Luke Rainier: Birth Story

It's been about three weeks since Luke was born, so I want to get his birth story written down while the details are still fresh in my mind. I had a very long, difficult delivery with Peter (28 hours, 4 hours pushing) and for the past two years, everyone (myself included) has said that the second delivery HAD to be easier. It was...sort of. This labor lasted many days, so the story isn't short. You've been warned. =)

Heading into my 39 week Dr. appointment

My body began making progress as early as 36 weeks. I was having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions and my Dr. confirmed that I was beginning to make progress towards labor. I'd spent the whole pregnancy feeling like this baby was going to be late, but when I was 3.5 cm dilated and 75% effaced at my 39 week appointment, I started to feel like maybe this was going to happen sooner rather than later.

My Dr. did a membrane sweep for me at my 39 week appointment (November 16) to see if we could give my body a little nudge towards labor. I had lower back pain and mild contractions all afternoon, but was trying not to get my hopes up. I started timing contractions that evening at 6:00 and they were not very consistent or strong, but they also never let up. I finally went to bed about 11:00, deciding they weren't real, but I had a very hard time sleeping because of excitement and ongoing contractions. I decided to start timing them again at midnight because it felt like they were happening really frequently.

I was diagnosed as Group B Strep positive this pregnancy which means that I needed to arrive at the hospital in time to receive at least one dose of antibiotics before giving birth (two doses is preferable). My Dr. asked me to come into the hospital when my contractions were consistently 5-7 minutes apart for one hour. When I began timing my contractions at midnight, they were 4 minutes apart for a solid hour. I decided to wake Kory up and tell him we needed to get going, since they were already closer than my Dr. had recommended. If things did move quickly, I was afraid we wouldn't make it to the hospital in time.

Taken just as we were leaving for the hospital.

After packing the final items in our bags, we called our babysitter to come stay with Peter and headed in to the Family Birth Place. We arrived at the hospital about 1:15 a.m. My contractions weren't terribly strong but they were very consistent at 4 minutes apart. By 3:00 a.m., I was dilated to 4.5 cm and was admitted to the hospital. Every nurse that came in our room said, "We're going to have a baby today!" and "Today's a great day to have a baby!" There was some small nagging voice in my head that kept saying something didn't feel right or maybe today wasn't the day, but I didn't pay much attention to it. 

Feeling good while laboring

I  slept a little bit, walked the halls many times, bounced on the birth ball, took several baths, and worked through the morning to get this labor going. I eventually progressed to 5 cm with contractions 2-3 minutes apart. That was as far as I got. By about noon, my Dr. was telling me that we could stay at the hospital and she could break my water to help things move along. We didn't feel comfortable with this option because if breaking my water didn't help me progress, they would have to give me Pitocin, which I SO desperately wanted to avoid. We ultimately decided to leave the hospital and come home. It was so hard to make that decision because it felt like I had failed (and I was a little embarrassed since lots of people knew I was at the hospital in labor), but Kory and I both had peace about it and knew it was better to let my body progress in its own time. We left the hospital about 1:30 p.m. and came back home. 

I spent the next two days having contractions almost all day and night. I kept wondering if labor was progressing when the contractions would get really strong. I finally did some research and learned about prodromal labor. Essentially, my body was contracting and making small progress towards labor, but there was no change in dilation to show for it. This can go on for days or weeks. Many believe this happens when the baby isn't in an optimal position for delivery, so your body works and works to get baby in a good position, and then when it can't, it takes a break before contracting some more. I don't know for sure if this is what happened to me, but it makes a lot of sense that this could have been the issue. I spent the next several days trying to relax, help baby get in a good position, and focus on anything besides labor. 

My parents arrived in Roseburg on Saturday, November 19. We spent the weekend hanging out with them and enjoying a relaxing few days together. Peter was a great distraction for me and I was able to go about regular life for the most part during these days. My contractions continued all day and night. They were pretty manageable in the day, but would intensify greatly when I would go for a walk and when I was laying in bed in the middle of the night. 

On the afternoon of Monday, November 21, I went in for my 40 week appointment (though it was technically the day before my due date). After 5 solid days of contractions, I discovered that I had zero change in my dilation. I was pretty disappointed, but not too surprised as I still had this nagging 
feeling that this wasn't the real thing yet. My gut feeling was that my body would need a little help to get started with active labor. When I asked my Dr. what her opinion was, she said that I would likely continue to contract for the next week or two and then we'd have to induce at that point. We decided 
that waiting for the sake of waiting was silly. My parents were already here. We found out that our insurance changed the next week and if baby didn't arrive before that change, we'd have to pay two deductibles in 2016. No thank you! Let's have this baby!

I went home to shower and re-pack our hospital bags. I called Kory home from work and we went to the hospital about 4:15 p.m. so they could start my antibiotics. We didn't tell anyone that we were going to the hospital besides my parents, who had Peter at our house. We thought it would be a fun surprise to just call/text people and tell them that baby was here, whenever that happened.  

 

39 weeks, 6 days: headed to the hospital for the 2nd time

Dr. Powell broke my water about 6:15 p.m. She gave me 4 hours to make progress on my own before we had to talk about Pitocin. I was SO determined that I would do this naturally--without Pitocin or pain medication. Once again, I spent the next few hours walking and bouncing and swaying and bathing. My contractions were definitely increasing in intensity and I was no longer able to walk or talk through them. About 9:45 p.m. I got my second dose of antibiotics and I was dilated to a 6. I was in a lot of pain by now, so I was really discouraged to learn that I'd only progressed 1 cm in the past 4 hours. (I know that dilation isn't the best way to determine progress in labor, but I still felt like this meant I had a LONG way to go.)

I decided to get in the bathtub again as that had been the most soothing thing for my contractions thus far. The jets in the tub felt amazing but things started moving really fast at this point. I was quickly in so much pain that I couldn't open my eyes or focus on anything but getting through each contraction. I was using my Lamaze breathing and relaxation techniques, but it didn't feel like they were helping much anymore.

I recognized that I was anxious and dependent and had all the signs of transition and I remember wondering at one point if I was possibly transitioning, but I was also trying not to get my hopes up, so I kept reminding myself that I was only at a 6. Eventually, I asked Kory to call the nurse because I couldn't handle the pain anymore. If I still had hours of labor left, I was going to need some drugs to make it through. I asked for a dose of IV pain medicine, hoping it would take the edge off and help me get back to my relaxation and breathing. The nurse told me I had to get out of the tub and meet 
her back in the hospital bed in 5 minutes. I dreaded the thought of standing up and walking, but the promise of drugs was motivation enough to get me up.

As soon as I stood up, while Kory was helping me out of the tub, I felt an incredibly strong wave rush over me and this deep, loud roar came out of my mouth. Kory was in shock and asked, "What was that?!" I quickly responded that I was pushing! Again, I had a very quick moment where I thought, "I just transitioned! I'm pushing!" but then doubt crept back in and I started telling Kory something was wrong and I shouldn't be pushing since I was only dilated to a 6. I headed straight for the bed (sans any clothing at all) so that the nurse could check me and see what was happening. When she came back in the room, she could tell that things were getting serious and had me get in the bed immediately to check me. 

Being forced to stay in bed while contracting/pushing is the ultimate torture. My nurse completely shocked me when she said I was at a 9, headed for a 10 and this baby was coming out. However, my Dr. wasn't at the hospital and they needed to call her so I was instructed not to push. Every woman 
who has felt the urge to push can roll their eyes with me and say, "Oh yeah, right. Sure. Let me stop this freight train that's going full speed ahead. No problem." Let's just say I didn't try not to push at all. The contractions felt like my body was being ripped in two while also crushing every organ in my torso, but pushing actually felt kind of good, so I kept doing it.

This is a good time for me to point out that a few days prior I said to Kory, "I don't know why women scream in labor. It doesn't help anything. I am just not a screamer. I can't even imagine doing that-it's so dramatic." As you might have guessed, this is the part where Mandy eats crow. I screamed like a maniac. I would be laying quietly in the bed and a contraction would hit and this deep, primal growl/yell just came bursting out of me. I remember feeling embarrassed that I was doing that but also recognizing that it kind of made me feel powerful. Regardless, I couldn't stop it. Kory did his best to keep me calm and breathing deep, but I was kind of out of control. One of the strangest parts of this phase of labor for me was that I could NOT open my eyes or talk, even between contractions. I would be laying in bed thinking about what I wanted to tell Kory or wanting to see his face for reassurance but I just couldn't do anything about it. 

While I was laying in bed pushing, I mean "not pushing", I asked again about those drugs. I mean, if I'm going to just be laying there waiting for the Doctor, I figured we should go ahead and get those started! The nurse told me I couldn't have them because it was too late and the medicine would make the baby sleepy and when they come out sleepy they don't do as well. I am not proud to say that I still asked for them again, not particularly caring if it was bad for baby. I just could not think about anything but the pain; not even the well being of my baby. Dr. Powell came into the room in her everyday clothes and told me it was time to meet my baby...but first she had to go change into her scrubs. I remember getting really mad at that point because I could not fathom continuing to labor while waiting for her to change her clothes. 

She was back in my room quickly and everything was made ready for baby to arrive. I was trying to prepare myself for a very long pushing phase and was repeating over and over, "I can't do this! I can't do this! I need drugs!" Dr. Powell told me she could see the baby's head and I just had to push him out. I think I asked her if she was serious and I remember thinking she was lying to me. Sure enough, I pushed through 2 contractions and his head was out. I distinctly remember feeling him moving down with each push. It was the most amazing feeling and was really good motivation to keep going. With his head already out, I remembered that Dr. Powell told me months ago she would need to be reminded that I wanted Kory to be the first one to hold baby. As the final contraction hit, I sat up, opened my eyes and yelled that reminder to her! 

Kory quickly got into position and with one more push, he grabbed baby and delivered him. As with Peter, the moment that is forever engrained in my memory is seeing Kory holding our baby and handing him to me for the first time. I cried out, "my baby!" and laid back to enjoy the first moments with my little guy. I was still in shock that he was here and that labor was already over. 

Luke Rainier Mereness was born at 11:01 p.m. weighing 8 lbs 9 oz and measured 21.25" long. 

Kory called my parents about 30 minutes later to let them know that Luke was here. They woke Peter up and came to the hospital right away. We hadn't shared his name with anyone but Peter, so he got to introduce Granna and Pop to Baby Yuke. 

(Kory was present, despite what these pictures show. He was taking pictures of us and then we discovered Luke had some blood sugar issues so he was whisked away for a few hours to work on that while we slept.) 

And just like that, we became a family of 4. Welcome, baby Luke. We're so glad you're here!

Quotable #2

I put Peter down for his nap one day and then went to the living room to relax. About a half hour later, (when I assumed he was already sleeping), our dog, Sky, started barking at the neighbor in his back yard. I could hear Peter yell from his bed, "No No Sky! No barking!!"

One evening, I was rocking and singing to Peter before bedtime, so he was laying on my belly/chest while I was sitting in the rocking chair. The baby kicked and Peter jumped back and looked at me with huge eyes and said, "WHOA!" When I told him it was the baby kicking, he said, "Hi baby!" and then leaned down to give my belly a hug and kiss.

I did almost all of the painting in the baby's nursery while Peter was sleeping, but one day I was almost finished and he woke up early from his nap. I decided to bring him in the room with me as I finished up. He was doing really well staying away from the wet paint so I let him play while I touched up the final details. I hadn't heard from him in a while so I looked over and saw him holding the paint can lid (which had quite a bit of paint on it) saying, "Mommy! Frisbee! Catch!" I must say I ran pretty fast (for a pregnant lady) to get it out of his hands before our beige/cream-colored carpet became a canvas for his splatter painting.

Every time he finishes reading a book, he closes it firmly and shouts, "Amen!"

Any time Peter sees the Pepsi logo, (which is a lot in our town), he yells, "Mommy! Baseball!!" It took me a long to figure out where the baseball was on the convenience store near our house.

He really likes washing his hands lately so I sometimes let him wash them while I'm getting ready in the bathroom. I turned the water on one day and then started blow drying my hair. I could tell he was saying something to me but couldn't hear him very well. I finally looked over to see him blowing on the water. When I turned the hair dryer off, I discovered he was saying the water was too hot ("too aught") so he was blowing on it as it came out of the faucet in order to cool it off. 

A few of my favorite words he currently says:

• "Peek-a-coo" (which always makes me think of Picachu, despite having zero knowledge of Pokemon)
• "Another-gain" (when he wants me to tickle him again usually)
• "Another-more" (when he's helping me unload the dishwasher, he says this with every dish he hands me)
• "Tease!" (said while doing the ASL sign for "please", which is the only signing he held onto once he started talking)
• "Luff you" (he loves to pretend to nap, so he gets his pacifier and blankets and lays down on a pillow and repeatedly yells, "luff you Mommy!") 

Quotable

Peter is really talking a lot these days, so I want to capture some of the funny/sweet/memorable things he's been saying (or doing) lately.

Kory and I were tickling him a few nights ago and he wanted us to stop, so he starts yelling out, "Jeeesus!! Jesus!!" Maybe all our talks about Jesus saving us are sinking in. 

When he wanted us to stop tickling or wrestling in months past, he used to say "night night" and pretend to go to sleep so we would quit.

Apparently, I sometimes walk around the house looking for my husband and call his name. When Peter wants to find his Daddy, especially during the work day, he will go through the house yelling "Kooooory!" over and over. 

If he is standing on the ground and reaching for the ceiling, he will climb up on a piece of furniture and reach up and then say, "Almost!" as if he's really close to touching it. 

The only time he gets to be on our phones is to use the Bible for Kids app and read Bible Stories. He always does this while sitting with us, so he never has our phones without our supervision. He was reading Bible Stories one day (a very frequent request these days from the moment he wakes up!) and I had to use the restroom. I decided he would be fine for a few minutes while I did that so I left him on my bed with my phone. I walked out to hear Siri finishing up a speech and asking, "Would you like me to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline for you?" Peter answers every question with "yeah" so the next thing I know, I hear Siri reporting that she is calling the hotline for him! I ran as fast as this prego body will let me and hung up before we had to talk to anybody. Peter looked at me and asked, "Call Bible Stories?" which is what he apparently thought Siri was doing for him. 

Kory doesn't like to drink water. He recognizes the health benefits, but just loves the taste of soda. We joke about this a lot in our house. One day, Peter and I were in the grocery store and I stopped in the aisle to grab some Dr. Pepper. He pointed to it and said, "Daddy water!" Similarly, he pointed to cheese once and called it "Mommy food." The kid has our vices figured out. 

He woke up several times last night, which is very unusual for him. At about 4:30, I went in his room and was rocking him back to sleep. He was saying something to me but I couldn't understand it, so I took his pacifier out and realized he was asking "Sing Jesus?" I desperately wanted us to go back to sleep quickly, but couldn't resist and began singing "Jesus Loves Me" for him. There was just enough light in the room for me to see a big grin spread across his face as I started singing. It was almost sweet enough to make me not care that I was wide awake at 4:30 am and had already been up with him 3 times. Almost. 

31 Weeks

How Far Along: 31 weeks

Food Comparison: Coconut (16", about 3.33 lbs.)

Weight Gain: 21 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: I really need the weather to change to Fall soon, for several reasons, but particularly so I can wear some different maternity clothes. I am ready for some different options as I'm really tired of the same things I've been wearing all summer now. 

Sleep: Different every night. Getting up to use the bathroom isn't as much of an issue as trying to get comfortable. I have lots of pillows, including a big pregnancy one, which are great, but when I need to turn over (which is pretty painful), it's hard to rearrange all the pillows to get them back where I need them. I'm still able to fall back asleep pretty quickly, which I am very grateful for. 

Best Moment of this Week: Peter woke up early from a nap so I went in his room and rocked him back to sleep. He was sleeping on my belly and chest and the baby was going nuts inside. I can't believe he slept through all the commotion, actually, but it was a fun and sweet moment to be holding both my boys at the same time and thinking about them growing up together. 

Miss Anything: Energy and motivation. I had a few weeks recently where I got a really big burst of energy and was making freezer meals and getting the Nursery ready and getting lots done every day. It's safe to say that is not the case now. I'm back to being really tired almost every day. I continue to be grateful that Peter is such a good napper, as it allows me to nap also. 

Symptoms/Side Effects: Chloasma, which are just brown spots that show up on my face, specifically around my eyes. I had it last pregnancy also, but I didn't know what it was called. They aren't terrible, but have definitely shown up more since I've been in the summer sun. I've also got quite a few nose bleeds and have a much lower tolerance for heat these days.

Movement: Oh my goodness, yes! This kiddo is a wild one. Peter was the same way inside the womb (and out), so I was kind of hoping this little guy might be more chill. Not happening so far. 

Food Cravings: Ice!! (I'm not anemic, Dr. checked) Grapes. Peanut butter & honey on a tortilla. Chocolate/peanut butter ice cream. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Hunger. If I go too long without eating, especially in the morning, I get really nauseous. 

Have you started to show yet: I've reached the point of strangers asking when I'm due, so I'd say yes. 

Gender: Boy! Still no name. We're not keeping it a secret, we just truly don't have one yet. 

Labor signs: When I go for walks, I get some pretty intense Braxton Hicks contractions. I think I just need to drink more water, which should help with that. 

Belly button in or out: All the way out. 

Dr. is saying: I measured a little bit small this past week, but she isn't concerned. Everything about baby and I shows we're healthy and growing just fine. I passed my gestational diabetes test, which I'm excited about. 

Wedding ring on or off: On. I had one day where it didn't fit, but I had just gotten out of a hot shower and after a while, the ring fit just fine again. 

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and sentimental as I try to soak up these days at home with just Peter and I. 

Looking forward to: Seeing baby on an ultrasound next week! I didn't get to see Peter in the 3rd trimester, so it will be fun to see a bigger, more active baby. Plus, the ultrasound tech that I haven't really loved is on maternity leave, so maybe this tech will be more patient and friendly. 

Things to remember: Peter loves to pat my tummy and say "Hi baby!" He will also give the baby hugs and kisses pretty regularly. BUT if I am laying on my back, there's a 100% chance he is going to jump up and throw his entire body weight directly onto my stomach while screaming like a maniac. The sweetness and wildness are both evident in this kid!  

27 Weeks

How Far Along: 27 weeks (this update is several days late, so I'm actually closer to 28 now)

Food Comparison: Cauliflower (14.5", about 2 lbs.)

Weight Gain: 20 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Most definitely. I am resigned to wearing a lot of Kory's t-shirts and athletic shorts when I'm at home. Several of my maternity shirts are getting too short and too tight, which I remember happening in my first pregnancy also, but it was probably a month or two later. 

Sleep: Not great. I'm having a hard time getting comfortable and am starting to have some aches and pains that make it difficult to lay in one position for very long. 

Best Moment of this week: Peter woke up from his nap screaming for Mommy one afternoon (bad dream maybe?) and I went in and held him and he fell back asleep in my arms for another hour while we rocked. He NEVER sleeps anywhere but in his crib, so this was a real treat, especially as I felt a tiny baby in my belly kicking away and I know that my time with Peter as my baby is limited. 

Miss Anything: Being able to do things easily; things like standing up when I've been sitting on the ground, rolling over in bed, putting on pants, crossing my legs, etc.

Symptoms/Side Effects: I've got a few warts (ew!) popping up on my fingers and ankle, which are apparently common during pregnancy. I didn't have this fun side effect last pregnancy, so this is new for me. 

Movement: Lots and lots. That's part of my issue with sleep these days also.  

Food Cravings: I can't really think of anything specific I've been craving lately. I think my eating has slowed down a little in the past couple weeks, probably because baby is growing and my stomach is getting more squished. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Peter's diapers. Still.

Have you started to show yet: This is a dumb question at this point. 

Gender: Boy! Still no name. 

Labor signs: I've been having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions in the evenings, but it's pretty manageable. My stomach just feels really tight and it makes it a little bit harder to breathe. 

Belly button in or out: Out. It's not a total outie yet, but it's definitely not in anymore. 

Wedding ring on or off: On. On really hot days (which we've had several of lately!) my fingers start to swell, but normally my ring still fits great. 

Happy or moody most of the time: I've been feeling all the feels this week. Maybe I've had an increase in hormones or something because I am having some emotions! 

Looking forward to: Decorating Peter's new bedroom and fixing up the Nursery. We had a garage sale recently and got rid of a LOT of stuff, so now I'm in the process of clearing out the guest bedroom/Peter's new room and will soon paint it and start getting furniture and decorations moved in. 

Things to remember: Pregnancy makes me SO indecisive. Everything from choosing a name to picking out what I want to eat in a restaurant seems so incredibly difficult to me. I annoy myself with my inability to decide, but it still feels paralyzing when I have to make too many decisions in a day.

21 Weeks

How Far Along: 21 weeks

Food Comparison: Carrot 

Weight Gain: 14 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Most definitely. I don't think I have anything non-maternity that fits me now except for athletic shorts and sweat pants. 

Sleep: I'm sleeping really well right now. I rarely wake up in the night and if I do, it doesn't take me too long to get back to sleep. 

Best Moment of this week: Going through some of Peter's baby clothes and getting really excited to get to use them again. 

Miss Anything: Laying on my stomach. I don't do it a lot, but I've been wanting to do it lately and even tried for a short bit but it's very painful. 

Symptoms/Side Effects: I'm one of the lucky ones who has my clearest complexion and healthiest hair ever while pregnant. 

Movement: Quite a bit. No one but me has felt it yet, but I feel movement pretty often. Baby is most active when I'm laying down in bed at night. 

Food Cravings: I am not really having any specific cravings, but I have to have a late night snack, every night. Lately it's been popcorn or ice cream or chips and dip. As you can see, I'm keeping it suuuuuper healthy around here. 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Peter's diapers. Cloth diapering while pregnant is harder than I expected. There has been a lot of gagging and I've lost my lunch a few times over it. 

Have you started to show yet: Oh, there's no question about that. I definitely am! 

Gender: Boy! :) We have no clue what we'll name him, but it's fun to know that HE is a HE. 

Labor signs: No way, Jose. 

Belly button in or out: Well, I wouldn't have thought this was possible, but the top half is out and the bottom half is in. It's quite strange looking. 

Wedding ring on or off: On.  

Happy or moody most of the time: Happy and tired. So tired! I do have more energy than the 1st trimester, but I'm still really tired almost all the time. I'm so thankful that Peter is a good napper because it allows me to work around the house while he's sleeping and usually get a small nap for myself too.  

Looking forward to: flying to NM next week to see my parents! 

Things to remember: I can't remember anything these days. I had to ask Kory the name of my favorite movie last week. I couldn't think of the word "door" for almost two days. I'm writing myself notes and taking pictures of things and using my calendar more than ever because my brain cannot be trusted. 

He or She?

Since we're nearing the time when we hope to find out if this baby is a boy or girl, I thought I'd have some fun with a few of these old wives' tales that are supposed to help you determine the sex of your baby. 

1. How does your skin feel?: Soft or Dry

2. What foods are you craving most? Salty or Sweet

3. Did you experience morning sickness? Yes or No

4. Have you had extra acne while pregnant? Yes or No

5. How fast is the baby's heartbeat? Under 130 or Over 140

6. What does your hair feel like this pregnancy? Dull/limp or Thick/Glossy 

7. What happened with the wedding ring test? Spinning or Swinging

8. Is Dad gaining any weight with you? Yes or No

9. Where are you carrying the baby? High or Low
(A couple people have told me they think I'm carrying low, but I am carrying higher than with Peter. I still have some non-maternity pants that I can wear and button, which is much different than last time. I also looked back at pictures of my first pregnancy and am significantly higher this pregnancy.)

10. Chinese Gender Predictor Test: Boy or Girl
(I know this is supposed to be highly accurate, but for reference, the Chinese test told us Peter was a girl.)


We're pretty much split down the middle with these "tests". Do you think baby Mereness #2 is a boy or a girl?