THE STARR'S: Kelan Emory Starr

Well I realize this is long overdue, however, the first week home was a little rough. Kelan (prounounced Kel en not Kee len) is great and has been adjusting to life on the outside very well. I've discovered though that although I might be pretty good at the labor and delivery thing, I stink at postpartum. I was in a lot of pain and ended up going to my midwife and was mostly likely fighting some sort of infection. I'm feeling better now just trying to catch up on sleep and stay well nourished. As far as the happenings of July 12, 2008. This is pretty much how it went ... I woke up at midnight with some surprisingly very uncomfortable cramps in my low back and lower abdomen. I got up walked around awhile, timed them for about an hour myself before waking Brandon. I was really thinking there is no way I can be in labor, I still have 2.5 weeks. Well when I was timing them they were about 4 minutes apart and when Brandon started timing them they were about 2-3 minutes apart. Scary right? So I didn't wait another hour to call the midwife, I called about 30 minutes into it and she said you need to come. So I called my mom and asked her to come over and stay with the kids since it was almost 2 in the morning. On our way to the hospital they were still coming 2-3 minutes apart but my water had not broken. We got to Trinity between 2:30 - 3 a.m. Got checked in and the nurse put me in a triage room and got me all ready. She checked me at that time and I was 5 - 6 cm and 70% effaced. Holy cow. I had no idea. Rose, my midwife, got there shortly after I had gotten into my room and I just proceeded to labor on the ball for what seemed like hours. I walked around a little but the pain was very intense. I don't recall it being so bad with Finley but Brandon says he thinks I handled this one much better. Who knows. Either way they were both hard and painful. Rose checked me a bit later and I was 7cm and 90% effaced. Here comes transition ... the worst part but the quickest (although in never feels very quick). And, my water still had not broke. Shortly after that I was 9.5 cm and fully effaced and ready to push and my water still had not broken ... chalk it up to good prenatals I guess or maybe it was the fudgebars I would eat everynight before bed. She broke my water and I started to push in the sitting up position. I wasn't fond of it much but Rose had a plan. We were doing everything we could to avoid another 4th degree tear like I had with Finley so the plan was to get me on my hands and knees (TMI) when the head was crowning(again TMI). So after 15 minutes sitting up I moved to my side and pushed there for 15 minutes. Then Brandon got the gloves on cause this baby was coming soon. I managed to get on my hands and knees and boy did that burn. I pushed for another 15 minutes and at 6:56 a.m. Brandon delivered Kelan Emory Starr. He weight 7lbs 9oz. and was 21 inches long. My battle didn't end there though. I ended up with only a 2nd degree tear (YEAH!) but lost a lot of blood. My blood pressure was 60 something over 40 something at one point so I was on fluids and on my back for about the next day and a half. I look pretty puffy in these pictures but it's gone down so much since and I'm finally starting to feel almost back to myself.

Here's Brandon and I in triage. I look awesome I know. I should mention my friend/co-worker, Laurie, who was also with me when I had Finley was there again for Kelan's birth. She's a great coach and I couldn't have done it without Brandon, her and Rose.