Lela has arrived!

We had a precious little girl on Friday, May 15th at 7:09 PM. She weighed 7 lb. 10 oz. and was 20.8 inches long. We named her Lela (LEE-luh) Katharine Alberta Smith. The birth was natural and a large part of the labor was in water. We had two midwives attending (one in training) and our friend Sarah as an assistant and massage therapist.

Here's the brief version of the birth story: Labor induction with breast pump began at 8:15 AM and by 11 AM thing had progressed enough to break my water. Jack says labor got really intense around 3 PM and by 5 PM I was ready to start pushing (though it was another hour before I was TOTALLY dilated (had 1 more cm to go). I did much of the hard labor in the waterbirth tub, but by around 6:45 PM the midwife suggested I try the bed again, as I had made more progress there about an hour before. It only took about 3-4 more rounds of contractions (4-5 pushes each) to give birth to Lela. Jack caught her with his bare hands (guided by the midwife) and put her on my chest right away. A few minutes went by before we discovered she was a girl. After about 10 minutes Jack cut the cord (we wanted to wait until it stopped pulsing). The placenta was born shortly after that.

We were discharged in 24 hours and spent our second night at home together in bed.

Baby Lela is now 2 weeks old, eating like a horse, making all sorts of noises, filling lots of diapers, and is truly a joy in our lives. Praise God for this beautiful miracle.

"Overdue"

So the baby and I have a little stand-off going. I have to work within the 42 week timeline of obstetric professionals, and the baby wants to cook and stay cozy inside for as long as it wants. We're getting down to the wire these days, as I'm nearing the 42 week mark, which puts me into a "high risk" category that removes me from being treated by our midwife practice. So, Thursday we'll have to talk induction.

Please pray that things get going naturally. So far, my body has started the process of labor, and here are some signs: mucus plug drained out for the past week, mild-moderate contractions ranging from 5 minutes apart to more than 10, fatigue, dilation (I was 3 cm on Friday the 1st of May), effacement (I was 50% on Friday the 1st of May). These signs make me a good candidate for induction that is less extreme than it could be, however, Jack and I are really hoping to have a natural birth, with no intervention. We feel it is best for the baby.

One thing I was not prepared for at this stage of pregnancy is the constant questioning from friends and family about when the baby is coming. Of course, we want it to come soon, but we have no control over when it happens. Yesterday I even stopped answering my phone and just before falling asleep decided to change my voicemail to a message that told callers we would LET THEM KNOW when the baby arrived. I do appreciate the care and concern, and several folks have only given me encouragement. But everyone is curious and I can't blame them for it. It's just getting frustrating for me.

What I'm telling people to keep my spirits up when they ask:

Every day I'm still pregnant, is another day with MORE sleep and LESS responsibility.

I'm trying to enjoy the last few days with my husband while it is "just the two of us".

I'm doing my best to rest and keep track of early labor signs, so I'll know when things get serious.

We want the baby to start the process of labor, as it usually does when it is ready.

It's easier to be pregnant, than to take care of an infant (feeding/changing/carrying around/etc.)

What other people have told me to encourage me:

A baby that stays in longer is easier to take care of (sleeps through the night sooner, eats better, etc.).

I guess I'll just have to keep focused on the positive for the next few days and wait.