Welcome To The World, Fern Adele!

It's been almost a month since I last posted--but for good reason-- we've had the baby! Welcome to the world, Fern Adele!

So better late than never...here's the official post: Weighing in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces and 19 inches long, our beautiful baby girl, Fern, was born at 12:49 p.m. on May 19th at our home and in the water under the loving care of an amazing team of midwives, doula and husband. My mom and Fern's big brother, Noah, were also present for the amazing occasion.

In short, the birth story is as follows . . .

I awoke to the "popping" sensation of my water breaking at 6:30 a.m. I showered and made blueberry banana walnut pancakes for the family. After we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, the morning passed quickly as mom and Dean filled the birthing pool while I walked around the house breathing through light contractions and helping to prepare our home for the birth. My doula and midwife arrived at noon just as the contractions were beginning to grow uncomfortable. Active labor quickly began and after only a short time of working through increasingly strong contractions on my hands and knees, I felt Fern bearing down. Following a quick exam that determined I was 10 cm dilated, I entered the birthing pool. 20 minutes or so later, Fern was gently born in the water on her own terms without so much as a push! It was an amazingly peaceful and beautiful experience.

I have so many pictures to share but just no time to comb through them right now. All in good time, all in good time.

He's Arrived: Noah Finn Nelson!

So, one week late on the announcement--I know, we're so sorry to have kept everyone waiting and wondering. We thank you so much for all of your phone calls and e-mails and are sorry that we haven't returned most of them . . . yet. We are just now catching our breath from the most beautifully exciting and exhausting endeavor that we've either ever experienced.

Here are the recent adventures of Noah Finn, in a nutshell:

Just hours after our post below (we highly recommend Mexican food and hanky panky for inducing labor--hee, hee), my water broke and labor simultaneously began at 9:30 p.m.

We made ourselves comfy in the livingroom--I, on the couch with the kitty cats close by breathing and listening to our meditation cds and dean, baking cookies for the nurses and packing the last few odds and ends for the hospital. Though the surges were rather strong and frequent, we hypnobirthed at home for the first 4 hours of labor.

At 1:30 a.m. the surges were becomming stronger and were timed at 1 minute long and 1 minute apart, so we headed to the hospital.

Upon arrival, the internal exam found that I was 6 cm dialted--the nurses could not believe that we had spent 60% of our labor at home on our own with no doula or midwife! They admitted us immediately and we made our way to our labor and delivery room.

My meticulously organized and labeled birthing binder (with things for Dean to hang around the room, things for him to read to me, things to give the nurses, etc.) never made it out of our bag. Active labor had begun and we were in the throws of birthing! The Dr. quickly arrived an hour later and announced that I was already 10 cm dialated, but that Noah Finn had not yet dropped into my lower pelvic area and left to give us time to "work him down".

Just a few hours later, I felt the baby bearing down and was ready to deliver. With no drugs or tearing, Noah Finn was delivered naturally after 10.5 hours of labor on December 21, at 7:50 a.m. Weighing in at 8 lbs. and 8 oz. and 20 inches long, he was much bigger and more beautiful then we had ever imagined!

BUT, duh, duh, dun--plot twist. . .

A day after delivery and still at the hospital serving the mandatory "recovery" period stay, a blood test revealed that Noah Finn tested COOMBS positive or ABO incompatible (basically, he and I have incompatible blood types--I am O+ and he is A+). The incompatibility causes my blood's antibodies to attack his and the result is a build up of bilirubins. Bilirubins are naturally occuring components in the body, but when there is too much, jaundice is the result and a period under special lights are required until the body can naturally "flush" them out via bowel movements.

So, the next thing that we knew, our new little beautiful bundle was wheeled away to sun under special lights in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU). After a few good days of crying, sleepless nights spent with him in the NICU and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day spent in the NICU, Dean and I were finally able to take Noah Finn home at 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Day. A visit to the Dr. yesterday for one last blood test confirmed that Noah Finn is very happy and healthy.

Our first 48 hours home have been exciting, but we are still recovering from the accrued exhaustion resulting from the birth and NICU ordeal. At least 10 loads of laundry, 100 dirty diapers and 2 continued sleepless nights later, we are happily breast feeding and cloth diapering our way through each day just happy to have him home.

Going forward, we'll do a much better job keeping this blog updated with pictures and updates--so our families do not go simply mad! Thank you all again for your love, support and concern.

For pictures of our Noah Finn,
visit our Flickr photo album!

With Love,
Joni, Dean & Noah Finn

The Wisdom Of A True Doula.

We just received this e-mail from our Hypnobirthing Instructor and former Doula, Renee, in response to our worried posting from today below. It's so beautiful, we thought that we must share it. It has put things back into perspective . . . thanks Renee.

"Dear Joni, Dean and Noah:

On this cold and rainy day, how wonderful must be to find yourself in the womb, totally sheltered, protected, loved, awaited for... as you are completing your divine perfection and taking the necessary time to do it.

On this cold and rainy day, how wonderful it must be to find yourself ready to receive your dear baby, with the certainty that he will be here at the right time, not one minute earlier, not one minute later. Have the confidence and serenity that the understanding of the process and preparation has given you.

How wonderful it must be to enjoy every moment, knowing that it is unique and irreproducible, calmly building up for the miracle of birth with inner peace and gratitude.

Remember, he is not over due until week 42. Everything is perfect.

Love and light,
Renee"

He's Arrived: Introducing "Owen Vilppu Wilson"!

After a grueling 27 hours of treacherous labor--in which nothing went as planned--one of my best friends and my fellow pregnancy partner, Annaliisa, delivered little "Owen Vilppu Wilson" (a week "early") a little after 3:00 a.m. this morning. Weighing in at 7lbs 1oz and measuring 19 inches long, he is the perfect picture of beauty and health!

It all began at midnight on Sunday when Drew called letting me know that Annaliisa's water broke and her surges were beginning. She sounded very excited and as chatty as ever. Every three hours for the next 27, either Drew called me or I called Drew for updates. Each hour that passed down in San Diego, felt like an eternity in Los Angeles as I waited . . . for an exhausted Drew and surprisingly chirpy Ani to deliver news, updates, an indication of what was happening with baby Owen. Reported ups and downs in the delivery room at every call made each minute that passed, do so with tortoise speed.

When they finally called at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, I exhaled as deeply if I had been holding my breath for a very long time. Being 9 months pregnant and so far away was a very hard thing to be this week.

After hanging up the phone, I was unable to sleep--an incredible sense of joy and undeniable relief kept me up for nearly an hour as I thought about the happiness that Annaliisa and Drew were at that moment sharing.

Since that call, though Ani is still at the hospital recovering, we have spoken three times today! I just can't get enough of her elation and now well-earned experience. I hang on every fascinating detail as I share in her joy and excitement and prepare for my own birthing experience.

Though things went far from "as-planned" for Annaliisa and Drew, all I can wish for myself, Dean and Noah is that we have as happy of an ending as Annaliisa, Drew and Owen.

Hypnobirthing, In A Nutshell.

"When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change." -Marie Mongan

Many friends and family have asked us about Hypnobirthing, the birthing method that we have decided to use for the birth of Noah Finn. Whenever we explain the calm and confidence that we feel when we think of our impending birthing experience, we inevitably get asked what exactly Hypnobirthing is. So, we thought we'd explain for whoever might be interested in this old idea being put to new use. The following is pieced together from both our own understanding and the explanation provided on the Hypnobirthing website found at: www.hypnobirthing.com.

Hypnobirthing, the Mongan Method, is as much a philosophy as it is a technique. The concept of HypnoBirthing is not new, but rather a "rebirth" of the philosophy of birthing as it existed thousands of years ago and as it was recaptured in the work of Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, an English obstetrician, who, in the 1920s, was one of the first to forward the concept of natural birthing. The method teaches you that, in the absence of fear and tension, or special medical circumstances, severe pain does not have to be an accompaniment of labor.

Understanding how the birthing muscles work in perfect harmony--as they were designed to--when your body is sufficiently relaxed and you trust birth, helps you to achieve relaxation free of the resistance that fear creates. The birthing mother is then able to use natural birthing instincts for a calm, serene and comfortable birth.

When the birthing mother has her baby with HypnoBirthing, she will not be in a trance or a sleep. What she will experience is similar to the daydreaming, or focusing, that occurs when one is engrossed in a book or a movie or staring into a fire.

She will be conversant and in good spirits--totally relaxed, but fully in control. Awake throughout, she will be aware of her body's surges and her baby's progress; but because she will have trained herself to reach complete relaxation, she will be able to determine the degree and the manner in which she will feel the surges. She will experience birthing in an atmosphere of calm relaxation, free of the fear that prevents the muscles of her body from functioning as nature intended them to. In this calm state, her body's natural relaxant, endorphins, replaces the stress hormones that constrict and cause pain.

However, regardless of our expectations and planning we are prepared to be flexible and adapt to any circumstance that may arrive during delivery. Whatever the final method may be that delivers Noah Finn safely into this world, we look forward to sharing it with all of you! Wish us luck!