Bright Eyes

It's only in the last few days that Judah has discovered where his baby brother is. Nearly the entire pregnancy I would point to my tummy and tell him his brother is in there, and when I would ask Judah where his brother was he'd look at me blankly.
A few days ago tho I asked him the question again and he came over and patted my stomach. Now several times a day I'll ask him where his brother is and Judah will pat or kiss my tummy. It is so sweet :)

I think the baby likes it too, and that is why he is staying put. I know I technically have two weeks left until my due date, but I don't want to wait that long! I guess it's kind of nice to know that the stitch wasn't the only thing holding the little one inside, but having anticipated his birth for shortly after the stitch came out it is hard to wait. Patience isn't one of my strong points.

I've had a couple people ask about the birth plan we've written up, so I thought I would post it here. I have it printed on pretty paper and have a basket of M&Ms and Fuze drinks to give to the nurses along with the birth plan. :) Bribery is not beneath me. I want them to like me and cooperate. So I thought chocolate was my best bet :)

Our Birth Goals

Our goal is to have as natural a birth as possible. Jessica has been practicing good nutrition, exercise, education and relaxation techniques to make this goal a reality.
We have hired a doula, Christen P***, to help us achieve our goals.

We realize no natural event can be scripted and are grateful for the support and knowledge of our nursing staff and our doctors. The following is a summary of our wishes to help our doctors and nurses understand our preferences for the birth of our second child.

Labor

*We would like labor to progress naturally and will be trying natural methods to control/minimize pain. *We would like to keep vaginal exams to a minimum.
*We would like to avoid induction medication unless there is an emergency. We will not agree to Misoprostol (Cytotec) administration.
*Please do not offer pain medication. We are aware of our options and will not hesitate to ask if it becomes necessary.
*We would prefer no IV, but are willing to have a heplock placed in case an IV becomes necessary.
*We would like the freedom to drink clear fluids (water, sports drinks) and eat light snacks (crackers, fruit) to help keep up strength and energy.
*We do not want a routine episiotomy

Delivery
*We would like to do self directed pushing as long as the baby is doing well.
*We are excited at the prospect of choosing our own position in which to push.

Post Delivery
The first few moments after birth are important to us for so many reasons. Jessica is eager to start breastfeeding immediately to begin bonding as well as to aid in placental delivery and to slow bleeding.
We would like to wait until after the cord has ceased pulsing before clamping or cutting it.
· We are trying to avoid Pitocin administration for postpartum bleeding. For this reason, we ask that no traction or pulling of the cord be done. We would like, barring unusual circumstances, to allow the placenta to come on it’s own so as to reduce the chances of excessive postpartum bleeding.

Requests for Care of our Newborn

We request that all newborn checks that cannot be done while our baby is with mom to be done after an initial 1-2 hour period of bonding and breastfeeding is allowed. We also request those checks be done in the room with us if possible. If not, we would like Paul to be able to accompany him. We would like to have our baby room in with us if possible. If, for some reason, our baby is taken to the nursery, please bring him to Jessica for ALL feedings. As we plan on exclusively breastfeeding, please do not offer pacifiers, bottles, or sugar water.

Please do not administer the hepatitis B vaccine as we will have our family doctor administer any and all vaccines.

We are planning on circumcision, but would like it performed by the urologist.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY

We would like to be informed of any problems and their associated risks if/when we come to that. We would also like to know of our options in each case. As long as time allows, we would like the opportunity to make informed, final decisions together.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

We cannot express enough our thanks for the kindness and support of our doctors and nurses. The health and well being our baby and Jessica are our top priority, and we know all decisions will be made with this as the most important consideration. Thank you for supporting us in our efforts to make this a safe and wonderful event!