Saturday, November 28, 2009

The miracle of birth



I was fortunate to be present at the birth of each of my five children.

Our first, Blair, was born in Provo, UT, and after a long and difficult labor, and after being sent home after our first trip to the hospital. How discouraging that was. But what a thrill to be new parents!

Daniel came five weeks early in Ridgecrest, CA. I was at work and my home teacher found me during lunch and told me to rush to the hospital, that Suzanne was in labor and delivery was imminent. (We didn't have cell phones in those days.) I didn't think this was possible and figured it would be a false alarm. When I arrived at the hospital they led me right into the room where Daniel had just been born and the doctors were working frantically to get him breathing (which he did, but what a scare!).

Bridget threatened to come early (Boise, ID), so Suzanne was confined to bed the final few weeks. When Suzanne went into labor I said "let's go!". Good thing we wasted no time because it was a wild rush to the hospital (I don't recall how many red lights I ran)--it was all Suzanne could do to hold off giving birth in the car. She delivered just a few minutes after getting to her room.

Teresa came a couple of weeks early, if I remember right (Portland, OR). We knew by now not to dilly dally once labor started, so we avoided the wild drive to the hospital, but she was still born not long after getting there. I think Teresa may have been our first ultrasound, and the doctor thought she was a boy, but we felt she would be a girl and were glad.

Steven was at risk of being born quickly, so the doctor arranged to induce right about the due date. Just a normal early morning drive to the hospital, and Steven arrived later that morning (Portland, OR).

There is nothing like the euphoria you feel after a newborn arrives in your family. It is one of the top wonders of the world.

4 comments:

  1. That is baby Blair. I may edit this post and add a picture of each of you later today.

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  2. The most unusual pregnancy was BMW, because I suffered in some way the entire 9 months. Not just the usual morning sickness (which was really bad & long) but then anemia, then early labor, & other stuff. Spending 2 months in bed w/ a 3 & a 4 year old around is tough. Then the doc scheduled an inducement but I cancelled it the night before. The next day at his office he said that was a mistake as there was no way I would make it to the hospital on time. And he was almost right. When I went into labor at 8:30 p.m. Craig said let's go. We walked out at 8:50. My Mom was there & if we had had to wait for a babysitter, or sit in rush hour traffic, we would have been sunk. Arrived at St. Luke's at 9:10 w/ me all the way doing the breathing that delays the actual birth; I felt like I was sitting on a bowling ball (her head). She was born 9:18.

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  3. I love hearing about birth. You are right, it is one of the wonders of the world! Blair is holding such a cute newborn baby in that picture...

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