Sunday, the 12th of October, my Mommy flew in from Atlanta to be here when baby "Harry" arrived. She was just on time because that Thursday morning my water broke and eight hours later, baby Kaladin Solsona was born!
We are so thankful she was here and that she made it before Kaladin's arrival. It allowed us to have a few days together and to show her around a little bit.
As soon as I picked her up from the airport, it was time to pick up Daniel from work.
I could not have done the "birthing process" without her!! Having her and Daniel by my side meant so much and they were so helpful! I couldn't have asked for a more perfect birth experience.
At 5:45 on Thursday morning, I woke up to a hard contraction and menstrual-like cramps. I knew it was different! I went downstairs to let the dog out, then went to the restroom and my water broke. It was just a "trickle", and not a "gush" like everyone said it would be. So I was a little confused and in a little bit of pain! But I was excited. I texted my mom to inform her that my water had broken and I also texted Daniel, who was already gone for PT. I didn't need him to worry or rush home. I wanted to labor at home for the first part of labor.
Two days prior, we all went to my 39-week appointment.
I was "sucking it in" for the picture below ;P
The doctor did an internal exam to check my progress. I was 2cm dilated and 70% effaced. And after the exam, the doctor informed me that because of the exam, I might experience some spotting and possibly lose my mucus plug. Which I did.
So when I had seen the spotting and felt as though my water had broken Thursday morning, I pretty much knew what was happening...
Daniel got home from PT and mom had already made breakfast for us. But after breakfast, I was having more intense contractions so I labored in the living room, sometimes on my yoga ball. Water bottle and phone in hand!
I was using an app on my phone to track my contractions. The timing was rapidly getting closer together so Daniel and I decided we wanted to head to the hospital even if it wasn't "time". 2 to 3 minutes apart! But we sure are glad we went when we did! We all packed up the car and grabbed the already ready hospital bags and everything else! Except the kitchen sink ;P
But I couldn't leave without at least putting on some eyeliner...because if you know my mom, you know there will be pictures taken! ;)
The make up didn't last long though...
The hospital is on post, about 15 minutes from our house. It was not a bad drive. I had a few contractions and they were painful but nothing I couldn't breath through... Though, I couldn't talk, that's for sure! I was sitting in the backseat by myself, kind of in my own little world as I breathed through each contraction. The carseat was already installed in the car and I remember thinking, "Oh my gosh...this is empty but when we go home, my uterus will be empty and our baby boy will be riding in the carseat! Probably crying..." haha!
I took a selfie for old times sake... swollen face and all!
We arrived at the hospital at 9:53am, grabbed our bags out of the trunk, posed for a picture...
And then I had a contraction!
We walked in... I waddled.
And then I had another contraction as soon as we got through the door! At 9:58am.
Then we were walking again. Destination: Labor & Delivery!!
We checked in at triage but a room wasn't ready so we stood in the hallway for a couple of minutes and I had another contraction but I didn't want to sit or kneel on the floor haha so I leaned up against Daniel. We got into the room at 10:09am and I immediately had another contraction. A midwife came in and said she needed to confirm that my bag of waters broke by taking a "sample" and sending it to the lab to confirm that it is in fact amniotic fluid. She said that I was already 100% effaced and 4cm dilated. Because of being 100% effaced, that was more than likely the reason my water broke as a "trickle" and that baby's head was acting as a "cork". Haha!
The midwife was so sweet! However, she did forget the sample sitting on the table in our room. So we had to wait even longer. :/ A nurse came in, noticed it and took it to the lab. Finding out the results from the lab determined whether we were there to stay or if they were going to send me home to labor more and then come back. That was the last thing we wanted! But we were pretty confident that we were there to stay ;)
In between contractions, I was pretty comfortable. Just waiting to hear back about the confirmation that my water broke...
 |
| Puffy face lol |
We were in the triage room for awhile and it was so small! I felt so bad for Daniel and my mom that they couldn't be more comfortable in the L&D suite. The staff was apologizing that I had to be in triage for so long because there were ten ladies delivering. But I was not frustrated by being in a smaller room because I was just laboring so it didn't make a difference to me. The midwife even told us that I might have to deliver in the triage room. I told her that I wasn't worried as long as I have a happy, healthy baby in the end :)
The nurses came in and put in an IV. I did not want them to put it in the crook of my arm and they were so sweet to put it in my forearm.
The entire laboring time, I tried different laboring positions I was taught in the classes the Army offered throughout my prenatal care. Daniel was amazing at being a labor coach as I strongly desired his loving touch during contractions, and in between. He was right by side the entire time. And when my mom wasn't taking pictures, she was by my side as well coaching my breathing!
Daniel making me laugh through a contraction ;) But I do not remember what he said!
I found that my favorite laboring position was laying on my side.
I started to feel the urge to push. Involuntarily! And I was a little nervous but so glad I was progressing. We informed the midwife so she came to check me and determined I was 7cm dilated. She also gave me a foot massage with lavender oil!! She was constantly telling me how great I was handling the contractions and she kept encouraging me to go all the way without medication :) Her and my mom and Daniel all made me believe more in myself that I could do the best thing for both Kaladin and I!
Just in time, we got word that a labor room opened up and a nurse came to get us! I saw that she had a wheelchair and I got worried. I asked her if they could roll me in the bed I was laying in because I really did not think I could stand up or sit without giving birth! I could not stop that urge to push.
They were all so sweet and told me that they could roll me. I was so relieved. It was 1:56pm when they started to roll me into the Labor suite and at that point, I was 9cm dilated. All I could think of was getting my mom and Daniel into the room and getting them comfortable. I was concerned about their comfort because in the triage room, all they had were cheap chairs to sit in for about four hours!!
As soon as I got rolled into the room, the nurse, Captain Young, asked me what kind of birth this was, so I told her "all natural", "I'm trying not to push!", "GBS negative" and "no epidural". There was other things going on and more things said, but I really do not know or remember!
Each push was painful (duh) and I was extremely worried through every push. At one point, I was still worried about hurting Captain Young's arm. Then I was worried about how loud I was screaming. Which made me worry about Daniel's eardrum. Then I was worried about all the stories I hear of the babies coming out to be the opposite sex than the parents had planned! But most of all, I was worried about baby Kaladin. I was so worried that I was not pushing enough to get him out. In my mind, I should have been strong enough to get him out on the first push. (Looking back, I know it's normal for that not to happen, haha.) I asked Dianne and Captain Young if Kaladin was ok. I think I even asked them about four times total. I could hear his heartbeat on the monitor and Captain Young was monitoring it and letting me know that he was doing good. I knew his head was crowning and I was so worried about suffocating him at the neck if I wasn't able to push him out any time soon! But at 2:18pm, Kaladin Solsona was delivered. Approximately ten minutes of pushing?? Midwife Dianne and Captain Young could not believe how fast the delivery went. And we couldn't either!!
(Fun fact: I was delivered by a midwife named Diane too...according to my mother ;P) Dianne really knew exactly what she was doing during delivery!! She was so great and so sweet! After Kaladin was born, she even asked us if she could pray with us. Of course we said 'yes!' :)
Midwife, Dianne. Nurse, Captain Young. Mother, Me. Baby, Kaladin. Father, Daniel. :)
At some point, while I was pushing, Daniel called his mom and put her on speaker and my mom called my dad and put him on speaker. So they heard every scream and every cry! Haha!
At the hospital, they have a "policy", of sorts, they call "The Miracle Hour" where the staff leaves the family for an hour after the birth to give the family precious time to themselves. Uninterrupted time with the newborn :) As soon as Kaladin was delivered, the midwife, Dianne, placed him directly onto my stomach, the nurse, Captain Young, began to rub him with a towel, he started to scream, and then Captain Young placed him on my chest! Dianne waited until the cord stopped pumping blood and then let my mom cut his cord. It all happened so fast!
During The Miracle Hour, Kaladin nursed on both sides for almost 40 minutes each! So really, we got more than an hour with him :)
Then we got moved to the recovery room, which was even smaller than the triage room. This is when I thought Kaladin might have been born deaf. We can look back on this and laugh now but I was concerned. Captain Young was rolling me in a wheelchair and Daniel was rolling Kaladin's hospital bassinet. The hospital has special bracelets that the parents and baby wear that if the baby goes too far away from the parents and/or if he goes beyond a certain perimeter in the building, the alarms will sound (they kind of sound like a fire alarm) and the hospital goes on lockdown. Well, apparently the one they had on Kaladin was defective and it was making the alarm go off so we were strolling through the hallways on our way to the recovery/Mother Baby Unit and Kaladin wasn't phased one bit by the loud sounds!! And they were really loud! Again, I can look back now and chuckle at how paranoid I was being :)
Whenever Kaladin started fussing, he would whine for about 10 seconds and then stop. As if he was just hearing himself but never actually got upset :) It was so cute!
While in recovery, Daniel changed every diaper!! He became a pro in no time ;)
My mom was such a huge help and continued to love on her sweet baby. In her words, she was "in heaven!"
My mom went home for the night to stay with our dog :)
Kaladin slept so well and fed right on schedule of every 2-3 hours. Because I did not have any drugs, I was not groggy and for that, I am so thankful! I was tired, yes, but waking up to see his precious face every 2-3 hours was SO worth it!
Throughout the course of the next day, there were many visitors and many staff members that stopped by to discuss care and logistical stuff with us. It was a little overwhelming but helpful! Kaladin passed his hearing test, his jaundice test, and his newborn wellness exam.
Mom came back to the hospital around 3pm, which was perfect timing for when we were about to be discharged.
Whenever Kaladin started fussing, he would whine for about 10 seconds and then stop. As if he was just hearing himself but never actually got upset :) It was so cute!
While in recovery, Daniel changed every diaper!! He became a pro in no time ;)
My mom was such a huge help and continued to love on her sweet baby. In her words, she was "in heaven!"
My mom went home for the night to stay with our dog :)
Kaladin slept so well and fed right on schedule of every 2-3 hours. Because I did not have any drugs, I was not groggy and for that, I am so thankful! I was tired, yes, but waking up to see his precious face every 2-3 hours was SO worth it!
Throughout the course of the next day, there were many visitors and many staff members that stopped by to discuss care and logistical stuff with us. It was a little overwhelming but helpful! Kaladin passed his hearing test, his jaundice test, and his newborn wellness exam.
Mom came back to the hospital around 3pm, which was perfect timing for when we were about to be discharged.
We FaceTimed with Daniel's parents :)
We were so excited to go home! :)
Q&A time ;)
I hope to answer some of the questions you all may have for us concerning the birth of our first born :) and if there are any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask!
Did you have an epidural or any type of pain relief?
Short answer, no. I had nothing!
The decision to go "all natural" just sort of happened... we didn't really have much time to think about it or consider our options haha but I am SO thankful that I was not groggy after delivery and that I was not bed-bound by an epidural. I was not completely against getting medication to help with the pain but I was also hopeful that I would be able to do it all without any type of synthetic "help" by way of medications. I did my research and I really didn't like the possible side effects of any of it and it all made me kind of nervous!
During my entire pregnancy, I was determined to keep an open mind about my delivery and birthing experience. Many asked if I was going to go all natural or if I was going to have an epidural or if I was going to be induced. I did not want anything making the experience a bad memory. With that being said, I also did not know how, or even if, I was going to be able to handle the pain and stress of labor so I really did not have my mind completely set on going all natural. I just desired to do what was best for my body and Kaladin's. Daniel was supportive of whatever I decided. He did not want to see me in pain but he also agreed that putting unnecessary medicine in my body, and essentially effecting Kaladin's body, was not the ideal situation. I am so thankful and grateful that we were so blessed to be able to do it all without any meds! There were so many things that made that possible, my mom and Daniel being one of them!!
The decision to go "all natural" just sort of happened... we didn't really have much time to think about it or consider our options haha but I am SO thankful that I was not groggy after delivery and that I was not bed-bound by an epidural. I was not completely against getting medication to help with the pain but I was also hopeful that I would be able to do it all without any type of synthetic "help" by way of medications. I did my research and I really didn't like the possible side effects of any of it and it all made me kind of nervous!
During my entire pregnancy, I was determined to keep an open mind about my delivery and birthing experience. Many asked if I was going to go all natural or if I was going to have an epidural or if I was going to be induced. I did not want anything making the experience a bad memory. With that being said, I also did not know how, or even if, I was going to be able to handle the pain and stress of labor so I really did not have my mind completely set on going all natural. I just desired to do what was best for my body and Kaladin's. Daniel was supportive of whatever I decided. He did not want to see me in pain but he also agreed that putting unnecessary medicine in my body, and essentially effecting Kaladin's body, was not the ideal situation. I am so thankful and grateful that we were so blessed to be able to do it all without any meds! There were so many things that made that possible, my mom and Daniel being one of them!!
How was delivering at a military hospital?
I am still so thankful for the amazing hospital staff we got! They were all so sweet and so helpful! They all had such sweet things to say and continued to encourage us. During labor, in the triage room, the midwife was very encouraging in keeping my head on straight through my contractions and she gave me great confidence that I was going to make it through all the way going 'all natural'. Though, having my mom there was even better and definitely helped in more ways than any midwife could! The staff that delivered Kaladin was so sweet and caring! Post care was great as well. Everyone was just so wonderful and we are thankful we decided to get care at the on post hospital!
Fun fact: The nurse, Captain Young, goes to the same gym on post as our pastor! They're friends.
I am still so thankful for the amazing hospital staff we got! They were all so sweet and so helpful! They all had such sweet things to say and continued to encourage us. During labor, in the triage room, the midwife was very encouraging in keeping my head on straight through my contractions and she gave me great confidence that I was going to make it through all the way going 'all natural'. Though, having my mom there was even better and definitely helped in more ways than any midwife could! The staff that delivered Kaladin was so sweet and caring! Post care was great as well. Everyone was just so wonderful and we are thankful we decided to get care at the on post hospital!
Fun fact: The nurse, Captain Young, goes to the same gym on post as our pastor! They're friends.
Some have asked about the name and what it means and where it came from and how to pronounce it.
Kaladin Solsona (KAL-uh-din soul-SO-nah)
Kaladin comes from a character in a fiction series Daniel read a few years ago, The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson. When we were dating and talking about baby names, he mentioned Kaladin and ever since, we always referred to our future baby boy as 'Kaladin'.
Efigenia Solsona Kolacki was the name of my paternal grandmother. She was killed by a drunk driver when dad was a young adult. I'm wearing her rings and though I never got to meet her, I still feel a connection to her; to that side of my family. Gramma Kolacki was Filipino and the Filipino tradition is to name your children with the middle name being the mother's maiden name. So my father's middle name is Solsona and I have always wanted to honor my late Gramma Kolacki and father by naming my first born with the middle name with that Filipino name :)
Are you going to have any more children?
We are going to have as many children as God will bless us with! :)
How is feeding going?
I chose at an early age that I was going to try my best to breastfeed my children. The benefits are a no brainer for me. Also, it's free! And it's natural - it is how God intended for us to nourish our babies :) And let's face it, formula smells nasty!!
Kaladin loves to eat! He has no nipple confusion with taking a pacifier and we are waiting until 8 weeks to introduce a bottle. He feeds so well and for a great length. He is continuing to gain weight at a good rate. There are no concerns and we are so blessed! I heard of so many that struggled with breastfeeding, and I was terrified and very insecure that it would be a struggle for us. I am so thankful that it is going so well, so far.
I have my own struggles of discomfort but that is a sacrifice that I am more than willing to endure for his well-being!! My goal is to breastfeed for the first year, at least.
How is Toblakai adjusting to the new addition?
Toblakai is doing well. When we got home from the hospital, we introduced him right away and he was so silly! He didn't really know what to think so he was a little skittish.
How are you and Daniel adjusting to the new addition?
Efigenia Solsona Kolacki was the name of my paternal grandmother. She was killed by a drunk driver when dad was a young adult. I'm wearing her rings and though I never got to meet her, I still feel a connection to her; to that side of my family. Gramma Kolacki was Filipino and the Filipino tradition is to name your children with the middle name being the mother's maiden name. So my father's middle name is Solsona and I have always wanted to honor my late Gramma Kolacki and father by naming my first born with the middle name with that Filipino name :)
Are you going to have any more children?
We are going to have as many children as God will bless us with! :)
How is feeding going?
I chose at an early age that I was going to try my best to breastfeed my children. The benefits are a no brainer for me. Also, it's free! And it's natural - it is how God intended for us to nourish our babies :) And let's face it, formula smells nasty!!
Kaladin loves to eat! He has no nipple confusion with taking a pacifier and we are waiting until 8 weeks to introduce a bottle. He feeds so well and for a great length. He is continuing to gain weight at a good rate. There are no concerns and we are so blessed! I heard of so many that struggled with breastfeeding, and I was terrified and very insecure that it would be a struggle for us. I am so thankful that it is going so well, so far.
I have my own struggles of discomfort but that is a sacrifice that I am more than willing to endure for his well-being!! My goal is to breastfeed for the first year, at least.
How is Toblakai adjusting to the new addition?
Toblakai is doing well. When we got home from the hospital, we introduced him right away and he was so silly! He didn't really know what to think so he was a little skittish.
How are you and Daniel adjusting to the new addition?
Daniel has changed more diapers than me. And can I brag for just a minute? Because oh my goodness, Daniel is an amazing father! I had no doubt in him but to see him be the father that he is and seeing just how wonderful he treats his little family makes my heart so full! He is sacrificial and loves us and it shows. His actions speak volumes to the type of man he is. I knew I was excited to see him in this role but I didn't know just how great it would make me feel! He loves his little boy and he takes such great care of him and me. Adjusting to having another little person, and that additional responsibility, has been an enjoyable adventure! We even have our moments of "fighting" over who gets to hold him or change his diaper or pick him up when he wakes up! We are doing so great, so far, and we have been so spoiled. :)
How is he sleeping?
He is sleeping great! And he is so precious and adorable when he sleeps :) He wakes on his own when he is hungry. He is not startled easily to sounds. Which is great because we hear the artillery almost every week around here! ...Army life ;)
At night, he wakes about every 2.5 hours to feed. He does spit up after almost every feeding, but it is never a lot.
How are you sleeping?
Again, I am blessed with an amazing man!! I'm waking frequently at night to feed but Daniel is so sweet and let's me sleep in almost everyday. If Kaladin is awake, he takes him for me until he gets hungry and I feed him. We certainly take turns but the morning naps he lets me get are such a blessing! So basically, I take lots of little naps ;) It's better than nothing. I've come to accept the fact that I will never get a full night's rest again! ;P
How is he sleeping?
He is sleeping great! And he is so precious and adorable when he sleeps :) He wakes on his own when he is hungry. He is not startled easily to sounds. Which is great because we hear the artillery almost every week around here! ...Army life ;)
At night, he wakes about every 2.5 hours to feed. He does spit up after almost every feeding, but it is never a lot.
How are you sleeping?
Again, I am blessed with an amazing man!! I'm waking frequently at night to feed but Daniel is so sweet and let's me sleep in almost everyday. If Kaladin is awake, he takes him for me until he gets hungry and I feed him. We certainly take turns but the morning naps he lets me get are such a blessing! So basically, I take lots of little naps ;) It's better than nothing. I've come to accept the fact that I will never get a full night's rest again! ;P
No comments:
Post a Comment