Marian's Birth

October 12, 2015

Marian Clark Astle 

8.85 ounces, 21 inches long

Authors note: just so you know this is a lot of information for some people. You have been warned!

We were at Lynn's letting contractions get harder.  I told Lynn, Lance and mom to finish eating dinner but then we should probably leave - but no rush.  During dinner I really focused on my contractions because they were constant at about a minute long - and less than a minute between each one.  It was taking breathing, swaying, and focus to get through them well. Once one of them finished we left Jody with Uncle Lynn and headed over to the birthing center. When we got there, they checked me and I was dilated to a 5.  I thought that was a little pitiful but at least I had finally progressed.  I planned on having a water birth so got into my bathing suit and they ran the water into the tub.  The birthing team was great.  Three midwives were there the whole time - helping, coaching, monitoring, etc.  Also Aunt Ann arrived near the end and was a great help.

About four hours after having Marian - around midnight - we were discharged from the birthing center and went back to Lynn's.  

Lance helping me to get through a contraction.

We got into the tub, and a few contractions later I couldn't believe that I was feeling the need to push. I had just been checked and I was only a 5! So they checked me again -  and in 25 minutes I had progressed to a 9.  No wonder they were so intense. 

Lance helped hold my legs when I was pushing so I would have some traction in the tub.

Mom let me claw her to death and helped me to focus.

I forgot how hard labor was...

The crazy thing about my pushing was that when they started seeing what they thought was her head, it was her face instead.  This is called face presentation. It's much more difficult, because a face is much bigger and not flexible compared to the top of the head.  No wonder I had to push for so long. Because she was face presentation her lips were huge and blue, and her face was bruised for a couple of days. 

Finally she came all the way out - and miraculously I didn't tear!
What a blessing!! 

Oh the love of first holding and seeing our new baby!

Here you can tell a little bit how blue and bruised and swollen she was.  
Luckily it didn't last long.

Oh how exhausting!

Daddy and Marian

She latched on right away and is a great little nurser!

We are so in love!

A little bit bruised - but the swelling is already going down

Getting foot prints

Grandma holding Marian for the first time