Julia's Birth Story
Jul. 15th, 2009 10:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamagotchaI managed to mess up on a critical aspect of my daughter's birth (the time of her arrival), and so I thought I'd spend part of her 19th birthday revisiting what I wrote about the momentous event.
From the journal I was keeping at the time, dated 7/16/90, 9pm:
Julia Sue Sabin Newmiller
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
12:38am Sunday, July 15 8lb, 3oz (Jeff times the exact moment of arrival to be 12:40 am - the midwives estimated 12:38 - you may use what you wish!)
The Birth
I got my girl! After weeks of contractions and being very grumpy to my friends, you finally arrived (11 days overdue!). To pick up where we left off... on Monday, July 9, I was up most of the night with more contrax -- took a shower and got sick that afternoon. On & off contractions, with another all-nighters (& more barfing) on Thursday, July 12. (Despite packing and eating a huge meal on July 4, you ignored the fireworks on your due date).
Jan pronounced my uterus "irritable" and gave me some skullcap to quiet things and some Bethroot, and blue and black cohosh to stimulate labor if we felt like "going for it." On Bastille Day, Sat. July 14, we felt pretty good, so I took the stimulants. (We didn't want to have a baby on July 13 -- Friday the thirteenth!).
I took a luxurious bubble bath on Saturday morning, then started the herbs every 20 minutes for 3 doses. I had had a few serious contractions early that morning (between 11pm and 4am) but was able to sleep through most of them, just coming to a bit at their peak. They felt more "pinchy" than the previous ones, but I had learned by now not to get excited by a few squeezes!
I got really grumpy that afternoon (your dad had gone to the lab to drop off some stuff) and I called people to come take Cord for a while before I strangled him -- he & Rogan were bickering endlessly. Finally Rebecca and Ramin carried him off to the pool. Then I called Tosi, who was arranging flowers for a wedding. She said she'd come in an hour, but she got stuck at the church & sent Carrie over.
By then, Jeff was back, Cord was gone, life looked a bit rosier & I was afraid that she'd look at me and say I was the same when she last checked me (on Friday, July 6, Tosi said I was 1-3cm dilated with not much effacement, but soft. On Mon., July 9, Carrie checked and said I was the same). But this time those squeezes were for real, and I was 4cm with bulging waters! I wanted to go to the movies to kill time but your daddy wisely nixed that idea. Jeff called my mom and I set up in the bed, humming during the worst of the rushes to help me through them. I think I did the same with Cord -- lots of moaning, helped me refocus and relax.
I settled into a routine of contractions & peeing, and Carrie sent us out for a (slow!) walk around the block when things slowed down. My mom and Tosi showed up later, maybe 6 and 7 pm? These contractions were definitely moving faster than during my first birth -- I was 7-8 cm when Tosi arrived. Unfortunately, the bag of waters was floating at the cervix and effectively preventing further dilation. Cord came home around 8 or 9pm, came in to say hi, but I just hugged him and sent him out before the next contraction... they were getting pretty hairy by now. (Mom played with him, put him to bed, & he slept through everything!)
We decided to rupture the waters to accelerate things, & a huge gush of clear water emerged. I had Jeff stand on the bed & pull my arms up so I could sit forward & lean into the contractions. Carrie checked me later, maybe 11, when I wanted to know if rupturing the water had changed things any -- sure felt like it! These contractions were getting harder to moan away -- really getting tough. She said I was 7cm on the left, 8 in the center, & 9 on the right, and had me lay on my left side. This must have been close to transition because I really felt like I was going to lose it -- Jeff said I seemed confused then, and I remember reaching for him and feeling frightened if he wasn't really close by.
By midnight I wanted to push -- or actually, I started to push -- there wasn't any "want" involved. The ol' bod just started to push, though Tosi wanted me to breath these contractions away so I could finish dilating the last centimeter. I was kneeling by now, against the head of the bed, which was up to support me. Breathing away those contractions was like breathing a locomotive to a stop! I could have not pushed, but the pain was killed so quickly by a little shove that I couldn't resist -- it really hurt if I didn't push! So she said to breathe as long as I could stand it, then push when I couldn't. I felt my cervix sting when I pushed, as it did with Cord's birth, but it felt too god otherwise not to.
I remember feeling so grateful for the little bits of rest I got between contractions, and feeling helpless and miserable when the squeeze in the pit of my stomach told me another one was coming. It felt like forever. I know I was doing my best not to thrash around & squeal & cry, but I did do a lot of moving & noisemaking. With the pushing, I groaned and grunted so hard my throat hurt the next day. I felt your head with my fingers -- you weren't as far as I thought I had pushed you. I asked if anyone could see if you had hair, but I was on my knees & no one could see. The I decided to really push, and I felt all of you move during my heaves -- you crowned and came out to your shoulders in one contraction, before the midwives could glove up -- the next shove brought you out to your hips, then you were OUT and it was OVER!
I was in an awkward position -- Carrie had to unwrap your cord from around your neck before I could see you. I said "What is it?!" and I think Tosi said "a girl!" but I checked right away to be sure -- you were here! I looked over my shoulder at you before I could turn over -- my first sight of you was on your belly, in Tosi's hands, with a string of mucus falling from your mouth and a quick angry cry from you. You looked like Cordell at birth, I thought. You latched onto my left breast after a few minutes, the placenta slid out easily, (with a funny little bubble in it, but healthy & term). You were covered with lovely white vernix, but no blood or meconium. We cleaned up, congratulated each other, and everyone went home to sleep.
I spend most of the night staring and marveling at the miracle that is you, my daughter! <3, Mom
From the journal I was keeping at the time, dated 7/16/90, 9pm:
Julia Sue Sabin Newmiller
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
12:38am Sunday, July 15 8lb, 3oz (Jeff times the exact moment of arrival to be 12:40 am - the midwives estimated 12:38 - you may use what you wish!)
The Birth
I got my girl! After weeks of contractions and being very grumpy to my friends, you finally arrived (11 days overdue!). To pick up where we left off... on Monday, July 9, I was up most of the night with more contrax -- took a shower and got sick that afternoon. On & off contractions, with another all-nighters (& more barfing) on Thursday, July 12. (Despite packing and eating a huge meal on July 4, you ignored the fireworks on your due date).
Jan pronounced my uterus "irritable" and gave me some skullcap to quiet things and some Bethroot, and blue and black cohosh to stimulate labor if we felt like "going for it." On Bastille Day, Sat. July 14, we felt pretty good, so I took the stimulants. (We didn't want to have a baby on July 13 -- Friday the thirteenth!).
I took a luxurious bubble bath on Saturday morning, then started the herbs every 20 minutes for 3 doses. I had had a few serious contractions early that morning (between 11pm and 4am) but was able to sleep through most of them, just coming to a bit at their peak. They felt more "pinchy" than the previous ones, but I had learned by now not to get excited by a few squeezes!
I got really grumpy that afternoon (your dad had gone to the lab to drop off some stuff) and I called people to come take Cord for a while before I strangled him -- he & Rogan were bickering endlessly. Finally Rebecca and Ramin carried him off to the pool. Then I called Tosi, who was arranging flowers for a wedding. She said she'd come in an hour, but she got stuck at the church & sent Carrie over.
By then, Jeff was back, Cord was gone, life looked a bit rosier & I was afraid that she'd look at me and say I was the same when she last checked me (on Friday, July 6, Tosi said I was 1-3cm dilated with not much effacement, but soft. On Mon., July 9, Carrie checked and said I was the same). But this time those squeezes were for real, and I was 4cm with bulging waters! I wanted to go to the movies to kill time but your daddy wisely nixed that idea. Jeff called my mom and I set up in the bed, humming during the worst of the rushes to help me through them. I think I did the same with Cord -- lots of moaning, helped me refocus and relax.
I settled into a routine of contractions & peeing, and Carrie sent us out for a (slow!) walk around the block when things slowed down. My mom and Tosi showed up later, maybe 6 and 7 pm? These contractions were definitely moving faster than during my first birth -- I was 7-8 cm when Tosi arrived. Unfortunately, the bag of waters was floating at the cervix and effectively preventing further dilation. Cord came home around 8 or 9pm, came in to say hi, but I just hugged him and sent him out before the next contraction... they were getting pretty hairy by now. (Mom played with him, put him to bed, & he slept through everything!)
We decided to rupture the waters to accelerate things, & a huge gush of clear water emerged. I had Jeff stand on the bed & pull my arms up so I could sit forward & lean into the contractions. Carrie checked me later, maybe 11, when I wanted to know if rupturing the water had changed things any -- sure felt like it! These contractions were getting harder to moan away -- really getting tough. She said I was 7cm on the left, 8 in the center, & 9 on the right, and had me lay on my left side. This must have been close to transition because I really felt like I was going to lose it -- Jeff said I seemed confused then, and I remember reaching for him and feeling frightened if he wasn't really close by.
By midnight I wanted to push -- or actually, I started to push -- there wasn't any "want" involved. The ol' bod just started to push, though Tosi wanted me to breath these contractions away so I could finish dilating the last centimeter. I was kneeling by now, against the head of the bed, which was up to support me. Breathing away those contractions was like breathing a locomotive to a stop! I could have not pushed, but the pain was killed so quickly by a little shove that I couldn't resist -- it really hurt if I didn't push! So she said to breathe as long as I could stand it, then push when I couldn't. I felt my cervix sting when I pushed, as it did with Cord's birth, but it felt too god otherwise not to.
I remember feeling so grateful for the little bits of rest I got between contractions, and feeling helpless and miserable when the squeeze in the pit of my stomach told me another one was coming. It felt like forever. I know I was doing my best not to thrash around & squeal & cry, but I did do a lot of moving & noisemaking. With the pushing, I groaned and grunted so hard my throat hurt the next day. I felt your head with my fingers -- you weren't as far as I thought I had pushed you. I asked if anyone could see if you had hair, but I was on my knees & no one could see. The I decided to really push, and I felt all of you move during my heaves -- you crowned and came out to your shoulders in one contraction, before the midwives could glove up -- the next shove brought you out to your hips, then you were OUT and it was OVER!
I was in an awkward position -- Carrie had to unwrap your cord from around your neck before I could see you. I said "What is it?!" and I think Tosi said "a girl!" but I checked right away to be sure -- you were here! I looked over my shoulder at you before I could turn over -- my first sight of you was on your belly, in Tosi's hands, with a string of mucus falling from your mouth and a quick angry cry from you. You looked like Cordell at birth, I thought. You latched onto my left breast after a few minutes, the placenta slid out easily, (with a funny little bubble in it, but healthy & term). You were covered with lovely white vernix, but no blood or meconium. We cleaned up, congratulated each other, and everyone went home to sleep.
I spend most of the night staring and marveling at the miracle that is you, my daughter! <3, Mom
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Date: 2009-07-15 07:24 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-20 05:52 am (UTC)