Our Birth Story

Our birth story actually begins long before the labor and delivery.  I had done a lot of research and spoken to several friends, and we decided to try to have a natural childbirth.  I wanted to be complete drug-free to give our baby the best start I could in the world.  I know it is not for everyone, but I was committed pretty early on to try my hardest to do it naturally.  We started intense Bradley Birth Method classes last spring.  Our class met one night a week for eight weeks total.  Each class was 2 hours long, and we met in the class instructor’s basement.  Josh was definitely skeptical at first.  I have to admit that it was interesting to meet in someone’s home.  After our first class, Josh was committed to the idea as well.  We were in class with 10 other couples, and most of the other husbands admitted to being worried about the pain their wives/partners would experience during the labor and delivery.  Josh’s sentiments were felt by all.  Fortunately, we graduated those classes in late July feeling very prepared.  Josh’s main job in the room would be to coach me through the process.  He was nervous but very confident he could do it!  I could not have asked for a more supportive partner throughout my entire pregnancy, and I knew he would be just the husband I needed during the birth.  He did not disappoint!

One thing that made us a little nervous during our classes was the instructor’s insistence we would be working against the hospital in our wishes to deliver naturally.  We thought we were making the best choice for our baby by delivering in a hospital with a NICU in the event something went wrong.  Our instructor explained that the hospitals are in the business of making money, and they often use scare tactics to get you to do what they want in the end.  After some additional research, we decided to hire a doula (labor coach) to help us decipher what was negotiable and non-negotiable if any issues were to arise during Charlotte’s arrival.  It was hands-down the best decision we ever could have made!  Our doula actually worked for the hospital, and she was matched to us based on our personalities.  She was a godsend for both Josh and me during our time at the hospital. 

I think that mostly sums up the birth story prequel.  Feel free to read below to hear how everything happened on August 30^th & 31^st.

Our perfect little girl was born at 6:28 in the morning on Friday, August 31. My water broke at 10:55 pm the night before.  My legs were shaking because I was so nervous.  Even though we were just 2 days away from our due date, I still could not believe things were happening. We immediately called our doula to get her advice on what to do next, since I hadn't begun having any contractions. She asked if my water was clear.  Once I said it was, she told us that calling the hospital would begin the 24-hour clock during which our birth would have to occur (hospital policy), and they would want me to come in and get admitted immediately.  The danger with getting admitted so early at the hospital is pressure to try different interventions if labor doesn’t progress quickly enough during the 24 hour period.  I was already nervous about being induced, etc., and I knew I didn’t want to go to the hospital so early. 

She suggested I take a warm shower and try to get some rest.  One of my childhood friends was actually staying the night with us at our home that evening, and she helped calm me down and get me ready for the hospital.  Within 45 minutes of my water breaking (around 11:40 pm), my contractions had started.  Thank goodness!  Labor was progressing, and I wouldn’t need to be induced.  I continued to rest and labor at home until about 2:45 am, when my contractions became more intense and were 4-5 minutes apart.  Josh had put his shoes on and was ready to go the minute my water had broken.  He was very diligent about timing and writing down every contraction I was having, and he was the one to call the doctor when the contractions got close enough for us to head into the hospital.  He was definitely the calm confident husband I needed in that moment! 

We left for the hospital, and almost hit a deer on the way.  We can laugh about it now, but I was in the middle of a contraction when Josh had to slam on the breaks to miss it!  My sister met us at the hospital, and once we arrived, she came out to collect me and our bags from the car.  Josh went on to park in the parking garage and met us in the lobby while I continued to have contractions on a couch.  We eventually made it up to the maternity floor and checked into the triage at a little after 3.  They hooked me up to two monitors, one to measure the intensity of my contractions and another to measure the baby’s heartbeat.  The nurse asked me various questions in order to get me admitted.  It seemed impossible to talk to her during the contractions at times, and I had to keep pausing to take breaks.  She confirmed my water had broken, and my doula arrived to meet us at triage.  I had to stand to change into a new gown, and every simple act seemed like it required super human strength to accomplish.  I was thrilled to hear I was 4 cm dilated, 90% effaced, and baby was at a 0 station. At my doctor's appointment the day before, I was 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and baby was at a -2 station. The contractions were still manageable at that point, but I was feeling very nauseous.  My doula gave me peppermint oil to breathe in, and it helped immediately. 

 

Here I am, signing all of the required paperwork before they moved me to my room.  She was born less than 3 hours later!

 

 

Smiling between contractions...

 

 

Josh is helping me through a contraction in the triage area.

 

 

Coaching me along!

Next, I need to move to my labor, delivery, and recovery room.  My nurse met us in the triage area to start the walk down the hall.  I didn’t get 2 feet out of triage before I had a pretty painful contraction.  Nurse Shannon let me hold onto her body for support while I rocked back and forth through it.  They eventually got me situated in room 4208 about 4:30 am, and things progressed quickly from there. Shortly after we got into the room, I began vomiting and having the most intense pains in my back even between contractions.  I tried nearly every position we learned in class to help the progress and ease my back labor. I stood and rocked, used a birthing ball and rocked, got on hands and knees, tried lying in a sideline position, etc. I have to say the ball was the biggest help in terms of helping me to dilate quickly. My mom also arrived shortly after we got to the room.  I remember knowing she was there, but I was so focused on laboring that I couldn’t even look at anyone.  Josh stayed by my side, held my hand, and continued saying encouraging things over and over again.  He was my rock during the whole process.  My sister and Mom helped get cold compresses and rub my back, fix my hair, etc.  Our doula stood on my other side offering advice and encouragement as well.  Lastly, our nurse (who incidentally was a big fan of natural childbirth) applied counter pressure to my aching back.  I had an amazing birth team in that room and know that I could not have done this without any of them!!!  I also prayed to Melanie, a lot.  I kept asking her to give me the strength to get through it, and I told myself over and over again that if she fought so hard for so long, I could certainly endure this temporary discomfort. 

 

Finally laboring in the room!

Within 30 min of being in my room (around 5 am), I was 6 cm, and after another 45 minutes, I was 9 cm. Within minutes of getting confirmation that I was at 9, I felt an overwhelming urge to push. They had already paged my doctor, but she took an eternity to arrive. After another check, they confirmed I was 10 cm and baby was at +1. The room quickly filled with people.  The nurses begged me not to push until our doctor was present, but my body had a mind of its own at that point. Waiting out 4-5 contractions for the go ahead seemed nearly impossible, but I successfully waited until the doctor arrived.  My doula actually whispered to me while we were waiting for the doctor that if I need to push, I should just push.  That made me feel better to know I had the option. 

 

My sister was nervous about being there, but she was a big help, too!

I began pushing at 6:05 and pushed 3-4 times unsuccessfully.  The baby was in distress. The doctor told me I had one more try to get her to move down before she was taking me for a C-section. I had worked so hard for a natural birth up to that point, and it seemed inconceivable that I could lose it all in that moment. I pushed with everything inside of me to get her to move, and it worked!  Next, my doctor told me she had to perform an episiotomy and insert a vacuum before the next contraction.  Although that wasn’t in the birth plan, I just wanted to get this baby out quickly and make sure she was healthy!  I heard them call for NICU for the next couple of pushes.  I was scared, but I gave it all I had.  I pushed for a total of 23 minutes, and Charlotte was born.  She was a very healthy 7 lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long, with a full head of medium brown hair! 

 

Right after Charlotte was born.

 

If you look closely, you can see Josh crying.  So sweet!

 

Proud Mimi!  She's also crying.

 

 

Charlotte Ann Wiencken

 

During her journey, her heart rate had dropped to 50 and shot up to 200. I wasn't really aware of what was going on until after she was born, but the ultimatum she gave me made me do whatever it was going to take to get her out safely. I'm not entirely sure I was pushing correctly up until the C-section threat, but I will know what to do the next time.

Afterwards, the doctor cut the cord "because of the circumstances." I felt terrible for Josh, but I could hear our baby girl crying.  I knew she was healthy, and that’s all we wanted in the end.  They whisked her away to a warmer in the room and worked on her for about 20 min after birth delaying our skin-to-skin.  Thankfully, she didn’t have to spend a second in the NICU.  We have been snuggling with her every minute since. Her Apgar Scores were 8 & 9, and she is managing perfectly.

 

Holding our baby for the first time! (Please ignore my hair)

 

Our first time together as a family!

 

I can absolutely say it was ALL worth it! I had a nearly perfect pregnancy and labor and delivery.  I feel my body was made for this, and we feel so blessed!  The total labor from my water breaking to delivery was only 7.5 hours. This experience was by far the most powerful and rewarding thing we have ever been a part of in our entire lives. Charlotte is healthy and strong. She didn't close her eyes for her first nap for nearly 6 hours after her arrival.

Although things didn't go exactly according to plan, she arrived safely and naturally. We are over the moon!!!

 

My view during our snuggle time!

***Josh’s Additions – I am truly a changed man.  This was the most amazing experience of my life, nothing has compared.  I’ll just add that when our doctor mentioned the C-section, my heart absolutely sunk.  Sara remained so focused and I have never been more proud of her.  When Charlotte made her debut, my body was in shock.  I continued to hold Sara’s hand as my wide eyes began to produce tears that rolled down my face.  She was so precious, and that is a moment that I will never forget.

 

Until our next post,

Josh, Sara & Baby Charlotte

Week 39 & Some of Week 40



 

Sara has been furiously studying for a test she has to take for work by October 2.  She was really anxious about taking it after Charlotte has arrived, and the early maternity leave has given her the time she needs to study.  Fortunately, she was able to schedule the test for this past Thursday, August 23.  Unfortunately, because she wanted to take this test ASAP, she had to drive to Lafayette to take it.  I was a nervous wreck that she would go into labor and be over an hour away from home by herself.  We are happy to report that Charlotte decided it still isn't time to come out, and Sara has passed the Chartered Retirement Plan Specialist designation.  She feels a huge weight lifted off her shoulders!

We spent a large part of this weekend cleaning/nesting.  Sara talked me into buying a new (expensive) vacuum, but I have to say the purchase was worth it.  Our house is spotless.  Sara and I finally got the carseat in the car this weekend, too.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute.  I think we are in denial that this is actually happening. 

We are now in the week of our due date, and Sara continues to clean the house every single day (just in case).  She has a childhood friend coming to visit tomorrow (Thursday), and she's hoping she doesn't go into labor before then.  We had another visit to the doctor this Wednesday as well, and things are pretty much the same as last week.  She is still dilated to 1cm and 50% effaced (an improvement over last week).  The baby is still at a -2.  The doctor told us she stripped Sara's membranes which made Sara pretty upset.  She was not wanting any type of an "intervention" including those that don't include medication.  She is anxious this will make her go into labor.  She has a busy day planned with some friends tomorrow, but we know this baby is going to make an appearance some time soon!

Below are the pictures from 39 weeks.  The average baby is measuring at 20 inches, and 6 lbs 16 oz.  She is definitely getting ready for life in the outside world.  Labor or ruptured membranes (water breaking) could occur at any time now. 

 

 

Update: Sara enjoyed a nice day with her friends on Thursday, August 30.  They went to lunch and dinner and visitied most of the day.  Sara got home that evening around 7:45, and walked to the neighborhood park with her friend Stacey and her son Sam.  My fantasy football draft started about 8:30.  When Sara and Stacey returned home from the park, they hung out in the living room while I was drafting my steller fantasy football team.  The draft ended about 10:40, and we all headed upstairs to bed.  Sara brushed her teeth, washed her face, and when she went to lay down, her water broke immediately.  It was 10:55 pm, and our lives were about to change.  Read onto the Birth Story for all of the details!

And now we wait...

Week 38 has arrived and there is no room left in that stomach.  I am writing you from my Dad's couch as the whole family is here today for a Sunday dinner.  Even Nan and her 95 year old mom (Granny) are here!  I am hoping that we might get some guest input on this blog from my family members as they are anxiously awaiting Miss Charlotte's arrival as well.

Speak of the devil, here comes Uncle Drew...

"Charlotte, I really hope that your arrival doesn't interrupt my Fantasy Football Draft this year.  Also, I hope you are "Humble" and "Some Pig."

Well, I was hoping for something a little more profound, but that will have to do.  We had our maternity pictures yesterday with our wedding photographer.  We haven't seen her in nearly four years, so it was nice to catch up with her during another milestone event in our lives. 

Let me fill you in on Sara's last doctor's visit on Tuesday, August 14.  She was still measuring right on target and was already 1cm dilated!  That was exciting news for us to know that things were already moving in the right direction.  More importantly, due to the swelling in Sara's feet and legs, our Doctor decided that it was time for her to shut it down at work and stay home and rest.  This takes stress off of me too, because I didn't want to get the news and have her be at some work appointment.  After our appointment, we went out to dinner to P.F. Chang's to celebrate.  Most of you probably know that is where we got engaged and has become our "celebration spot" ever since.

Oh wait, here comes Aunt Whitney...

"I hope that your actual arrival isn't as scary as I am envisioning it to be.  Also, to lose my reputation as Druncle Whitney, I am working on my sobriety so that I can make it to the hospital for your birth."

Again, these interviews have been a little underwhelming so far.  Things are about to turn around, here comes sweet Aunt Lindsay...

"Charlotte, I am anxiously awating the call from your Daddy saying that you are on your way! I can't wait to hold you and spoil you rotten!"

Much better, thank you Aunt Lindsay.  Charlotte is still developing in Week 38.  She has really plumped up now weighing in around 6.8 pounds and measuring over 19.5 inches long.  She now has a firm grasp with her hands so she should be able to give out handshakes when she comes out.  Also, her organs are now fully developed and are ready for life on the outside.  The question is, are Sara and I ready ready for her to be on the outside??

Hold on, here comes Charlotte's wonderful Great Grandmonther (my Nan), let's see what she has to say...

"Can't wait for little Charlotte to be born.  It is always such a miracle to happen.  Will wait for the phone call saying Sara and Charlotte are doing fine.  Also daddy Josh."

Thanks Nan, we can't wait for you to meet her

Below are the pictures of my beautiful pregnant wife from weeks 36-38.  I'll also give some insight on how Miss Charlotte is developing each week!

Week 36 - Our baby is still getting fatter and plumper.  She estimated to be about 5 lbs 13 oz and 18.6 inches long.  Her toenails now reach the ends of her toes.  Most of hte lanugo (fine hair) has now disappeared.  The amount of amniotic flud has decreased somewhat, but the baby continues practicing breathing exercises.  She is almost fully mature; only 1 week si left for her to be considered full-term.  She is about the size of a crenshaw melon (whatever that is).

Week 37 - This week she is technically considered full-term and is the size of swiss chard!  Her organs are fully developed and she is ready for the outside world. She is still gaining about an ounce a day and is measuring approximately 6 lbs 5 oz, and 19.1 inches in length.  She is in head down position and beginning to run out of room.

 

 

Week 38 - We are now well into the normal delivery zone, and she is the size of a leek.  She continues to gain about 1 oz a day and is measuring about 6 lbs 11 oz and 19.6 inches long.  She takes up most of the space in Sara's uterus and has a full head of hair.  By now, most of the lanugo is gone, and the vermix (white petroleum jelly-like coating) is starting to disappear as well.  She actually swallows a lot of the lanugo and vernixk which becomes mecuonium (the first stool) in her intestines.  Under the influence of high amounts of estrogen in Sara's blood, breast buds have appeard on her little body.

 

Until next time...

Josh & Sara



Charlotte's web is almost spun...

Long time, no blog!

I promise it was worth the wait.  We are inching very close to this big day and couldn't be more excited.  We have been touring childcare locations, packing hospital bags, scheduling maternity and baby pictures, and practicing reading lots of children's books!  I love having an excuse to read these great books again. Not going to lie, I am looking forward to the trips to children museums and Disney movies in my future.

My beautiful wife is going to be such a great mother, I can't wait to see her with Charlotte!  We both are counting down the days to meet this little booger.  We are exactly one month from our due date now and our Doctor visits will be once a week from here on out.  This coming Wednesday we will have an Ultrasound to see if she is positioning herself head down (fingers crossed for Sara's sake!). 

The Bears play the Colts in Week 1 of the NFL season this year (Sept. 9th) so I have her Bears onesie, Bears hat, and Bears socks all laid out.  Charlotte and Andrew Luck will both be crapping their pants when they see the Bears Defense this year.  I just hope she craps at halftime.

Sara is still working every day, but has cut down her traveling and has been staying closer to home.  She has been experiencing contractions these past couple of days, but nothing too serious.  Charlotte is still moving around like crazy like she part of the Team USA Women's Gymnastics team.

I will try to be better about posting updates as we near the end of this awesome journey.  Please keep praying that everything continues to go well, we would really appreciate that.

This little girl is about to change my life, so please pray for me as I will eventually be the third smartest person in this family.  I seriously can't wait.

Here are some pictures to show how Sara's beautiful belly has grown in these last few weeks:

We can't wait to tell her about you Nana Mel!  (Thanks to Drew and Whitney for creating an unbelievable book to guarantee she never will!) 

We love and miss you Mom.  I feel your love everyday and know that you are still with us.

Talk to you guys soon!

Love,

Josh, Josh's Baby Mama Sara, & Miss Charlotte

We Get to See Charlotte Today!

Hi Sweet Girl,


It's your Mommy, and I just wanted to write you a quick note to say that I cannot wait to see you in 2 hours. In fact, I could hardly sleep last night because of the anticipation. All morning long, I have been texting Daddy an hourly countdown to our ultrasound appointment.


Of course I am excited to count your fingers and toes and to make sure you are officially a girl... But I'm most excited to see your sweet face! I.cannot.wait.


You have been very active all morning, and I'm hoping you don't wear yourself out before 2:30. Only time will tell :). We will be back later tonight to post come pictures and give a play-by-play to all our friends and family.


Love you!

Charlotte (or Charles?)

Hello everyone!


It has been a few weeks since our last update, mostly due to the fact that my family has endured another loss.  This time we lost our Rock, the glue that held us all together.  We had to say goodbye to my mother Melanie Lynne Wiencken (Nana) on the morning of June 19th.  Even though life somehow goes on, things just do not feel right without her here.  I miss her every day.


However, this blog was something that my Mom encouraged me to update frequently because it filled her in on everything going on with her Granddaughter.  So I will continue to update this blog up until Charlotte is born, because she would want me to.  Hopefully she is smiling as I type these words.  We have continued to take pictures each week so that we could track Sara's progress and you will see her belly growing below.


Before I update you on Charlotte's developments over the last few weeks, I'll fill you in on our current busy schedule.  Tomorrow we have our 3D/4D Ultrasound at 2:30 followed by our regular doctor visit at 4pm.  Because of the skepticim we had when we found out the sex, tomorrow will give us that peace of mind that Charlotte is Charlotte, and not Charles.  We should have pictures to share after tomorrow.


As Charlotte grows, so does Sara's belly!  Sara gets a little more uncomfortable each time her stomach expands, but she is still getting along fabulously.  We have had both of our Baby Showers now (pictures to come), and we have to say that Stacey, Lindsay, and Whitney outdid themselves.  Both showers were amazing and Charlotte reaped the benefits by aquiring new books, clothes, furniture, etc.  Thank you all who were able to come!


Here are the developments in Charlotte that have taken place since the last post:


Week 28:  By this week, Charlotte is weighing in at 2 1/4 lbs. (size of a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels.  She can blink her eyes which now sport lashes.  With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through Sara's womb.  She is also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.


Week 29:  Charlotte was tipping the scales at 2.5 lbs this week (like a butternut squash) and measures a tad over 15 inches.  Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain.  To meet her increasing nutritional demands, Sara has been getting plenty of protein, Vitamin C, folic acid and iron (really testing my cooking skills!).  Because Charlotte's bones are soaking up lots of calcium, Sara is getting lots of dairy in her diet (250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in Charlotte's hardening skeleton each day.)


Week 30:  She weighs almost 3 lbs this week and weighs in at 15.7 inches.  A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in Sara's uterus.  Her eyesight continues to develop, though it is not very keen;  even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day.  When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light, but will have 20/400 vision (just like her Aunt Whitney!)


Week 31:  This week she is weighing about 3.3 lbs and measures over 16 inches long (picture carrying 4 navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt.  She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as fat accumulates underneather her skin.  She is moving a lot too, which is starting to mess with Sara's sleep schedule.  We are told to take comfort in the fact that she is moving around a lot, it's just a sign that she is active and healthy.


Week 32:  Finally, our current week!  She is weighing 3.75 lbs this week and is about 16.7 inches long.  Sara is gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to Charlotte.  In fact, Charlotte will gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (she also got a baby mullet wig at one of our showers just in case)!  Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.




 Now, here are the pictures of Sara and Charlotte over the past few weeks...

We are getting closer!  Talk to everyone soon, love you guys!

Adios,

Josh, Sara, and Charlotte (Charles?)

Dear Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,

Hi sweet girl... it's Mommy.  I know I'm not usually the one to update this blog we keep for you, but I just felt like I had to tell you some things while they were still fresh in my mind. 

I know you know something is going on, because you have been much more active these past two days.  You might have heard Daddy and me crying off and on.  We're both very sad because your Nana left us for her new home in heaven yesterday morning.  She was the most amazing woman and was so excited to become your grandma.  Seeing you grow up was one of her biggest wishes.  You may never be able to understand how much she loved you already, but trust us when we say it was a lot. 

We found out we were expecting you the day after she was diagnosed with lymphoma.  You gave her so much to fight for these past six months and have already been a tremendous blessing to us all.  She got to see you slowly growing in my tummy, and you kicked her hand pretty hard about a month ago while she rested it on my belly.  She loved every new development you experienced.  Your Pop would read her our blog updates as she went through treatments to kill her cancer, and she really enjoyed the way Daddy's writing would make her laugh and cry.  She told me many times that she could not wait to see you and Daddy together.  She knew he would be the best dad.  She was the one that raised him to be so loving, caring, and forgiving. 

Daddy and I are sad for many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is that you and she will never get the chance to meet here on earth.  It breaks our hearts that you will never get to hear her sweet laugh or see her wonderful smile.  She gave the best hugs, too.  She was also willing to listen to anyone's problems and gave great advice.  Despite Nana being unable to be here for you physically, we truly believe that you have just received the best guardian angel.  Please know that she will always be listening when you need someone to talk to...  The same thing goes for your future brothers/sisters and cousins.

Our stories about her will be poor substitutions for the real thing, but we will do our very best to tell you all about her one day.  We hope you have lots of questions and guide us in the right direction.  We may need help from time-to-time.  Right now, it seems impossible that I'm even writing these words to you, but I hope that time helps heal the hurt that this family feels today.

As I said in the beginning of this post, you have been moving around like crazy in my belly since yesterday morning.  I'm sure you sense my pain, but I can't help but wonder if it's because your Nana is tickling you from heaven.  I hope it's the latter...

Goodnight my sweet, sweet girl.

Love you forever,

Mommy