The birth of Jesse Michael Forin, May 18th 2017...

So most of this is an entry I wrote in my journal about Jesse's birth! So, I went to YW's on Weds night May 17th. Andrew and the kids came because he taught the Laurel's about car maintenance etc. It was nice. I stayed for a bit with Jayna and she played with Ella in the gym. We got home, and she was hungry and we ended up getting the kids to bed quite late, like 10 pm! I lay in bed with Jayna stroking her hair, thinking it won't be long until I'm putting a little baby to bed each night, another sibling for my first born. Just before 1 AM I started feeling pressure under my belly and in my back I was lying in bed talking with Andrew and right before that the baby was moving a lot so I just thought maybe it was a prolonged way of the baby moving its head but then I felt like this was different, I felt pressure in my lower back too. I said let's just wait and see if it happens again and if it keeps happening then I know that I'm in labour. About seven minutes later another one came and then I felt a small gush. At that point I got up and went to the bathroom and my water broke in my panties and got on the carpet a little bit. It was about 1:27am and I had probably about five or six more contractions and my water continues to drip out. I was shaking uncontrollably right after which is a sign of labour and so I called my midwife just because my water broke. She said to call her back when I have strong contractions three within 10 minutes of each other. Andrew got the birthing tub and bed ready as I just chilled in my bathroom. We were both excited that is was really happening, and a bit in shock that it was for real now! Just like that! We were calm and ready to focus on this baby and it's birth! We decided not to find out the gender, but I had always felt it was a boy. While Andrew was busy, I breathed through the contractions, and relaxed my body, just like I learned with hypnobirthing. Then I turned on some hypnobirthing. I called my midwife, Emma back at 2:30am and told her they are lasting about a minute and three in about 6 minutes. She got here around 3am. I had called my Mom too and she arrived shortly after Emma. I had some big contractions on the bed, and then Andrew came and held my hand, and my mom was on the other side. I started to fill a twinge of nausea. So Andrew went and got me a bucket but I never had to use it. Emma asked if I wanted to see how dilated I was. She said it would be helpful for her to know so she could call Valerie the other midwife. After some big contractions, she checked me and it didn't even hurt, so that was nice! She said I was 5-6 cm dialated, which was awesome. ( It's been the same with all my babies, 5 cm dialated when they first check me ) She said now would be a good time to get into the tub. So I got my swim top on that Susie gave me and walked into the tub, which was HEAVEN! It was soooo soothing, I couldn't believe it! It felt so nice and relaxing! We turned the hypnobirthing voice off cause it was getting annoying and it was too loud in there for me to focus and hear her anyways. So Andrew put on Sigor Ross for me, and that was lovely. I continued to have some big long surges, and I just breathed through them. I said at one point, " I don't know where to go!" That was the transition phase coming on, when in my past two births I felt like a wild horse! Emma came and told me I don't have to go anywhere, just breathe through it, stay calm, and I can do it, just let it come on full force and don't fight it and go with it. That was the best advice I got for the whole night, it really helped me focus and do my best to release with the pain. I felt like I had the most control for sure and I was able to manage the pain better with this labour because of hypnobirthing. I was holding Andrew's hand on my right and my Mom's on my left and sitting, kind of floating on the seat in the tub. Leaning back a bit, but upright as well. All of a sudden, I felt some big surges and pressure to push a bit, I just let my body go with it. I could hear birds chirping outside, because the window was open. It was so beautiful. I had a lamp out so it was dimly lit in the room. Andrew could hardly tell I was having contractions because I was so calm and just breathed through them. I got hot, so they got cold clothes for my arms and head. Soon, I knew the baby was starting to come down, It was about 15 minutes of the super strong pressure and I could feel myself getting so close to the baby coming!! Then the head crowned, and then the head was out, I felt the baby's head a few times with my hand. I wanted him to be born so bad! Emma said I needed to give a big push to get his shoulders through but the next contraction I couldn't quite do it, so the one after that I breathed him out, and pushed and he came, and he was out, and Emma dove in with receiving blankets and caught him and handed him to me! I gave out a big yelp kind of, and was sooo happy and relieved he was born! It was over, my goodness the pain and pressure, so glad he was out!!! I held the baby and looked at his face, he was a boy I thought, then after about 30 seconds, I held him up and sure enough, "it's a boy!" I was emotional, and so was Andrew, and it was beautiful! he looked like his sister and brother too!! The cord was short, and I felt it still attached to me. Interesting experience. I stayed in the water for a while. And then Andrew and Emma helped me out and onto the bed. He was born at 4:55am, so 4 hours later! That was fast! His face was so brusied!! He was dark purple! Had lots of dark brown hair like his brother and sister! I said "You're here" Andrew filmed the last push and Jesse being handed to me, I'm so glad we have that, it's so special. After about 10 minutes Emma and Andrew helped me up out of the tub and into our bed. That was a bit awkward, but we made it work. I lied there for about another 15 minutes until the cord stopped pulsating. Then Andrew cut the cord, and I held baby until the placenta was delivered. I was very glad for it to be out. I remember just wanting it all to be done, and until it was out, it wasn't done. They had to press on my stomach before and after and that always hurt quite a bit! I nursed Jesse pretty quick after I got on the bed. I had to move to get more comfortable. Around 6 am Emma weighed him, and we were all shocked he was 9lbs 10 oz!! What a big boy! 21 inches long, just like our other kids. His face was so bruised, we couldn't believe it, and swollen! Emma says it's because he was born so fast. He also had bloodshot eyes really bad. She thinks his head didn't have time to move, and he was just squished out. His nose was not crooked like my other two babies though. Around 7:30am Julian woke up and came in to find a new baby brother. I was crying, my heart was so full, it was a special experience!! He wakes up to find a new baby brother! He touched his face, and was gentle. He didn't know quite what to think. lol. Then Jayna finally woke up at 9:20am and came in. She was taking her time going pee and I was calling to her to come in, I was so excited for her! I cried when she came in too, and she came up on the bed and just hugged me, it was such a precious moment, and she was so touched too and emotional. She wanted to hold the baby, so we let her and she has just been so lovely with Jesse. Holds him every day and tells him she loves him. One of the things that really drew me to a home birth this time was having the kids be able to come in and stay and we could be all together as a family. It was really special. Everything went so well with Jesse's birth. It was like what I envisioned actually. Hypnobirthing helped so much, and I loved the water birth! Everything was awesome, and I will for sure do that again next time! The only thing that was a bit different was Andrew was really busy getting the tub and bed ready, and then cleaning it all after, so he wasn't with me as much as I wanted or thought he would be. But he did wonderful, and was pretty taken back by me, and what I did. He said, " This time wasn't as bad as before hey? You seemed so calm!" Haha ya right, it hurt so much, but yes I was able to stay calm and quiet especially this time because of hypnobirthing. I could feel it all, but I was able to work with my body and overcome the pain without freaking out or losing it. My other two births I stayed pretty calm too, but this time even more so. I felt in control. It's so intense, pushing a baby out! Man, I couldn't stop thinking about it for the next day, and I remember that happened with Julian too. And now I can't quite remember. It's been 2 weeks and it seems way more faint compared to when after it happened! It's a blessing you slowly forget. Having a baby is no joke! So intense, and tramatizing too right after. But how remarkable our bodies are! So we didn't name the baby for a few days after he was born, he just didn't look like a Jesse to me. Other names that we considered were: Isaiah, Mitchell, Benjamin, Michael. I felt like he really looked like Michael actually, but Andrew wanted to keep family names to the middle name. We knew we wanted to name his middle name Michael. After a few days, Andrew came up with the name Royce and he kept saying it in this weird way, and pretty set on it, and I was like no way! (turns out he did that to help me decide on Jesse afterall) hahahaha And then the thought of not naming him Jesse made realize I wanted him to be named Jesse. Andrew wanted it too. So Jesse Michael Forin it was! I feel so blessed to have another baby, and it's a boy! When I took the kids clothes out to wash, i was really excited and drawn to the boy clothes, and when I went through Jayna's I just didn't feel it. I also only bought one outfit the whole time I was pregnant, and it was a boy outfit. The heartbeat was in the 140's just like with Julian, and I felt like it was a boy while I was pregnant. So that's cool. He was the gift that was meant to come to our family. Jesse means "gift" which I loved. I am truly happy, and I feel so blessed!!! I am elated and so happy to finally have our baby here with us, in my arms. Truly Jesse is a gift!!!