More Birth and Postpartum Thoughts

3 days old

Look how tiny our little man was, GEEZ!

Some things I have not yet mentioned and wanted to have recorded here for posterity's sake:

• At my first prenatal appointment, I met with a midwife named Ashley. At this clinic, it's good to have appointments with all the midwives because you never know who will be on duty at the time of your delivery. Although I had yet to meet the other midwives, I walked away from this appointment hoping and praying that Ashley would be the one to catch my baby. She was so kind and sensitive when I had to share my family history, I just knew there was something special about her.
• When I arrived at the hospital, the midwife on duty was kind and sweet, but I had never met her before because she works out of a different clinic. The next morning, well into labor, I heard the sweetest sound while I was in the restroom. Ashley's voice! She had stopped by to say that she was the new midwife on duty for the rest of the day. She caught Hunter!
• At prenatal yoga, the instructor firmly believes in mamas eating their placentas. When my good friend had hers encapsulated, I thought it was pretty gross. Chopping it up, freezing it, and popping a placenta cube into a smoothie, as the yoga instructor suggested, is REALLY gross. Eventually, somehow people convinced me of the benefits and I had mine encapsulated. The doula I hired to do it even made me a tincture! I also have a placenta print (once we get Hunter's footprints on there and everything framed, I'll share it here on the blog) and the dried out umbilical cord! Yup!
• I had planned to have LED "candles" scattered about my birth room and essential oils and soft music playing. Poor planning on my part meant NONE of that happened, but we still had a beautiful birth.
• Finally, labor is hard work, but caring for a newborn can be really hard work. I was so BLESSED to have my mom stay with us until Hunter was 3 weeks old. She cooked and cleaned and did laundry. I have a freezer full of food she made for me, so when lunch rolls around, all I have to do is pop a container in the microwave. She is AMAZING. Thanks, momma!!!