Monday, February 24, 2014

Molly's birth

9 months ago today I was in a hospital room staring at my sweet baby girl. My last baby. The last time I would see, smell, or kiss a newborn was 9 months ago today. Some back story... As you have just read my first 3 births were all full of medical intervention. After I found out I was pregnant with Molly I knew I wanted something different. She was my last and I wanted to do it my way. I found a midwife who I loved and trusted 100%. I had planned to give birth in a birth center. Unmedicated, and surrounded by people I loved. That all changed on May 23rd... 
I was due any time now so I had spent the day getting things ready. That night I realized I had been so busy I hadn't noticed Molly moving. I laid down and drank a glass of orange juice and tried to feel for her. After an hour I still hadn't felt her. I call my midwife who told me to head to the hospital to get checked. We called Jon's mom to come watch the kids and then headed to Riverton hospital. They took us to a small room and had me give a few urine samples and then lay down. We waited for what seemed like forever. They finally came in and found Molly's heart beat right away. Aww relief. They said before I left they had to take some vitals. It was the. That they saw my blood pressure was high. I had not had high blood pressure at all through my pregnancy so I was shocked. They took it a few times and it was super high. They called the on call dr who said I had to stay and be admitted. They wanted it use cidotec to thin my cervix. I had heard of so many dangers with cidotec that I said no way! I told them to call my midwife. They called her and she thought they were going to send me home and have me come in for my regular scheduled apt the next day. But instead of doing that the dumb dr called me and said I was putting my baby and myself in danger if I didn't stay. I finally decided to let them admit me but I would not let them induce me, just try to bring my blood pressure down. They gave me medicine in an IV as well as an ambien to help me sleep. The blood pressure medicine did nothing. Sometime later (in my mind it was like 15 min later but it had to be more than that) the dr came in and said my blood pressure was so high and the only way to make it better was to deliver the baby. I was scared and unsure what to do so I agreed. I called my doula Suzy, my mom, and my sister in law Leanne. They all came ASAP. The dr broke my water (I found out later that I was at a -2, the chance of delivering vaginaly when you are at a -2 is pretty slim). She told me I had had 3 kids and she was sure I would be able to labor normally an deliver before too long. She also put me on magnisum. That stuff is straight from hell. I felt hot and tired and like I going to explode. They also started pitocin. The contractions started and were pretty strong. The stupid dr told me I needed to stay in bed as much as possible so they could keep an eye on the baby. The whole time I am thinking... I didn't want these dumb machines hooked up to me in the first place. I was up and laboring and doing all the things it had practiced. Things were going great. I was sneaking food (cheese fries) I needed energy! I had my anazing support system there. I was hopeful for a vaginal delivery. The nurse checked me a few hours later... I was a like a 2! It was then that the dr came in and said she wanted to just go ahead a do a c section. Thank goodness for my support system because they were there to tell them I wanted to think about it. I decided I wanted to labor longer. It had only been a few hours. I could do this. The next 22 hours blur together. I can't remember what happend when. I remember that dumb dr left for vacation 2 hours after she suggested a c section, I remember the nurse kept coming in and turning up my pitocin even though I asked her not to because it made Molly's heart rate go crazy, I remember i got a new dr (my friend Julia calls him dr handsome) he told me he would let me labor as long as he felt it was safe, I remember I had to pee a ton. At one point I asked the dr if I could get in the bath. He said sure. At this point it had been about 24 hours, no pain meds and no rest. I got in the bath and the nurse ran in and said Molly's heart rate was bad and I had to get out. I got out and she calmed down so they let me go back in. I asked Jon for a priesthood blessing at this point. When I got out of the tub I just knew it was time for an epidural. I was still only dialated to a 5 and had not progressed in a few hours. I thought if my body could rest it would move along. I got the epidural and send my mom and Leanne home thinking it would be awhile. About 20 min later the dr came in. He said "I told you I would let you labor as long as I felt it was safe for you and the baby, well it is no longer safe. We need to get that baby out." I agreed to to a c section. After being in labor for over 24 hours with no pain meds. The room got all crazy and we called my mom and Leanne and then they wheeled me off. I remember shaking like crazy. They gave me some kind of morphine along with the epidural. I could hardly stay awake. I remember people talking to each other and to me. I fell asleep. I woke up to hear Jon say she was here and he wanted to wait to see her till I could. I told him I could not open my eyes and to just look at her. He said she was gorgeous (well of course she was). The next thing I remember I was in the recovery room and I could hear er crying and everyone saying I needed to feed her. They handed her her to me and I felt like I was slumped over feeding her. Turns out I was holding her as they wheeled me into the recovery room but I don't remember that. Nine months I had prepared for the day Molly was born, but nothing could have prepared me for the birth she actually got. I didn't get any skin to skin contact, heck I don't even remember her being born. I still cry thknkng of it from time to time (I'm crying as I type this) it was my last chance. I'll never know if I am able to birth a baby with out pain meds. I know for some it is hard to understand. Yes I have a healthy baby but I lost something that day. A dream. Sound corny I know. I have a lot of if onlys in my head about that day. I am grateful for my adorable, happy, mommy milk loving baby. 

Birth

I want to write Molly's birth story and since today is her 9 month birthday I thought it would be a good time to start. But before I do that I want to do brief ones for the other kids. They were are a lot easier and less stressful. 
Hanna: the night before Hanna was born I stayed up really late watching Back to the Future with our friends John and Tater. I was overdue by 4 days and I thought there was no way I was having her anytime soon so I stayed up late. I was going in the next day to schedule my induction. We went to bed and about 2 hours later I woke up soaked. My water had broke. Of course Jon and I both freaked out a little and we headed to the hospital. Once I was admitted I started feeling contractions. My plan was to dialate to at least a 5 before I got pain meds. Looking back now is laugh at that. I was not at all prepared for that. I got the meds after being there for like an hour. The rest was a waiting game. Finally after about 16 hours of labor it was time to push. All I remember is that a girl who lived in our ward was down the hall in labor and my mother in law kept coming in telling me not to let her have the baby first. :) I pushed for about 2 hours and that's when the dr said he needed to use the forceps. Again looking back now I laugh. I would have laughed in my drs face if they said they wanted to use the forceps with Molly. But finally out came the most amazing beautiful thing I had ever seen. Jon and I were both crying. I had never been so happy in all of my life. 
Gibson: Gibsons birth story is the most boring and the most embarrassing. I try not to say I regret things but this is one thing I would love to do over. I was so naive. I was induced a week early, only because I wanted to be. I remember the dr telling me there might not be room for me at the hospital and to call the morning of the induction. I was up bright and early and called. They were able to fit me in. We got there really early. I got to my room and they started me one pitocin. The nurse came in and said I could get my epidural whenever. I got it about 10 min later. I never felt a single contraction. About 2 hours later the dr came in and broke my water. I remember thinking it sounded like a river rushing. Then we waited, and waited. About 5 hours later my handsome healthy baby boy was born. Again I cried. 
Sofia: December 8th is Jon's birthday. The year Sofia was born we were having a small party for him. I remember feeling contractions on and off that day but nothing bad. I was able to color my sister in laws hair and make brownies for Jon. That night while we had everyone over the contractions were getting stronger. My brother in law Josh had a contraction timer on his phone so we started tracking them. They were closer and harder so I called my midwife. She said to go to the hospital to get checked. I was only at a two. They had me stay for an hour and they kept checking me. I didn't dialate any more so they said I had to go home. They have me a shot of morphine and sent me home. I remember getting home and talking to my mother and sister in law and I remember being pretty out of it. We went to bed thinking oh well no baby today. Well at about 4am I woke up soaking wet. My water had broke! I had been contracting all night but had no clue because I had that morphine. They had told me that the morphine would stop false labor or increase real labor. So there ya go. I walked in and the nurses at the desk looked at me and said "oh your back" the contractions were so strong while we were driving to the hopital I was worried we weren't going to make it. I got there and was at a 5. They gave me a small dose of epidural. It wore off so fast I think I was pain free for like 20 min. Which was good because it was time to push just when it had worn off. Pushing without an epidural was so much easier and quicker than with one. I feel like Sofia was out in two pushes. They handed me my tiny little Sofia and I thought "holy cow she is tiny!" She was tiny and healthy. Oh and of course I cried. 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Creepy big bird

We went to the kids safe fair this weekend. There was this creepy big bird there. Even Sofia looks scared of him. Sweet Gibson boy was so excited to take this picture of her with him. 

An introduction

My name is Amber, though most people call me Jamber. I'm am 29 years old. I have an amazing husband named Jon. We have been married almost 11 years. Together we have 4 kids. Hanna is 9, Gibson is 7, Sofia is 4, and Molly is 9 months. 
I am a member of the LDS church, also known as Mormon. I love the gospel and am grateful for it. I'm also very liberal and unlike most LDS members I support gay marriage. I've had people ask me how I do it. The bottom line is that I don't understand everything. But what I do know is that the fundamentals of the gospel are true and the rest will work itself out. I know people in my religion judge me for my beliefs and to that I say " it is not your place to judge. The Lord knows my heart." 
I absolutely love being a mom. It's so hard sometimes and I think life might be easier if I ran away ( I never would of course) but it's the most rewarding thing I've ever done. My kids make me so happy. I try to practice mostly attachment parenting. All though I hate putting a lable on myself. I feel like my kids feelings are real feelings and they deserve to be heard. Sometimes I mess up and yell but I'm not perfect. But I always make sure when my kids lay down at night they know I love them with all of my heart. 
I would love nothing more than to be a stay at home mom. Right now I'm working about 20 hours a week at a children's clothing store. I miss my family while I am there. With where we are financially right now working is the best thing. I've had a bunch if crappy jobs since I've been married and I've never been at one of them for very long. I'm always called back home to being a mommy. Luckily I really like the job I have now and it's working out well. 
I have rather low self esteem and it's something I've been working on improving. The last thing I want is for my kids to grow up thinking poorly of themselves. I'm very emotional and can be very irrational. Another thing in working on. Luckily I have great people surrounding me who understand and can help to calm me down.
That's a lot of info all at once and most likely if you are reading this you already know all of this info... Again this blog is mainly for me to clear my mind. But to end this post I want to say I am incredibly blessed and I love my life... Until next time. 

Hi!

Hi, I've decided to blog. This will be a blog about everything and nothing all at the same time. I mostly want to blog for myself. I don't know if anyone will read this or not. I feel like I have a lot to say and don't always have the outlet to say it. So I will blog. Hopefully it will be good therapy for me. :)