Her Apgar scores were 9 at 1 min & 10 at 5 min, which is great. She was feeding like a champ right after birth too, they placed her on my chest right after she was out and she found the nipple no problem. I was even feeding her as they wheeled me through the hospital doors at 3am for my repair work. I suffered a 4th degree tear that is very unusual for Farm births and homebirths in general.

A surgeon came in and stitched me up good. I specifically asked how many stitches I was receiving, the surgeon laughed and said he’d lost count and that it’s probably better that way. Basically we got there at 3am and didn’t leave till about 6am. I got lots of stitches. N, Pamela and Everly napped while they worked on me.

We also had Everly’s cord blood tested (to get her blood type) and I received my RhoGam shot while we were there since it turns out Everly is not RH negative like me. I was also prescribed some antibiotics for the tear. Basically I tore all the way through (if you know what I mean) so they were worried about anal bacteria and vaginal bacteria combining and infecting my stitches among other things.

I was not given any pain meds though, just taking Tylenol when I am hurting. I am supposed to be staying in bed with baby for 10 days, per Pamela and the surgeons orders. I am also taking arnica 30x for muscle soreness and trauma healing. I don’t feel incapable of carrying on though so staying in bed is hard.

Basically my pushing phase was super slow to start and then went super fast at the end. We tried all sorts of different positions to get her past my bones. I was laying back in bed, then went to the birthing chair, labored in the shower with N, tried squatting, pulling on a door handle, on hands and knees, kneeling face down on the bed and finally tried pushing while collapsed on my knees and elbows with my butt in the air.

Once I got in to my last position things began to go very quickly. From crowning to head out only took 3 min and she practically shot out of me. Nobody expected her to come as quickly as she did. They didn’t even have time to apply counter pressure to the perineum or to show me her head crowning. I am pretty sure I tore because she came out so fast.

Normally in a home birth situation they have you pushing as hard as you can until you begin to crown, once crowing begins they have you pant through the contractions and go real slow so you can avoid tearing. Unfortunately this didn’t happen in my case and I am certain it had to do with the fact that I made so much fast progress in the end.

Anyway I started pushing and was fully dilated at 10:44pm, she crowned at 1:12am and her head was out by 1:15am. One min later her body was out and I was holding her. It all happen super fast and the pushing part was my least favorite part because I felt like I wasn’t making good progress and that I was doing it all wrong. It turns out it was the positions that were working against me and making things seem like they weren’t progressing.

The contractions were much easier for me to deal with as I had found a way to “get in the zone” and relax through them. I listened to my tranquility music and Tibetan singing bowl music on my iPod during this phase, it lasted about 8 hours. N said everyone was amazed that I hardly made a peep until the last half hour of birth when the molding and crowning was taking place.

All in all I am very pleased with my birth experience and would totally do it the same way again. Pamela was great and N was a champ too. He never really left my side. From the moment he arrived back at The Farm until I was back home and stitched up. He even looked down there and got to see her coming out which we had previously discussed and he wasn’t sure he wanted to do.

Oh, and Pamela even wrote a song about Everly that she played for us on her guitar before we headed home. The song was beautiful and made me cry. We planted the placenta on her land under an evergreen tree, it’s the Everly Evergreen tree now. It seemed fitting since we birthed Everly in Pamela’s cabin on The Farm and it will forever be an important place for us.

Everly’s birth was an amazing experience and it truly was a right of passage for us. We are on cloud 9 now and wouldn’t have done it any other way!

Oh, if you want to read N’s version of Everly’s birth story (Pt. 1) & N’s version of Everly’s birth story (Pt. 2) are now up over at his blog! I am still working on my long version of the birth story. Posted my short summary version already, it can be read here.

The post Everly is now 5 days old: A look back on the birth experience. appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

The broadcast will appear below once the live show starts (old recorded videos will play both before and after the actual broadcast). You’ll be able to see us via the video box and using the chat box just below it you can chat with us and ask questions, etc.

We hope this is a fun and interactive way for us to share Everly’s Homecoming with everyone who is following it!

Also, did you see our funny test video? I was changing her diaper right before hand and the webcam was also being tested to make sure the broadcast would work. We ended up capturing a great video of she shooting poop all over me just as I was trying to slide her out of her pee mess..

My pants are still stained from it!

The post Live Vlog Broadcast Info: Everly's Homecoming appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

11:30:11 AM: We are heading home tomorrow and all is going well. The stitches are killing me…

11:31:27 AM: and we are still trying to get the hang of breastfeeding.

11:33:03 AM: It all hasnt really hit us yet. I am looking back at photo and video of the birth…

11:34:47 AM: Still cant believe it all or get my head around it!

11:46:40 AM: Blogged: Baby Everly is 2 days old! http://tinyurl.com/lyw5vc

3:15:09 PM: Woho! Everly just had her first greenish poo! That means the breastfeeding is going well. Woot!

6:26:51 PM: Almost home, sweet home with baby Everly.

11:08:59 PM: Just took a nice warm bath in my own tub, am breastfeeding Everly and relaxing in bed. Finally, home and enjoying the new addition.

12:05:18 AM: OMG! 2 weeks away to home birth baby= 1000’s of emails to go through.

2:30:17 AM: Blogged: Live Vlog Broadcast Info: Everly’s Homecoming http://tinyurl.com/q4t9uk

2:59:44 PM: Everly’s first vlog (Broadcasting live at http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:02:42 PM: Check out the live vlog and see Everly now! http://www.harvestofdailylife.com

3:18:16 PM: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1720803 (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:35:18 PM: Come chat & see baby!! http://bit.ly/TV5Yb
(Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:50:03 PM: @lfineaux you saw that too? We were joking that she made the mahalo sign… (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:51:13 PM: @lfineaux …like a true born hippy! (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

3:52:13 PM: Baby pooed on me -> http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1720803 (Harvest of Daily Life Vlog live > http://ustre.am/2hKn)

10:30:14 AM: Blogged: Green poop filled BumGenius = I http://tinyurl.com/mpl9bu

The post Baby Everly is 2 days old! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

7:45:15 AM: My water broke at 7:30 am! 39 weeks 5 days pregnant. Here we go!

9:40:53 AM: I’ll do my best to keep sharing labor updates. Woot! Baby time!

9:49:13 AM: http://twitpic.com/83ov0 – Just finished the lettering.

10:46:21 AM: Blogged: My water broke at 7:30 am! 39 weeks 5 days pregnant. Here we go! http://tinyurl.com/koqacu

10:48:36 AM: Just had a big breakfast and am now laying dow

10:55:03 AM: Tried to say i am laying down for a nap now…

11:02:17 AM: All i am feeling is what i would call bad period cramps and a lower back ache.

12:44:23 PM: I am almost up to a min long on the contractions. They are coming about every 3 min still.

12:59:57 PM: Making brownies and going for a walk to The Farm store now.

1:38:14 PM: Look at the message in my coffee cup.

3:17:01 PM: N is here with us now. Still at 3 min contractions that are about a min long and are killing my back. Crocheting and doing a crossword. …

[ The next 10 hours are spent laboring, focusing and bringing baby Tater in to the world, read the mini birth story here. She was born at 1:16am on June 23rd.]

June 23rd 2009

3:24:53 AM: Okay on the way to the hospital for some stitches. She was born at 1:16 am. She is big and beautiful!

6:00:51 AM: Just got her blood type at the hospital and my bazillion stitches waiting for my Rhogam shot now.

6:07:16 AM: We’ve named her… Everly Charlotte by the way. ;->

6:08:42 AM: Yep.

10:58:03 AM: She weighed just under 9 poumds

10:59:44 AM: We are all trying to get some sleep. My pain is keeping me up.

2:09:40 PM: http://twitpic.com/87knp – Here is a photo of our little Everly!

The post My water broke, baby is coming. A Twitter live blog appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

6:19:24 PM: My mom made it here and is going 100 miles a min, thinks that is good for getting labor started. N is finishing his work day

6:21:21 PM: He cant wait too get back here. He also got in a parking lot accident yesterday on the job.

6:23:57 PM: He has whiplash now. I am uncomfortable and am even more ready for Tater to come. Tired of hearing about what I

6:25:07 PM: should or shouldnt be doing to start labor.

6:29:59 PM: It is a hot one here today. I am tired too but gotta have dinner and a shower before sleep.

6:35:52 PM: Tater’s due date is 6 days away… I cant wait for N to come back to the farm tomorrow! Will we have a fathers day baby?

6:36:35 PM: Fingers are crossed!

The post Still not in labor. appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.