Welcome Half Pint

It's already been a month since she was born so it's about time I introduce:

Taylor Michele Glass

March 21, 2012  8:21 am

7 lb 2 oz

20.5 in 

The story of her birth is not unlike that of any other American child born these days, but it is one of a kind because it was her birth.  She was due on March 17, but when the day came, she was not ready to for the outside world.  At our appointment on Monday morning, the 19th, the doctor was pressuring me to schedule an induction in the event that she was more than a week late.  This was a little upsetting for me because it was my goal to have a completely nature delivery without any medical intervention.  During this appointment, the doctor also checked to see if I had progressed at all.  I was 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated.  This too was disappointing because I hoped that I was further along than that. I left the hospital feeling discouraged and nervous.  I really wanted this birth to go a certain way and I was afraid that it wouldn't.

Mike and I and his mom, Michele, had been preparing for this childbirth experience for months.  I took a Hypnobirthing class here in Okinawa.  Hypnobirthing is a natural childbirth approach using relaxation and self-hypnosis techniques through labor. Michele audited a few classes in Cincinnati and read the book.  She was going to be my birthing companion and full support in the event that Mike didn't make it back from his deployment in time.  Mike had also read the book and listened to me as I rambled on about the lessons from class.  Once both Michele and Mike were here, we practiced relaxation techniques, positioning, meditation, and affirmations to prepare for the big show.  

When the due date arrived, I felt ready for labor to begin.  To help me along, Michele did reflexology message on my feet with jasmine oil and acupuncture on my ears.  I walked as much as I could, and Tuesday night Michele made eggplant parmesan for dinner which is rumored to kickstart labor too!  

I had been having irregular Braxton-Hicks contractions for weeks, even months.  But Tuesday morning they were consistently 10 minutes apart.  I didn't feel that anything would happen too quickly, but I did warn Mike before he left for work that he might want to stay on the ground that day.  Michele and I spent the day running errands and doing some last minute odds and ends. As the day progressed, I could tell that the contractions were stronger than normal, but they weren't painful or close together.  After eating my fill of eggplant parmesan that night, I decided to take a shower try to get some sleep. I laid in bed for several hours unable to sleep but still able to relax. By about 1 AM, I told Mike I needed to get up and move around. That would help with the progressively stronger surges.  

I labored at home with Mike and Michele for as long as I could.  We used all the techniques and many of the positions to cope with each surge.  The surges were getting stronger and longer but were never closer than 4-6 minutes apart. We had planned to wait until they were 2-3 minutes apart to go to the hospital but finally decided to head to the hospital around 5 AM when they were about 90 seconds long and pretty strong.  We arrived at labor and delivery around 5:30.  In triage I measured 6 cm and was fully effaced.  By the time they checked me again in the delivery room an hour and a half later, I was fully dilated.  My water broke shortly after and soon my body was telling me to push.  The transition or pushing phase felt like a lifetime, but I was told I was only pushing for 45 minutes to an hour. She was finally born at 8:21 AM!! What an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness!!

The midwife and nurse were so good at letting me push when I felt the urge and rest when I didn't.  They let my body run the show and everyone in the room, including me, followed its lead. I didn't feel pressured or controlled by the medical staff at all.  Mike and Michele were there by my side the entire time too.  I couldn't have asked for a better support system through this amazing and challenging experience. 

Once she was born, they put her directly on my stomach where I could hold her while they wiped her off and checked her out.  The midwife waited until the umbilical cord stopped pulsing before she let Mike cut it.  It is an indescribable feeling to hold your newborn child in your arms for the first time. Thankfully, they waited about 20 minutes to weigh and measure her so we could have some skin on skin, face to face time with her. Mike and I both had tears in our eyes as we stared at our beautiful and perfect daughter. 

We still didn't have a name for her so the staff and Michele gave us some time alone to discuss this very important decision.  We had a list of about 4 names that we were picking from but Taylor was at the top. She looks like a Taylor and of course, it's a meaningful name to me.  Some of the best people I know have the name Taylor!!  Michele, of course, is in honor of her grandmother who played such a large roll in her birth and the first several weeks of her life.   

 After a few hours, we were moved to the Couplet Care floor where we were to stay for up to 48 hours.   Now, the Naval Hospital in Okinawa is a rather old hospital.  The recovery rooms are some of the oldest in the building.  They are large enough for 2 hospital beds, 2 bassinets and 1 chair.  That's right, 2 beds, 2 moms, 2 babies, 2 sets of families and visitors all in the same room. We were shown to a room where another family was already staying but was scheduled to be discharge that afternoon.  So, we shared a room for the first day but were lucky enough to have the room to ourselves for the rest of the visit.  We did, however, share a bathroom with the 2 families in the adjoining room!  One bathroom for 3 moms, 3 dads and all their visitors can be challenging at times.  They also do not have a nursery so Taylor stayed in the room with us throughout the stay. All of this didn't phase us. We had a healthy baby and the delivery was perfect. What more could we ask for?

We had a few visitors in the hospital. Her aunties Brittany, Andrea and Kristyn were there as soon as they could to see her and hold her and love on her!  They brought flowers, smiles and cookie dough!  It was so wonderful to share this happy moment with them. There were a few happy tears shed from all four of us.  Thank God for friends like them.  Where would we be without a "village" like them?

 During our stay, Taylor also got to meet the rest of her grandparents via FaceTime.  It was a very bittersweet experience.  We were on cloud nine with our little princess but we weren't able to share this with our family back home like we would have wanted.  FaceTime is great but it cannot replace the physical presence of our loved ones.  I am sad that I couldn't show her to my sisters or see how small she looked in my dad's arms.  Through it all, I missed not having had my mom by my side.  That is not to say that I blame anyone for not being here.  It is just one of those times when I feel more than half a world away. One of these days they will all get to meet her but until then, we will FaceTime and send pictures as often as possible

After 36 hours, we were discharged from the hospital and sent home to figure out this whole parenting thing. We left around 8 pm but were still able to catch a quick picture by the hospital sign.

Our neighbors were so nice and made this sign for us!! It was waiting for us when we got home.

Being home with our new family of three was a little surreal but so wonderful.  I could not have asked for a better experience.  My support system, especial Mike and Michele were exactly what I needed when I needed it.  The staff at the hospital were respectful, supportive, and wonderful teachers.  Our little Taylor is healthy! We are truly blessed.  Now for the next adventure: PARENTHOOD!