At 3:00am my wife just woke up and we are already at the hospital.

She had a flow of water come out as her water broke.

The doctors just confirmed its broke, and they are preparing her now.

We will be in the hospital for now on. She has a little pain but nothing bad. I don't think she is having any contractions yet, but they will be coming soon....

Getting excited! I will try to update with play by plays as the day goes on.
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ORIGINAL post was edited the title from "Baby is Coming....." to "Baby is Coming / Raising th Baby"

I just think its better to just keep it all on 1 thread.

Hoping everything goes well!!!

Contractions are happening every 4 hours. It happened at :58 :02 :06 :10 :14 :18 she is in a lot of pain when it happens. I'm just sitting next to her in the Japanese hospital.
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Every 4 minutes she is having a contraction. As I was taking this she was going through the pain.

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3 min apart now.
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I hope she approved all this play-by-play!! Good luck!

A lot of my close friends and family are paying attention to this post. That way I post it once and everyone knows what's going on.
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Oooh how exciting =) Hoping for a healthy baby.

(and don't get mad if she grabs your blackberry and chucks it across the room! hahaha)

She is 9 cm now. Its going to happen soon the doctor said. She is every 2 min now having a contraction.
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Going to be going into delivery room. Won't be able to update for a while. She's doing great! Almost done... Hopefully.. I've never seen so much blood. She is 10 cm now.
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She is born!! She is healthy, momma is doing great!
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She's doing this w/o meds isn't she? Can't wait for the final update. Safe delivery!

Wow! How quick for a first baby! Congratulations Jones family! =)

Me and the new baby julia. They have me with her for past 10 minutes. Momma still in delivery room.
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What a gorgeous girl -- and happy daddy!  Congratulations to the whole family!

She didn't have any medication. All natural. They took the baby to clean her off. I'm back with my wife in her room she will be at for the next 5-6 days. My wife hasn't had the chance to spend much time with the baby yet. She only saw her for about 10 seconds while I got to sit in the room alone with her for over 30 minutes. I'm so glad its over! Her mom is here now at the hospital. Everything went great. I'm really excited.
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Congrats. It seems like just yesterday that my wife had our daughter at the Fawn's Clinic on Itsukaichi Rd. up by Yokota. And now we're putting together college applications for her.

The Japanese birthing clinics do a great job. I remember going to see them at dinner time every night for the five days they stayed at the clinic after the birth and having great, five course meals on the top floor with a view of Mt. Fuji. No drive by births in Japan. The mother gets pampered...as it should be.

She is eating trying to get her strength back. The rooms are very nice her. The food at this hospital in zushi has a great reputation for the quality of food. They have an ice pack on her belly, because she is in pain from having the baby.
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Congratulations!!! : )

Baby girl (Julia Jones):

2844 grams, and 51 cm.
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Congrats Adam.

Congrats! That's really quick for a first baby! If you guys plan to have more, you better make sure you are REALLY close to the hospital, or that you do some reading on how to deliver a baby! So happy for you!!!

Congratulations!

Yay!!!! Congrats to you, your wife, and your baby girl! Now let the journey of parenthood begin!

Glad everyone is happy and healthy! Congrats!!!

She was born at 07:34am

6 lb and 5.73 oz

20.0787 inches

==============================
At 3:00am she woke up and felt a pool of water in the bed. We called the doctor and they asked for us to come in.
We live 3 houses away from the hospital. We just walked over in the middle of the night. They got us seen and confirmed she did actually break her water.
They had us in a room for the next 3 hours, monitoring her contractions.
They started every 4 minutes, and began to shorten to 3, 2, and then to 1 minute intervals.

It was tense for Yuko. She was in a lot of pain, screaming, and pinching the crap out of my arms/hands.
My hands were exhausted after-wards from massaging her lower back.

Anyhow around 7:00am, they got the delivery room setup for us. She was about 10cm dilated.

The doctor started stretching her (you know what).. It was a crazy sight to see. He was not gentle, he had this vicious look on his face as he stretched her to get ready for the baby to come out.
She was in horrendous pain during the entire process.

The contractions started, and we went through about 6 cycles. After that, babies head started to show.

I saw the baby come out, and was there to see the babies eyes open for the first time. It will be a sight I will never forget.
Japanese hospitals, (atleast the one we went to), did not allow me to cut the cord, or film during the birth.
I wanted to do both.

The nurse wrapped baby Julia in some towels, and gave her to us. They placed her on Yuko's chest for the first time, as we both shed tears of joy.
It was a special moment.

They asked me to step out of the room while they stitched her up.

I went with the nurse, and we weighed her and measured her. She then wrapped her back up, and gave her to me to wait in the monitoring room with the baby.
I was in there with the baby for over 30 minutes. I was shocked! Baby wasnt even 15 minutes old, and I am in the room all alone with her. Little nervous, but I just sat there, took pictures
and talked to her.

They told me around 8:10am, that Yuko was being brought to her room. They kept the baby for 3 1/2 hours until we could see her again.
Yuko was in a lot of pain because of the stitches.

I had to help her walk to the bathroom every 30 minutes, because she felt like she had to pee. Each time, she didnt, but we had to keep playing the role, every few minutes.

We were both exhausted. We didnt get much sleep that night, because we woke up at 2:30am, and was awake ever since.

I got 30 minutes shut eye in the room, she did too, but its been really hard sleeping there on those chairs for me. She atleast is in the bed comfortable.

I just stopped by the house now, its 2:32pm. She wanted me to pick up some miscellaneous items for her.

I have to start heading back, but wanted everyone to know, things went wonderfully. I think things went well, because she was exercising a lot during the pregnancy.

She would walk 1 to 2 hours a day. The doctor said that is why she had such a quick delivery.

Right before I went into the delivery room.


As I was sitting in the monitoring room, after the baby was born.


She was sitting on my lap, and it was the first time she opened her eyes fully.  They had just given her some eye drops, so she could open then up completely.
She has brown eyes.


Right when she was brought to our room for the first time.


She sleeps a lot!


Some more sleeping pictures.. 

congrats Adam !

without doubt ,  you got blessed by Kamakura buddha ! 

"She at least is in the bed comfortable." lol, you funny man. Yuko did all the work! Congrats on your new family member. Great pix & cute baby. :-)

aww she is so cute grats!!

Congrats! She is beautiful!

So, does she have a "Japanese" name, too?

Wow! Look at all that hair already! She's beautiful. Hope you and the wifey finally get some rest after all the excitement.

congrat's she is beautiful

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Your life will never be the same I am glad everyone is doing well!

I am curious about the Japanese Birthing centers...

Adam, when you get a chance, I have some questions. Do they speak enough english that my husband and I could reasonably understand them? Is it covered by Tricare? Do they offer any meds at all, or is it all completely natural? How are they with VBAC's? We are expecting our second (a boy!!) in March, and it sounds like you had a fantastic experience. Also, how would it work for the birth certificate paperwork? I guess the most important question is if they will even take me?

Congrats again

Baby and Momma are doing great after 1 day in the hospital..

They finally gave the baby her first bath today.



Unfortunately I wasnt there, because I went back to work today.

I wish I could spend more time with her, but I only get a few hours after work each day.  They have visiting hours, and you have to leave by 8pm.


Sleeping as always..


I picked her up when I got there to the room, and she woke up. 






She is opening her eyes pretty good now.  She is also grabbing my fingers and squeezing them more.. 


I held her for a while...


Earlier in the day, momma sent me this picture, right after she got out of the bath.


Around 7pm is feeding time, so I got to feed her for the first time by the bottle.  We are trying to have her breast feed, but it takes a few days to produce the milk, but Yuko is trying..  It comes out slowly, but the baby guzzles down that bottle.  She drank just a small amount but she sucked it down fast! 

Cant wait until she gets to come home.  4-5 more days in the hospital.

"Cant wait until she gets to come home. 4-5 more days in the hospital." Lol, japan is great. In the US, you're lucky to get 2 nights in the hospital. They push you out the door.

I don't know Thaiguy.....I think I would rather be in the comforts of my own home than stuck in a hospital bed, eating nasty hospital food.  Just my opinion. 

Granted the hospital we choose is not just your normal hospital according to my wife.  They take extra good care of you, and are much more expensive then a normal one.  This place is definitely PLUSH!!
I told the lady tonight as she brought her Yuko's dinner... WHERE's MINE!!!
They need to provide Husbands too, with this type of food...
I had to bring my own food while she ate this below....

"gross hospital food",  Yoko-Girl.. 

After you see these pictures below, I think you will think otherwise.....

First course,
I didnt take any pictures, but it was a salad, soup, and pasta.
She let me nibble on a food things.



This above was the second course.



Yes this is hospital food!!!!  Crazy huh!!  5 star treatment for her 3 times a day!! 



3rd plate was some fruit, cake, and some tea/coffee.



She looks so happy, after eating such a nice meal... 



And finally her dessert!  Green tea, with some type of pudding...

Sooooo....

Next time any of you have a baby, just think of these pictures, as you eat the bases food they give you...

Her mom delivered this food for me though, so we got to eat together atleast..


My Dinner From Mom


Some sauce for chicken


Some sandwiches....

I still wanted to trade with Yuko though...  She wasnt down though...

Posted By ThaiGuy on 09 Nov 2010 09:43 PM
"Cant wait until she gets to come home. 4-5 more days in the hospital." Lol, japan is great. In the US, you're lucky to get 2 nights in the hospital. They push you out the door.

Honestly, I hated being in the hospital after my kids were born.  My first was born the old fashioned way and I would have loved to have gone home a few hours after he was born, but they had to monitor him because I was positive for Group B strep.  I got NO rest in the hospital with the uncomfortable bed, the noises in the ward and the nurses coming in at random idiotic hours to check my vitals in the middle of the night.

Congrats Adam!! She is such a cutie!!

Congrats, I'm so jealous our little girl isnt due until Feb and I'm wishing we could have her at the hospital you guys used .

Adina is exactly right about the breast feeding! Also the more the baby sucks, the more milk her body will make so that when the baby really starts getting hungry ( around 3 days old), she will have enough milk.

When the milk does come in though, watch out! It's crazy painful, and it can actually be hard for the baby to eat because all the milk will make her breasts like rocks. Before I had kids, people told me that, and I remember saying to myself "They've got to be exaggerating....how can they be like rocks?" Trust me it's not an exaggeration. I had to use a breast pump just so I could get release the pressure so that I could feed her.

Oh, and leaky breasts are another thing, nothing like waking up in the middle of the night in a pool of wetness....

She's absolutely beautiful Adam! You guys are truly blessed! You'll be amazed how quickly these next few months will move by. Pregnancy seems to take so long, but the second that beautiful baby arrives, things jump into hyper speed. Take lots of pictures, and enjoy every minute!

Congrats to the new parents! She is adorable and I'm glad she and Mom are doing well. I'm proud of your wife for trying to breastfeed and I hope she can continue.

I'm not sure I would like any hospital where my husband couldn't stay with the baby and I. When both of my children were born my husband went in with me and left with me. I was ready to go home after two nights. My husband had a bed and he could order food to be delivered to the room. He never left me or the baby. Though I did get to deliver both of mine in a civilian hospital, so I don't have any experience with a military hospital. My children were born in the same hospital and in the same room!

Desmama- I visited a Japanese Birthing Center here in Yokosuka a few weeks ago- its called Ohana House. Its not a Japanese hospital, but an all-natural birthing center. (They have a website). I really loved the center & midwife and wish I could birth there. You could stay almost a week and the center would prepare all meals for you and your family-- the entire family is encouraged to be apart of the process. However, I don't speak Japanese and the midwife didn't speak English. (A friend volunteered to translate the initial appointment for me). If you are comfortable with and could find someone to translate for you, I bet it would be an awesome, peaceful experience. There would be an out-of-pocket expense for Ohana House. I called the Tri-care office at Yokosuka Hospital and they gave me all the information I needed regarding coverage, paperwork, etc. After I researched all the information regarding money, paperwork, etc-- I was still excited and ready to use Ohana House-- but unfortunately the language barrier was my biggest obstacle. I felt guilty using friends as translators (as you never know when that 'I am in labor' call will be made and how many hours I would labor and need my friend to stay). I was willing to pay a "translator" but never got my act together to advertise for one. Anyway, if you'd like more info, send me a message. (I am not sure about their policy on VBAC). Also, if you find a place with English-speaking midwives in an all-natural birthing center-- please post!!! :-)

Adam and Family- Congratulations!

Baby stayed at the hospital for 5 days... She could of stayed longer, but everything was going well, so we decided to bring her home today.

Its really scary how Japanese do things so different than american nurses.

Normally, you will start out, giving the baby 2 oz of milk right?

Well, for the first day, they gave the baby .33 oz per feeding.

On the 2nd and 3rd day, they gave her .66 oz per feeding.

Yuko was having a lot of trouble breastfeeding. She was in a lot of pain, her breasts are still ROCK HARD! She is finally able to produce milk, it spurs out pretty rapidly now, which is good.

Unfortunately those measurements above, were approved by the doctor/nurses in Japan, and they said its completely normal amounts. I dont agree.

Well, the baby lost 1 pound already. They weighed her yesterday, and she is now 5.5 lbs. She was 6.5 lbs. when she was born 5 days ago.

I guess on the 5th day, they increase her ML, to 60. So she is now on the 5th day receiving 2 oz per feeding.

I really think this is backwards! It pissed me off when I realized that the baby lost weight. When I did the computation for how much milk they were giving her, I realized why. They said its normal for a Japanese baby to first lose a little weight and then they will regain it in the 2nd - 3rd week...

I'm still all confused about that entire process or why they do it this way. The only thing I can come up with, is that they want to slowly allow the babies digestive system to gradually handle a large quantity of milk. But its beyond me..

Right now, Yuko is trying to breastfeed and give her milk. I need to go and buy her an automatic pump! I will go and pick one up on Monday, and it will be the automatic kind.

When she asked the Japanese nurses about the Automatic pumps, they told her NOT TO USE THEM! I really get irritated how they do things so differently, and its hard for me to convince her otherwise, because she is Japanese.
I get the whole lecture, "Are you a nurse? They know more than you do. They said not to use it, so I wont use it..."

Its been a rough 2 days, with all the emotions that her body is triggering.. She was just getting really frustrated, with the breastfeeding process. She hasnt been getting much sleep either. 1 or 2 hours a night. Since its the weekend, I am trying to help her out and give her a break, between feedings.

We came over to her parents house now, to allow her mom to help her out for a few weeks. I think she needs some help, because this is all still VERY NEW for Yuko. She has to slowly learn how to take care of the new baby, and I think having her mom around will gradually make things easier for her.

Babies tend to lose a bit of weight after birth. No matter what nationality. I was an L&D nurse way back when, though I haven't worked in years, so things may have changed.
The only rationale I can think of for avoiding the pump is that after expressing the milk, it will be given in a bottle. Julia is getting used to formula in a bottle and breast milk from... If you are not giving her as much formula, she will suckle more and allow your wife's milk supply adjust to Julia's needs. It sounds like this is what the doctors and nurses are trying to do.

I used a pump with one child and it worked OK, but in the beginning  it was only  to help ease the feeling of being over full, then I could nurse.  She didn't get expressed milk until she was 2-3 months old, and I had gone back to work and my supply was well established. 

Warm compresses or a nice warm shower will really help her milk come down and ease the engorgement (that is most likely causing the hardness, and if it isn't relieved can cause her to either lose her milk supply or get an infection from clogged ducts - NOT fun!!).

I agree that letting Julia suckle, even if she isn't getting much, will help the milk come down faster - her sucking will release hormones more than a pump (though I did post a pump recommendation on the other thread that you posted about them).

The feeding schedule does seem a bit backward to me too, but... It obviously has worked, or they would have changed it by now (I would hope anyway!). Babies do lose some weight, but I would be concerned with losing a pound in less than a week. But, as long as she is ok and is waking up to eat and look around a bit, I wouldn't be too concerned. Just watch for her being **very** difficult to wake up for feedings, even several hours after her last meal. That can be a sign of trouble.

If she is giving you at least 6 wet diapers a day, you are good.

Julia is wetting her diaper 7 times a day.  She poops about 4-5 times also.  So from that, I think she is getting her liquids.  Its hard to wake her up sometimes at feedings.  We have to spend about 20 minutes to try and wake her up at feeding times.  When she takes Yuko's nipple in her mouth, she will suck for a few seconds, and then she will fall back asleep.  She usually tries to give her both breasts at each feeding for about 20-30 minutes on each side.  Then she gives her a 2oz bottle, but Julia isnt finishing the entire bottle.  She usually leaves about .50 of an oz. still left in the bottle.  Japanese measure in ML, not ounces, so its hard to tell you exactly how much she has left.  I have had to learn the ML, since its what all the Japanese bottles read.

I just know 60 ML = 2 oz.

Yukos breasts are ROCK ROCK ROCK hard.  She doenst have the pump yet, so she has been manually milking it herself, and letting it drip into a bottle.  CRAZY! I know.    It takes so much time for her to do that between feedings.  She would rather Julia have her breast milk over the formula.

Her breasts are definitely producing a lot of milk.  It sprays out.  The problem is Julia taking it.  She sits there and starts to suck it, but falls asleep every single time.  I think its too much work for her, to have to try and suck the milk out.  The bottle is SO MUCH easier for her, since it just easily goes into her mouth.

We will keep trying the breastfeeding method.  She has been massaging her nipples to make them less sensitive. 

The doctors told her if she took a warm/hot shower when her breasts are rock hard, it would make things worse.  I know you mentioned above, it would help.  I told her that.  She just went to take a shower now, so we will see how it helps.

Here were some pictures from today when we left the hospital:


Gave her a bath before we left the hospital today.


After the bath, they sit her on the table and begin to dress her in the traditional white dress outfit.


She had her all white dress on with a small hat.


She is sleeping as always..  We got to take some family shots at the hospital.


This little towel, we used to walk her outside for the first time.  The top part sits on her head.  It says, "Little Princess".... 


Julia was all bundled up her first time feeling the sun on her face.  She opened her eyes, and immediately shut them!!  I need to get her some shades..