Welcome To The World!
The Short Story
- Born: Feb 15th @ 2:02 am
- Weight: 5 lbs
- Length: 17 1/2 inches
- APGAR: 10/10
Ben and I would like to introduce you to our first child Blakely Rose.
This little girl came 4 days early and we couldn’t be happier! She is well mannered and only cries when she needs something, or when she is cold. She doesn’t love baths as much as we expected, and we can’t keep socks on her. We love watching her wake up and stretch her skinny arms and legs. She will give us a big yawn, then opens her big eyes and smiles at us. Yes, we are so in love with this little peanut.
The Long Story
As you probably know, Ben and I have been living in an RV for the last year and a half. With this being said, having a baby on the road wasn’t in the cards for us. So to answer your question “Where did you have the baby?” We decided to give birth in Salt Lake City Utah because I have so much family around and we could stay in my dad’s basement rent-free! We left the RV in Arizona with Bens parents so we wouldn’t have to worry about winterizing, storing, or dealing with driving in the snow.
Preparation Is Key
Birth is a very personal and sacred experience, and we believe it’s 100% up to the parents how and where they choose to have a baby. We decided a home birth would be the best for our family as long as I stayed in the low-risk category. After interviewing a dozen midwives, we found Heather Whitley from Sego Lilly Midwifery and instantly had a connection. She was really accommodating to us as we still wanted to travel in the RV for a few more months. She agreed as long as we were back by week 28. We had monthly phone calls while on the road, and she helped me find a way to get the 20-week ultrasound while in California. For anyone out there looking at home birth, I highly recommend having a conversation with Heather if you are in the SLC area!
We arrived in SLC on the first of December and signed up for a birthing class called “The Curtis Method.” This course seemed to take all the birthing methods and combine them into one. There are 5 different sessions each 3 hours long. She provides hypnobirthing recordings, breathing techniques, and information that will change your views on birth. Both Ben and I LOVED the classes and would also recommend anyone in the SLC area who are interested in taking a birthing class to check her out!
Our view of birthing really changed over the course of those 5 weeks, and we felt really prepared to go into labor.
Delivery day!
I was feeling contractions for about 5 nights leading up to the birth but they weren’t close enough to call it active labor. Turns out I was experiencing prodromal labor which is essentially your body preparing you for birth.
It was Valentine’s Day and we decided to go to an RV show that was happening in SLC as a distraction. I was secretly hoping for a Valentine’s baby, and we got super close! I went into Labor about 9:30 pm and our baby arrived at about 2 am. I am super lucky as I had a short labor and easy home delivery. It was an incredible experience that I hold dear to my heart.
Every day since it’s felt like Christmas morning. We love how she smells, moves, coos, and even sneezes. She is so beautiful and I can’t wait to see her grow up. We love you so much Blakely Rose, and so happy that you joined our family.
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