Eva Mahassen

My baby girl was born last night (March 5) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 11:26pm in a natural, drug-free VBAC!

After dropping Ian off at Montessori on Wednesday, I went walking at the mall with another Montessori mom. Just as we were finishing, I got a got that Ian was sick so I went to pick him up early. He had a gastrointestinal thing happening and slept most of the afternoon. I went to the chiropractor for my final planned adjustment at 3:00pm and then I started feeling badly, like I was getting what Ian had. All through the night, I had a kind of crampy feeling and had to go to the bathroom a lot,--every hour. The next day, Ian was better, but I just wanted to lay around. I still had some crampy gastrointestinal feelings and they got worse over the day. My husband decided to come to Erie, PA from DC that night instead of Friday night as planned since I wasn't feeling well and thought something might be happening. He left DC at 4pm for the 7 hour drive to Erie. But, by about 5:45pm, I told my mom that I thought something was happening. She told me to time the "happenings" and they were three minutes apart. We decided to jump in the car and head to Pittsburgh (2 hours away). Unfortunately, my husband did not have a cell phone with him so we couldn't contact him.

I laid in the back of the van on the floor and listened to my Hypnobabies. I called my doula and midwife, but my midwife didn't call back. I called again and the nurses answered because he had left his phone at the hospital, but they said he was on his way to the hospital to pick up his phone. I told them to tell him I was coming.

We arrived at the hospital at 8:45pm or so. I was put in a triage room and checked a little after 9pm and was 8cm dilated! We moved to a Labor and Delivery Room and I labored mostly on my hands and knees. I can't imagine laboring or pushing on my back. My doula applied counterpressure and massage to my back and both she and my midwife offered encouragement through the intense pressure waves. (It is important to note that my back did not hurt, but I needed her touch it was incredibly supportive to be touched). I went to the bathroom and wanted to get in the shower, but my midwife wanted to check me first and then get the baby back on the monitor before I got in the shower. My water broke as he checked me. it was clear and warm and all over the bathroom floor. I was complete.

No time for the shower, we went back to the bed and waited for the pushing urge. I started pushing and don't know how long I pushed for but it wasn't too long and she was born. I did not feel a ring of fire. I did have a second degree tear, but I didn't feel it happen. I did mother-directed pushing and I pushed my placenta out by myself as well, without traction. I cut the baby's cord and then they extracted the cord blood for donation. We do not have anything in our family that would make it likely that we would need it and it is so expensive to store it. Also, it is more likely to get used by being donated. They got a lot so I was happy about that.

Everyone was impressed with how well I handled the pressure waves and that I went drug-free. The Hypnobabies did not make things pain-free, but did help keep me focused, to get through one pressure wave at a time. Everything went perfectly, except that my husband missed the birth, but even that was not necessarily a bad thing because it was so fast. (Maybe next time we'll have a normal birth and he will be there!)

Immediately afterwards I said,"That was it? I could have 10 more babies!"

My mom had three c-sections so this was her first time to see a vaginal birth. I am really glad she was with me and got to see.

Curt got to Erie at 11:00pm and was sent to Pittsburgh by my dad and brother. He arrived at the hospital at 12:50pm, at which point, my mom headed back to Erie to rescue my dad from Ian who bestowed 3 dirty diapers on him in the short time we were gone (finishing up his gastroinestinal issues).

Eva latched well shortly after birth, but slept most of the night. Curt and I just dozed. We ordered breakfast and after I eat, I will wake her and start our breastfeeding journey. She pooped twice over the night and Curt changed both diapers. The hospital is so full that we are still in the labor room and haven't been moved to the recovery floor. It is just as well. Our stuff (almost none of it used) is all over the room. It will be a pain to move!

This was my first labor so I really didn't know what to expect. I thought pressure waves would be a lot more dramatic and a full-belly experience. Everyone says,"you'll know" when you are in labor, but I didn't. It is funny, but Patrick, my midwife, told me on Monday that he always envisioned my labor being quick. I was just hoping to go into labor before March 24 (after the 42 week mark), the day they would induce me if I didn't go in. The other thing that was weird was pushing. I though I'd feel the urge to push in my vagina, but I felt it in my butt. It wasn't even that strong, I've had stronger pushing urges when I am actually pooping.

Anyway, if any of you mamas are far from the hospital and start feeling crampy, gastrointestinal or just weird, might be a good idea to head in and get checked. On the other hand, laboring in a car ensured my drug-free status because I had no other choice.

Eva is pronounced with a long E. This sort of violates my easily pronounceable rule, but most Americans will say it that way and since we are primarily around Americans (except for this wonderful group) it works. Europeans will pronounce it Ava, but that is o.k. Her middle name, Mahassen, is an Arabic name and she is named after a women we met while living in Egypt. She was like a mother to us and was never able to have children of her own. We wanted to give Eva a meaningful middle name and honor our good friend.

I'm Glad I Hired a Doula

I had a doula for my last birth and she was really great about helping find resources throughout my pregnancy, and she was great to have during my surgery since Ian was breech. Since this baby was breech for so long, I put off hiring a doula because I've been through surgery and don't need the support for another scheduled c-section, if that is what I would need to do.

After the baby was turned, however, I started thinking,"I might actually be normal. I might actually have this baby!"

I have no clue what it will be like. I never had any contractions with Ian. I have had some Braxton-Hicks with this baby, but they are just tightening, they are barely noticeable. So at the last minute, I contacted two of the big doula groups in Pittsburgh and the one that got back to me fastest, I went with. I met my doula, Kelly, at Borders in Pittsburgh after my appointment last week. She seems to have a calm presence and I felt comfortable with her. Ideally, you should interview multiple people, but I just want to have someone in place. Ian was going a bit crazy so we are going to meet again on Monday before my appointment, this time over lunch to keep Ian occupied.

I wish I could use my Erie doula again, but Pittsburgh is too far to ask her to go, especially if I am in labor for a long time. The Pittsburgh doulas will be more familiar with the area as well.

I finished knitting the purple dress. Need to get pictures up. I've made some cute Mary Jane booties but they turned out too small. Maybe they can be used for a doll or a premie or someone not destined to have big boats for feet as this baby is. I increased the needle size on the second pair, but they still look too small. We'll see.

Pregnancy Preparation Update

Earlier in my pregnancy, I wrote about my preparations. I did really well with Hypnobabies and exercise in the second trimester. The third trimester has been so cold that exercise has fallen by the wayside a bit. I have also been focusing on trying to turn the baby. Now that the baby has finally turned (by external version), I really need to get working on labor preparation. Kegels. I have definitely slacked on the Kegels. I haven't done many squats to avoid the baby settling into the pelvis in the wrong position, but now I need to squat a lot. There really is so much to do. I still haven't decided on perennial massage. Seems there are conflicting opinions on its usefulness and it doesn't feel good. I've heard it compared to roughing up your nipples for nursing and that makes sense to me, though many people swear by it.

My friend Heather is making me some mix cds for labor and I am going to try to get some yoga cds from my former yoga teacher here in town so I have variety. I didn't bring any music with me except an Erykah Badu cd that I threw in my bag at the last minute. I don't have much on my computer because I hadn't gotten around to loading it.

The birth beads came from the Due Date Club so I need to make that necklace. Only 9 people ended up participating. I think the bad weather put a damper on things.

I need to pack my hospital bag as well. I didn't make an elaborate bag last time because it was a scheduled cesarean and you don't need as much. I think I'll gather everything and then try to figure out which bag to use.

External Cephalic Version

Yesterday, I had an External Cephalic Version at Magee Women's hospital in Pittsburgh. After months of trying everything else to get the baby to turn and having had a c-section due to breech with my first, I decided to try it. I was discouraged from trying it last time because the doctors weren't very confident and everyone in town who had it done said it was horribly painful and didn't work.

This time, I decided to look in Pittsburgh to find doctors who were more experienced and confident. At Magee, I definitely found such a doctor.

The whole process took about 4 hours from check in to check out. Most of that time was spent on monitors before and after the procedure. They took vitals, put in an IV with fluids (partly because they wanted me to be NPO after midnight and partly in case of emergency) and put me on a fetal monitor for an hour. Then, the resident explained the risks, had me sign forms, and said the docor would be in shortly. The doctor came in and he and the resident found the baby's position on the ultrasound. The nurse gave me a shot in the arm of a muscle relaxer to relax my uterus to try to prevent contractions and make it easier to move. Then, the doctor did an internal exam to see if any baby parts were hanging low. Finally, he guided and assisted the resident through moving the baby. I used myHypnobabies "Peace" and "Relax" cues to stay relaxed. I was sweaty and faint from laying on my back and there was some discomfort in the moving, but it was very quick. They held the head in place for a minute or two and then I was able to sit up. They put me back on the monitor for two more hours to monitor for fetal distress or labor. The doctor came in about half way through to check to see if the baby was still down and she was.

It definitely feels a lot heavier than when she was the other way. Butts kind of feel like heads, too, so that is a bit weird. But I definitely feel baby lower and the butt is squishier than the head.

The most striking thing about the whole experience is how routine it was for them. In Erie, it is such an ordeal. When I think of all the worrying I have done and how simple it was for them, I really wish I had tried it with Ian. Now, a willing and confident doctor does not guarantee success, but it sure improves your chances. Before consenting to a c-section for breech/transverse, please try it. Yes, babies can turn in labor, but if they don't, you may be out of options because the baby may be too low to turn by version and you might not have a willing doctor. Very few places in the US will allow breech birth. Even fewer allow breech VBACs so I think it was definitely the right decision for me.

Of course, there is always a chance that she could turn back, but most babies who turn back do so right after the procedure so I am very hopeful. I am also ready to go into nesting mode. I will be 37 weeks next week, so she could come anytime.

Let the Pink Begin!

They saw labia at today's sonogram, so I am going with girl and hitting the stores this weekend for some girl things. If this baby is a boy, he will have some unfortunate drag baby pictures so I hope they are right!

They said the placenta looked fine so that is a relief. The next step is to schedule the external version to rotate the baby to vertex to get ready for birth. They said there was no obvious reason for the breech.

I called my friend Kim to see if she wanted to meet for lunch after my appointment, but since I had Ian with me, I asked if she could come with me to the appointment to help. She is actually staying in Sharon right now, but needed to go to Pittsburgh to get some things from her apartment, so I picked her up in Grove City and we headed to her apartment first. The weather was awesome with blue sky, dry roads, sun and temperatures in the 30s. I felt alive again. Kim's nephew was going to be stopping in Grove City to eat on the way to a college tournament and wanted his mom to meet him there to give him a phone he ordered and had sent home. Instead, Kim took it and left it in her parked car which has a code on it. He was able to use the code to open the car and get his phone.

All of this was planned at the last minute and just worked out. It is refreshingly unexpected when that happens.

Belly: 35 Weeks

I have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday in Pittsburgh and as long as everything checks out, we will schedule a version (to flip the baby) for the following week.

Moxi-busted

So, besides going to the chiropractor and inverting in strange ways, moxibustion is listed as a way to try to turn a breech baby. There is a Chinese MD with a little shop who practices accupuncture near my house (even in this small city). I stopped by to see her and she said she doesn't normally use moxa* because Americans think it is marijuana and she doesn't want to get in trouble, but since my problem could not be addressed with the heat lamp and really required moxa she would show me how and then give me some to do at home.

You apply the heat to the outside of the little toes. It felt good until it got too hot and she just kept switching sides. Afterwards, she had me on my knees with my chest on the floor for 20 minutes. I did notice a lot of movement afterwards, but the baby didn't fully turn. You are supposed to keep doing it until it happens.

Unfortunately, moxa stinks! It smells like smudging your house with sage or going to a Phish show. It gets all in your clothes and hair and everywhere. I tried to do it in the garage today to spare my parents, but it was too cold so I moved to an upstairs bathroom, opened the window and turned on the fan. The bathroom still smells. Moxa in winter is not going to work. I may try to do it at my friend's house a few more times but I won't be able to do it regularly.

The other thing I worry able is the amount of smoke. It is like smoking a hooka, but not clean like the Arabic fruit-flavored tobacco. I can feel it in my throat afterwards. It is relaxing, but not that healthy.

Back to leaning off the couch and visiting the chiropractor!


*For my friends in Korea, moxa is dried, rolled mugwort which I am sure you have eaten in rice cakes and in other culinary preparations. It should not be eaten while pregnant.

Sick and Sick of Winter

Ian and I got colds mid-December. They seemed to be getting better when last weekend we got fluish symptoms. He got diarrhea and had a slight fever and was generally weak; I threw up a few times (may have been because of coughing, though) and felt weak. This is the third time Ian has been sick since his flu shot. Now, these illnesses might now have been the flu, but I am really wondering whether it is worth it all. Now, my mom has a cold and our cold is back.

I also have heartburn.

Heartburn and coughing = gross. I did not have heartburn with Ian. The nurses kept asking me because he was born with a full head of hair, but I didn't. This is gross.

Also, I do not like winter. It is nice to visit, but living in it is rough. I hate being cold and I need sunlight. I can never get warm. I need to go buy some warmer clothes so I can get out of my husband's sweatshirts. The ground has been covered with snow the whole time we've been here except for a few days after Christmas.

I need to venture out today to copy my records for the two midwives I will be meeting with next week. I don't want to. There is a hint of sunshine and the roads are clear so it is better than it has been, but more snow is coming!

Preparations

I need to find a new care provider for the birth. The options in Erie are pretty limited so I am looking to Pittsburgh, Cleveland and just across the state line into New York. I have some good leads, but nothing set in stone. I haven't had a full appointment since 28 weeks so I need to get something set up this week. I am working with a chiropractor, but the baby is still breech so I need to find someone to do an external version if necessary. I didn't try this last time, but I will this time. I will keep working with the chiropractor until the the end, even if the baby turns before the end.

Obama won and the Steelers are going to the Super Bowl so I still have hope.

As far as other preparations go, I washed the baby's diapers today (small Fuzzi Bunz) as well as Ian's new large Fuzzi Bunz. I've got to get my cloth diapering operation up and running again because size 6 diapers are too expensive to buy even conventional disposable diapers, the environmentally-friendly ones are even more than that. So I want to get the cloth going again. I hate seeing all the waste from the disposables.

I need to wash the baby's clothes as well. I mostly have Ian's things since we aren't sure of the gender (but they think it is a girl). I figure I may get a nice newborn girl outfit for after the birth and then if the baby pulls a surprise on us and turns out to be a boy, I will give it as a gift. I'll get more girl pieces after the birth when gender is confirmed.

I want to do some more knitting as well. I hope to knit a baby dress, but it involves doing a lot of things I don't know how to do so I think I will do it like my friend, Kara, and just start and see what I end up with. I have to use stitch markers and circular needles and do all sorts o things. I bought the stitch markers and stitch holders, so that is the first step. The second step is swatching to determine needle size. What a pain, but I suppose I should do it.

I bought new BPA-free bottles: two Adiri natural nursers and I have 1 Medela bottle that I got for free. I plan to breastfeed primarily so I don't need many bottles. I had 6 Dr. Brown's bottles for Ian and would have been fine with three or less-they now have BPA-free versions of their product, but of course, the ones I have contain BPA. He almost never had more than 1 bottle a day because I was almost always with him.

As far as gear goes, I need to get some sort of small travel bed to use downstairs for naps and am considering a double stroller or another single stroller with a toddler board attachment. The selection at the PX is horrible and to buy on the Korean economy is expensive and I have spent more than enough time on this blog agonizing about the difficulties of having a stroller shipped over here. If I do attempt to ship again it will be through a large company like Amazon or Right Start instead of a small business. I like to support small businesses, but for large items or really expensive items, I think a large company is often easier to deal with on a customer service level for getting replacemet/reimbursement. Of course, that isn't always the case, but you need to have a personal endorsement from someone you know. I will probably wait until after the baby is born on that issue. I picked up an infant carseat from a friend to use while we are in Erie. I left Ian's infant carseat in Korea because I didn't want to carry it or ship it. I was so glad my friend Michelle, still had her son's infant carseat and was willing to lend it to me. Her son was tall so they didn't even use it much and she takes very good care of things so it is in really good shape. It is only 2 years old, too, so that is great. I will probably take Ian's convertible carseat on the plane with us to put the baby in. Ian won;t sit in a carseat for a 14 hour flight, but it will be good to have a place to put the baby sometimes. I just need to remind Curt to bring the Go Go Babyz Travelmate attachment so we can pull it through the airport.

Baby Seoul: The Big Reveal

Well, not quite. That was the title of the post before I had my appointment. The baby was doing a lot of knee movements in front its pelvis, but the midwife said she thinks it is a girl. Looks like labia with no sign of penis, but she said,"Don't decorate the nursery".

I have a few items in gender specific colors. I guess I will be packing both sets.

Belly: 28 Weeks, 1 Day

Third Trimester!

Baby Keepsake Books, Calendars and Boxes

There are a lot of choices in this category of baby item. You can get very stylish and personalized albums if you are willing to spend the money. There are lots of styles and formats. This item is difficult to choose online because the organization can make a big difference in how successful you are in filling it out.

After a lot of searching, I found an album by CR Gibson on clearance at Babies 'R Us for about $15. It is not quite like the one in the link but has a similar feel. It has acid free paper, a fabric cover with a slot for a baby photo in it, pockets for storing things and pages for events and interesting family information.

I found a lot of baby books were too cutsie with cartoon characters and that is not my style. Some of them were overly detailed in the amount and frequency of info they tracked. Others had the opposite problem, they were too blank. Of course, depending on your personality, different book formats are right for you.

Another way to go is the Baby Keepsake Box. You can put the baby's hospital bracelet, birth announcement, lock of hair, etc. You can keep everything together in a safe place. If you think you might not fill out a baby book, the box is a good way to keep memories organized without a lot of effort.

The third category, the Baby Memory Calendar, is a great supplement to either the Baby Book or Baby Box. I received one as a gift and thought I wouldn't need it because I had the baby book, but it turned out to be great for jotting down notes to transfer into the baby book later. It was easy to leave it out for quick access. Many come with milestone stickers so when baby gets his first tooth, you just slap a first tooth sticker on the calendar. You can get these for about $10. Of course, you can also just jot notes on your regular calendar. It won't have the stickers (which also help to remind you what to track), but those aren't completely necessary.

I was looking around for a book for Baby Seoul and found this one that has an ink free foot print option. I'd like to see more of the inside though. I think I will check out what I can find in person or maybe go to the designer's website to hopefully get a more detailed look of the inside.

Double Digits Til My Guess Date

I was reminded to check my baby counter by JJ's recent post about going from triple to double digits left in the "days to go". We have almost the same guess date, so I was happy to see that I am now in double digits as well: 99 days to go until my guess date. It is 20 days until my departure for the US.

Baby Names

I haven't thought about names too much because I was waiting to find out the sex. Since the baby didn't cooperate, I still don't know. There are lots of baby name websites:

Baby Names
Baby Name Wizard
Nameberry
Nymbler

and much more.

I also have several good baby name books thanks to a chance meeting with my friend's boss. She gave me a bunch of baby books and a prenatal yoga dvd.

The Baby Name Wizard by Laura Wattenberg

Beyond Jennifer & Jason, Madison & Montana: What to Name Your Baby Now

But, I still cannot decide. There are a few things I know:

1. I don't want a name that has a pronunciation that is completely different than the spelling. Examples of cool names like this are Aoife (pronouced E-fa), Niamh (pronounced Neve), Seoirse (pronounced Sorsha). They look pretty and/or sound pretty but seems like a pain to remember how to say them. I have an Irish friend named Aoife and she said it was even a pain for her in Ireland. Of course, that name is much more popular today than when she was born, but still.

2. I don't want a plain name with a fancy spelling like S'ra for Sarah or Karynne for Karen.

3. I want something that is easy to yell. A name like Aurora is pretty, but I don't want to trip over myself when I have to get the child's attention quickly.

That's not much to go on, but if anyone has any ideas, please leave a comment.

Belly: 22 Weeks, 3 Days

Mystery Baby

The baby had its legs crossed so the tech couldn't tell the sex. We should be having another ultrasound before we leave so we might find out then. Guess I just need to start thinking of names for both sexes.

Belly: 18 Weeks, 1 Day

I was hoping to get my face in this time, but Curt leaves before the sun is up and comes back after it has gone down and today, Saturday morning, I am not photo ready. So the belly-only, belly shots continue.

Doing the Work

When I start something new, I want the end result immediately. It is hard to believe that anything will make a difference and my fear of failure often leads me to lose interest and not "do the work" necessary to achieve the development of a new skill or goal. However, when I really set my mind to something and do the work, it is amazing how well it actually works.

I am applying this commitment to two pregnancy projects: exercise and Hypnobabies. I have been exercising almost everyday since my earlier exercise goals post. I am naturally thin without working out, so the motivation to do it is not that strong. It is hard to believe that it will make a difference. I do need to workout for stress reduction and strengthening, though. It is also good for better fetal positioning and I do not want another positioning problem that prevents a vaginal delivery. I need to build my endurance and after this delivery, I need to keep exercising so I can get into good shape instead of thin, yet, flabby. I have decided that there are enough benefits to exercise that I just need to do it. I am a little afraid that it won;t make a difference, that I will have another breech baby or transverse or posterior or something anyway because it happened last time, but I am exercising anyway because it has definite benefits and will give me the best chance for good positioning. The mental stuff will be dealt with by Hypnobabies.

Due to my husband's crazy travel schedule, we were not able to do the Hypnobirthing class here in Seoul. Fortunately, I found the Hypnobabies homestudy course which has two advantages over Hypnobirthing: we can do it on our own time in our own home and it is designed so that it can be used without the birth partner. Since I am going back to the States for the last few months of my pregnancy, I need something I can do by myself, especially in the event that I go early and Curt doesn't get back in time.

Reading testimonials, it seems that these programs work better for some than others. The difference: doing the work and choosing to use it during the birthing. Those who followed the program as instructed and practiced daily as instructed, had a lot more success than those who didn't. Though, it seems that even those who didn't follow it exactly or practice as much as they should have, did benefit from it. Also, the people who used the scripts during birthing had a lot more success than those who didn't. Seems simple enough, but not everyone chooses to use it or use it the whole time. Sometimes something unexpected happens which throws the mom off and she doesn't let the program get her back on track (or doesn't have it with her).

So, I will choose to commit to this program, to do the work, to use it and expect the best.

Kegel Challenge

I've been exercising almost every day with my prenatal exercise dvds. They all have Kegel sections, but I really don't do any Kegels other than the ones on the dvds. The recommendations I've seen vary from 50 to 300 per day. I am going to try to do 100 per day and then work up. Kegels are great for all women to do, they help prepare you for childbirth and prevent urinary and sexual disfunction. I didn't do many Kegels last time. That is another difference with this pregnancy.

Review: The Perfect Pregnancy Workout vol. 1 with Karyne Steben

The Perfect Pregnancy Workout, Vol. 1 with Karyne Steben is a very challenging toning workout. There is a 40 minute workout with modifications for beginners and advanced exercisers. I alternated between beginner and advanced moves depending on my comfort level. I found that even the beginner level was challenging and gave me a good workout. There is a separate instructional section that breaks down how to properly do the exercises safely. I like this, because even though this information is important, it is nice to have the workout move quickly after you know that. She does give tips throughout as well. I will definitely add this into my workout rotation.