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3rd Trimester
mcgee
member
Pics of our 11+ pound newborn!
mcgee
member
I posted yesterday about the homebirth of our son, Alexander, who shocked us all by tipping the scales at 11 pounds, 6 ounces! Despite the huge size, we had an amazing - and quick - birth! It was such a great experience!
We just posted a few pics on our blog that we snapped of Alex yesterday, if anyone would like to see what an 11 pound newborn looks like. 
Mike and McGee: Parenting, Decorating, Renovating and Living a Greener Life in Austin, Texas
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
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Re: Pics of our 11+ pound newborn!
THIS. I read your birth story yesterday and that is amazing. Such a precious boy!!!
It was our second baby, so we kind of expected it to go faster than the first time. That helps. I was also dilated 3.5 cm and 80% effaced before I went into active labor, so that really helped too.
I had no clue he was 11+ pounds. I thought low to mid 9s. The midwife thought 10s, but didn't tell me that. Had I known he was that big, I would have panicked. So yeah, sometimes a lack of knowledge is a good thing.
Other than that, having a totally awesome birth team made a HUGE difference for me. The midwife, the backup midwife, and the midwife's apprentice were all wonderfully supportive and did such a great job at keeping me calm and helping me relax through the contractions, listen to my body, and push effectively. We had done some Hypnobabies self-study during the pregnancy, and it was a great resource in terms of helping me relax and feel confident in my ability to deliver sans drugs.
Listening to my body was a big key for me. If something helped with a contraction, I kept doing it, whether it was rocking in the rocking chair, bending over the bed, or hanging on DH (kind of like in a slow-dancing position, but with me bent over a little more). When all of that stopped working, I got in our garden tub and filled it with hot water (no time to inflate and fill the birthing pool - DS came too fast).
Relaxing during the contractions helped them feel less intense, and it helped speed up the process - tensing up during a contraction tends to exacerbate the fear-tension-pain cycle and prolong labor. When I felt ready to push, I pushed, and when I didn't, I didn't. Pushing was entirely self-directed, with no one dictating when to push and how long, just gentle reminders to channel my energy out through the bottom and to relax my face.
At the last minute, with the head already out, the midwives pulled me into a semi-squatting position in the tub, and Alex slid right out, so being able to get up and let gravity help made the birth easier too.
That's all, I guess. Not real "magic" info, but hopefully that helps.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
I'm so encouraged to see a woman who delivered an 11+ lb baby post on here! While I don't wish that size of baby on anyone there are so many women freaked out by 8lbs, so it's good to know that we can do bigger babies too!!
Congrats and he's adorable!
I have to say, I think your birth story was the most impressive thing I've read on the Bump yet. Congratulations and way to take control! That's incredible! You could be a poster woman for home birth. I am just in awe. Your son is positively beautiful.
Perhaps you could answer me a question that I've always wondered about (and DH too). If you tear during home birth, does your midwife do stitches? How do they handle this situation? Just curious. Thanks.
Congrats again. Amazing birth story. You should be one of those ladies on the Bump front page, and not just because your son was so huge. You rocked the natural childbirth process. I am just so impressed.
::bows to you::
that's incredible and congratulations
"Wearing his BING CROSBY clothes and crooning...buuuh buuh buuuh"
Not yet. I posted a semi-abbreviated version yesterday on the third tri and Austin boards, but I need to go to the blog and post an actual more detailed birth story. I'll get to that soon. My parents are here, and they along with DH, keep pushing me to go lay down.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
Yep, if you tear, the midwife can suture you. It's just like it would be if you had a drug-free birth in the hospital and tore: they numb the area with lidocaine or another anesthetic and then stitch you up.
I did have a small tear, and the midwife went back and forth over whether to do a stitch or two. I was pretty much the deciding factor - I had a stitch or two when I had a small tear after DD's birth, and I preferred to be un-stitched. I didn't want the numbing shot, and I figured stitches would actually make those first initial potty trips more unpleasant. She agreed that it wasn't truly necessary, and IMO, the recovery sans stitch has been easier.
Our midwife also brings plenty of gear to handle most minor to moderate emergencies. She has plenty of supplies to clear out a baby's airways and get him breathing again if needed, everything needed for all but the worst PP bleeding, etc. Obviously there are certain true emergencies she can't handle that require transfer, but for the vast majority of births, she has everything that you'd require.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09