Logan David DeLancey, Welcome to the World

Well, I seem to have kids pretty much on time. RJ was born on his due date and our newest addition was born YESTERDAY, one day before his due date.


If I had to narrow down the labor and delivery into 3 words, I'd choose timely, fast, and furious.

First, TIMELY, both in terms of being one day before my due date AND because we were actually getting ready to go for my prenatal visit when labor started. My group prenatal visit was at 3:30 at the Birth Center. At around 2:15, I had a contraction that was clearly not a braxton-hicks, and then by 2:30, when we were going to leave, I had 2 more...yep, labor was starting, so we changed our original plan (which was me going with my mom to the prenatal while Lance and Gramma Ho Ho and RJ would follow when RJ woke from nap) to Lance taking me and giving my Mom directions to the Birth Center. It was a good thing that Lance went too because the labor was...

FAST. The first contraction was around 2:15pm, we got to the birth center around 3:30pm, and Logan was born at 4:33pm. Yes, that's a 2 hour and 15 minute labor. Mom, Gramma Ho! Ho! and RJ missed the birth itself, coming in close to 5. (so it's REALLY good that Lance went with me!) And boy was it...

FURIOUS. By the time we got to the birth center, my contractions went from 5 minutes to 2 minutes apart, and shortly upon getting there I was in transition and didn't have a break between contractions and my body just took over. Even my water breaking was in spectacular fashion as it burst and sent three people flying off the bed to avoid the huge powerful gust of fluid. I probably pushed for about 15 minutes and he was out. All 8 lbs. and 2 oz. of him.

It was quite a whirlwind. I had intended to get into the birthing tub for labor and delivery, but once I laid on my side on the full sized bed to get through the first few contractions after arriving, when the tub was filling, I had found my position where I had the most control and indicated that I was not moving for anything - even to get into the coveted jacuzzi tub. It really was a wonderful experience to have control over my birth experience. With RJ I felt as if others were directing me in the hospital, and generally pissing me off. But with Logan, my midwives and doula and Lance just supported my body, helping me to relax and letting my body do what it needed to do. In fact my doula remarked that if anyone asked her what she needed to do at my birth, she would've had to reply nothing. Apparently Lance and I were so in sync that she didn't need to do very much - he kept me calm and worked through each contraction and didn't leave my side (which also resulted in the video camera not being started because there were no breaks between contractions! oops!).

Both Logan and I went through the whole ordeal with no drugs, no interventions, completely naturally and healthily. I couldn't be happier to have birthed this child at an independent birth center. We got home at about 11pm after birthing at 4:33pm, and spent our first night together in our own bed. We spend the first few hours after birth toting Logan's Placenta around with him (it helps with iron levels to keep him attached rather than cutting the cord right away) while I nursed a few times and ate some dinner myself. RJ climbed right up in the nice double bed that I birthed in and got to meet his new baby brother within a half hour of him being born. After a few hours of this bonding, with a few minor vitals checks, Logan had his newborn assessment and got weighed, although it was after he dropped several loads of meconium in his blanket, so he was probably a few ounces heavier at birth.

Here are the stats:
Logan David DeLancey
Born: 1/23/2010, 4:33 PST
8 lbs. 2 oz. 19 3/4 inches long, 13 inch head, trunk, and abdomen circumference