Kid #3's Big Debut - Not the Birth I Was Expecting

Tuesday (May 6th)  started off real nice...

Aljay stayed home from work (he wanted to let his body rest....but forreals he just didn't want to go to work lol)....but it turned out to be an advantage for us, you can guess why. So I guess we can spin the story a bit and and instead say "he had a strong feeling that he needed to be home and chose to follow the promptings of the Spirit." Wow watta inspired guy! lol

 ANYwayss.....he took care of the kids in the morning so I could sleep in. I took full advantage and woke up around 10am. I probably would've stayed in bed longer but Leila came up stairs and let me know that they had cupcakes for breakfast and that 'Daddy went back to sleep' lol. That was my cue to get up :)

I went down stairs and found cupcake crumbs and wrappers all over the kitchen counter and floors, and Aljay sleeping on the couch lol. I just laughed and made my way to the kitchen to make breakfast....well by this time it was lunch. 

The weather was decent, so we had a nice breakfast outside in the backyard.

After cleaning up I got ready to go to my doctor's appointments. I had 2 appointments scheduled for the afternoon- the first one for diabetes followup and ultrasound, then the second one was a regular checkup with the midwives.

The first appointment ended up being the longest and last appointment lol. The doctor discovered during the ultrasound that-
 (1) my fluids were good,
 (2) Baby was measuring beautifully at 6lbs 15 oz,

and most importantly....the reason why the rest of my life was changed
 [ooh the dramatization] 

(3) Baby's umbilical cord was laying right above the cervix and Baby was breached. Although he would move into head-down position, he wouldn't stay there for long. He kept moving and flipping and tossing and turning. 

The concern-
If my water broke or I ended up going into labor (mind you I'm just about 38 weeks and considered full term) and the cord started coming down first, this could kill baby and end up with a stillbirth. 

Doctor's recommendation-
I head straight down to the hospital and try get baby averted so that he's head down and cord out of the way, but be prepared for a C-section. Becauuuusseee...if I started birthing Baby vaginally and the cord starts coming down first, then I would automatically go into the OR for an emergency C section. 

My feelings-
I remember saying "wait so I'd be having a baby today or tomorrow morning?" lol 
It was definitely NOT what I was expecting to hear at the appointment.
It was also NOT the type of delivery I was wanting.
We were NOT fully prepared with baby things. 
(Still needed to pack a hospital bag, go through all the baby stuff we got from people, get some baby bottles, and diapers and powder and stuff...oka oka)

I had all these ideas of what kind of delivery I wanted.
You can see below what I was really going for or just skip it and carry on lol. 

For this birth I really wanted to try a water birth. Only because I know the opportunity to do a water birth would be more easily available than if we were in Hawaii and I'm always up to try something new :) 

....and then at 34 weeks .I found out that a water birth wouldn't be possible because of property rights/privileges/something like that (didn't fully understand it  ) at the hospital I was planning on birthing at....buuuuuttt they had a labor tub that I could labor in :)

I wanted a non medicated, drug free, limited interventions, vaginal birth. I had an epidural with Leila and Sefa's births that worked beautifully but I really didn't like being hooked up to wires and monitors and all that blah. I had been reading, studying, practicing hypnobirthing techniques and was really confident that I could have an all natural, no intervention, vaginal birth. 

 But this sure wasn't the case with Kid #3.

I called Aljay and dropped the news on him. I came in like a wreeeecckking ball! hahaah Nah it wasn't too bad. Just really surprising and a totally unexpected change of events. 

I was a bit nervous and saddened because I knew it meant that I would have the interventions that I was trying so hard to avoid and probably the type of birth I didn't want. Then of course we were not prepared. No hospital bag ready, no baby supplies bought yet (because I was planning on doing baby shopping on Wednesday), and I usually don't deliver until 38/39 weeks.

I went to the car, asked the Lord to comfort and calm my heart and mind and prayed for His protection and guidance. I then drove home to pick up Aljay and the kids.

Once I got home, I got a little snack to eat, packed my clothes, and prepped the kids. Checkout their faces when Aljay was explaining to them what was happening. Hahhaha

Before we left the house Aljay gave me a Priesthood blessing :) which helped the both of us feel relaxed, confident, and all trusting that the Lord would look after us. I'm so grateful for the power of the Priesthood and to have a worthy Priesthood holder who can bless our family.

We got to the hospital and the first thing we did was get hooked up to a monitor. I got to be the first pregnant lady in the hospital to try out this new type of wireless monitor that allowed me to walk around at my own will! It was pretty cool! Aaannndd perfect for crazy monkey spinning babies like mine that constantly get off the traditional monitors because they move so much. 

aahh naked belly!!! can you see the monitors tho?

Then briefly here's how the rest of the evening (times are approximate) panned out...

7pm 

•  Get on the monitor
•  I was contracting but not consistently. 
• Ultrasound- Baby is transverse (side ways)

8:30ish pm

• Doc comes in
• Ultrasound- Baby is vertex (head down)
• Dilattion- 1 cm
• Cervix-still closed
• Plan A- soften the cervix and hopefully get it to open, then if baby is still head down, break the water and induce me
• Plan B- if plan A works, deliver vaginally....but if the cord starts to come out....C section
• Plan C- if baby moves into breach or transverse position...C section

9:30ishpm

• Insert pill to soften cervix, and check every three hours...yay for waiting 
• VISITORS!!!
• Penny and Vjal brought the kids and food and we got to hang out! 
• Leila was a good little nurse and was very concerned every time the nurse came in to check on me.
• Sefa was a monkey and wanted to touch everything and pull any cords he found lol. 
• They left close to 11pm because the kids were starting to crash out.
• Go back to the regular monitors because the people who operate the monitors were done for the night...boo
• Contractions getting stronger but still manageable (i was really surprised at how well I was handling #yayforbreathingtechniques) 

11ishpm

• VISITORS!!
• The Malupo gang arrives.
• Milla brought the pack n play and a bassinet that SJ grew out of long time ago. YAY we have bed for baby hahahah. Cuz I was just going to put Baby on the bed and scoot Aljay onto the floor lol...kalofae...but really tho. 
• Contractions are more frequent but I'm doing well and breathing through them and I don't feel a whole lot of pain, just pressure....(looks like dem hypnobirthing techniques was working!!! #winning)
• Dilated- 1cm

2isham

• Nothing really changes
• Cervix still closed
• Ultrasound- baby is breached again
• Baby moves around so fetching much that the nurse has to come in and readjust the monitors.
• Epidural catheter is placed in case I do have to have a c section.

skipping down to

5am

• Baby is still breached. Feet down in the pelvic area.
• C Section looking more and more likely to happen. 

6am

• Doc comes in and tries to avert the baby....doesn't happen. 
• Dilated- 1 cm
• Cervix still closed
• Baby heart levels are taking a few dips which could mean he's stepping on his own cord
• Prep for a C section


• stronger anesthesia
• shaven (woah)
• Aljay gets his operation gear on lol

7am

• getting rolled down to the OR
• feeling extremely happy/high
• I kept saying "your so beautiful" and "i love you so much" to Aljay
• Im guessing if I ever did get wasted on alcohol that I'd be a "happy drunk" lol
• the ceiling lights were looking reaaally cool
• My body felt like a thousand pounds...everything from the waist down was numb as can be

7:15am

• placed on the surgical bed

7:20am 

• surgery begins
• I turned my head to the left and watched Aljay's face as I laid there focusing on my breathing.
• I couldn't feel anything but a little pressure here and there.

7:31am

• I hear the most beautiful baby cry. 
• I just laid there and smiled- probably just looking stoned lol
• They showed baby to me for a little bit and then took him to be cleaned and checked. Aljay went with him and watched.

Hi Dad!

Same size as Leila :)

7:35am

• Docs and nurses are closing me up, cleaning up, checking if I'm still ok....I was still high off my butt lol
• While they were finishing, Aljay returned a little bit after and they brought baby to lay by me. He was beautiful! Looked just like Sefa.
• Aljay told me that when they cut the sac open his little foot just kicked right out! ahhahah Dat bubba was ready!

8am

• surgery done
• My heavy lump of a body was cleaned and transferred back to my bed.
• I was wheeled off back to the room.

8:15am

• I'm not too sure what happened. I was so tired and sleepy.
• I got some apple juice. It was theeee most delicious liquid gold in the world!!!
• We stayed in the room and rested for a bit.
• Then sometime later (i was so out of it, everything was a big blurr) we were transferred to the Mother/Baby lower level room for rest and recovery.
• Baby was cleaned, checked, and brought to the room. 

And thus ended the first 24 hours at the hospital.

 Yea and the parents of Viiga did rejoice. lol

haha im still woozy and trying to keep my eyes open lol

Mommy's Feelings thus far:

I felt like I fell in love all over again. Even though nothing went according to my plan (with the delivery and all) I was just so happy that he was alive...well both of us alive for that matter...and he was healthy and beautiful. When I held him, I felt like all the mothering instincts were reawakened again. It was beautiful. I got to rest a little bit before all the visitors started coming but I'll write about that later. Right now...I'm just going to enjoy our little Viiga and rest and recover :)

Happy Birthday 

VI'IGA TA'AGAMANUSISINA FUIMAONO

Born May 7, 2014

7:31 am

6lbs 15 oz

Provo, UT

(Vi'iga after his Grandpa Viiga and Uncle Viiga [Ben])

(Ta'agamanusisina - Aljay's Samoan name)

(Fuimaono-  to make it easier for future generations who do our family history)