Birthday Photos

That red spot on Garrett's face is from his hand!

Gus was in the room when Garrett was born and was in awe, just like we were.

Garrett is HERE!

On April 24th Matt and I welcomed our beautiful baby boy into the world.

Thomas Garrett Diem was born at 1:50 PM, weighing 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 22 inches long.

My labor was quick and our planned home birth went off without a hitch.

Garrett's birth story is below, if you aren't interested in the details then skip to the next post.

Garrett's birthday began with me waking up around 8:40 in the morning. I didn't have a clue that I would have a baby in my arms a mere 5 hours later. I started my typical morning routine, put the kettle on and headed into the bathroom. Before the kettle went off I knew that I was in labor!

I started tracking the contractions with my iPhone (there is a trusty app that keeps track of the duration and interval of contractions - tapping the screen at the beginning and end of a contraction took no effort). After about 45 minutes of tracking contractions - they were pretty close together and fairly regular - I decided that I didn't want to be at home alone any longer and called Matt at work.

Ring. Ring.

Matt: Hello?

Me: You might want to come home now.

Matt: OK

Click.

After that I decided to call Mel, my doula, to let her know that labor had begun and that I had called Matt to come home. She needed to make arrangements for her son and we thought that calling as soon as labor started would give her PLENTY of time to do so.

Mel asked, "Have you had anything to eat?"

NO.

"Something to drink?"

NO.

"Gotten in the labor tub?"

NO. It wasn't even full of water yet!

"Had a glass of wine?"

NO.

This is standard protocol with my midwives to see if you are in labor. If you eat, drink, change what you are doing (i.e. get in a warm tub), have a glass of wine and your contractions are consistent then you are in labor. If the contractions tail off after doing the above then you are fed, hydrated, relaxed, and not in labor.

Mel advised that I grab something to eat, get some water and jump in our bathtub. I started filling up the tub and got a protein bar and some water. When the tub was full I tried to squeeze my huge self into it. On my back the water merely covered 1/2 of my belly. On my side I barely fit between the sides of the tub. I had started toning while in the tub. Toning helped me forget that the bathtub was providing ZERO relief and that I was alone. I was in this position when Matt came home.

Kiss.

Me: Hi. Change out of your suit and start filling up the labor tub.

Matt: That was my plan. You OK?

Me: UH. I want Mel here. Can you call her?

While Matt was getting things ready, I decided that the bathtub wasn't working for me. I moved to the bed and tried to relax. The contractions were strong and coming pretty fast, I had a fleeting moment of, "holy crap, can I do 24 hours of this?" (Based on our birth classes I thought that my labor would be about 24 hours, which is standard for first timers.) Little did I know that I was progressing much more quickly than "standard."

Matt called Mel and told her that I wanted her here. He also called Awakenings to let them know that we were in labor and that we would call them back when we thought that they should come.

When Mel arrived, I was back in the bathroom and things were really ramping up. I couldn't hold a conversation and I was toning to get through every contraction. Mel set about making the bed and getting everything ready in the bedroom.

Matt had our labor music on, the Maha Mrityunjaya mantra. I had used this Ohm-ing chant to put me into deep relaxation while I was pregnant. The thought was that I would revert to that relaxed state when hearing it in labor. The deep low tones of the chant were easy for me to mimic and helped me focus. Toning, along with Mel's palm on the small of my back, really helped me to relax.

I had a series of contractions with Mel and Matt next to me in the bathroom. It was obvious to Mel that the baby was coming fast; Matt and I had an idea that the labor was intense but didn't want to be alarmist first timers. We both thought that this didn't fit the "standard stages of labor" that we had learned, but what did we know?

Then my water broke and I uttered, "I feel like I need to push!"

Mel turned to Matt and said, "The midwives need to be here."

Internally, I was glad to hear this. I wasn't overreacting by toning so early. This was real labor. And maybe it won't be 24 hours!

Mel went to call the midwives. I later learned that she thought that she might have to deliver the baby without them as fast as things were going. Matt also stepped out of the bathroom. While they were gone I had my most intense contraction, it brought me to my hands and knees on the bathroom floor. I was sweating and temporarily lost my ability to tone. Today, I think that this was my transition. I had my face smashed up against the bathtub, trying to cool myself on the porcelain.

Mel came back to the bathroom and told me that I needed to move to the bed after the next contraction. In my head I knew that she was trying to get me to slow down.

I got in bed, but don't remember doing so. Once there I tried to visualize each contraction as a wave that I was riding. Mel guided me to breathe and tone with the start of each contraction and then to exhale the contraction away once it was over. By this time I had gotten to know the rhythm of my labor and could anticipate when a contraction was coming and at what point I should take a breath.

Time became very fluid. I had receded into my laboring mind. I was aware that the midwives, Deborah and Sharon, had arrived but I don't think I actually looked at either of them until much later. Matt was lying in front of me, holding my right hand and Mel was behind me, encouraging me and helping me keep my tones low and even and my shoulders relaxed. Once Deborah and Sharon had everything set up I could feel the energy in the room shift. I think Matt, Mel and I weren't really able to relax until we knew that everything was set up and ready for the baby.

Deborah noticed that my toning had moved into my throat and that something had changed in my labor. She told me that I could start pushing with the contractions if I wanted to and instructed me to curl my body around the baby, bear down and hold my breath while pushing.

Pushing was the most satisfying part of labor, I felt like I was making real progress. Up until that point I was just letting my body do whatever it needed to do and felt like I was just along for the ride. I later learned how kind my body was to me, every 3rd contraction or so I would skip a contraction. Apparently I took this break to take mini-naps, I remember thinking that occasionally there was more time between contractions but I had no idea that I was snoozing during that break. I think this really helped me reserve my energy.

I don't really know how long I pushed, I do remember that it took a while for me to feel the baby move down. I remember Deborah using the monitor on my belly to check the baby's heart rate, but only because the gel was cold!

I remember hearing Deborah talking to Matt about catching the baby, and that she would tell him when he should move from his position in front of me. She talked him and Mel through how to switch places, so that Mel would be in front and holding my hand. I really needed that hand - I'm sure both she and Matt were sore the next day from the grip I had on them!

The entire time I was pushing my team was telling me how strong I was, what a great job I was doing and all sorts of encouraging words. With these guys supporting me I felt like I could do anything.

When Garrett was crowning I said, "it burns" and Deborah responded, "That's why they call it the ring of fire, honey." I half expected Matt to bust out the Johnny Cash or at least start humming...

When Deborah told Matt that he and Mel should switch positions I got excited, and knew that our baby was almost here! I became much more alert and part of the conversation in the room, I was able to see the baby crowning and was talking to everyone in the room.

When the baby emerged it had its left hand on its face, and incredibly it would have been born faster without that hand.

Matt caught the baby and placed it on my chest where it was immediately covered with a warm towel. Matt and I laughed and cried at the sight of it, then realized that we didn't know what gender it was! I asked Deborah, "What is it?" and she replied, "That's your job." So Matt leaned over and pulled the towel back, "We've got balls! It's a boy!"