The Perfect Birth Experience - Alyss Lucy Johansen

Alyss Lucy Johansen

Holding Alyss for the first time

Daddy introducing Alyss to Jane

During the third trimester I've been really contemplating the idea to VBAC and started going to a clinic (Valley OB) in Provo to get ready to deliver at the Utah Valley Medical Center.
So, after a great second pregnancy the time has come to give birth to our baby daughter. My desire to VBAC was taken into account and when we went to the doctor for the 39w2d appointment, he decided to strip my membranes (ouch, that really hurt) to hopefully start labor early. He also suggested that we should be induced before 40 weeks to keep the baby small and hopefully easier to deliver vaginally. The induction was set for Friday, Feb 17th. I did get some more bloody show and some contractions but they were irregular and didn't really start labor.

We showed up at the hospital at 7am and sat around for a couple of hours before the doctor came and broke my water. I was having some contractions on my own before he broke my water but they were not strong or regular so I was given oxytocin to help with the contractions and the dilation. After I was given the oxytocin and my water was broken I started getting stronger and more painful contractions to the point where after about two hours I asked for some pain medicine. I was given a narcotic that took the edge off the pain and helped me get through contractions easier. However, even with the narcotic, after another hour I felt that I really needed the epidural, which was administered around 11am. It felt really good when the epidural started working and I could relax a bit and get some rest. At this point I was 6 cm dilated. Since I was pretty sleepy I tried to sleep a little but after about another 30 minutes the doctor came to check up on me and announced that I was dilated to 10 cm and it was time to take me off the epidural and have me start pushing. Both David and myself were really surprised that I progressed so quickly (it took 10 hours for me to get to 10 cm the first time). So, we started pushing (I was at stage 0 at that time) and immediately the baby's head started showing. After pushing for about 20 minutes and needing an episiotomy (thank goodness that I was numbed up and didn't need any other shots for that) Alyss Lucy Johansen was born and David got to cut her umbilical cord. The entire birth took 3 hours and 50 minutes!

Alyss weighted 7lb 10oz and was 19in long. After the nurses cleaned her up a little bit and put some drops in her eyes they brought her to me and put her on my chest. I was so happy that I was able to deliver her vaginally and that she was so beautiful, healthy and perfect. They took her away to get her really cleaned up and run other tests and I was left with the doctor to finish sewing up my incision. After I was moved to another room to recover Alyss was brought to me and I nursed her. Even though my belly was hurting and my episiotomy started to hurt as well whenever I held Alyss I felt better and forgot of all the pain. We stayed in the hospital for 2 days and went home on Sunday.

From start to end this pregnancy and birth were exactly as I always dreamed. I don't feel sad or unaccomplished when I think back at Jane's C-section birth but I'm very happy that I was able to experience a natural birth and was awake and alert when Alyss came into this world.
We love you very much little Alyss and are very happy and so excited that you joined our family.

Doctors and Stats

During the past few weeks both Jane and I had a few doctors appointments. For me mostly to check that the pregnancy and Alyss are progressing well. I'm happy to report that things are great with both of us. At this last appointment I was 37 weeks and 2 days along, blood pressure good, tested positive for B-strep but I kind of expected that since I was positive last time too, baby's heart rate was 140 and my bump measured 36.5cm. I'm happy that so far Alyss seems to be on track and hopefully a bit smaller than Jane. It gives me hope that the VBAC might be successful. ANd, speaking of VBAC, it's official. I transferred to the Valley OB clinic in Provo and will attempt VBAC at the Utah Valley Medical Center. The doctor I saw last time wasn't my favorite (the clinic has a few doctors and any of them could be at the hospital when I deliver - I kind of hope it's not this one). I asked questions and proposed several things and he pretty much turned me down on every single one of them. I asked for a walking epidural because I'd like to be able to move more during labor to hopefully help things along and he was like, there's no evidence that would work. Asked about stitches vs. staples and he said that staples it is cause it's better and it's probably my genes that don't help make the scar pretty. He also said that even though I'm dilated to almost 2cm and 60% effaced it's no guarantee that the baby will descend this time and we might want to know that before labor. He seemed to not be very hopeful even though he said that things look ok. The pelvic exam wasn't very pleasant and I bled a bit and had painful contractions afterwards but again, they said that this is normal at this stage. I'm not complaining but I kind of hoped that the doctor would be a bit more supportive of my attempt to have a VBAC. After all this is the main reason why I'm not having a C-section with Dr. Tayler who is an excellent doctor and very kind and friendly. I hope that at the hospital I will be encouraged and not rushed into any decisions unless necessary.
I had two other appointments: one with the optometrist, who said I have astigmatism and gave me what he called "an interesting glasses prescription" and one with a chiropractor who massaged my back, popped it and my neck and tried to put my pelvis into place. Apparently my pelvis is a bit misaligned and this is why I'm having so much pain. I'll have to go back cause I'm still hurting but I'm at least happy that he was able to check what's going on and work on me a little bit. Jane cried a lot while the doctor was working on me because she is very protective of me so the experience wasn't the best because I could tell that the doctor was flustered even though he tried hard not to show it.
Jane had a couple appointments herself. She went to the dentist for the first time and the doctor said that her teeth look great and that she will soon get one more incisive and four premolars. No sign of canines yet :). He advised me to brush her teeth at night and to not let her sleep with the bottle, which we've never done anyway. The other appointment she had was her 15 months well-child check-up. She screamed when the doctor touched her. For some reason she is really afraid of doctors. I'm pretty nervous about next week when she'll get her 15 months shots but we'll have to do it. Anyway, she is 32in long (92%) and 24lbs (75%). The doctor said that she looks great and is right on track.
So, now we're getting ready for Alyss to show up and before then I'll go to the chiropractor at least once more and also to the dentist. Thank goodness for MedicAid who pays for all this.
Here are a few more recent pictures.

37 Weeks

Cute Jane

34 Weeks Already?!?!?!

That's right. Believe it or not, I'm 34 weeks along. Only a few more weeks and Alyss will be here. Who knows, she might come a bit early. I wouldn't mind as long as she's healthy.

The last doctor's appointment went well, just like all the others. My blood pressure was good, urine good, measured 34cm and baby's heart rate was 148, also good. We've been discussing with the doctor what options do I have concerning the birth and after this last visit I really started thinking seriously if I want to try VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section) or a C-section again. We already have the C/S scheduled for the 15th of February (due date is the 20th) but I really felt recently that I'd like to try VBAC. The doctor isn't opposed to it but he said that he would need to refer me to a doctor in Provo or Salt Lake so that I could give birth at a big and well-equipped hospital, in case of an emergency and the necessity of a C/S. I've done some research and it seems that VBAC is totally possible and it can be successful but there is a chance for the baby to not get enough oxygen or for a uterine rupture. The main reason why I'm still considering the C/S is because with Jane I tried to deliver vaginally but, even though I dilated to 10cm she never descended and her heart rate was not very stable. I fear that it might happen again so I've decided to not get an epidural for as long as I can manage, and to walk around, not just lay in bed. I might even consider to get in the tub at some point. I remember that last time, even though the contractions hurt I felt better when I would stand and walk than when I stayed in bed and I got horrible back pain. I also hope that walking and standing will help the baby position herself and descend and also will help me dilate without the use of pitocin. They will not give me pitocin because it creates violent contractions, which could be dangerous for my previous incision. So, I feel good about trying VBAC and I really hope that I will be able to do it and not have to take tons of medications and endure the pain and recovery after a C/S. I want to be able to take care of my babies afterwards, with David working a lot and me being at home with both of them. We'll let the doctor know of the decission next week, at the next appointment, when I'll also ask him to check that Alyss is head down and getting ready to make her appearance into the world. I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off and I feel pressure in my pelvis so I know that my body is getting ready for the big event. I also get occasional back pain and the aches in my pelvis, all the way around are pretty bad, especially after I go on walks but, just like last time, I plan on walking all the way until the last day. It makes me happy and I know it's good for me and the baby, plus Jane really enjoys our walks as well. Can't wait for Alyss to get here, to see her and hold her close. I'm nervous about what it's going to be like and how Jane will react but I'm also excited to have another little girl and the chance to be the Mommy of a newborn once more. I love being pregnant and I love babies and am happy that David is always by my side, supports me, comes to all the appointments and is just as excited about our baby girls as I am.

Mother's Day

This year I celebrated my first Mother's Day and it was wonderful. It fell on a Sunday and I was lucky that David was home and didn't have to go to work. Even though he rarely gets a day off, he watched Jane most of the day and picked up around the house a bit too. I, on the other hand got to take a looooong shower in the morning, crochet a bit and plant a few things in the little garden by our apartment. The day before David got me a crochet book and we went to Red Lobster and had a wonderful dinner. Thank you honey for a wonderful Mother's Day.

Yummy food

A bit of gardening

My new crochet book

Parties!

In May we had some more partying. We did our nails and Eve was our nails expert, and we also had a ZUMBA workout and sweated all the bad stuff out. Meeting with my dear friends once a month or more often makes me really happy. I'm so thankful to have them close and to be able to hang out and have fun with them!

Beautiful nails and hands

ZUMBA fun

This pretty much sums up the party :)

Happy Easter, spring and haircut

Life in pictures

First time seating in a high chair (Cafe Rio restaurant in Provo)

First time in a shopping cart (Buy Low in Provo)

The day Jane and Mommy were really sick (April 15) - Jane slept all day

Mommy's little bunny (at Joanne's in Orem)

Dying eggs with Mommy

At the Great Cloth Diaper Change in SLC  (we help set a Guinness World Record - 63 little bums changed in Salt Lake and 10000 worldwide)

Cute outfit chosen by Daddy

With the Easter Bunny at the University Mall in Orem.
Jane liked touching her furry face and didn't cry one bit

Bunny ears are fun :)

Christos a inviat!

'My First Easter' outfit - at uncle Daniel's apartment in Provo celebrating Easter and Daniel's graduation - Easter day

Jane excited to open her gift

First time opening a gift by herself!

Cute pyjamas from aunt Terri

Jane rolling over all the way - Easter - 24 April 2011

New haircut - haven't had my hair this short since I was 10 or so :)
I love it and it's so easy to take care of and dry after a shower 

Daddy's little girl - Jane loves her Daddy

With my friend Codruta (at temple Square) - She is 7 months pregnant
I have so many friends who are due in July. So exciting. Can't wait to see all the little babies.

Easter with Momma - Christos a inviat! Adevarat a inviat! Cioc!!! 

Mommy and Daddy sleepy on Easter morning :)

I just turned five months!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that our little Jane is five months old. She's growing up so fast. I'm excited to see her do 'big kids' things soon but I also enjoy spending every minute of the day with her and seeing her grow.

This month's been pretty good for us and for Jane. We still miss mama Lucy but we're doing ok. We talk with the grandparents and our siblings on Skype every week and they are doing ok as well. We had another party with Eni and Lia at Lia's home and made cute Easter tutus for the girls. Also, Charity, David's sister went into the Missionary Training Center on March 9 to prepare to go on a LDS mission to the California - LA mission, Spanish speaking. She's excited and writes to us every week with updates on how she's doing as a missionary.

Hermana Charity Johansen went into the MTC on March 9th

Jane and I go walking every day and we love the spring warmth and scenery, such as flowers and blooming trees. We decided to take different routes occasionally to explore and see new neighborhoods. It's fun!

Out for a walk in our neighborhood

Jane in her St. Patrick's Day outfit that she wore outside that day

We both enjoy springtime and the nice weather

A month ago I tried giving Jane more solid foods such as oats and vegetable purees but she started having diarrhea so I decided that she might not be ready. Her diarrhea is gone now. I started giving her organic brown rice in her formula and so far she's good; just a little gassy. I'll wait a week and try some puree again. I know that I need to wait a week between introducing a new food and that she needs to get used to the green vegetables first then the fruits and only after all this she can have two things mixed together. We'll see how feeding solids will work out this time... I'm not too eager to have her eat solids but she gets really hungry with just formula so, since the doctor said that it's ok, I'll try solids and see...

Here are the different milestones Jane's accomplished.

She sits up with support and for a few seconds even without support (she supports herself by leaning forward and holding herself up with her arms), she can roll-over from back to front and on her side from her back (almost going all the way to her tummy!), she 'talks' a lot with her toys and with us and sings when I sing to her, she holds her toys and if she drops them she picks them up again, she can put her binky in her mouth by herself, she occasionally sits up by herself in her stroller, laughs when she's excited, looks at us when we call her by name and is very curious about everything.

First time Jane sat up in her stroller

One of the cutest things is to see Jane so happy when David comes home from work or how she looks at me with questioning eyes when she hears something loud. I just love to see her interact with us and develop a personality (sometimes a quite strong personality) :) She knows what she wants and asks for it :) It's so cute when she sees me make her a bottle, how she waits with anticipation but if I take too long she starts screaming and pulls the bottle to her mouth eagerly when I bring it close to her face.

Jane doesn't cry as much when she's on her tummy. She can roll over now! 

No teeth yet and no sign of them either but she still drools a lot and puts everything in her mouth, including her fist or my face :)

Jane sits up with little support for a few seconds

Sleep-wise, we tried co-sleeping in the beginning and it was great when she was a tiny baby, and then we wanted to do it again just recently but it didn't work out anymore. Jane is used to feel the walls of her bassinet in her sleep and would wake up for anything and we were always careful and would wake up whenever she moved.  She's been sleeping in her bassinet for the past couple of months. For her naps, sometimes she wants to be put to sleep on the bed and falls asleep alone but most of the time she requires a bottle. I tried the CIO method once but I just can't have her scream for minutes on end and then wail in her sleep for hours. I'm here for her so I can afford to be her mom and care for her. She goes to bed at night around 1am and asks for a bottle every four to five hours by crying in her sleep. I got her to sleep for about 5 hours just by giving her the binky but she gets really hungry and wakes up early (7am) if I don't feed her. She usually sleeps until 8 or 9am, wakes up, I change her diaper, play a bit and feed her and she falls asleep for another couple of hours, then plays and eats a bit again and falls back to sleep until around 1PM. It's an interesting routine but I don't mind it too much since I need the sleep just as much as she does.

One of Jane's 5 months pictures

Another thing that I like is taking showers with her. She doesn't mind the water running on her face and doesn't cry afterwards like she used to when we gave her baths. Of course that she still takes baths in the sink sometimes but she can sit up now so it's much easier to do then before. Oh, and she loves typing on the keyboard, looking at the pictures in books, listening to music, playing bowling on the Wii in our arms and watching the 'Baby can read' video.

All ready for Easter with her tutu and stuffed animals

Here's a sample of Jane's typing: Ω®rc4zç fhjjjjjjj                  nnnnn                   kk7700  y∫      9n3638hhhn.l5nA8T116YFCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCXdeddl.,t6t6. .7`   (Isn't she smart? :) I don't even know how to make some of those characters. Hahaha)

I'm glad that, even though Jane is becoming more independent, she still loves to cuddle and play with us. We love you Janney, so much!

Four Months Already

Jane is four months old and she just had her well-child appointment. She was so good, even when the nurse gave her the two shots in her legs and one vaccine in her mouth. She didn't even cry for the first shot and the nurse was impressed that she swallowed the vaccine, unlike other babes who just spit it out. Good girl, Jane!
For her stats: Jane is now 14lb 7oz and 24.5in long - big girl
Her doctor was happy with her and congratulated us as parents for doing 'everything right'. Hooray for us!
So, what is Jane doing new this month? Well, lots of cute things! She smiles all the time, looks all around the room to find her mommy and daddy, makes lots of cute noises, sucks on her fist and drools all the time getting her bibs and clothes all wet :) sits in her Bumbo seat all by herself and loves it, reaches for toys that are not in front of her when she lyes on her gym mat, sleeps all night (goes to bed around 10PM and only cries in her sleep a couple of times through the night for some milk and doesn't wake up until 8 or 9AM) eats organic oats cereal with milk and even some yummy green beans after the doctor okey-ed it and she even laughs when something is funny, like looking at mommy's face from above or when mommy and daddy tickle or zerbert her. She is such a happy and alert little girl and we love her A LOT.

Ready to eat!

First time eating organic oats cereal

All messy

My favorite toy-blankey

Reaching for toys 

Only two shots this time!

Plastic bib this time!

First time eating green beans. Pretty tasty!

Welcome into our lives, Jane Christina Johansen!

So, I did it! Jane is here! Woo hoo! I was getting close after all! :)

I've been thinking about writing this post for a couple of weeks but I just couldn't get myself to do it until now. Life is so different. All I want to do is be with Jane. I'll write Jane's birth story though because I feel that it's important and because I hope to be able to remember this experience over the years. So, here it goes.

It all really started on her due date, the 3rd of November. My mom and I went for a walk and ate something at Burger King. The whole day I'd been loosing my mucous plug and at night my constipation went away which felt pretty good. I'd read that these were signs that labor might be close but I wasn't really feeling much different than other days. Anyway, on the 4th we went to the clinic for my 40weeks appointment. We get there and the nurse hooks me up to some machine. I had no idea what she was doing but as I was lying there I started feeling pain in my belly and back. I asked the doctor if the machine was causing that pain but he said that it only measured baby's heartbeat and the amount of amniotic fluid. The pain got pretty bad making me want to sit up. Lying on my back wasn't comfortable at all. So, he checked the amount of amniotic fluid and said that it's a little low. I told him that since earlier that morning I'd been losing some sort of greenish fluid. He then checked for dilation and told me that I was a 2 but that didn't mean that I was in labor necessarily. When I got up after the exam there was more fluid coming out. The doctor checked to see if it was amniotic fluid and said that it probably was and that I should go to the hospital right away. We went to the hospital and they hooked me up to the same type of machine and checked if I was leaking amniotic fluid. After being there a little over an hour the nurse decided that what I was leaking wasn't amniotic fluid and that i should come back if I was leaking amniotic fluid, if I was having contractions or if I was bleeding. Both David and I were disappointed and a little upset that this wasn't it. I was pretty sure that what I was leaking was amniotic fluid but I couldn't be sure. So, we went to Costco and walked around to release some of the stress. I had to stop periodically as I was having a crampy type of pain that came and went. David started timing the pain that turned out to be labor contractions and and they were about 8 minutes apart with a few that didn't follow the pattern. We went home eventually and David left for work at Borders. Since I wasn't feeling too good I decided to take a nap and just take it easy for the rest of the evening. The contractions went away so I was able to rest pretty good. Soon after David came home, around 11:30PM the contractions returned and with them a gush of fluid came out. I was pretty sure that I must be in active labor or at least that my waters broke. We went to the hospital and was admitted right away. It was so funny when we arrived to the hospital and the security guard just pointed towards the elevator that we needed to take to go to Labor and Delivery without asking us anything. When we got there there was another couple who as being checked in. I was definitely in more pain than the other girl but she was leaking more and was wrapped up in a towel. I was checked in before her and was lead to a room where the nurse confirmed that my waters broke and I could stay. She hooked me up to a machine that registered the contractions and baby's heartbeat and asked me if I wanted the epidural. I first said no but after about half an hour I asked for it and the anesthesiologist came and gave it to me. It didn't really hurt much, just the shot he first gave me to numb up the spot where he introduced the catheter. The contractions hurt much more so I was relieved when I felt something warm going down towards my legs and taking the pain away with it. My left side numbed up pretty quickly but I had to turn on my right for the epidural to work on that side too. It did work in a few minutes and I was even able to sleep for a couple of hours. When the nurse checked me again I was still at 3 cm so she gave me pitocin which worked like a charm and by around 9 in the morning I was dilated to a 10. Everything seemed to be working well except for the epidural. I kept pushing that button to get more and also kept turning from side to side but after a while it worked only partially so I was able to feel most of the contractions. My back was hurting really bad and the contractions got so strong to the point where I started crying and throwing up. My body was also shaking uncontrollably so the nurse decided without asking the doctor to just have me start pushing (the doctor wanted me to wait another hour after I was fully dilated to make things easier). I felt a bit of relief when I started pushing but within a few minutes the pain got really strong again. All this time the anesthesiologist (this time a cute and happy guy from India) kept coming to give me more anesthetic and I was also pushing the button to get more of it into my body. My legs were really numb and my right side was numb to the point where I could feel a little pain but nothing unbearable. It was the left side that really hurt and especially my back. With the help of David, my sister in law Charity and the nurse I kept pushing through the contractions for a little over two hours but when Dr. Bench checked me the baby was still at stage 0, meaning she didn't descend at all. The doctor went and consulted with another doctor about what would be the best thing to do. When he came back I was crying and throwing up again and he told me that the best option would be to have a C-section since both myself and the baby were really tired and stressed and it didn't seemthat the baby was able to descend even if I kept pushing longer. As the doctor was talking I interrupted him and told him that I agree with the C-section and that we should do it as soon as possible, which turned out to be in about an hour. They gave me some really strong anesthetic that numbed me up from the chest down and took me to the Operating Room. David came with me, dressed in a funny suit and Charity stayed and waited in the labor room. The OR was really cold, which didn't help my already shivering body, but the nurses brought me a nice, warm blanket and put a tube with warm air to blow on me. As I watched the doctors get ready I kind of started to freak out because I could tell that I wasn't numbed up well enough. The anesthesiologist came and talked to me about what I was feeling then he asked me if I was ready for the operation to begin to which I answered a very categoric "NO" because I was afraid that I would feel pain. Both him and David smiled and told me than that the doctors were already cutting me open and obviously I wasn't feeling any pain. :) Not very long after, David announced that the doctors were getting really close to getting the baby out. My eyes filled with tears of excitement and anticipation. I'd forgotten about all the pain and troubles I've gone through an all I felt was happiness and strong emotions. The anesthesiologist pulled down the curtain that was separating me from the doctors and I saw dr. Bench pull Jane out of my belly. As she was coming out she started crying and I started crying with her. It was 1:08PM when she was born and she weighed 9lb 7oz and was 20 in long. The nurses took her away for a little bit to check her, and David went with them but returned soon holding Jane in his arms. She was so tiny. Her hair was really dark and her skin was red and very soft. I couldn't help but cry more as I kissed her gently on her forehead. David had to take her away again and I was left with the doctors to finish up the operation. As they were working on me I started feeling real pain this time and the anesthesiologist gave me a couple more shots that pretty much knocked me out. I could hear everyone talk and I knew that they were moving me and even talking to me but it was all like a dream. I woke up around 3PM in a different room. A couple of nurses were there as well as Charity, cousin Sara and my sweet David. Later that day my Mom came to visit, as well as Chris and his wife Miriam, Eni and Lia, and Carl and Karina. The nurses brought Jane to me and I fed her then for the first time. I couldn't believe how small and beautiful she was. I felt really happy, which happiness hasn't left me yet and I know that will linger on for a really long time.

As I look back on this experience and on the feelings I had while it happened I cannot but be amazed of the intensity of the emotions I went through. As the contractions started I became impatient and happy that we were getting really close. After being accepted into the hospital I was happy that now labor was really happening and that Jane was going to be with us soon. After the epidural stopped working properly I became anxious that this was going to be a really long process and that I will not be able to do it and finish the job. When I got to the pushing part I tried really hard to get Jane out. I wanted her out but what I was feeling was really weird. I felt like I didn't want her anymore. This feeling scared me. I knew that I did everything in my power to get her out but it just wasn't going to work out the way we planned. And her being inside my body was causing me so much pain and discomfort that I felt like I couldn't take it anymore. It was almost like it was her fault that I was going through all this. I felt better when we decided to have the C-section and as Dr. Bench took Jane out all I could feel was happiness. I'd forgotten about the pain and I just wanted to hold my baby and love her. David experienced a bunch of different emotions as well. I was so happy to see him excited about holding Jane soon but seeing him cry because I was in pain warmed my heart and deepened my love for him.

Back to the story, we were discharged from the hospital on Monday, the 8th. More feelings came over me as we arrived home and I watched Jane lie on our bed. I just wanted to cry and couldn't believe that she was there with us. It was a cry of happiness. I am so thankful for having Jane in our lives. She is a little ray of sunshine and happiness. I love holding her and watching David feed her, play with her, change her diaper and just be happy to have her. I would never go back to not having Jane and I'm just so overwhelmed with gratitude and love. I love you so much my sweet little angel!

Baby Johansen (Jane) Tummy - Progress

I'm creating a baby tummy album, so I'll keep adding pictures as the pregnancy progresses. Enjoy these pictures as they keep showing up! Thanks so much for watching!

40 Weeks

39 Weeks

38 Weeks

37 Weeks

36 Weeks

35 Weeks

33 Weeks

30 Weeks26 Weeks

22 Weeks

20 Weeks

17 Weeks

14 Weeks

13 Weeks

6 Weeks