Baby Hickman's birth story

It has been one week since our lives changed in the biggest and best way. Here is how I remember it:

Friday 2/3 – 9am

“Why don't you just leave work if you're having contractions?!”

Because I'm stubborn. I had a funny feeling it would be my last day of work and there wouldn't be a 'next Monday' for me. There were a few things I still needed to wrap up and besides, contractions were only an hour apart...no biggy.

Saturday 2/4 – 3:30am

I normally wake up about this time to go to work every day, but when this happens on a weekend, I never have trouble falling back asleep. But my contractions seemed pretty consistent and pain level was only at about a 3. I grabbed my phone and started timing them...10 minutes apart. Knowing this phase could last hours, I started to slowly and calmly get ready for the hospital. I finished packing the last few items into my overnight bag, hopped in the shower, plucked my eyebrows (very important to do during labor), then woke Mathias.

For the next 8 hours, my contractions continued at precisely 10 minutes apart. The human body is a crazy thing. To be so consistent and predictable to do something at exactly 10 minute intervals on the dot is incredible. In the middle of contractions, I took time to notice this phenomenon and focused on that just as it was encouraged in one of my birthing meditation books. This awareness helped me abate fear induced anxiety, allowed me to remain calm, and eased tension I was holding in my muscles.

We were advised to call the doctor when they were 3-5 min. apart. Around 11pm we went to lay down to sleep when we hit that 5 min. mark. My pain level jumped to a 6, so we were out the door headed to the hospital. We were an hour away from our due date and ready to meet our baby. Cue the Yoga Nidra techniques!

Sunday 2/5 – 3:30am

Walking out of the hospital felt both relieving and discouraging. We found out I was only 1 cm dilated and were advised to return once my water broke or contractions were 2-3 min apart or became unbearable.

 

Sunday 2/5 – 11pm

Needless to say, with contractions coming every 5-8 minutes for the past 24 hours, I was unable to sleep after leaving the hospital. Throughout the day, pain level slowly increased until the Super Bowl, when they were beginning to become unbearable. Not even Gaga's amazing performance was enough to distract me from my, now, level 8 pain. My contractions were not speeding up though, which was getting frustrating because I was now dreading each wave. I didn't know how much more of it I could take and my frustration became fear..fear of the next wave of flashing pain. I released the most genuine and defeated tears and whimpered to Mathias, “Let's go to the hospital.” The last 6 contractions before I accepted an epidural was blinding, level 10 pain. Then came sweet, numbing relief. Ahh...and sleep finally!

Monday 2/6 – 11am

The doctor said, “I'll be right back.”

You'll be right back?! What the fuck am I supposed to do until then, my legs are in stirrups?!

The on-call doc delivering had been pulled away from a hysterectomy to see me...which apparently now needed his more immediate attention again so he tapped my knee, apologized, and left the room. It's cool, I'll just chill here!  He wasn't gone long and after 45 minutes of, what I consider nearly painless pushing, our baby girl was here!!

Her name is Grace Scarlett Hickman. She was born Monday, February 6th at 11:22am, weighing 6lb 7oz and is 20.5” long. She is perfect.

Grace was Mathias's great grandmother's name and Scarlett, a nod to his favorite color.

39 weeks + last bumpdate

Well, eviction notice was sent 2 weeks ago, giving 2 days left to vacate the premises...and in true procrastination fashion, little one hasn't even started packing yet. It appears I may be late.

Story of my life.

Baby's size: A 7lb watermelon. But as pointed out at our 37 week US, Baby Hickman is measuring slightly smaller so make that a (roughly) 6.5 lb seedless watermelon!

Total weight gain: 30 lb. My ankles and calves were swollen just a few times over the last couple weeks so I'm wearing only my loosest socks now and retired wearing boots until the baby comes.

Down to the wire: We're getting so close to due date and I admit, my impatient nature has gotten the best of me and made me irritable at times. I'm getting up slower, my body aches, and I experienced some intense low abdominal cramping earlier this week. I was hesitant to call them contractions, and knew they weren't when the pain wasn't coming and going in waves. But after all the cramping and spotting, I'm still none percent effaced or dilated. Which has me wondering...will this pregnancy ever end?

Moment of the week: Receiving an ultimatum and knowing there is, indeed, an end to this pregnancy. My doctor and I have agreed going past 41 weeks may not be in my (or the baby's) best interest. So we went ahead and scheduled one last US for next Wednesday in place of an NST (non-stress test). She'll check baby's growth again and amniotic fluid to ensure placenta is not deteriorating. I just have a feeling I'll go into labor on my own before then, but if I don't by next Friday, I'll be induced on the 10th! 

How do you feel? Ready. Ready to see our sweet baby's face, ready to meet the tiny human I've been carrying for the past 9 months, eager to learn its likes/dislikes, watch it learn, grow, and develop a personality. Ready for the up-all-night feedings and never ending diaper changes. Ready for the "Why are you still crying?" and the "What is in your mouth?!" 

The card I received from my sweet coworkers was so right: 

You can get the room ready, make lists of to-do's, Stock up on everything new babies use, read all the baby books, take every class, research diapers and how to relieve gas...

(which is so funny because I've literally spent hours doing all these things)

but nothing prepares you for how it'll feel when baby arrives and it all becomes real 

It still blows my mind that this breathing blessing is half Mathias, half me. This child has always been a mover and a shaker, and I hope here on Earth, it is just that. I can't wait to pick out the little "he gets it from his daddy/she takes after her momma" intricacies, but more so, recognizing the independent traits that make him/her unique. And as we can all hope for, part of a generation that is better than the one before. 

It won't be all butterflies and rainbows. I know that. It'll be tough at times, and the new role of lifelong parenthood will test my patience and my limits. But I also know it'll be the greatest and most rewarding challenge. I'll make mistakes...alot of them, and it will try Mathias and my relationship. But we're ready to begin this adventure because it was never about us. It's about our family.

37 weeks + last peek before arrival

Normally, I don't post a bumpdate but every 4 weeks,

but this growth spurt the past 2 weeks warranted one!

Baby's size: Well the baby apps say roughly 6.5 lb and the size of a leek. It doesn't look like I've grown much (story of my life) so our doctor recommended an US yesterday to check and make sure Baby Hickman wasn't "too small." As expected, baby is slightly smaller than your average but nothing that's raising any red flags or eyebrows! She guesses our little one is about 6lb. Yea, in its cheeks!!

Total weight gain: 27lb. Y'all, I tried to do a headstand last week. Don't ask me why. I think I just wanted to see if I still could do it since I haven't inverted since I was maybe 15 weeks or so. As a prenatal yoga teacher, I can safely say inversions are still safe during pregnancy as long as it was in your pre-pregnancy practice, you have a safe place to do it (preferably against a wall), and a spotter if needed. I could barely keep my legs up and it made me feel so heavy! I know I should not compare my practice to others but that's the ego kicking in. That, and my will to not let pregnancy be a reason I can't do anything I wasn't able to do before. Gotta know (and accept) your limits though!

How do you feel? I have been getting more Braxton Hicks contractions lately. At least that's what I think they are. They're described as a pre-labor contraction, a tightening of the abdomen, and may be localized to one side or the other. They don't last long, and they're not consistent. But man...it feels like this kid is trying to crawl out of my side when it happens! Heartburn is pretty frequent, but not that bad. Still sleeping normal, and only one instance of cankles!

Moment of the week: I do believe the baby has dropped! This past Sunday, I woke up and felt more low pressure, it was more painful to walk, my balance is off..kind of like I'm tipping forward constantly, and my low back pain has kicked it up a notch. On the upside, I can also breath much easier and don't get out of breath as quickly. I've read the baby can drop then undrop, so I won't count this as a sign the baby's arrival is near. Honestly, I think I'll be late!

Down to the wire: Mathias and I attended our childbirth class and had a tour of the maternity ward. We learned alot and I'm feeling more at ease with the entire L&D process. I feel silly even suggesting I have one, but I am going into it with a "plan" and that is to put myself into a meditative state. Yoga Nidra has worked with sitting for a 3hr tattoo that was effectively painless, soooo we'll see if I can apply the same practice with labor lol

With only 3 weeks left, I have my "bug-out bag" packed, nursery organized, all the baby laundry done, car seat installed, important paperwork ready to go, and birth plan written. The "eviction notice" will be served this Sunday. You've got 2 weeks to vacate the premises!

Wordless Wednesday

    When I'm excitedly awaiting an Amazon delivery...

...but it's a door-to-door sales rep instead

When I hear there is 1 donut left in the breakroom

When the childbirth teacher walks in and immediately asks if you have any questions,

but you don't know what you don't know

When patients tell me I'm starting to look pregnant

35 weeks + bumpdate

It's the final countdown!! 30 DAYS TO GO!

Baby's size: A 5.5lb honeydew melon

Total weight gain: 24lb...and still no hand or feet swelling

How do you feel? Last post I said I was starting to get more uncomfortable. Well, I'm definitely uncomfortable now. I run out of breath so fast, my heart races after I do the most minimal tasks (we're talking heart racing after I took down the Christmas decorations), the baby's kicks and jabs are getting so strong, my belly feels stretched (sans the stretch marks!), and my back never finds relief. I feel achy and generally sore like I need a constant massage on my neck and shoulders.

On the bright side, I do still have massage gift cards to Urban Nirvana where I can go forget about the pain for an hour! I went and got my first prenatal massage and it was heavenly. They have special tables for pregnant women outfitted with a belly hole so you can lay on your stomach! Cue the angels singing.

Down to the wire: Now that I'm in my last month of pregnancy, the doctor appointments increase to weekly. She'll be checking for baby's positioning and dilation at each visit. So far, all I've got for ya is baby is in the ideal position: head down. Next week's appointment falls on the same day as our childbirth class. Should be interesting!

At this point, we have everything we absolutely need for baby's arrival. I feel like I'm as prepared as a first time mother can get. The car seat base is safely installed in my car, just need to put the extra base in Mathias's. And my goal for the weekend is to pack my hospital bag...aka my bug-out bag!

Moment of the week: The nursery is nearing completion! Mathias built new shelves in the closet, added more hanging racks, and it looks amazing. I'm so lucky to have such a handyman :-) And a handy mother- who is working on the glider's new slipcover.