Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I'm a Mommy!

HYRUM DYLAN MALTBY
April 22, 2011
21.5" long, 7 lbs

Hyrum looks just like his Daddy... even has the same hair-cut!








 My baby made it here a whole week and two days early. He's just perfect. I'm SO GLAD he has hair! Tons of DARK hair! That's what I wanted. I suppose I got lucky. :) He has my hitch-hiker thumbs and stubby fingers, Dylan's nose and face (excuse the "conehead"), and a few features all his own. 

We love him very much.

Birth Details follow if you want to read more. More pictures too.

Eleven and a half hours of labor, three of pushing. All natural (just like I wanted!) and I'd do it again. I'm very happy with my experience. That being said, I lost a bunch of blood and had about 30 stitches. I'd rather not do THAT again as it makes sitting a right pain in the...

I had Hyrum with a midwife at a birth center-- it's a really cool old Victorian house. That suited me because I don't fancy hospitals from their fluorescent lights to the loud hallway traffic and strangers walking into your room, constant blood pressure cuffs, mandatory IV's before you really need them, pressure to follow hospital conveniences,  I could keep going forever, etc. etc. The birth center was so great! The same attendants were with me the entire time: four trained people giving me expert encouragement and support. I'd had my prenatal visits in the same room I delivered in, so I felt comfortable and familiar rather than feeling stranded and "where am I?" Really... it was just so nice. We loved it. 

Brindy, Janae, Lisa, and Heather. They all look tired cause I woke them up in the middle of the night. Thanks, ladies! I hope your hands recover from me squeezing them.
 Crazy as granola can get (and to my surprise) I ended up laboring for hours in a birth tub with heated water. The process traveled to birth stool and bed too before it was over. So yeah, I did the weird tub thing. I also made tons of random noises, even though I'd never wanted to be one of those people who moan in labor... couldn't help myself cause it helped me relax my muscles.




I got an IV after a while to keep me hydrated. (That's a nice way of saying I couldn't keep ice chips down so I needed medical assistance.) After he was born they flopped him onto my chest and he stayed there for a bit while they tried to get my bleeding under control. Hyrum was awake for four hours or so and quite alert. He looked at everything and held onto fingers and was just a happy boy. 



Nowadays he's slightly jaundice, but still a happy boy. He loves his Daddy and Grandma just as much as me. For now.  I have plans to control all the affection he has and channel it into loving me more than anyone! MWAHAHAHA! How I will accomplish this has yet to be determined. :)

6 comments:

Kami said...

He'll love you more than anyone for a long time because you'll smell like milk. But you can pretend he loves you for you and not for food. ;)

I'm hoping to have my next baby in a tub in a birthing center, too!! Water just sounds so .... comfortable.

Anonymous said...

Oh my heavens he is absolutely beautiful Rachel! Congrats to you and Dylan! And don't worry, you will be his favorite person soon enough! ;) Hope you recover well and I actually thought the birth center was neat. If I'm ever blessed to get prego I would love to look into options like that rather than a regular hospital. I'd want the process to feel more natural and intimate. Ya know? Congrats and I still have tons o'clothes if you want 'em! Let me know!

Rachael Grotegut said...

Congratulations Rachel and Dylan! I can't belive you are a mom Rach. So crazy! He is a beautiful baby :)

Alicia said...

Glad he made it safely! He is a cutie and we can't wait to see him in person. :)

Rebeccah Mildenstein said...

I never got to formally say congrats!! hope you are just lovin the mommy-hood!

Love Rebeccah

Rebeccah Mildenstein said...

I wasn't sure if I could say more as I get reading and then forget. I too LOVED the all natural approach Liam was my best birth. I also would have totally done it in a birthing tub!!! warm and cozy is the way to get through the pain I say. Very relaxing!! Sadly I was high risk everytime and couldn't do it at home. I love your story and you couldn't have done it better!! Well except the stitches ohhh Koen I can still feel the stitches LOL!!!