Aryeh Duke Deputie Birth Story

If you read yesterday's post, there is so much irony. 
I had NO IDEA that hours after typing that all out I'd be holding my little man in my arms.

Aryeh Duke Deputie

June 10th at 11:09pm

8lbs 9.5oz

19 in long

Yesterday morning I wrote about how my chiropractor did some adjustments to try to move Aryeh off my hip and how I felt like she was successful:

Needless to say, I went to church and every contraction I was waiting for that grinding feeling on my hip and was delighted at the relief I was feeling. I slept last night pretty well. However several contractions in the night were VERY strong in my back and groin! Even this morning, I am only having a contractions every 20-30 minutes and they are VERY strong and felt in my back, groin and cervix area!  

I am PRAYING that the Lord allowed my son to finally move off my hip bone and where he's supposed to be. 

Today I am feeling a lot more hope. These contractions feel WAY different now, they hurt quite a bit more, and I'm encouraged that baby finally moved and I can actually dilate now! YaY 

Those contractions continued to be 20-30 minutes apart until about 4pm when they moved to every 10-15 minutes or so. My little sister Alyssa was on her way from North Dakota (she just moved there) for 24 hours. Her plan was to do bridesmaid dress shopping and then head back home. She told me she felt like the Lord told her that He had different plans in mind...

We all ate dinner together and then at exactly 6pm I had a contraction that hurt so bad I was gripping the table. They were still about 10-15 minutes apart, but much more strong. We went to Hobby Lobby and roamed around the store since I wanted to try walking through these for a while. Every few isles I needed to dodge into a spot where no one could see me and grip the shelves to get through the contraction. I would then pop back out as if nothing had happened and keep walking.

The contractions were much more intense where I couldn't talk or move through them as easily, but I decided to go to CostCo with everyone anyways... I mean I have been in labor for a week, so I was a bit discouraged that I would ever hit real labor...

After CostoCo we got home and I started timing the contractions. They were every 5 minutes and I had to be standing gripping the wall to get through them. Around 9pm I went to the bathroom and ad a burning sensation, like I was dilating very quickly that it was burning. I told Alex, "I think we need to get the kids somehwere. Like RIGHT NOW." He didn't take me very seriously since he continued to wash dishes and mosey around before he finally made phone calls and sent Alyssa to drop the kids off places. 

My contractions were then every 2-4 minutes, one on top of each other. We called the on-call midwife paging service. Guess what they did... they put us on HOLD! ON HOLD!! For 15 minutes!!

Thankfully I had one of the midwife's cell phone numbers so I sent her a text saying, "I'm in labor. The on call service isn't answering. Please help!" They finally answered and the midwife called me. 

She says, "Oh, Cassie, please tell me your not having baby tonight??!" 
"Oh, I am! And it's gonna be soon here!"
"Well, we have two babies here being born now so there isn't a suit available... let me arrange something and call you right back. Just hang tight."

HANG TIGHT?!? 

NO ROOM?!?

I told my husband, I knew this was going to happen. But I know this is where I am supposed to be. I know tonight is supposed to be the night. It's gonna work out. 

She called back, "Okay Cassie, we're setting up the yoga room for you. You just need to get here."
"I need a pool. Will there be a pool??"
"Yes, we're filling it now. Just get here! See you soon!"

I'm standing outside leaning over the car breathing and swaying my hips, waiting for my husband to get my food bag, pillows, essential oils, and clothes bag, and I notice a pit bull running down the road toward me! OMG! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!? I jump into the car and slam the door. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH IT HURTS TO DO THAT WHILE YOURE IN LABOR?!

So then I remember why I DIDNT want to take my husband's car. The sway bar's broken. Every. Single. Bump. throws the car nearly off the road. To put it simply, it was not the most pleasant ride to the birhting center.

BUT we made it. At 10pm. We made it. I walked around the entry room while they hurried to get my room set up. My sisters showed up. I was cracking jokes and laughing and smiling in between contractions. It was painful, but I was really trying to make it fun. 

We checked my dilation at a little after 10:30pm. I was at a 5cm. 

I then lunged up the stairs (yes a large case of stairs) to the yoga room. 

There was a pool, a bed, candles, music, essential oils. 

My pool was being filled still from the bathroom sink. I was holding onto the shelf in the corner for dear life. I found out one of the ladies downstairs in labor had been there 14 hours and still hasn't had her baby. I told her it was game on and I was gonna race her! We'll see who has their baby first!

My mom then showed up and asked if I wanted her to rub my back. I told her I thought I did, but now that I'm here I don't really want to be touched. 

The pool was about 1/3 full and I told the midwife there was pressure in my butt. I think I was going to transition soon. After one more strong contraction I quick ripped my clothes off and said, "When you're in this much pain, you don't care WHO sees you naked! Modesty is out the door!" Everyone was laughing. 

I got in the pool and had a few more hard contractions. "Oh I can do this now! This pool is like a drug! It feels so good! I need one of these at home!" I like to crack jokes and laugh while in labor. 

Then I noticed my body took a break. I told the midwife that it was getting ready to push. She said to just trust my body and do what I needed to do. I looked at Alex and said, "You ready to meet your son?" He said yes and came and held my hands. 

I pushed like ... well... like a women in labor.

11:09pm out comes Aryeh Duke Deputie!
No one touched me, no one touched the baby. I pulled him right out of the water and up onto my chest. His chord was wrapped around his shoulder and I moved it. It took him a long while to take his first breath, but his chord was pulsing and he was making giggling noises. He then started just screaming! He was SO loud! 

I got him to calm down a little and Alex and I just stared at him. The room was silent. No one moved me or him or even a muscle of their own. It was as if time just stood still.... until that next contraction. You know that one that you always forget about. 

"Uh... my placenta wants out!"

I stood up with my baby still attached to me by his chord and waddled over to the bed where I laid on my side and birthed my placenta. Aryeh was SO angry! He wanted to be warm and wrapped a very specific way. He knew exactly what he wanted and any alteration or modification would just not do. 

He nursed right away. 

But there was a bit of an issue... My bed was pooling with blood. Lots and Lots of blood. It was like water pouring out of me. Thankfully with nursing and pressing on my uterus for the follow 3 hours it ceased almost entirely. 

I went from 5cm to baby in less then 30 minutes!

I forget that first pee. You know the one where you know your bladder feels full, but you also know it's not where your bladder is supposed to be... Then you sit there for what feels like an embarrassing eternity as your body tries to remember how to urinate. My nurse said, "I'm gonna go clean up your bed and change your "chucks" (aka blue and white leak-proof mattress pads)." Phew... Good! No need to watch me try to communicate with my own bladder like an idiot. 

Anyways, I got home at 3:30AM. Alex and I spent some great moments just snuggling and looking at our son. 

The kids came home today at around 4pm-5pm. Their reactions were HILARIOUS!
The twins came through the door first and were so excited they didn't even put their bags down or shut the door. 

"Wow mom! He's here! And you look so skinny!"

Next was Hayven. She took her time. Had her thumb in her mouth. I saw that grin creep across her face under her four folded fingers as she reached out to caress her new sibling's face. 

Then there was Eli. I was anticipating his reaction the most. He came in with bright red cheeks. I could tell he was (1) overheated, (2) woken up from a nap, (3) probably got in trouble for something on the way. He was not in a good mood. He looked at me. Then he noticed Duke in my arms. He came closer trying to process what was going on. He gets a HUGE GRIN and laughs! He says to me, 

"Mom. Can you move him so I can see your belly?"
"He's out! He's right here!"
"Mom, I need to see your belly for a second."
So I moved Duke so he can see.
"Your belly's still bigger mom."
"Yes, thanks son..."

The girls have been goo goo -gaa gaa over this boy. "What can I do to help mom?" "Can I hold him?" "He just so cute!"  "I'm so excited he's here!" "I love his chubby cheeks!"

One more funny story. We were all in the room in my bed talking and looking at Aryeh. I knew he had had his first poop. Yes that sticky, black, tarry, poop. So fun. So I asked Alex to change him. :)

Aryeh's screaming, the kids are all grossed out, Alex is freaking out because it's impossible to clean and is getting everywhere. Then there's Hayven. She covers her eyes and lets out this sigh like a teenager. "Uhhh... he's just so annoying! I can't listen to his whining! I'm not gonna have any kids. Their just so annoying with all the whining!"

Alex says to her, "Well, you whine. This is what you sound like when you whine."
"I know! That's why I'm not having any kids!"


Oh the family dynamics. The joy and struggles of adding a new family member has begun. It's gonna be a fun journey. I am so excited to have started it June 10th at 11:09pm. :)