I think the last picture I have of me with you inside. Eleanor couldn't wait to meet you!
Your birth story:
Let's start with the due date scenario. Given the date of my last menstural period (LMP), your due date was calculated as June 25th. When we did your ultrasound at 20 weeks, they revised it and said your due date was more likely June 19th. So the midwives split the difference and decided that they would use a date of June 22nd.
All of those dates had come and gone and at my regularly scheduled midwife appointment on June 26th (at 10am), I expected to talk about options of how long we would wait for you, what I could do to stimulate labor, etc. Instead, I took the urine test and discovered protein in my urine. The midwives took my blood pressure and it was higher than they liked, so they also decided to draw blood. After checking my cervix, the midwife, Ali, said that I had already dilated to about a 3 (I had been having some contractions over the previous week, but nothing regular) and she opened the cervix a bit more to measure around a 4. With the blood pressure being as high as it was... something over 93... Ali said that typically, these numbers indicated I should go to the hospital for monitoring. She stated that I should go home, rest, and then take my blood pressure again later in the evening and that they would put a rush on blood test results.
After leaving the appointment, my contractions were growing stronger and more regular. I was trying to relax on the couch while Granny was playing with Eleanor. The contractions weren't as strong as I guessed they would be for labor, but I was feeling uncertain about things including my blood pressure and the concern over protein in my urine and bloodwork, so I called your Dad to come home from work. He took a bus home. By the time he got home, I had heard from the midwife that the blood work results did not look great, either. A final sign that I was heading toward preeclampsia. The good news, was that according to Ali, it was fairly easy to send my body into labor since I was dilated to a 4 and a second time mom.
Your Dad got home around 4pm and Ali said I had 2 options... to come to the birth center to have my water broken and drink a "labor cocktail" or to wait until she finished her clinic appointments and she would be here around 7pm to do those things. Driving in rush hour didn't sound appealing, but since your Dad was driving and since Ali was doing her best to keep us out of the hospital... we decided to go down.
Your big sister took a late nap and I remember going into her room and watching her lay on her sheepkin rug (not in her bed where she normally takes her nap!) and cried a bit because I knew this would be her last time as the only baby, but was also happy knowing that we would soon be a complete family. I thought for sure your sister would come with us, but she chose to go to her swim lessons with Granny instead. I'm so glad she did because she had a great time and I got to spend time with your Dad for a bit.
So around 5:30 we got to the Birth Center in Kirkland and I was given the labor cocktail to drink -- something with lemon verbena they order from Germany, apricot juice, and 2 tbsp of castor oil. It wasn't great, but wasn't as horrible as I expected and I would always recommend it to other moms, because it helped clean out my system, but in a fairly easy way. After that, I had to lie on the bed and the student midwife (Alyssa) tried to break my water. She wasn't able to do it, so after a couple of attempts, Ali stepped in and finished breaking it. Apparently Alyssa had broken it a bit, but not all the way.
On the way home, my contractions intensified considerably and I knew you were on your way. I really dislike having contractions in the car, it's so uncomfortable, but luckily, we didn't have to fight too much traffic. By the time I got home around 6:30, I had your Dad read if getting in the tub would slow things down or speed them up. I wanted to slow them down a bit so that the midwives would have a chance to get there before you were born! After reading, I decided it would be fine to get in the tub and filled it about half way and had several more strong and very uncomfortable contractions in there. After about 20-30 minutes, I told Dad that he needed to call the midwives back and let them know that I couldn't talk through the contractions anymore and that they were about 2 minutes apart. They said they would leave right away.
Eleanor and Granny stopped at Fred Meyer after their swim lessons to buy you a cake to make for your birthday and when they got home, put some balloons out at the end of the driveway to let the midwives know where to turn.
Around 7:15pm, I was feeling like pushing was not too far away and asked your Dad to find out where the midwives were! Not long after that, they were in our room and were checking on me and you in the tub... listening to your heart rate slow down on the contractions and speed up when they were done.
Not much longer after that, I was pushing and remembering how much it hurt and questioning again why I didn't do an epidural! Thankfully, it was only about 10 minutes of pushing before the student, Eve, asked if she should pull my cervix out of the way and I could push you out. The first time she tried it hurt a lot, so I said no. Then I finally got to a place where it hurt so much that I asked her to hold it out of the way and pushed and your head came out. One more push later and a big loud scream by me and you came shooting out into the water and Eve pulled you up and placed you on my chest. At that time, I didn't know if you were a boy or a girl (though I had been feeling all along that you were a boy... and both Dad and I thought we saw a penis at the ultrasound), but I was too tired to turn you over and look, so I just sat with you on my chest while Granny brought Eleanor upstairs. I was so relieved to have the labor part over, but I knew I still had to deliver the placenta as well.
We all learned that you were a boy. We didn't have a name for you yet and I told everyone I was too tired to worry about it that night. I sat in the tub while Eleanor and Daddy held you. I delivered the placenta and then got out of the tub and made my way to the bed and got cleaned up and dressed and you were getting the gunk out of your airways and then you got to nurse for the first time. Man, I forgot how painful that was!! I couldn't believe you were ours. So clean and perfect just out of the womb.
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| Eleanor holding your hand for the very first time. |
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| Fearless Eleanor helping to cut your umbilical cord. |
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| Daddy and Eleanor holding you for the first time. I was still in the tub delivering the placenta! |
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| Your sister was such a rockstar. She stayed with me through some really painful contractions and was there right after you were born. Told me it was okay and to push! |
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| Ali, the midwife, talking to me about what to expect for recovery. |
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| Oh yeah, that's right... nursing hurts |
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| The birthday cake Eleanor and Granny made for you! Happy Birthday Emmett! |
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| Day 2: We still didn't know your name the next morning. We asked for input from friends and family, but your Dad really liked Emmett and I thought you were Emmett when I was delivering you. Later in the day, we decided you were Emmett Marvin Klein. Marvin was your Opie, Daddy's Dad, who died when your Daddy was in college. |
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| Eleanor making a monster claw at you. And so it begins! |
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| Daddy reading you and Eleanor a book. |
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| Day 3, look how perfect you are! Wrinkly with great skin. It was pretty hot the days following your birth. Well, hot for Seattle. Probably mid 80s to lower 90s and a bit humid. |
I can't wait to get to know your personality. So far, you are pretty good at sleeping through noise. Last night was the 4th of July and you barely flinched at even the loudest booms. We stayed outside for a bit, but then came inside to get your ears out of that loud noise!! You have slept a 5 hour stretch and seem to be nursing well. I bet your weight will surpass your birth weight at your follow-up visit on Monday (July 8th).
Love you little man!
Sabrina
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