My Journey ~ Part 1

I was thinking all week...what will my next blog post be about?
I decided I would tell my birth story.
Not only,will I share my story of giving birth to a child...but the journey of birthing a mother.
With each child that joins our family,I become a new and different mother.
I will write about my physical and spiritual journey of becoming a mother and our path to becoming quiverful.
I will write about each birth,one at a time.
I will start with the day I met my first child for the first time.....a moment that changed my life forever.....a moment that thrust me into motherhood! The day we met One Boy,the one that started it all.(that's what we still call him)

A Journey in Motherhood Part 1

Our first child was born in June 1994 at a hospital in the city. I had a very peaceful and uneventful pregnancy. I had no morning sickness to speak of,I sailed right through. Now its D day. We did not find out the gender of our sweet bundle until after his quick labor and delivery. (9hrs and 3 pushes). I was only at the hospital for 20 minutes when the nurse broke my water said,PUSH and out he came,all 8#9oz. Yes,our first child was a boy.

I thought what do I do with a boy?.... I thought for sure,God would give me a girl first!
Regardless,it was love at first sight!!! Our child was beautiful...perfect in every way. The thought of not having a girl quickly faded...besides,I would have more children,so no worries.

The whole birth happened so quickly...there was no time for the practiced breathing.You know,the one that you go to all those classes for??? No time for the massages,I thought I was going receive. No soaks in the fancy jacuzzi tub,while someone fetched me a cold glass of water! I never even had time to play my soft music. I guess,I thought it was going to be a spa experience!!!??? LOL
We did achieve the goal, to have a safe and healthy delivery.

It happened so quick and fast... I was now a mother. Instead of being thankful about how quick it all went,I felt like I didn't get the whole experience, that I was some how ripped off. How naive was I ???
I did not appreciate the ease I was given. I was blind and did not see it then.

The hospital stay was OK,but it was soon time to pack up,and go home with our new baby boy. Once home, breastfeeding proved to be a challenge.It did not help that my mom would not wake me for the 2am feeding. She thought I needed the sleep. Sleep is usually a good idea,but not when you are trying to establish breastfeeding.

My breast swelled so big my baby could not latch on. I did what all the books say, and soaked them in pans of warm water...there was probably an easier way?...I could have just taken a shower,I guess. Well...I was a little sleep deprived so,I guess I wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sure I looked foolish leaning over my kitchen pans filled with water,soaking my breasts.

I tried to hand express some milk and nothing came out....could God have given me broken boobs??? Didn't he know that I had always dreamed of nursing my babies? What was I going to do? Wasn't feeding my baby all supposed to come naturally?

I wasted no time calling the hospitals lactation nurse. She said, they were having classes in the delivery dept.that night. The nurse there helped my baby latch on correctly. My baby was soon getting his fill of milk! He was slurping away..his tiny head bobbing up and down. I was one happy momma!
Things continued to go well. I was thankful my boobs were not broken,as I had once thought. Life was good!!

At my 6-8 week postpartum visit, my doctor mentioned birth control. What will you and your husband do?

I told her that I didn't really know? I would call her if I need anything from her. I thought to my self,I could never use chemicals in my body. I knew I would never be calling her for the reason of birth control of any kind!

We had been using a rough form of the Rhythm method. Just willy-nilly counting days. I guess it does not work so well. Did I mention God planned our first child?
I guess that can happen when you're willy-nilly. OOPS! LOL

I then learned the Billing method or BOMA from a gal at church. She taught me the difference in my mucus,at the various stages of my cycle. I charted only for a few months. I didn't feel the need to chart after that because,I could tell when it was my fertile time. The teaching was to abstain from intercourse during a known fertile time and use other means of affection, if a pregnancy was not desired at that time.

I knew the BOMA method was not full proof and a pregnancy could result. I was 100% OK with that. I breastfeed my first child until he was 11 mo. and I had regular periods from 8 weeks postpartum.

When our first son was almost 2 year old,we decided to try again for another child. It didn't take long and baby #2 was on their way! Due in February 1997.

to be continued......