Blessingway for Harmony (rescued)

[Harmony]

Got the page with my announcement at least!

Happy Birthday to my littlest woman!

Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
Baby girl born 1.17am at home, all very well, no name or measurements yet
__________________
~Nikki~
DH Kim
DD Hannah '03 DD Abby '06 DD Beth '08
Good housekeeping is an exact science. I'm into art.

11-10-2008, 03:50 AM

Merlion
~Co-Sleeper Mama~

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Yeah I'm still Breastfeeding
Posts: 936
Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
OMG OMG OMG congratulations Nikki and family. I was wondering if I had stalk this thread all night
__________________
Me and DH with DD '04 and DS '07
Breastfeeding + co-sleeping = one Crazy Mama
Embracing non-sleeping children

11-10-2008, 07:46 AM

wems
Intuitive

Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 195
Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
Ahhhhhhh another girl

Congratulations
__________________
Wems
Boss Frog To Grae, Mumma Frog to Elizajayne, Joe, Lascinda, Darcy, Kane, Coby & Abby
*~* No more for us *~*

11-10-2008, 08:15 AM

lizlea
Community Support

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 3,204
Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
yaaaay, great news, congratulations all!
__________________
Liz

Ashleigh 13, Ben 6, Kate 3

11-10-2008, 09:13 AM

neek
Intuitive

Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 564
Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
YAAAAY!!! Congratulations Nikki and family!!! Another beautiful girl to add to the family. Enjoy her and these first few moments!
__________________
V & M

Mr N 26.12.06 Miss L 3.10.08

11-10-2008, 09:22 AM

soulmama
Community Support
Smiley Queen

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Somewhere between insanity and reality
Posts: 2,855
Re: Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
Congrats Nikki, Kim, Hannah and Abby!

Welcome earthside precious little girl!!!
__________________
Single natural (learning to trust me!) Mama to
A realist, A diva, A comedian and a charmer!
"Amazing children choose even more amazing parents! "

11-10-2008, 09:32 AM

Green Tara
Community Support
Roller Derby Bitch formally Moneypenny

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Wild woman, Mother, Sister, Healer
Posts: 3,238
Re: **Update post 22** Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
Oh huge congrats Nikki! Its raining girls!!!
__________________
Refusing to reliquish or have stolen from me, the sovereignty of my body or my right to choose where and with whom I birth. Australia is a signatory to the UN Charter which enshrines and protects women's reproductive rights. Did you know that Ms Roxon?..... powerful words thanks to Jodi Cleghorn

11-10-2008, 09:57 AM

sunrisesister
Community Support
formerly Char

Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 485
Re: **Update post 22** Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
yaaaaay! welcome baby girl! well done mama
__________________
Mama to Miss E 10, Mr W 7, Miss M 5 and 'Pickle' EDD Dec/Jan
My crafty blog!

11-10-2008, 10:09 AM

hailstorm
Sitting waiting wishing

Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: I'm not sure what I see...are you telling me to see the signs?
Posts: 4,412
Re: **Update post 22** Blessinway for Harmony!!!!!
oh wow another baby girl!!! Congrats hun!! I was just telling Veg that Nikki was in labour and I wonder if she had her baby...he said who's Nikki?
Can't wait for more details!!
__________________
Kyls
Mum to two
him.... 29/08/06
her....29/11/04


Save the EARTH... it's the only planet with CHOCOLATE!!!!!

[Ethereal]

Yay! Now go save it!!

SM found mine - she is awesomeness :love

[Harmony]

Baby number 3, homebirth number 2, I was a little blase about the whole process http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/icon_biggrin.gif I had minimal ante-natal care, mostly just had my blood pressure checked if I happened to be at the GP for something else. Everything was boringly normal and healthy http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/wink.gif Found a midwife at the last minute again, same as with Abby's birth, trusting that whoever was required for the birth would be available, it turned out to be the midwife, my mum, DH and our daughters.

Mum arrived a few days before my due date, a Tuesday, and the waiting began in earnest. I had many long chats with the baby about wanting to meet him or her really soon http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/wink.gif On the Thursday night, prelabour began, with mild tightenings every 10 or 20 minutes, which continued all day Friday too.

Just as we sat down to dinner on Friday night, they began to bite, I got my first fork-full of stew halfway to my mouth then realised I was not going to be able to eat. This was the real thing! I called the midwife to say we will probably call you in later. I called her again half an hour later to say please come now http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/icon_lol.gif She had a 2 hour trip, I didn't want her to miss it!

DH and mum slowly organised the girls into bed, I was chafing a bit for that to happen, I needed a bit of quiet. As each tightening came, I wandered into the dark bedroom with a heat wheat, leaned my head on a cool wall, and rocked. I knew they were over when I felt hot from the heat wheat, during them I almost felt cold.

We set up the loungeroom with mattresses, plastic, sheets and the pool. I drifted around and pottered with a few things. We filled the birth pool. Mum got out her craft and made a beautiful card for one of the girls. Later she made scones.

I had on my birthing nightie, the same one I wore for the other girls' births. I sat on the birthing ball and leaned on the back of the couch, rocking and rolling through the pains, heat wheat pressed on my abdomen. DH massaged my back - no pain there, this time - baby is anterior http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif I get the shakes, I'm not cold, it's nervous energy. I shake and shake and shake between contractions, it's unpleasant. The midwife is here, she sits calmly on the lounge, a silent presence. Asks me how I am, how I think the baby is. I tell her I want the shaking to stop! I lean forward between contractions and force my body to relax, the shaking stops, I doze off...

The pool is ready, I strip off and jump in. It's not quite deep enough, so we add more water. During contractions I kneel and rock and moan. In between, I lie on my left side, hook my hand over the edge, and sleep. The shaking continues unless I am really concentrating on relaxing. At one stage I say to the midwife they don't seem to be very long yet, hope there aren't too many more hours to go. She assures me they're lasting a full minute, and I'm reassured. I forget about time for most of the rest of the night.

[Harmony]

I'm tired, I've never laboured without the fortification of a good dinner and a couple of hours sleep http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/icon_lol.gif I tell DH I want it to be over, now, can we please fast forward the next hour or so? He is with me through all the contractions now, powerful, strong, lending me his strength somehow.

I have to wee again. Never went so often with my other labours! I don't make it back to the pool after a contraction, I come hobbling out demanding heat wheat, heat wheat, heat wheat NOW! I've started feeling a bit pushy, my song changes, takes on grunty tones. I look at the pool and think about getting back in, but getting dry again if I decide I don't want it sounds like too much work. I've done this on land, I stick with what I know. I tell the midwife I don't think I'll be able to catch the baby myself as I hoped, and perhaps she'd better put her 'catching gloves' on.

I'm tired, I'm soooo tired, my legs shake. I'm kneeling in front of the couch, DH is supporting me, encouraging me. Abby has woken and is quite upset by my song, until I have a little chat with her and let her know I'm OK, but she won't go to mum, only daddy will do. So he holds her on his right shoulder, I bury into his left hip, and I push.

I start to resist the pushing, I tighten up, I'm afraid, I'm tired, I just don't want to do it. I can feel the baby moving down, but too slow, I'm going to run out of energy if I let it happen this slowly. I push with my body and feel more pressure. This is it. No one else can do this, it's my job! I can do it, I will do it!

Hannah has been woken up and is watching from the floor with the midwife, waiting for the head. She keeps up a running commentary that would have had me in stitches, had I not been working so hard http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/happy/icon_lol.gif I am crouching so low, they have to lie on the floor to see. I feel for the head between contractions, eventually the midwife can see and tells me it's only an inch or so inside. I push and I can feel it coming out and out and out...then the contraction finishes and it goes aaaalll the way back in. Noooo! No no no no no! I don't want it to go back in! I thought it was all the way out! How far out was it? I demand to know! Oh, nearly crowning, is the casual reply http://www.joyousbirth.info/forums/images/smilies/omgeroops/icon_eek.gif

Bloody hell! I'm not doing that more than once more! I push. And I push and push and push until I know the head is out. I see camera flash, I know mum is getting photos and I'm very pleased, I have no photos of Abby's birth, just video. I feel the head turning, turning, I know it's nearly over. I brace myself for the last push, and away we go. I feel her body begin to emerge, and an arm pops out, then the midwife tells me to reach down and take the baby, I can do it, and with a bit of help, I catch my own baby, and bring her (her! It's a girl!) to my stomach.

We marvel at her beauty, and her story, she screams it loud and long, much more than either of the other girls. The cord is short again, it's tricky to get her near my breasts, but I lie down for a few minutes to rest before getting up again to birth the placenta. My mum cuts the cord, and I'm free to manouver her. She wanders over to a breast and has a bit of a lick and a suck, but she doesn't really get interested in feeding until the next day. Her head is quite round and smooth, hardly any moulding, much bigger than Abby's head, despite being almost the same size in all other directions!

It is the early hours of the morning, the girls are very excited, running around, the adults are making hot drinks, tidying up, I have a quick wash in the birth pool as it's emptying and a scone for dinner. Mum takes the girls to bed, and Abby goes to sleep for her really quickly, such a relief. We crawl into bed towards dawn and get a few hours sleep.

The next day we settle on Beth for her name, she has a few breastfeeds, and despite my trepidation looking at her terrible latch, the same latch that caused so much pain the first two times, things are fine, she does no damage, feeding is relatively pain free, compared to my previous experiences! I can feed Abby freely as well, the aversion which plagued us both all pregnancy is gone, just have to watch her teeth!

Our wonderful midwife slept a few hours in the study, checked us over in the morning, had a cuddle with Beth and eventually dragged herself away to go home mid-morning.

Elizabeth (Beth) born at home at 1.17am on 11th October 2008.

Weight 3.26kg
Length 50cm
Head 35cm

<div><embed src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_view_player?p=72e54441c0940599fdaf34" quality="high" scale="noscale" width="600" height="526" wmode="transparent" name="FLVPlayer" salign="LT" flashvars="&p=72e54441c0940599fdaf34&skin_id=601&host=http://www.onetruemedia.com" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><div style="margin:0px;font:12px/13px verdana,arial,sans-serif;line-height:20px;padding-bottom:15px;width:600px;text-align:center;"><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link?p=72e54441c0940599fdaf34&skin_id=601&source=emplay" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.onetruemedia.com/share_player_link_image/72e54441c0940599fdaf34/601.gif" style="border:0px;" width="600" /></a><br/><a href="http://www.onetruemedia.com/landing?&utm_source=emplay&utm_medium=txt2" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none;">Photo and video editing at <span style="text-decoration:underline;">www.OneTrueMedia.com</span></a></div></div>

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=72e54441c0940599fdaf34&skin_id=601&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

[jemmaf]

That is an honest and beautiful account, and very inspiring. I like your relaxed non medical approach to the ante natal care. I am a nurse and am absolutely phobic about hospitals! (when a patient) It has been 8 years for me and I think I must of forgotten the intensity of labour! Also some good practical tips, have to make sure I have the heat pack ready. 3 lovely girls, do you think you will go again?