Cale was born this morning at 3:19 a.m. He weighs 10 lbs 7 oz and is 23” long. I had him completely naturally at the birth center. Both Cale and I are home and doing great. However, Steve, Cale and I are all very, very sleepy. I will do another blog post later this week with the details of his birth. For now, here are some pictures.
Many of you have been asking about Cale. He has not yet arrived. I assure you that we will not keep his birth a secret. In fact, I’m sure his daddy will be updating Facebook regularly from the birth center with updates and photos.
Just to clarify, a baby’s due date is not the date a baby will be born unless the mommy is having a scheduled c-section or a scheduled induction. In my case, I’m having neither. I’m allowing my body to do just what God created it to do – have a baby when the baby is ready. Most babies are born between 38 weeks and 42 weeks gestation. The 40-week mark is simply halfway between these two and is, therefore, the “due date.” It is the best guess the medical professionals can make as to when the baby might arrive.
Today I am 41 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Cale is 10 days past his due date. However, he is still within the 42-week window. On Friday, Steve and I went to my midwife’s office for a non-stress test. This is a standard test run at 41 weeks to ensure that the baby and the mommy are doing well. They hooked my belly up to a monitor to listen to Cale’s heartbeat and his movements. He was very wiggly and his heartbeat is strong. Then they did an ultrasound to measure the amniotic fluid to make sure that it wasn’t getting too low. The low end of the threshold is 9. My fluid is at 13, which I was told was a good place for it to be. (I have no idea what these what numbers mean; but if you’re curious, I’m sure you can Google it.) My blood pressure is normal. I have no swelling. There is no reason for concern.
This morning I am heading back to my midwife’s office for another exam. As a matter of routine, she will run the same tests again to ensure that Cale is fine and that the placenta isn’t aging.
The best possible thing we can do is wait. If Cale comes on his own, labor should be quick, easy and painless.
Should Cale not arrive on his own before Thursday, I will be admitted to the hospital Thursday morning, at 41 weeks and 6 days, for an induction. This situation is, of course, less than ideal. However, in the end, the desired result is healthy baby and healthy mommy. I trust my healthcare providers and know that they are experienced and wise enough to help me get my baby here safely. (But please, do not pray for this outcome. It is safest and easiest for both me and Cale if Cale comes when Cale is ready without any medical intervention.)
In the meantime, I feel great. Cale is obviously quite happy right where he is. And there is nothing to worry about. We will update you about his birth when it happens, which will be Thursday at the latest.
Claire and Cale received some gifts from their Grandma Robin and Grandpa D’Wayne. Claire had so much fun opening them!
First up, the movie, The Lion King
Claire was so excited that she hugged the presents in the packaging. She just couldn’t wait for me to help her open it.
More presents
Happy Dance!!
Claire and Cale’s loot – The Lion King movie, Simba, Nala, and The Lion King plate, bowl, fork and spoon
Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa!! Claire LOVES her gifts, and we know that Cale will too! We love you!!
For all of my preparedness, I failed to take care of one little item in getting things ready for Cale – packing my bag for the birth center. This would include items such as a CD with relaxing music, Cale’s clothes, my clothes, toiletries, etc. For whatever reason, I just kept putting this off. However, I am pleased and relieved to announce that tonight I packed the bag and put it in the van! I am now officially and finally ready for this little guy to make his appearance.
Additionally, we caved and bought a fake tree this year. We decorated it over the weekend; so alas, we are totally and completely ready for Christmas as well. Every single present has been bought and wrapped. Every decoration is up. Every Christmas card has been signed, addressed and stamped. Bring on the baby, and bring on the holidays.
MiMi and PopPop are coming in on Thursday. Once they get here, I will be ready for Cale to arrive any time he so chooses. (Hopefully sooner rather than later!)
I’ve been thinking about this post for a while. When people find out that I plan to have my baby naturally, they have very strong reactions. When I tell them that I had Claire naturally without any pain, quickly and easily, they really freak out. It’s as if they feel condemned or attacked. They take it very personally. I even had one person exclaim in a very indignant tone, “I don’t have to be anybody’s hero!” I must say that this response baffled me. Why would she have felt so challenged by a personal choice I made? She asked me a question about the birth of my daughter, and I answered. She became defensive. It boggled my mind. But I think I have finally figured this out – at least to some degree.
The reason I choose to have my babies naturally is two-fold. First, it’s selfish on my part. I HATE the idea of being placed in a hospital bed with an IV, monitors, etc. while I lay there and have a parade of complete and total strangers wander in and out of the room to take a peek under the sheets to see if I’m progressing. The whole idea of that is simply unappealing to me. Not to mention that most OBs these days are simply in the baby “business,” meaning they want to get in, get the baby and get out as soon as possible, even it means unnecessary episiotomies and often unnecessary c-sections. (Please understand that I am all about the end result of healthy mommy and healthy baby, and sometimes these procedures are necessary. When they are, I’m 100% for it, and I want a very capable OB to be my hero. However, during this pregnancy, I had to see an OB in Memphis, as there are no birthing centers there. During my second visit, she required that I sign a piece of paper authorizing her to perform an episiotomy and/or c-section or any other procedure she deemed medically necessary or time expedient. Time expedient – REALLY?! Yep! That’s what it said. If the doctor simply didn’t want to waste her time to allow my body to do what God created it to do, she could just have me moved into the OR and cut my baby out of my belly so that she could go about her day. How nice! And I’m quite certain that her fees, which would have been paid by my insurance carrier, would have been considerably higher given such “time-expedient” necessity. And afterward, I would just simply have a long and painful recovery – but her time is important!) And secondly, I honestly and truly believe that God created my body to conceive, carry and deliver babies. If I believe that God created my body to do just that, then I have to believe that my body is capable of it; and I have to believe that He is able to help me do it. I have to trust Him.
But at the end of the day, it’s not about me. To be able to say that I had Claire in six hours from the beginning of my labor until she was in my arms with only 15 minutes of pushing without pain or fear or stress is a testimony to how amazing my God is. As Creator, He made my body to stretch and expand to carry my babies and to accommodate their births. As Prince of Peace, He is able to keep me in perfect peace without fear. As Healer, He is able to keep me from pain and problems during childbirth. It’s not about me. I’m not trying to be anyone’s hero. It’s about my Hero. It’s about my God. It’s about being able to come through the whole process safely and being able to share my testimony. It’s about giving glory to God.
And so, as embark on another delivery sometime this month, I will give birth not just naturally but supernaturally. And I will write a post testifying about how good my God is. Not so that I can look like a hero; but so that at the end of it all, God will receive the glory.
