Isaac's Birth Story

I was induced four weeks early with Isaac because of problems with my blood pressure. I arrived at the hospital early and waited for them to get me hooked up to everything. I had had a little to eat, at the instruction of my dr. and wasn’t sure how that tiny breakfast was supposed to last all day long and what energy I would be using to push the baby out. The Pitocin worked pretty slowly. At three my dr. recommended breaking my water to speed things along. I was dilated to 4 cm and I was feeling pretty good. If this is what labor felt like, I could totally handle it without drugs.

Within fifteen minutes of them breaking my water I was asking for some IV drugs. The nurse had barely left the room when I told my husband I needed the epidural. It hurt like hell. I held as still as I could for the epidural, a feat that I was sure would be impossible as the contractions took over my body. Once the anesthesiologist started the medicine I felt a lot better. Some friends visited and I was able to talk a little. At about six I started feeling pushy and the nurse checked me. Sure enough I was completely dilated. I started pushing. And pushing. And pushing. I got tired very quickly since I had no food to fuel me and the dr. offered to help with the vacuum. I gladly said yes, even though it was one of the interventions I had said that I absolutely did not want. So I pushed while the dr. pulled. I was yelling and yelling about how much it hurt (they had stopped the medicine) and finally, out came Isaac. They whisked him over to the newborn table to get him going. I had caught a glimpse of him beforehand, though. He was perfect.

Eva's Birth Story

I was induced a week early with Eva. I believe my dr. had mentioned something about my blood pressure, but it had been fine so I figured he just wanted me to have her when he would be in the office. I got to the hospital early, belly full of breakfast. I remembered how hungry and tired I had been the last time and thought that it was stupid to go hungry to an event that required marathon-runner stamina. The IV was the worst part. Two nurses tried twice with no luck. My savior came in the form of Snook, a nurse from the ER who popped that thing in my arm with ease. I offered to buy her a drink. Once I was hooked up, the nurses started me on Cytotec (even though the manufacturer warns that this drug should not be used for this purpose) to soften my cervix. After a little while of that, they hooked me up to pitocin. I had been 3 cm dilated already so it started working pretty quickly. At 2 o’clock, my dr. came in and offered to break my water to move things along. My initial reaction was, “no way, I remember what happened after he broke my water last time.” But I caved in. I wanted her out. Ian asked if he should let my mom know to come over and they told him no rush, it would probably be a while.

So he broke my water. And I asked for IV drugs again. And when the nurse left to get them I told my husband I needed the epidural. Again. This time, I sat extra still during the procedure. I thought I was going to die, it hurt so badly, but I knew I would have sweet relief soon. When the anesthesiologist said, “uh-oh,” I knew it was bad. Sure enough, the tube had not gone into the correct space and he needed to start over. I started crying and held still some more. By the time he was putting in the second tube I had felt the need to push and was quietly pushing while sitting upright in bed. He had no sooner finished and started to put some drugs in that I let out a loud scream and told them that they baby was coming. I yelled at Ian to get ready to catch her, grabbed my legs and started pushing. I pushed as hard as I could for fifteen minutes and watched my husband catch my daughter. I had dilated from 4 to 10 centimeters and had her within an hour of them breaking my water. She, too, was perfect.

Ella's Birth Story

I became pregnant with Ella when Eva was only 3 months old. I went to see my same dr. and went back into the high-risk prenatal routine I was used to. At about 20 weeks I told him that I didn’t want to do the same tests that he had had me do with Eva. He told me that was too bad and that I had to do them because I was considered high risk. I had had no problems with Eva so I thought, “that’s what you think, man.” I had been doing research on becoming a midwife through apprenticeship and found one who lived right next to me, thanks to a friend’s referral.

Her approach was so much better. It was holistic care, focused on nutrition and letting my body do what it was designed to do. I elected for a water birth. At about 36 weeks I was dilated to three cm. And I just kept on dilating. I was dilated to 6 cm when my husband left for work at 8:30 on May 28th. I had felt nauseated that morning and was having the same old contractions I’d become accustomed to in the previous month. At 8:45 I had a really long one and it hurt! Then I had another one that felt really weird and I knew I was in labor. I called my midwife, Tiffany, who lives four houses down from me and let her know. Then I called my husband who had just gotten to work and asked him to come home. My brother came and got Isaac and my mom came and helped put Eva down for a nap. I was very blessed that my body had been getting ready for so long. I got into my birth tub after a while and the warm water helped so much. I tried to surrender completely to what was happening and went into a different consciousness where I would moan in a low tone during a contraction and relax as much as possible in between. I got to ten cm very quickly. I began pushing around 11:05. Ella was born at 11:10, right as Eva woke from her nap. It was the most amazing experience ever. I am so glad that I trusted my body and had her in the comfort of my own home, at my own pace. I now have three perfect children and if we have any more, I’m doing it at home.

Mini van update...already

Okay. My mini van totally rocks!

Dinosaur Michael and Horse Michael

By Isaac

The blue dinosaur and horse ate yellow hay in the red barn that turned green and then red again. Then they went to the movies to see… a movie. They ate popcorn. Then they played in the playing theater, which is right next to the watching theater. Chango, the monkey, attacked them. They were injured but they got better. They both attacked chango and killed him. The End.

Someone has been watching Daddy and Uncle Steven play video games way too much.

Planes, trains and...mini vans?

I have a confession to make. I have been fantasizing about something my husband would definitely not approve of… No, not that, get your mind out of the gutter. Mini vans. Yes, I hate to say it, but I have van envy. I’ve been staying up at night while Ian’s at work, surfing Craigslist and Autotrader for an inexpensive van. I’ve passed them on the street while I go somewhere with the kids, longing for the extra space to bring one of my sisters-in-law (and her child) along so my poor mom doesn’t have to keep going places with me as a pseudo-nanny. I’ve even driven to Portland just to test drive a Eurovan. (With Ian’s permission of course, that’s the only van he would consider owning).

When we got married, we vowed to love, honor and cherish. To have and to hold, ‘til death do us part. And to never, ever own a mini van. (Well, that wasn’t verbally expressed at the wedding, but we were both thinking it). Well, we broke that vow today. We are the proud new owners of a Dodge Grand Caravan. Not really proud. Forced out of necessity is more like it. But it really isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Sure, I feel like I’ve aged ten years when I climb into my Mommy Missile, but it’s surprisingly comfy. And it has a working radio, with a CD player to boot! Neither of our cars has had a working radio for at least a year now. At least something positive has come of this.

I’m sure I’ll stop grimacing soon when I say the word, “mini van.” It might even be in the next few days, after we’ve really had the chance to go somewhere with the kids in our spacious new automobile. I’ll probably even be telling everyone I know that they should get a mini van in a week or two. But for now, I’m still adjusting…

Give Birth a Chance

In our culture, birth is unfortunately presented as a scary illness where something can go wrong at any second. If you buy that then you should know that many elderly people die on the toilet due to straining while, well, you know why people strain on the toilet. (This is a result of stimulating the vagus nerve, which causes a big drop in heart rate; not so good if you’ve got a bad ticker). Why then are people over the age of 65 not strongly advised to go to the hospital or their clinic whenever they have to poo? Because it’s ridiculous, that’s why. Because it's a normal, natural process...

I firmly believe that healthy pregnant women have the right to have their babies at home or in birth centers attended by midwives. Why is that? This is how they do it in many other areas of the world. But just because everyone else does something doesn’t mean we should follow suit, right? Wrong. The United States has higher fetal and maternal death rates than some third world countries and since only 1% of babies are born at home, one can only deduce that this is happening in the hospital. How can this be when we have so much wonderful technology available? It’s that technology that gets us in trouble. Women are no longer taught to trust their bodies. We are given the message that we need a machine to tell us when we have contractions or when the baby is ready to come out. Trust me, you know.

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring keeps women strapped to the bed when the only conclusion that has come from numerous studies is that EFM leads to many unnecessary c-sections. Not to mention the fact that all these wires keep women stuck in bed to labor on their backs, which is the MOST uncomfortable position to have your baby in. The only worse position would be to do it upside down. However, if someone were able to profit from it, I’m sure it would be suggested that women give birth that way.

There are other reasons for our terrible statistics: hospital-acquired infections, inducing too early, induction period that causes way too much stress on the baby with harder and faster contractions. Using Cytotec, an ulcer drug used to soften the cervix that has been proven to rupture a woman’s uterus and cause fetal death. This of course leads to more epidurals earlier in labor, which leads to exhaustion and higher vacuum and forceps use and c-sections. Not to mention the fact that women aren’t allowed to eat when they are about to face the most grueling work their bodies can do. Would you set off on a cross-country road trip on an empty tank of gas? Didn’t think so. This used to be done to prevent women from aspirating during surgery but today most women are awake during c-section and fully aware of when they will be sick.

The domino effect of medical intervention is staggering considering that most of them are completely unnecessary. Birth is a normal, natural process. Women have historically tended to other women during labor and birth. It wasn’t until male practitioners came along that everything took a turn for the worse. Don’t get me wrong. Doctors are great. Women with high-risk pregnancies need those doctors and the technologies that the hospitals provide. But most women aren’t high risk. And the ones that are told they are should really do their research and be fully educated on the reasons for their high-risk classification before they take anyone’s word for it. A woman has the right to decide how she wants her birth to go. We need to throw the fear out the window and give birth a chance.

Sources include: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin and Misconceptions by Naomi Wolf and Ricki Lake’s documentary, The Business of Being Born.

Cloth Diapering in a Nutshell

I stumbled into the world of cloth diapers completely unaware of what I’d find. My discoveries were amazing. There really is a whole cloth diaper subculture! Diapers can be cute! Rinsing poo off of a cloth diaper can be almost fun if you have a spray nozzle thingy!

So here are a few tips to beginners who might be as clueless as I was:

In case you're on the fence about whether you should try cloth diapering, you should know that these are not your mom’s cloth diapers. Gone are the huge squares that require the folding skills of an origami master. They have been replaced by prefolds (very cheap), fitted diapers, pocket diapers and all-in-ones (not very cheap). There are even some hybrids out there! (No they will not save you money on gas). What’s better is that you won’t risk stabbing that wriggling toddler with a diaper pin. There are wonderful elastic, T-shaped things with little claws that keep the diaper together called Snappis. Or better than that, Velcro! Many of the cloth diapers made today have snap or Velcro closures that make diapering your baby a breeze. And once you have the diaper on, you just put on a pretty, waterproof diaper cover. Yes, I said pretty. Covers today come in all sorts of colors and patterns. You won’t want to cover them up!
For a comprehensive explanation of the different types of diapers, go to http://www.diaperjungle.com/

If you’re in this to save some money consider buying used diapers. Yes, used as in already been peed and pooped in. Don’t worry, the baby won’t care. While cloth diapers are much cheaper than disposables, you may be enticed by the beautiful designer diapers that cost a lot. If you’re like me and you really want them but don’t want to pay full price, you’ll find that there are other ways to get your hands on them. Ebay has several auctions for used diapers. There is also a Web site called http://www.babycottonbottoms.com/ that has a bargain basement where moms (or dads) can post their used diapers and accessories. They offer good savings on diapers and they can also let you know how well they worked for their baby’s shape. I began cloth diapering with our second child who is a little chunky. I can already tell that our third baby will take after the first and be skinny for a long time. Because of that I’m going to be selling some of Eva’s diapers to buy ones that will fit my skinny baby better. Selling your old cloth diapers is a great way to recoup some of your initial investment. If only Target would buy back used disposable diapers…

Experiment. This is the best way to find out what will work best for your baby. As I said before, there are so many different kinds of diapers out there; it’s hard to know what your favorite will be unless you try them all. A great way to do this is with a sample package. Many cloth diaper retailers offer a beginner’s package that comes with a combination of prefolds and covers, fitteds and all-in-ones. If you have friends that cloth diaper you can ask if they would lend you some diapers for a couple of days so you can get a feel for them.

If you have good sewing skills (or even not so good sewing skills) you can make your own cloth diapers. There are many patterns and instructions online for making your own diapers. If you’re good at it you could even sell them for some extra cash.

Lastly, and most importantly, get a spray nozzle thingy! “What the heck is she talking about,” you may wonder. I am talking about a nozzle that attaches to your toilet that you use to spray the mess out of the cloth diaper. When I first began cloth diapering I would cringe when I saw Eva grunt and turn various shades of red and purple. “Great,” I thought, “I’ve got to stick my hand in the toilet and swish the diaper around and then move it to the sink because I won’t be able to get it all off. Why did I get into cloth diapering, again?” I was very glad when I went to a friend’s house and used the spray nozzle that was attached to her toilet. Not only does it allow you to get everything off of the diaper, but it’s also fun for those of us who like instant gratification. (I am easily amused). You will have to wring out the diaper before you throw it in the diaper pail, but at least it’s not poopy. Being a parent is messy business.

*Many Web sites carry a spray nozzle for around $35. If that’s out of your price range (it was for me) go the hardware store and get a nozzle for the kitchen sink and you’ll need a few connectors to attach it to your toilet. It’s cheaper. Ask the employees at the hardware store for help if you have no idea what I’m talking about, they’ll just need to know what size you need.

Meet Nina

As I sit at the computer, I find myself wondering why I started a blog. I like to write, yes, and I’ve got plenty that I could write about, but will it be interesting enough for others to want to keep reading? I hope so, but if not, oh well. Writing has always been a helpful outlet for me, and as a mostly single mom, God knows I need an outlet.

My name is Nina, well, that’s not my legal name but it’s what everyone calls me. This is the part where I usually delve into information about my husband and kids, but then that wouldn’t really give much insight into who I am as a person. So here I am, wondering, “who am I, really?” My identity has become so entrenched in my role as wife and mother that seeing myself as an individual apart from everyone else is just strange. And, frankly, it’s taking me a while to come up with something to write about just me. Okay, here goes.

I’ve undergone quite the transformation in the last few years. Spiritually, I find myself enjoying a greater relationship with God than ever before and after battling with chronic depression for years, I now have joy in my life. I have also come out of my shell, so to speak, something I had wished would happen for years but was always too scared to attempt. I’m no social butterfly but I no longer find myself sitting silently in the corner at my husband’s fire department functions, speaking some barely audible response to those who would ask how I was doing.

Birth. Birth is my passion. It’s been the only constant thing I’ve wanted to be involved in since I was six. Not only my own births, though I have had three children in the last 3 ½ years, but other women’s births as well. I’ve begun a business as a birth doula recently so that I could support women during one of the greatest events of their lives. Someday I’ll be a midwife.

I use cloth diapers on my kids, not just to save the environment, (my husband claims I’m becoming a hippy. Heck yes!) but to save money so that I can stay home with my children and live on one meager salary. I’m interested in greener living; I’ve started recycling and want to begin composting. I am also on a mission to get out of debt, quickly at that, and to not accrue anymore. I want a simple life.

I am a mother to three wonderful children. Separating my identity from them isn’t really possible, since being their mother is the greatest and most fulfilling part of my life. Isaac is 3 ½ and incredibly active and independent. He has a wonderful spirit. Eva is my sweetheart. She’s 13 months old and has a smile that will light up your heart. Ella is the new baby. At just 8 weeks old, we are still getting to know each other. She smiles at me now as she nurses and it makes me so grateful that we had an “oops” baby.

And my life wouldn’t be what it is without Ian. We’ve been married almost six years.
We’ve been through a lot together: miscarrying our first baby, welcoming new life, betrayal, making up, and our relationship has never been stronger. He’s my best friend, the love of my life and the sexiest man I’ve ever met.

There’s a peek into my life. If you’re interested, please come back for more. I have plenty of time on my hands and lots to write about!