birth story and pregnancy pics

On Friday I had gotten into bed around 9pm and instantly had a contraction. I had been having braxtons for the last month but I knew immediately that this was different. I laid for a while listening to my i-pod and timing the hugs... they were about 7 minutes apart and still feeling like real contractions but not at all painful. I suddenly got really excited.... In hindsight I really should have meditated and tried to go back to sleep but for any women who has given birth you know first hand how exciting it can be to know you are finally in labor.

Joe was playing computer games with his friend so I went in and whispered in his ear "I'm in labor" He looked up and smiled at me and I smiled back then skipped (actually waddled) out of the room. I spent the next few hours flitting around the house, cleaning and getting birth stuff ready. I would hang from our table during the hugs. It felt really good to just hang and let my body just dangle there. At this point the hugs were still not painful just getting a bit stronger. Around 3am Mom Smith and her best friend Wendy came from Tucson to be with me. Wendy is a dula and a wonderful one at that. They came in and I was so thrilled and excited to have them here that my labor sort of stoped. Nipple stimulation got it up and going again though.

A few days before this I had ordered "the business of being born" from blockbuster and it had come in the mail that morning. It a movie on natural birth. What perfect timing! We popped it in and watched as I tried to get my labor going again. I was having back labor so Wendy had me stand with one foot on a chair and lean in during the hugs. She though that it could be because the baby was posterior and thought this would help turn her. Within an hour I was having no more back labor, the hugs were all in the front where they should be. I went from the birth ball to leaning over the back of the couch while Wendy and Mom took turns doing the hip squeeze. They really were troopers!!

At some point during the night we sent Joe to bed because I knew he would need to take care of me the next day. At about 6am my hugs were getting closer together and much stronger so we decided it was time to get in the pool. It was wonderful!!!!! (although now I wish I had waited a bit longer because I ended up hanging out in there for over three hours lol) I would lean against the side and rock back and forth during the hugs. At about 7 my wonderful midwife Mary came. At 9ish during the hugs I would spontaneously push. That's when we knew the birth was close. Mary asked me to feel inside and see what was going on. I poked me finger in and could feel the head with the tip of my finger. What a wonderful feeling that was. Suddenly someone asked me if they should wake Joe up and I knew he would be bummed if he missed the birth so I said YES. Lucky him, he slept through the entire labor lol. Although I don't see how, When in labor I am very vocal... I don't know how else to channel all of that energy!

A few hugs later I was starting to panic a little so Mary Held me still and said...Shanna, feel the baby. So I reached down and her head was crowning. It was all wrinkly and funny feeling. I was so dazed that I frowned and said "is that the cord" she said no hunny, its her head... How amazing!! This gave me a whole new energy. I looked over and saw Joe sitting near the pool so I crawled over to him leaned against the side, holding both of his hands and pushed her head out. What an amazing feeling!!!! No one yelling at me when or how hard to push. I just let my body take control and fallowed what it told me to do. I just sat there resting. then the contraction came except it didn't feel like a contraction suddenly my body just started pushing... I could not control what it was doing it was just doing what it needed to do! During this push I felt her turn and slither out! What a relief! Such an amazing feeling. Mary pushed her forward between my legs and i reached down and pulled her up. I then leaned against the pool and just held her.

She was pretty gergaly and not breathing right away but started to pinken up after some stimulation. Fifteen minutes later I squatted over a stainless bowl and birthed her placenta. Everything seemed wonderful until a few hours later when I tried to use the restroom and fainted.... Mary decided that despite the fact that I had had three pit shots I was still bleeding way to much so off the the hospital I went. My uterus was clamped and in the perfect position and the placenta came out fully intact but for some reason my body would not stop bleeding.... the hospital staff was even baffled. They went in to make sure I didn't have any tears on my cervix but could not find anything. I guess its just one of those mystery's. Next pregnancy I am going to take extra raspberry leaf and Cayenne pepper and pray that i have better luck next time. But I still got my perfect birth.... Thank you so much Mary, Dianne and Wendy! You were all so amazing and I could not have asked for a better birth team! Oh and My 14YO sister filmed the birth so thank you so much Bekah! Your the women. I am so glad to have the footage!

This surrogate journey has been such an amazing experience!My IP's arrived Sunday night and it was the most amazing thing to see their faces as I handed them their little angel that they waited so long to meat. This is something I will never forget. They allowed me to nurse her for the first week and a half. I loved it. Every time they would bring her into me it was like receiving a little present! by the time they left I had pumped roughly 15 bags of milk and they took it all home with them. It made me feel good that they valued my milk so much and used it all. Now i am selling what I pump to a lady who had twins two months early. She was so excited to find someone who would give her milk at such a great price. Sorry I can't post any pics of the little angel, My IP's want to maintain thier aninemity because surrogacy is elligal in Sweden.

38 week photo shoot






Joe did a lovely photo shoot of me today. Exactly 38 week preggers. . Out of 90 shots these were my favorites. The birth is looming. I technically could go into labor any day although I don't think I will. She still has a bit more room to grow. Having a home birth is definitely more stressful than going to a hospital/birth center. I feel like my house needs to be spotless and I have to prepare so many things in preparation. I know it will be all worth it and I get more and more excited every day. This surrogate journey has been wonderful thus far. I could not have asked for better IP's. They are truly amazing and I am so excited to give them their little girl. I hope this home birth experience is wonderful for them.