Thursday, 27 June 2013

A perfect moment

Dear Noah
My life is full of perfect moments because of you.
It's 3am your nestled in my arms dark eyes peering up at me as you nurse. Your small hand tightly grasping my finger. The world is dark and a hush lies over our home. I hear the rhythmic sound of you nursing, the tick of the clock, and the occasional truck on the freeway.
Your eyelids heavy with sleep slowly rise and fall as you drift off into slumber. As dreams take over, you smile, and frown. All safe in
my arms. A perfect moment.
Your loving mother always
X




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

My Favourte Place

Dear Noah

While it lasts my favorite place at the moment is having you  fall sleep on me.  Ill be honest its my second favorite place, my first is in your fathers arms.  Before you, I used to spend each day there. At the end of the day some people discuss their day over coffee, while doing chores, your father and I would lay in each others arms and talk, reconnect and go over our day apart from each other.  That part of our day is on hold just now, we joke that you have radar and anytime we go to spend time together you either wake up or get really fussy.  But thats ok, you are only this small for a very short time and you bring us such joy.  We now spend that time playing and talking to you.

I love holding you and letting you fall asleep on me. I feel your warmth, smell that exquisite baby smell, A mix of talc and milk.  Your father says we smell of cheese! and laughs.  Its our smell, the smell of nursing, of sleep, of us. 

It feels comforting to hold you. There you are safe, I can protect you and I hold on to you jealously knowing soon you will running around, wanting to explore the world.

For now this is our time, your place is in my arms, my new favorite place.

Your Loving Mother Always
X








Cabin Trip

Dear Noah

One of the greatest comforts in life is being apart of a loving family.  Feeling loved and secure. Noah you are loved in buckets loads. 
You recently had your first trip to the cabin.   Everyone was genuinely excited to see you. You where passed from one set of adoring arms to another and you handled it in your stride.  You are loved so much my child, not just by your father and I, but my your aunts, uncles, grandparents, great grandparents and cousins.  Never take that for granted. Reconnect, make time and wallow in the warmth of a loving family.  You have one and that is special thing.

Your loving mother always







Wednesday, 19 June 2013

A Tough Decision

Dear Noah

You have only been with us for a little under two months and yet you have taught me much. Today you taught me to trust my instincts as a mother, and as long a your happy and healthy I have made the  right decision.  A message I want to send out to other mothers.

When you came into this world little one you had trouble latching.   At first we thought you had a tight fenulum but the Dr decided you didn't so we avoided having to put you through that procedure.  You where just small, and some babies find it hard to latch.  You lost weight the first week and were even smaller.  I had an abundance of help from wonderful nurses, and lactation consultants. We tried for two months together you and I. I saw your strength and perseverance my son as you had to work twice as hard to get the same amount as milk as other babies. We nursed for hours,  often in tears of frustration on your part and my heart breaking because all I wanted to do was feed you, and the best way I knew how was to nurse.

It would break my heart to hear other babies gulping down their mothers milk and then look down at your furrowed little brow as you nursed away.  Your not being able to latch meant that you found it hard to transfer milk and my milk just didn't seem to come in the way it should because of the lack of stimulation from you.

Because I was nursing almost every hour some days we decided to supplement with organic formula so I could sleep and your father could feed you. It broke my heart to give you formula. I know breast is best and blamed myself for not being able to nurse you the way other mothers could feed their babies.

It took me a while to realize this wasn't about me. I needed to work through my guilt, my disappointment and shame.  When we feed you formula you are fuller, happier and a more content baby. You sleep better, I am able to put you down, you talk and are alert.  No more frustrated baby.  That is what matters.

Others may frown when they see me feeding you with a bottle but that's ok.  I made the decision today that I am ok with bottle feeding you. I prayed about it and I feel at peace with my decision because my instincts tell me you are ok with it and you need it. I will nurse you as long as I have a milk supply as I love nursing you.
I love you Noah and will always do whats best for you.

Your loving mother always
X


You Make Me Smile



Dear Noah

You melted my heart today.  You smiled at me.  You looked at me as I was talking to you and you smiled in response.  It was the most amazing feeling.  My eyes filled with tears of love and wonderment, as you melted my heart.

You are laughing and talking at us now too. You bring out the child in us as we squeal with delight every time you coo, calling each other from other ends of the house "quick come he's talking" we rush to your side less we miss your bright eyed chatter.

You are literally a light in our lives. Dad cant wait to come home to you and I hate being apart from you.

Here are some of the smiles we have captured.

Never stop Smiling and laughing, not only will it make you happier you brighten up the lives of those around you.

Your loving mother always X




Thursday, 13 June 2013

1 Month Old

Dear Noah

You are 1 Month Old you have grown so much already, I can see your personality developing.

You are known for :
• Being a little gassy
• Being very alert
• Smiling at Mummy and Daddy
• Not liking your diaper changed
• Having a bit of a temper

Loves :
• Sleeping on Mummy
• Being Held
• Bath time
• Falling asleep while nursing
• Being Swaddled at night
• Riding in the car




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Labor and your Arrival

Dear Noah

Although I have already included your Doulas notes, I thought I would write about the day you arrived how I remembered it.

It was a cloudy day and raining.  I smiled as the rain streaked the windows of the car as we drove down highway 50 to the hospital. The weather reminded me of home (England) how appropriate you would arrive on such a day.
A hushed excitement filled the car and we said good bye to our life as a couple and headed toward a life full of you. Good bye apartment next time im back here Noah will be with me, goodbye Placerville next time we drive through main street Noah will be with us. We looked back at the empty baby seat, looked at each other and grinned. 

I was nervous but prepared for labor, after all thousand, nay hundreds of thousands of women go through this. I had a great support team and had done everything I could to prepare and understand the process.

The nurses prepped me.  This included being fitted with an  IV and being poked several times with needles.   My arm was covered in some pretty ugly bruises as I have deep veins and it took several attempts to locate them. It was at this point I wanted to go home and decided internally that I might not be ready for the pain of labor! But there was no going back.

The first contraction took my breath away, and I grabbed the side of the bed and called out your father he came rushing over and spilled hot tea on me mid contraction!

After a few of these contractions I called our doula to come I knew I needed the support.  Cyndy our doula encouraged me to find a place/or a sentence during contractions that would get me through it.  You where my place, I would talk to you and the thought of you fighting as hard as I was to get into this world kept me going through 13 hrs of contractions.

But around 2pm things got harder. I/we moved and you sat on a nerve in my back, the pain was excruciating and I threw up almost immediately.  This back pain continued throughout labor and caused me to continue throwing up.

Cyndy encouraged me to get up and move around although the nurses were not happy as they found it hard to monitor you. Each time I changed positions the contractions took on a new feeling the pain was different and I had to brace my self again. But moving got things going and my waters broke on their own, then the contractions got harder.

I needed the room dark and silent in order to be able to focus on my contractions, I could hear hushed chatter between Myra and Cyndy. Occasionally Cyndy would offer soothing encouragement and reminders, her voice and presence were comforting and a source of strength. I held her hand and your fathers through most of my labor. Your father was always there but for some reason his voice irritated me and I couldn't allow him to speak.  I needed to know he was there but as a silent presence. He was my rock.

I remember looking at the clock around 2pm and then again at 2.03pm and then again at 2.10pm.  I cant do this I thought, time is going by so slowly and the contractions were so intense. I decided to no longer look at the clock and take one contraction at a time as Cyndy had suggested. If you got through one you can get through the next one and she was right.  The next time I looked at the clock it was 6pm.

The nurses were worried about you, you where having decelerations, a decrease in the fetal heart rate below the fetal baseline heart rate. Decelerations occur when there is a fall in the level of oxygen in the fetal blood. The nurses found that the only position that helped your decelerations was for me to labor on my side.  This was practically impossible as this was the position that aggravated my back and I was in sever pain. I could not relax into contractions instead I could only hold on to the bed rails with dear life crying out in pain. it was at this point that an epidural was suggested. I so desperately wanted to avoid pain meds but for the sake of you, and I was exhausted by this point I needed the pain to stop so I relented.  Suddenly everything was ok! the pain had gone and I could breath, maybe I could do this I thought.

Dr McElvy entered the room and after hushed talks with the nurses, came over to Aaron and I and explained that my contractions being as hard as they were, still being only 2cm dilated and the decels where to much for baby she recommenced a emergency c-sec.  I was devastated but in all honesty was so drugged up -  there was a party in my head, I didnt care, I just wanted Noah and I wanted this to be over. I heard them say something about turning the epi up as I was going in for a c-sec.  Everything was a blur from then on.  The room suddenly was a hub of activity prepping me for surgery.  I was a dead weight and could barley move at this point. I remember being wheeled in and being prepped. Looking up and seeing people talking above me. Then seeing your dad so happy and beaming, you where now in the world. I wasnt even aware they had taken you I thought I was still being prepped. I heard laughing as you pooped on the nurse and someone put my glasses on me so I could see you and then you where whisked away again but your father was there with you every step of the way.
I was wheeled into recovery and you where placed on me. I was shaking so much from the drugs I could barely touch you. But you were here and it was over. My precious son.


Your Loving Mother Always





Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Doulas Notes on your Arrival



 Dear Noah

Mom and Dad were very excited for the birth of their first child, due 5/15/13 and added a doula to their  birth team.  Due to medical reasons, instead of waiting for labor to start on its own, mom and dad check into Sutter memorial on 5/6/13 to start an induction.  Room 261, Jody the nurse checks mom and there is no dilation.  Miso is inserted at 9.30am.  Mom starts cramping and by noon I arrive (doula).  Mom is laying down which is tough so mom gets up and sits on the ball. 1.05p, mom is in hands and knees position and her water breaks.  Contractions are now much stronger but mostly there is pain on her side so severe she vomits.  At 2pm Dr wants to start picocen but mom and dad decline for now as the contractions are so hard.  Myra arrives at 3pm.   Baby is difficult to keep on monitor.  Mom finds sitting on the bed to be a resting position and is off monitor for an hour.   Dr McElvy arrives at 4.30pm.  Exam at 4.35pm shows 2cm/90%?-1.  FST is put in to monitor baby.  Mom sits then stands and then leans over ball with dads support.  Back to bed at 6.30pm, baby is having some decels.  Anesthesia is in at 6.30 for consult. 6.47pm baby is decelling some more so doctor does another exam and puts in an IUPC to monitor strength of ctx.  New nurse at 7pm is Amber.  Ctx are 2-3 mins apart.  Anesthesia is in at 8.05pm for an epidural so mom can labor on her side despite the intense back/side pain.  Dr is in for exam right away still only 2cm.  Suggests emergency c-sec. Mom and dad decide it is best for baby and is taken back at 8.45pm.   Dad and Doula are allowed in the surgery at 9pm and Noah Benjamin Dinsdale arrives at 9.10pm weighing 6lb 2ozs on 5/6/13. Lots of family are in waiting room ready to welcome baby Noah!

Cyndy Whitwell -  Doula