn't at all with Billie). I kind of felt alone?? As weird as that sounds. I really just needed people to tell me they were there for me and I was supported. Adam was in there and my doula Desi was in there but it was still such a mind game. I think it's because none of the staff was there they were just kind of letting me do my thing and that made me really have to trust in my body and it's ability to birth and know what to do! Things were also moving pretty freaking quickly and I think that was making me panic a little bit too? IDK. My head just wasn't in as good of a place or as relaxed as it was with Billie. Of course we've had way more going on and we left in a hurry and it was just Christmas and I didn't have my other baby with me. I think it was just a lot.




Anywho.... #momlife. I started grunting through the ends of my contractions and I finally yelled "He's coming!" and I could feel him drop significantly. My midwife and the nurses literally ran in the room and had to rip my underwear and pad off and just like that he was crowning. I lost control of my breathing a few times during pushing. Pushing always feels like it's an eternity but I think I only really pushed about 3-4 times total. In fact, my midwife kept telling me to slow it down because I just wanted to get him out and to be here and I was pushing a little too intensely.






Next thing I know his head is out and then his shoulders! He was in my arms and we immediately did chest to chest. He was born so fast that they think he didn't have a ton of time to get the amniotic fluid out of his lungs so he was coughing and having a hard time breathing. He went kinda purple and they gave him some oxygen and luckily we got some liquid out and he began crying hard got his color back! (that was so scary I was so worried) The after part of my birth was way more chill than Billie's birth. I had a hemorrhage after my birth with Billie and it just changed everything. With this one I got to do chest to chest for no joke over an hour. We kept his umbilical cord attached until there was not a pulse left in sight. I held him until he peed all over me lol and then we decided it was probably time to get a diaper on and figure out how big this boy was! We had accomplished another unmedicated hypno birth using The Curtis Method and everything went perfect and I felt so grateful and relieved. And double yay, no tearing, no stitches.



Jude Grey Kaiser.








I couldn't believe how much hair he had! He is just so freakin perfect. They weighed him and he was 7lbs. 15oz. and 21 inches long! Big boy! Good thing he came when he did. They then gave him back to me, we breastfed and he had an amazing latch and then him and Adam did chest to chest which was the sweetest thing ever. And so important for them both! We got cleaned up and headed up to our other room. We were checked out of the hospital within 24 hours and headed home around 1:00am on  Saturday morning. We just wanted to get home and actually sleep (I cannot for the life of me sleep at the hospital I legit just watch the clock tick and wish the night away) so I was so stoked to sleep in my own bed and wake up and see my other baby!!!







It's hard to compare my two births. They were both similar, but super different at the same time. I felt more in control with Billie's, but Jude came so much faster. When I was actually pushing Jude out it was so so so intense (more so then I remember Billie's). I also labored on my hands and knees most of the time with Jude where as I was on a yoga ball most the time with Billie.





My recovery so far has been night and day compared to Billie's birth. I feel AMAZING. My bleeding has been so light. My lady parts feel 1,0000000,00000,0000% better then they did the first time and overall I just feel more comfortable and calm with the whole "newborn" thing. And I'm trying to really lay low and allow my body to heal and really embrace the newborn stage and cuddle the heck out of little Jude because we all know time is so cruel and they grow was to freakin fast.


Billie has been the BEST and cutest big sister ever. I am actually stunned at how amazing she's adjusted and how sweet of a big sister she's been. I really didn't know how she was going to adjust or what she was going to think of him because she's so spirited. But all of my worries quickly went away as soon as they met and she's continued to be so sweet since we brought him home. He's the first thing she wants to see when she wakes up and the last thing she wants to see before she goes to bed. It makes me want to cry even writing about it. All you moms that have brought a second baby home probably know exactly what I'm talking about it. The stress, the worry, the almost guilt? It's so weird how many emotions you feel. But we've all adjusted and settled in wonderfully and my heart is so full! I love my little fam so much!!!


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4 comments

  1. Wow amazing story. I love reading birth stories.i noticed you said you had a midwife and a doula? Did you have to pay for all three? Doctor, doula and midwife?
    In Ontario I was told that we have the option between a OB or a midwife for "free" but not both. Such a hard decision.
    Thanks for sharing.

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  2. WOW Alexis!!! This made me feel so emotional (almost 38 weeks over here with babe #2). My first birth was at home and seemed very close to Billie's by your description at the end. I felt so in control, no tearing, just meditative mindset and deep breathing. I'm worried this time I will feel more out of control, because I DO feel more out of control--life is just way different right now than with my first birth--but your story reminds me that everything will work out. I LOVE your birth stories and your fierce goddess power in birth and motherhood!!

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  3. Gorgeous! I was perfectly fine until Adams face - cue the tears. He looks so happy and in love with his lil family! Glad all went well and looking forward to following along as they grow. Xxx

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