I have to say that even as I fell in love with my little Johan at the hospital, I also fell in love with my husband all over again. Sven stayed at my side in the hospital for the three days, as we roomed in with Johan and I recovered from the surgery. He supported me in the quest for the perfect latch as I learned to breastfeed, comforted Johan, taking him for walks when he fussed at night, changed every diaper, and tended to both of us with love and tenderness.
Now that we are at home, I love to watch Sven with his son. He speaks Dutch to him, which is helping me learn the language too. When he soothes Johan, he calls him "jonge jongen," which means young boy, and when Johan opens his eyes, he often says, "Wakker worden," which means wake up!) . Sven loves to play with him; there is clearly a very strong bond between the two of them and it is beautiful to see.
Andrea
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
How Johan was born!
To summarize what happened on the day Kikker was born…
Labour was induced 12 days after my due date, by which time I had tried EVERY trick in the book to get things going and had to concede defeat.
I was induced at 5:00 p.m. on the 12th. My contractions became quite strong around 9 p.m. and we called in my Doula, Gisele, who coached Sven and I until 4:00 a.m, when my contractions were between 2 and 4 minutes apart, and up to 90 seconds each, and we headed in to the hospital to be assessed.
Disappointment awaited: I was only 0.5 cm dilated and was sent home again.
Sven took over as coach for the next few hours, which I found very difficult. My contractions were long and arduous, with only a 45 second break in-between.
By 9:00 a.m. I explained my pain level to Sven by telling him that I felt like I wanted to die, and he obliged by driving me back to the hospital.
Again, disappointment: 1.5 cm dilated.
I was admitted nonetheless and tried labouring in the tub in my room until about 11:00 a.m, when I was told I was 2.5 cm dilated. Already 13 hours in, and with no end in sight, and a diagnosis of baby facing the wrong way (back of head to my back) I asked for the epidural.
I LOOOVED MY EPIDURAL!
It allowed me to rest, and once my doctor broke my waters and administered Oxytocin to speed up the dilation process, I waited for my body to do what it had to do.
I got up to 4 cm before Kikker’s heartrate started to dip and the obstetricians came in to discuss a possible c-section. They did an ultrasound to assess the position of the umbilical cord and decided to cut the Oxytocin and wait to see what would happen.
Kikker recovered, I went back to 2.5 cm dilated and, at 5:00 p.m. made the call that I was too exhausted to keep going and would opt for the c-section, which took place at 7:00 p.m.
The great things about the day: Sven, who never left my side, and who comforted and coached me the whole way through; my doula, who supported me in all my decisions, encouraged me through the day and the surgery and had Johan breastfeeding within an hour after the c-section; and finally, Johan, who judging from his perfectly round head, never had any intention of being born any other way!
Andrea
Labour was induced 12 days after my due date, by which time I had tried EVERY trick in the book to get things going and had to concede defeat.
I was induced at 5:00 p.m. on the 12th. My contractions became quite strong around 9 p.m. and we called in my Doula, Gisele, who coached Sven and I until 4:00 a.m, when my contractions were between 2 and 4 minutes apart, and up to 90 seconds each, and we headed in to the hospital to be assessed.
Disappointment awaited: I was only 0.5 cm dilated and was sent home again.
Sven took over as coach for the next few hours, which I found very difficult. My contractions were long and arduous, with only a 45 second break in-between.
By 9:00 a.m. I explained my pain level to Sven by telling him that I felt like I wanted to die, and he obliged by driving me back to the hospital.
Again, disappointment: 1.5 cm dilated.
I was admitted nonetheless and tried labouring in the tub in my room until about 11:00 a.m, when I was told I was 2.5 cm dilated. Already 13 hours in, and with no end in sight, and a diagnosis of baby facing the wrong way (back of head to my back) I asked for the epidural.
I LOOOVED MY EPIDURAL!
It allowed me to rest, and once my doctor broke my waters and administered Oxytocin to speed up the dilation process, I waited for my body to do what it had to do.
I got up to 4 cm before Kikker’s heartrate started to dip and the obstetricians came in to discuss a possible c-section. They did an ultrasound to assess the position of the umbilical cord and decided to cut the Oxytocin and wait to see what would happen.
Kikker recovered, I went back to 2.5 cm dilated and, at 5:00 p.m. made the call that I was too exhausted to keep going and would opt for the c-section, which took place at 7:00 p.m.
The great things about the day: Sven, who never left my side, and who comforted and coached me the whole way through; my doula, who supported me in all my decisions, encouraged me through the day and the surgery and had Johan breastfeeding within an hour after the c-section; and finally, Johan, who judging from his perfectly round head, never had any intention of being born any other way!
Andrea
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Johan is at home
Hi everyone,
Thank you for all the wonderful e-mails, comments and phone calls. We are happy to be home and have managed to survive the first couple of nights. Johan seems to enjoy his new surroundings and we love having him here. It is a pretty special feeling and we just can't get enough of him.
It is also nice that we have been able to start sharing him with our friends and family. We are doing this slowly, as Johan feeds often and our sleep patterns have been irregular. Besides that, Andrea has to take it easy for the next 6 weeks as she recovers from the surgery. If you do want to drop by, please just give us a call.
I have posted a few more photos of our beautiful Johan. I hope you enjoy them.
Sven
Thank you for all the wonderful e-mails, comments and phone calls. We are happy to be home and have managed to survive the first couple of nights. Johan seems to enjoy his new surroundings and we love having him here. It is a pretty special feeling and we just can't get enough of him.
It is also nice that we have been able to start sharing him with our friends and family. We are doing this slowly, as Johan feeds often and our sleep patterns have been irregular. Besides that, Andrea has to take it easy for the next 6 weeks as she recovers from the surgery. If you do want to drop by, please just give us a call.
I have posted a few more photos of our beautiful Johan. I hope you enjoy them.
Sven
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Kikker is a ... boy!!!!
Hi everyone,
Johan Brouwer was born Tuesday March 13, 2007 at 19:40. The strong and healthy boy weighed in at 7 lbs and 4.5 ounces (3.3 kg). Johan has taken to eating really well and seems to be happy to be out in the real world.
The delivery process was long and drawn out, our birth plan went out the window and Johan was born by cesarian section. Andrea will provide a more complete story about our day in the next couple of days.
The most important thing is that Andrea and Johan are healthy and doing well. We will be coming home from the hospital some time on Friday. Our hospital stay has been really good, we have a private room where we all stay. It also has provided us with continuous support with things like breast feeding and getting a good latch.
We thank all of you for your support and well wishes. It is amazing to know that Johan has family and friends all over the world that love him. We can't wait to share 'the kikker' with you in the next little while.
I have posted some pictures of Johan and his proud parents, and promise to provide a more detailed description and more pictures soon.
Sven
Johan Brouwer was born Tuesday March 13, 2007 at 19:40. The strong and healthy boy weighed in at 7 lbs and 4.5 ounces (3.3 kg). Johan has taken to eating really well and seems to be happy to be out in the real world.
The delivery process was long and drawn out, our birth plan went out the window and Johan was born by cesarian section. Andrea will provide a more complete story about our day in the next couple of days.
The most important thing is that Andrea and Johan are healthy and doing well. We will be coming home from the hospital some time on Friday. Our hospital stay has been really good, we have a private room where we all stay. It also has provided us with continuous support with things like breast feeding and getting a good latch.
We thank all of you for your support and well wishes. It is amazing to know that Johan has family and friends all over the world that love him. We can't wait to share 'the kikker' with you in the next little while.
I have posted some pictures of Johan and his proud parents, and promise to provide a more detailed description and more pictures soon.
Sven
Monday, March 12, 2007
Kikker still enjoying his surroundings
Kikker has surpassed all predicted birthdays and is still hanging out in the belly. After a quick visit to the hospital on Sunday morning (all signs were positive), we set out to have an active day. Andrea skated the entire canal on the final day of the season, which was followed by a solid walk around the Kingsmere area. This has not seemed to get things moving. We have an ultrasound today and are scheduled for an induction on Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed.
Sven
Sven
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Still waiting
It is March 3rd and we're still waiting! (Kikker was due March 1st). So far, nothing is happening... not even the slightest pang! The only difference from a week or so ago is that I'm turning into a puff-ball. I put on 2kg this past week alone, and judging from my face, hands and feet, it's mostly water. I have to try not to think about the numbers that come up during my weekly weigh-ins at my appointments... let's just say that I'm getting too close to Sven's weight for comfort!
We've scheduled an ultrasound for the 5th and our next doctor's appointment is on the 6th. I'm definitely hoping Kikker decides to make an appearance before an induction is scheduled (by the 2-week mark). I guess I should start trying all the labour-inducing tricks I've been told about... if anyone has any surefire techniques, let me know!
Andrea
We've scheduled an ultrasound for the 5th and our next doctor's appointment is on the 6th. I'm definitely hoping Kikker decides to make an appearance before an induction is scheduled (by the 2-week mark). I guess I should start trying all the labour-inducing tricks I've been told about... if anyone has any surefire techniques, let me know!
Andrea
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