History of the J Man

As the due date for this little one comes closer, I’m happy to report that Chris and I have made a major decision regarding his delivery.  Three years ago, we decided to have Jonah at Illinois Masonic Medical Center down the street from home partially due to the fact that they have 2 Alternative Birthing Center (ABC) rooms.  ABC rooms are meant to be treated almost like a hotel room where moms can go to deliver babies in a hospital but free of the hospital room setting and free of interventions (unless they have complications).  If you’ve read the details about my delivery there though, you know that we didn’t get to use those rooms.  They weren’t available when we got there then they weren’t staffed for the next morning so we delivered in the standard hospital setting. 

All along, it was our goal to have a natural childbirth.  Due to a number of factors and interventions, however, that didn’t happen.  I ended up with an IV, amnio flush, fetal monitor and epidural.  All-in-all it turned out fine.  Jonah was born healthy but it was a long, uncomfortable 30-hour process followed by a couple nights at the hospital.  Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m not a good sleeper.   I like my bed and my pillows and I like things dark and quiet or I don’t sleep.  The hospital is not exactly my ideal venue for a good night’s rest.

So this time around, after doing our research and looking into options we’ve decided that we are going to deliver this baby at home.  We’ve hired the same doula that helped us with Jonah and a homebirth midwife.  Both ladies and one assistant will come to our home when the time is right and help us welcome this new baby into the world within the comforts of our own home.  We’ll get to relax here before, during and after the whole process then sleep afterwards in our own beds.  We’re hoping it keeps all of us more relaxed and happy which will, hopefully, lead to a shorter labor and a nicer experience for everyone.  It will also let us avoid the uncomfortable stay in the hospital and any extra time away from our first baby, “Big Boy Jonah.”  I love the idea that he’ll be able to come home and be with us as soon as we’re ready for him.  No dealing with visiting hours, no hospital beds, no hospital food, no nurses coming in and out of the room at all times and no one telling us when we’re allowed to leave or see Jonah.

My decisions to do this were helped along by 3 other women I know who’ve already had their babies at home.  Two of which are in the medical profession themselves.  That, and recently seeing a friend of mine in the hospital in a coma after his heart stopped really made me feel that hospitals are for sick people.  I’m not sick, I’m just going to have a baby, my body is built to do this and in fact has already done it once.   

Chris has done a great job helping me with research, doing his own reading and asking questions that I haven’t thought of.  He’s gone with me to info sessions and midwife consultations.  He’s been great at helping me with relaxation techniques, massage and being overall supportive and on the same page as me this whole time.  He doesn’t want to have to sleep on one of those hospital cots again either! 

I’m excited and looking forward to it.   Not too soon though! I still have at least 6 weeks to go and we need that time to get the house in order.  We still have to set up the crib and pull out Jonah’s old baby clothes, blankets and gear.  We’ll get to that part one of these weekends…

(I’m feeling like we need to post some new photos here but first we have to take some!  With Passover and Easter coming up that shouldn’t be a problem, stay tuned.)

For now I want to post a quick potty traing update.  As of this morning Jonah has spent 2 dry nights, in a row, in underpants.  It was his idea the first night and the 2nd night I didn’t really give him the option.  I thought this would be a tricky transition becuase he’s always gotten so wet at night.  For about 2 years now we’ve been buying the super absorbent Huggies Overnights because regular day-time diapers would leak before he woke up.  Those were the only ones that worked.  Hopefully now they are no longer needed!  We’ll see, I know it’s early to proclaim success but he gets it during the day and during nap time so maybe this is just the 2nd step.  We cut out his drink before bed and I think that helps too.  Keep your fingers crossed….

Now - if anyone has ideas on how to get him to poop on the potty I’m all ears.  So far he still asks for a diaper when he has to do that.  We’ve tried promising him stickers or other rewards for sitting there or even for trying sometimes but so far those don’t seem to work.  He likes to do it in his diaper after our nanny leaves.  He asks for one, we put it on, he tells us to leave the room then comes walking out, legs spread when he’s done and says, “You change it,” pointing to Chris or I, whomever he deems worthy at that moment, usually me, lucky me.  I’m anxious to give up that duty and only have to buy one size of diapers at a time once his baby brother arrives.  If you have ideas, send them our way!