Rest in Peace...

Thanks to a woman on my support message boards, I found this angel box online. We still haven't decided whether we will bury her or scatter her ashes somewhere, but in the meantime, this is where her ashes will be.

Stillborn

It's been a few days now since I delivered Makenna and some days are better than others, but we are trying to get through this. Here is my birth story:

I went to the hospital on Friday night and they induced me at about 9:30pm. I was told it would take about 12 to 24 hours, so hopefully I could get some rest during the night and be ready for delivery sometime in the morning. They gave me my first dose of medication and they would continue to give me a new dose every 3 hours through the night. I started feeling pain within the first hour, but it was very dull. After an hour or so, the contractions got much stronger and it really started to hurt. I began to realize that this was going to be really painful, and I was completely unprepared. The nurses came in to check on me and I told them this was the worst pain that I'd ever felt. They decided to check me and I was only 1 cm. I'm guessing they were thinking that I was in for a long night, and I felt like a total wuss for thinking I was in the worst pain ever when I was only 1 cm. Little did I know, I was feeling nothing compared to what I would feel a few hours later. A few hours went by and I really thought I was going to die. I threw up a few times from the pain and it just kept getting worse. I called the nurse in about 2 hours after she had checked me previously and told her I needed something because there was no way I could go another 12 hours like that. She gave me some narcotics in my IV and I instantly felt a little better. It was still very painful, but felt more dull. Then she left and said she would come back to check on me a little later. About 20 minutes later, I felt like I had to pee so bad, so I ran to the bathroom with Rob running behind me with the IV. I actually didn't have to pee, but then I felt pressure and realized that she was coming. I told Rob to run and get the nurse. I could feel her coming so I stood up and caught her in my hand. I stood there holding her in the bathroom until the nurse and Rob ran back in, and the nurse couldn't believe that it happened so fast. I waddled over to the bed and then I delivered the placenta. My doctor got there pretty fast, and he couldn't believe that it happened so fast either, or that I only had one dose of the induction medication, instead of the 6 doses that I was supposed to have. Makenna Hope Cline was stillborn on December 15th at 1:24am. She was 14 ounces and 11.5 inches.

Rob and I were able to spend time with her and hold her for awhile, and I'm glad that we did. Then the nurse took her footprints and handprints, so we have those. They also dressed her and took pictures, but we haven't seen them yet. On Monday, we had to go to the funeral home to take care of all of the arrangements for her after the autopsy was completed. I was completely unprepared for us having to deal with this, but we didn't have a choice. We decided to have her creamated, and they'll be sending her ashes to our new home, but we haven't decided what we will do after that.

We still moved on Monday from Salinas to Cameron Park, so we've been keeping busy with all of the unpacking and getting settled in. Rob is also staying really busy with the business and taking care of everything so that it will be up and running after the first of the year. I'm taking 6 weeks of disability so I'll be off work for awhile, which will be nice. I had no idea what to expect after labor, but my body has quite a bit of healing to do.

That's basically where we are at this point. This is the hardest thing that we've ever had deal with and I really hope that we never have to go through this again. I'm trying to hold it together, but I still break down a few times a day. I'm hoping it will get easier...

Horrible News

I know news travels fast, but for those that haven't heard, we lost our baby this week. It feels weird to say this all in a blog, but I figured I should just spell it all out so everyone knows what happened.

I had been feeling her kick every single day for a few weeks, but I didn't feel anything at all on Wednesday. This is actually pretty normal, but I was still paranoid. When Thursday came around, I drank tons of juice, and still nothing. I called the doctor and they told me to try some ice chips too, which I did, and nothing. So they had me come in at 2pm for a checkup. My doctor said that it's very common to not feel anything for a day or so because sometimes the baby just moves positions. He did an ultrasound, and when he got up to turn the lights off so that he could see better, I knew that it wasn't good news.

He just sat there, totally baffled, saying he had no idea what could have happened. There was no heartbeat and all of the amniotic fluid was completely gone. He said in over 20 years, he has never seen this happen in a completely healthy pregnancy with a completely healthy baby, just weeks earlier. At my 21 week ultrasound, everything was completely perfect and there were no signs of any problems at all.

Since the loss is after 20 weeks, it is considered a stillbirth, not a miscarriage. The worst part is that now I have to delivery our baby. I am being admitted to the hospital tonight, and they are going to induce me. It will take about 12 hours to work, so I should go into labor in the morning and delivery the baby sometime on Saturday. This is basically my worst nightmare, but I have no choice but to go through the motions. My doctor said they will do a full autopsy and hopefully they will be able to find a cause. He said usually when there is a stillbirth, it is caused by a problem with the cord or placenta and he said my chances of this happening again aren't any greater because it happened this time. I'm not sure if I'll be out of the hospital on Saturday or stay until Sunday. Then we are still moving on Monday as planned.

Rob got the first flight home that he could and he should be here in a couple of hours. My mom drove into town last night so I wouldn't be alone, so she's here too. Please pray for us, because all that I can think to say is that this weekend is really going to suck. I'm still in shock right now and I feel like I'm just floating around, not really sure what to do.

23 weeks

Stats:
23 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 155
Waist @ Bellybutton: 35

Here is my belly at 23 weeks:

I can't believe that we are finally moving on Monday! I can't wait to get settled into the new house and I really can't wait to set up the nursery. It's going to be so cute. Here is what we've picked out:

I wish I didn't have to work all week because I'm going to want to unpack everything, but it's the final work week of the year for me, and I am totally swamped right now! Rob's going to have to unpack everything, which is fine by me, since I packed it all up anyway. :) My back is a little sore from all of the packing, but other than that, I'm feeling good. I'm still in my regular pants/jeans, but my shirts are starting to not fit! I tried on a few tops the other day to go to work, and they were a little too tight, and my extra long tanks are not so long anymore. I may have to go buy a few more tops. My belly is definitely expanding by the week now, but I love it! I finally look pregnant, and actually got my first pregnant comment from a stranger over the weekend. :)

22.5 weeks

Well, this has been a crazy week! I've packed up almost the entire house now, but it hasn't been easy. I can't even begin to explain how overwhelming it is to pack a whole house up, not to mention working full time and being pregnant (ie hormonal!). Thank goodness my mom came down and helped this weekend, because I was about to have a nervous breakdown...thanks mom! :) Now I'm down to having only a few boxes worth of stuff left to pack, which is a relief.

So our new neighbors came over and just asked the dreaded question...'can you trim your pine tree so that it doesn't hang over into our yard?' Sounds like a simple request, except I think our pine tree is about 500 years old!! It's seriously the hugest tree ever, and it covers a lot of their yard so it could cost $1,000 or so to have it trimmed. Like we can afford that! So I did a little research and found that according to California law, it is the responsibility of the neighbor to trim the tree that covers their yard, even if it is growing in someone else's yard. That means, technically, we could be mean and tell them that they have to handle it, but I hate to be mean. Maybe I could get a quote and see if they want to split the cost? Any advice?

22 weeks

Stats:
22 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 154
Waist @ Bellybutton: 34.5

Here is my belly at 22 weeks:

So my belly is so huge compared to last week! I can't believe how much it's grown. So Makenna kicks me all the time and is usually active all evening. So in addition to my waterbirth, I've decided to try hypnobirthing. I know it sounds strange, but as Kristen says, it's just guided relaxation. I'm willing to try anything to have as little pain as possible. We're going to actually take the hypnobirthing classes from someone that is certified near us, and we start our first class Jan 8th. If you're not convinced, just check out this segment from Dateline. By the way, based on the women's hair, I'm guessing it's from the 90's, but whatever.

http://www.amazingbirths.com/video.php?video=http://srv6.com/asfroot/ab/dateline.wmv

It's a.....

girl!! So it looks like the baby has graduated from Kiwi to Makenna Hope. :)

Here is one of the ultrasound pics!


So the doctor said she looks great and everything is measuring perfectly. He also said I am measuring great so not to worry about not gaining any weight. He said as long as the baby looks good, it doesn't matter what I gain or don't gain. Good to know...now I'll stop worrying about it.

21 weeks

Stats:
21 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 153
Waist @ Bellybutton: 34

Here is my belly at 21 weeks:


So the strange thing is that I totally gained a few pounds and an inch at my belly after Thanksgiving, which didn't really suprise me. I mean, if Thanksgiving doesn't make me gain weight, I don't know what will. Then, I weigh and measure myself this morning, and I shrunk again! How is this possible? At least I'm up 1 pound from last week! I'm wondering how much I have to eat to gain some weight around here. I'll ask my doctor what he thinks about it on Friday. 2 days to go!!!! So stinkin' excited...and I just cannot wait to go buy some clothes for the baby. And instead of Kiwi, I'll actually have a name! :)

Speaking of Kiwi, it's been kicking like crazy! After the butterflies came the thumps, and now it feels more like kicks. It's really cool. Except for the bladder kicking, which happens quite a bit. Can't wait till that gets stronger!

Ok, so I have to say, I officially don't have a preference anymore whether it's a boy or girl. I've been leaning more towards boy, but now that it's getting so close to finding out, I keep thinking how cool it would be if it's a girl. So I'm picturing my reaction either way, and I'm just going to be really excited no matter what. I really don't care anymore, as long as it's healthy.

Rob's been gone for a few days now, so I'm a little lonely but I'm keeping myself busy. I have plenty to do around here, that's for sure! I've been packing a little every day, and now I have to clean because property management is coming to take pictures of the house on Thursday. I can't believe we're moving in 3 weeks!

20.5 weeks

Thanksgiving was so much fun! We had 15 people over, and 11 people staying at our house and it all turned out really great. On Friday we went to the beach with family and the weather was perfect and we got some great pictures. We even got Rob and I with the sunset behind us that I already turned into Christmas cards. I'm so proud of myself that I got that taken care of already. :) So Kiwi was really been kicking today, and it definitely didn't feel like butterflies anymore. It's really pretty crazy to feel someone kicking you from the inside...really cool though. I only have 5 more days until the ultrasound and I'm as giddy as a kid in a candy store. I actually still get giddy in a candystore...I just really love candy. But I'm digressing. Soon we'll know if it's Makenna or Caeden in there and I can't wait! This weekend I'm going to go shopping for the baby and buy some cute clothes, since I've been patiently waiting this whole time until I found out.

20 weeks

Stats:
20 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 152
Waist @ Bellybutton: 34

Here is my belly at 20 weeks:

Here is a full photo at 20 weeks:

I'm finally half way there! So my belly has now really popped out. Thanksgiving is this week, and I can't wait. I'm especially looking forward to my dad's oyster stuffing!! I've been thinking about it for over a month now! Mmmmmmm. We're having a total of 15 people over at our house this year, and this is a first for us to host. I'm pretty excited, but it will definitely be an adventure since our house is so small, and I've packed up half of the house already. Maybe we can start having it at our house every year, since next year we'll be in a much bigger house.

Only 7 more days until my ultrasound, and I'm counting down the days!!

19 weeks

Stats:
19 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 152
Waist @ Bellybutton: 33.5
Issues: More heartburn this week, so I guess it's here for good. :( This last week was Vegas week, but I did pretty well. I was fine on the plane and all of the walking probably did me some good. The only bad thing was in the comedy club because there was a lot of smoke. It started to make me sick and lightheaded, and I had to fan myself the whole time. I hope I didn't give Kiwi asthma or anything!


Here is my belly at 19 weeks:


Well, I would say that I've officially popped out. Based on my pics from Vegas, I am huge compared to how I looked a week or two ago. I'm slowly gaining some weight, but still not back to what I started the pregnancy at. The slower the better! Rob is leaving in less than 2 weeks for Florida, and I can't believe how much we still have to do! And I also can't believe Thanksgiving is next week...how crazy is that? I better start packing even faster.

We've been working really hard on our projects around the house and are almost done! Before Rob leaves next Sunday, he has a few more small projects left and I'm making him pack up the whole garage. I'm not even touching it! Good thing this Saturday is our Fall Clean up day at the dump, so we are going to have to do some major cleaning and take a bunch of stuff. The business progress is poking along. Our lawyer was supposed to file our corporation yesterday, which will allow us to move forward with a ton of other stuff. Rob's last day of work is Wednesday of next week and he's jumping up and down for joy...literally!

Oh, so while I was in Vegas, I think I officially felt the baby move! On Thursday night, as I was soaking in the hugest tub ever, I thought I felt a slight butterfly feeling, but wasn't completely sure. Then on Saturday night I was laying in bed and definitely felt a strong 'butterfly' sensation, so I'm about 99% sure it was Kiwi. Yesterday I felt a few thumps too, but I'm not sure if that was Kiwi or not. It should definitely start to get stronger soon, so I can't wait until I actually feel some kicks!

16 more days until my ultrasound!!

18.5 weeks

We're in Vegas baby! Today is Rob's 30th birthday and we're having a really great time! Some of the boys went out gambling last night, but I had to crash around 1am. Not before I took a soak in our huge spa tub in our room though! :) Today we walked around all over the strip and saw the Bellagio fountain show and the botanical gardens, which was really cool. Tonight we are all going out to dinner at Margaritaville and then heading over to a comedy club. I think that I've officially popped out this week, because my belly is huge! Here is some proof:


Tomorrow I think the plan is to veg at the Qua Spa at Caesar's Palace and get a prenatal massage. They also have these 4 different crazy rooms to hang out in and relax. There's a Roman tub room, a Tea Room (with tea sommelier-who knew there was such a thing?), a Snow room, and a special Steam room. Should be fun!

Here are some more Vegas pics:
http://makennahope.blogspot.com/2007/11/vegas-pics.html

18 weeks

Stats:
18 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 151.5
Waist @ Bellybutton: 33
Issues: A little heartburn this week, but nothing to complain about about. Back pain is gone! :)

So my back is feeling much better now! The pain just magically went away a few days ago, so I'm thinking it was the plane trip to Chicago and back that did it. I also had my chiropractor appointment today, so I should be feeling good for awhile. This Friday is Rob's big 30th birthday and we're going to Vegas! I'm super excited. Some of our friends are going to be there too and we haven't seen them in a long time. Of course, being pregnant in Vegas is going to be an interesting experience. I guess I better not dance on the bar at Coyote Ugly this time...of course, with such a small belly, I could probably get away with it! :)

I still don't really have a belly, but as you can see from the pic below, now I just look fat. Hopefully I'm just a little bloated this week.

Here is my belly at 18 weeks:

17.5 weeks

I just got back from my doctors appointment and everything looks good. He said Kiwi's heartbeat is fabulous and strong. So...my next appointment is November 30th at 9:30am and I am so excited! That is when we'll find out if Kiwi is a boy or a girl!!! The only bummer is that Rob will be in Florida already for this 3 week franchise training, so I'm going to have to call him with the news. I can't wait!

17 weeks

Stats:
17 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 151
Waist @ Bellybutton: 33
Issues: Ok, I think I'm really having sciatic nerve issues with my back. My lower back was fine for about a week and now it's hurting again. It's like a sharp pain in my very lower back and almost feels like it's going through my butt too! It hurts the most after I've been sitting for awhile and then get up. This sucks.

Here is my belly at 17 weeks:


So I'm still in Chicago, and am pretty ready to go home. I just finished reading 'Ina May's Guide to Childbirth' and it was the best book ever! I wish every pregnant woman read it. It has really changed my outlook on labor and childbirth, and I'm really not scared at all (anymore). I had already decided that I was going to try for a natural birth with no drugs and I have always really wanted a water birth. My mom found the Sutter Davis hospital, which is the only hospital in the entire area that offers waterbirths, so I'm really excited. When we move up north, I'll be 6 1/2 months pregnant, so I'll probably be touring the hospital and taking a class as soon as we get up there. The majority of the babies there are delivered by midwives and they offer doulas for free, which is awesome!!

Their website is pretty cool. Check it out at http://sutterdavis.org/services/services_birthingcen.html

So here is my tentative birth plan:
http://jenellzlifeblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-birth-plan.html

So I pretty much sound like one of those anal, crazy moms, but I really don't care what other people think. Don't even get me started on vaccines or disposable diapers. I'll save that for another day.

16 weeks

Stats:
16 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 149
Waist @ bellybutton: 32"

Here is my picture at 16 weeks:

So I’m in Chicago this week for business and I even have to work all weekend! It’s going to be a long 8 days! So I know that I’m down 6 pounds still, but after this week, I’m sure I’ll be back to my original weight. This place is like being on a cruise. They feed us all day, every day. I can’t believe how much food it right in front of us all the time! I’m trying to stick to the veggies and healthy stuff, but it’s hard. I feel stuffed all the time and I’m sure I’ve gained all of the weight back. :(

So Rob and I are moving forward with the business, and we’ve chosen Puroclean, which is a disaster restoration company. I really can’t believe how much there is to do when you start a business. It’s pretty insane. We’ve finally got all of the money (I don’t even want to say how much!) and signed the franchise agreement, so it’s official! This week we’re setting up our meetings with the lawyer and CPA to get the Corporation set up. We’re decided on RJ Cline Corp. I think it has a nice ring to it.

Here is their corporate website:
http://www.puroclean.com/

High on the priority list is finding a new place to live, which we still haven’t done yet! We plan to move the week before Christmas, so we don’t have much time left. We are also renting out our house, so we still have a few projects left that we have to finish. Thank goodness I’ve already started packing up the house, but it’s slow going with everything else that we have to do. Don’t stress...don’t stress...

15 weeks

Stats:
15 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 152
Waist @ bellybutton: 31.5"
Issues: My lower back has started to hurt a little bit, but it's not unbearable. I just went to the chiropractor, so hopefully it will get better.

Here is my picture at 15 weeks:

I still haven’t gained any weight, which is really awesome. I’m certainly eating plenty though, so I’m sure it will catch up. It’s funny that people always say that they are eating for two, but you’re really only supposed to eat an additional 300 calories per day, and that doesn’t even start until the 2nd trimester. Who knew? So I still have no real belly, which is pretty disappointing. I want people to know that I’m pregnant darn it!

More on the working remote situation. I got approval!! I’m so excited that they are going to let me do this, especially since I’m so new to the team. My manager told me that she’s been very impressed with my work and my initiative, so that must have helped. This is so awesome! So Rob and I are moving forward full speed ahead on moving. We are going to start a franchise business and move to Cameron Park, but we still haven’t decided which business to choose. There is so much to be done, but I have to stay calm and not stress the baby out!

14 weeks

Stats:
14 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 150
Waist @ Bellybutton: 31.5

Umm...did I mention that I'm one big huge pimple. Yeah...not fun!

13 weeks

Stats:
13 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 151.5
Waist @ bellybutton: 31.5"
Adversions: I flew to Delaware this week, and as the plane took off I thought I was going to throw up! I felt sick for about an hour or so...and then I felt better.

Here is my picture at 13 weeks:

So after my last appointment, I was really bummed that I didn’t get to hear the heartbeat. I had heard that you could buy a Doppler to use at home, so I decided to order one! I just got back from a great trip to Delaware (more on that in a minute) to meet my new manager and team. The next day, the Doppler arrived! It took me a few minutes to finally find it, but I did! The heartbeat was around 163, which is good. When Rob got home from work, he got to listen to it too, which was fun! I’m so glad I bought this, and it’s really going to give me piece of mind, since I’m so paranoid.

So back to my trip. It was a great trip because 2 big things happened. I had decided to tell my manager that I was pregnant, which was scary enough since I just joined the team a few months ago. I also asked her if I could work from home on a permanent basis because Rob and I wanted to move to the Sacramento area. To my surprise, she said it was fine with her, but she would have to talk to our group director for the final say. She was very excited about my pregnancy, and then told me that she’s pregnant too! How funny is that? She’s 11 ½ weeks, so she is barely behind me at all. I guess no one else on our team can get pregnant!

12 weeks

Stats:
12 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 149.5
Waist @ bellybutton: 31"

Here is my picture at 12 weeks:


Here is the baby at 12 weeks (face down, shaped like a peanut):


So I’ve actually lost a few pounds, which is awesome. No complaints out of me! So I just had a huge scare, but everything is ok. I had my 12 week appointment so I was excited to finally get to hear the heartbeat. My doctor tried for about 5 minutes to find the heartbeat with the Doppler and couldn’t find it! I was really scared and every moment seemed like forever. He told me not to worry and that we would do any ultrasound, but then asked me if I had had any bleeding or cramping, which I hadn’t. So they took me to the ultrasound room and 5 minutes later he came back, but it felt like forever. I prayed the whole time! Then he did the ultrasound and there was the baby…and the heartbeat! The baby was moving all over the place, which is why he probably couldn’t hear the heartbeat. He called the baby a stinker because it would barely hold still for him to take measurements! Ha…it must be a boy. :) The cool thing is that now I have a 12 week souvenir.

So I know that some people name their babies, which I think is kind of cute. I told Rob about it and he thought it was a really dumb idea. :) So I proceeded to try and come up with names and we were talking about the size of the baby and he says 'Kiwi!'. I said 'Kiwi Cline'...I love it. Of course, he wasn't thinking up a name, he was just thinking of the size of the baby. He thinks I'm a total dork for calling our baby Kiwi, but that's it's new name!

10 weeks

Stats:
10 weeks
Starting weight: 155
Weight: 149.5
Waist @ bellybutton: 31"
Issues: I ate half of my raviolis with marinara sauce this week, and then all of the sudden, the smell made me very nauseous!

Nothing really new or exciting here, but I guess that’s a good thing. I’m feeling fine…hooray for no morning sickness! It’s quite annoying to have to pee every night but not too bad. My boobs are growing like crazy…my dreams are coming true! :)

8 weeks

Stats:
8 weeks
Starting Weight: 155
Weight: 151
Waist @ bellybutton: 31"

Here is my baseline picture at 8 weeks:

Here is the baby at 8 weeks:

I just found out that I'm pregnant! I had been waking up in the middle of the night for about a week on and off to use the bathroom, which I thought was a little strange. In fact, I can't remember ever getting up in the middle of the night in my entire life. Since I was extremely irregular and didn't even think I had ovulated once in the last 6 months, I didn't connect the dots. Rob and I had just started an exercise program, so I was on the treadmill a lot. One day I started jogging and actually had to stop because my sports bra just wasn't cutting it, if you know what I mean. :) I still really didn't think it was even possible for me to be pregnant, so I still didn't put it together, but there was an inkling in the back of my head. On August 20, 2007, I decided to take a pregnancy test before work, just to get it out of my head that I could be pregnant. I fully expected a negative, so when it came back positive, I was in complete shock! I really just stood there and stared and then read the directions a few times, because I was sure that I was reading it wrong. Then I called Rob into the bathroom and asked him if he was seeing what I saw. We basically both stood there saying 'Oh my God!' It was really exciting.

I then proceded to take 3 tests over 3 days, just to make sure. I still wasn't completely convinced, but on Friday the 24th when my doctor called me back with the blood test results, I finally believed that I was actually pregnant!! My due date is April 9th 2008.

My new blog!

So I've decided to create a blog so that I can record my pregnancy and not forget anything. Due to 'pregnancy brain', I tend to forget things on a regular basis, so I'm hoping that I can keep a good record and look back on this time in the future.

Vegas Pics

Here are some of my pics from the Vegas trip.

In front of the Bellagio fountains:


Bellagio botanical gardens:


Going out on Rob's birthday (check out the belly!):


The guys:


The girls:


Rob & Jeremy 10 minutes after Rob turned 30!:

My Birth Plan

Labor
-Please perform no routine prepatory tasks (shaving, enema, etc.), unless requested.
-I expect that doctors and hospital staff will discuss all procedures with me before they are performed.
-I prefer to eat and drink throughout labor, as desired.
-Please do not administer an IV or heparin lock unless there is a clear medical indication that such is necessary.
-As long as the baby and I are healthy, I do not want to discuss induction prior to 42 weeks. If medically necessary, I would like to try alternative means of labor augmentation, like walking or breast stimulation, before pitocin or other drugs are used.
-As long as the baby is doing well, I prefer that fetal heart tones be monitored intermittently with an external monitor or doppler, even if the membranes have ruptured.
-I would like a quiet, soothing environment during labor, with dim lights and minimal interruptions.
-I wish to labor freely in the birthing tub or shower.
-I would like to avoid all narcotics and anesthesia.

Delivery
-I wish to deliver in the birthing tub
-I feel very strongly that I would like to avoid a cesarean delivery.
-I prefer not to have an episiotomy.
-I prefer not to have forceps or a vacuum used.
-I would like the freedom to push and deliver in any position I like.

Newborn Care
-Please place the baby on my stomach/chest immediately after delivery.
-Please allow the umbilical cord to stop pulsating before it is cut.
-I prefer to wait for spontaneous delivery of the placenta and do not want a routine injection of pitocin.
-If the baby must go to the nursery for evaluation or medical treatment, Rob will accompany the baby at all times.
-I would like to waive the administration of eye antibiotics.
-I would like to waive the administration of routine Vitamin K.
-I would like to waive the administration of the Hepatitis vaccine.

Postpartum
-I would like to have the baby room-in with me at all times.
-I plan to breastfeed and want to nurse immediately following the birth.

Photos by Jen

Here are some of my favorite photographs...

Big Sur:





Monterey:




Philippines:






Napa: