7 Weeks- Quick Update

My baby girl is 7 weeks at 12:04 am....
It's flown by.

Almost 2 months!

She is 10 lbs, 9.5 ounces and 22.5 inches long .... so many petite feminine features. Such a love.
Sleeping SO well and nursing well too.

Noah is still a SUPER big brother and is just awesome to her. He has been having a lot of trouble napping though.... its been really stressful because he truly DOES need his nap. When he doesn't get it he is super overtired and crabby the whole afternoon or falls asleep VERY late and doesn't go to bed at night. It's frustrating.
Plus, our rocking chair just broke... which is the only way I can get him down normally.

We're going through lots of financial stress and dealing with a lot of transitions right now. I'm struggling to get over a nasty virus- praying that the kids don't get it.
Appreciate any and all prayers!

Dreams

Do you believe in the prophetic power of dreams?


I might.

I wish there was more I could say about why ... but not wanting to disclose any information that may be personal or private to someone, I can't. 


I personally dream. a lot. A lot of the time, its revelatory or what is happening currently in my life. 

I just found out something about a person I knew in college and its really odd, but I dreamt it about them when it was happening about a year ago. I never talk to this person, I'm not even friends with them on facebook. I had no idea that this was happening to them. and I just read about it... and I dreamt it. I remember having the dream and being very disturbed by it and feeling incredible compassion for them and praying and praying for them but having no idea WHY I was dreaming it. Now I know, God was speaking to me for some reason. I thought I was a little crazy for thinking all of this and actually felt guilty about it.

I still don't know why I had this dream and why I was given the knowledge of this happening but it's so odd, that there must be a reason why.


Do you dream?

Birth Story of the Week

I've decided to start featuring birth stories because, I've enjoyed telling mine and I would LOVE to hear other birth stories. I haven't heard many- and the ones I have heard, have been, rushed non detailed accounts.

All births are beautiful and I'd love for you to get to share yours in a way that is from your perspective without having to justify any part of your birth process. Usually, your birth story is told in response to someone's question about it- this way, you can tell it from YOUR perspective and also feeling free to talk about the joys or disappointments of your birth without having to answer to anyone.

So please, please email me your story w/photos if you'd like to be featured on the blog!  sarah dot kristy dot campbell @ gmail dot com

47 degrees

Audrey's Birth Slideshow

VIEW ON VIMEO- much easier to see than the small frame on the blog.

Created a slideshow with Audrey's birth pictures.

It's much faster paced than I would have liked but we didn't have that many pictures! :-) Pardon my amateur slide show making skills... hah!


Audrey's Home Water Birth from Sarah Campbell on Vimeo.

Also edited her birth story to include the slide show.

Babies Don't Keep

Babies Don’t Keep
by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Landmark Study for Waterbirth

A Landmark in the History of Birthing Pools - Michel Odent, MD

INCREDIBLE photo courtesy of The Mandala Journey

Some excerpts from the article:::

There were five perinatal deaths among 4,032 births in water; that is a rate of 1.2 per 1,000. In the context of the United Kingdom this rate is similar for low risk deliveries that do not take place in water. Furthermore, none of these five deaths were attributable to delivery in water:

An opportunity is given to recall that the main reason for the birthing pools is to facilitate the birth process and to reduce the need for drugs and other intervention. In order to control the current epidemic of epidurals the point is to divulge a small number of simple updated recommendations in order to make the most effective use of birthing pools.

The main recommendations are based on the fact that immersion in water at the temperature of the body tends to facilitate the birth process during a limited length of time (in the region of an hour or two). 

The first practical recommendation is to give great importance to the time when the laboring woman enters the pool. Experienced midwives have many tricks at their disposal to help women be patient enough so that they can ideally wait until five centimetres dilation.

The second recommendation is to avoid planning a birth under water. When a woman has planned a birth under water she may be the prisoner of her project; she is tempted to stay in the bath while the contractions are getting weaker, with the risk of long second and third stages.

At the dawn of a new phase in the history of childbirth one can anticipate that, if a small number of simple recommendations are taken into account, the use of water during labor will seriously compete with epidural anesthesia. 

My own experience in the water was wonderful- helped me relax during the most difficult time of labor- transition and delivery. I entered the pool less than an hour before I gave birth as I wanted to wait as long as possible before getting in- I just didn't know how far along I was!

3 Weeks and a Day in the Life of.

Audrey is 3 weeks old... incredible.

She's gained about 2 lbs since birth (amazing!) and she LOVESS baths. Must be because she was born into the water...hehe.

Ah. it seems like it was a dream. perfect birth experience... I just still can't believe how blessed I am to have had such a wonderful birth at home with just my wonderful husband and son and midwives to witness.

It's something I'll never ever take for granted and never forget.

My heart is full of gratefulness.

So what is my typical day like right now?

7.Wake up to Noah waking up.
Audrey still sleeps, sweetly breathing next to me.
Avoid getting out of bed for as long as possible.
Nurse Audrey while Noah reads a book or plays my iphone next to me.
Change Audrey's diaper while Bryan changes Noah's.
Nurse Audrey some more while Noah watches cartoons and eats a banana.
Baby into wrap. Say goodbye to hubby.
Make breakfast and coffee.
Throw in a load of laundry.
Change Audrey's diaper.
Sway and rock and try nursing to get her to stop crying.
Turn on vacuum. (Audrey falls asleep)
Drink some coffee.
Turn off cartoons.
Read with Noah.
Play with Noah.
Diapers. Nurse. Get Noah a snack.
Attempt nap time.
Fail.
12. Lunch. Caillou.
Nap time for Noah ...
tentatively place baby in swing so Noah can be rocked to sleep.
Breathe for 5 minutes after he falls asleep.
Baby wakes.
Nurse. Diaper. Wrap. Sway.
Eat something. Usually a protein bar.
Check facebook.
Noah wakes up.
Diaper.
Feed him a late lunch.
Convince someone to take him outside or venture out myself.
Pee. (haven't peed since 8 am.)
Clean. clean. clean.
Think about dinner.
Nurse some more. diaper change.
Baby back in wrap.
Finally switch laundry that's been wet since 9.
Take out a pan for dinner.
Play with Noah.
Forget to take out meat to thaw.. make pasta instead.
Collapse and give into more cartoons.
Sit for 10 minutes.
6. Bryan walks in the door.
Hand him Noah.
Audrey cries.
Nurse/sway/rock/diaper baby until 8.
Eat dinner late.
Sit and stare at whatever bryan is watching on tv.
Check facebook.
10.Sleep.
Wake to nurse multiple times during the night.
Wake to put Noah back to sleep.
Wake to wake for the day.

Do it all over again.
with some variation.