Arrow Faith

So ... it's been ages since I've blogged.  I miss it.  I had a baby... per the title - Arrow Faith.  I need to document her birth story somewhere so since Quorra's is saved somewhere in here too I figured I'd put it here.

Quick re-cap: I found out I was pregnant with Arrow on April 1st.. yep April fools day.. so of course Jared didn't believe me when I told him.  I was so excited and yet super nervous as well.  How was I going to juggle life with another baby while working and taking care of 3 kids and my home!?  We are managing.. ;)

Anyway - on with the birth story.....

Last preggo pic at 38 weeks and 3 days.

Sunday November 23rd 7:30(ish)pm I started to have some light contractions.  Not to painful just the kind that take your breath away.  I figured it was just like any other day since I've had contractions here and there for a week but nothing to send me to the hospital.  I was also only 39 weeks and didn't expect to be a week early.  We had spent the afternoon at my parents house and my mom told me to just keep an eye on contractions and time them out.  So around 8 or 9 we headed home.  I got the kids to bed then laid down to try and get some rest.  Jared fell asleep pretty quick but I was uncomfortable so I just laid in bed until 10:30pm timing contractions.  I decided I should probably let my doula know what was going on so she could be available if this was the real deal.  She let me know she had her phone on loud and to just keep her posted if I needed her.  So while Jared snored away (literally!), I timed contractions and by 11:30pm I was starting to have some pretty intense and painful contractions and decided I would need my doula to come help me labor.  She showed up about midnight and the midwife showed up around 12:30.  The midwife checked me and I was 100% effaced and at a 4.  We labored and chatted while trying different positions to help me be comfortable throughout the contractions.  We let Jared sleep since clearly it was going to be a long night.  Around 2:30am we started walking my stairs to keep things progressing.  The midwife checked me about 2:45am and I was almost to a 6 so we decided we better head to the hospital.  My hospital is a 30 minute drive so we didn't want to get too far along and not make it... (yikes)  So we got in the car and on the road by 3am and made it to the hospital at 3:30am where my mom met us.  I had called ahead to have them get a room ready for me and requested a nurse that was pro-natural labor.

We got right into our room and labored for 3 hours and 41 minutes when Arrow Faith Teter arrived.  She weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces and was 20 inches long.  She was/is perfect.  My heart doubled in size immediately.

Birth Story of my Quorra Doe

Saturday March 24th:
Jared and I went to Costco to do some shopping. I just set it in my head that baby girl was never going to come.  I was getting impatient! After Costco my friend Brittney and her mom Leslee invited me to go check out the new City Creek Mall.  So we headed up around 2 and after walking around through some stores and having lunch at Nordstrom we finally went home around 7!   We had walked tons and I was exhausted! I came home and laid down. I didn't fall asleep until midnight or one.   I just laid there (not super abnormal).   So I took a tylonol pm to help me get some sleep and dozed off.

March 25th Around 5am: I woke up to contractions (which I had been having for a couple weeks now just missing the cramping pain) so I didn't think much of it until I started having cramps.  So I texted my Mom about 5:30 and was telling her what was going on and asking her what she thought.   For weeks I had been unsure when I would know it was time to go to the hospital to have this babe.  My mom told me to time the contractions for the next 20 minutes then tell her how many I had.  My contractions were lasting a minute to 2 minutes long and were every 5 minutes.   I got up to use the bathroom and was spotting a bit and let my mom know.  She instantly texted me "ok we are leaving now."  (my mom and older sister Hope were driving from San Diego and were planning to leave Monday morning to help prep for the baby.  They left SD at 6am)  I hadn't woke Jared up yet cause I wanted to make sure it was the real deal.  He woke up around 6ish while I was breathing through a contraction and asked if I was ok.  I told him I thought it was time.  He said "so when should we go?".  I told him in the next 30 minutes.  So he showered and woke the kids to let them know (they were so excited!).   We left the house about 6:30 and by then my contractions were 3-5 minutes apart.   We got to the hospital and they got me in a gown and put a monitor on my belly for the baby.  The nurse checked me and I was at a 4 and 90% effaced so she called my Doctor to see if I should stay. (duh!)  My doctor was off so the on call doctor said to keep me.   Since I had planned to do a natural birth if at all possible they gave me a birthing room with a jetted tub and lots of space. The new nurse came in and gave me my IV and had me fill out paperwork.  My mom had called her best friend Sherri Price who is a midwife and asked her to come be with me until my Mom could make it. Sherri showed up with a exercise ball and asked if her daughter who just finished doula training could join us.   I was more than happy to have her come and what a world of difference it made having them for added support.  I breathed through contractions and laughed and caught up with Sherri and Kristen (childhood friends) between.  Labor was really not too painful.   I rotated from the bed to the exercise ball and the jetted tub to ease some contraction pains.  The midwife showed Jared and Kristen which pressure points to apply pressure to when I would have a contraction.  This helped a ton!  2 hours later the nurse came in to check me with the on call doctor.  I was at a 6 and 100% effaced with my water still intact.  The doctor said she could break my water if I wanted and said she would give us a bit to talk about it and see if that's what we wanted to do.   After discussing the positives of having the water in tact to cushion the pelvic pressure and help dilate me we decided to wait it out.   We waited until I was at a 9 and had my water broken.  I started pushing around 4:30 and my mom and sister made it by 5ish (9 hours driving from SD to SLC!).   Baby Quorra was born at 5:34pm 7lbs 5oz and 18.5 inches long. Her cord was wrapped around her neck 2 times but she has been completely healthy!   She's my world!   I never knew a love like this.  And I had an all natural birth which I am so happy I did!

fresh out of the womb

first night

going home on 3/27

 

first day home snuggles