Birthing Story Part I: Kadie's birth
Part I: Kadie’s birth
I want to share my birthing stories because I was fortunate to give birth to all three of my daughters what I consider to be entirely “drug free”.
Early February 1983 I went to work at 6:00 a.m. as usual, but this day I had a swollen upper lip for no apparent reason. Within the hour the swelling had spread to the rest of my face, and I could barely breath because my lip was over my nostrils, and could barely see as my eyes were slits. My boss (also a dear old friend) referred me to her family doctor as I was new in town and didn’t have a doc yet. They got me in immediately, and the first test they did was a pregnancy test. Lo and behold, I was pregnant and the swelling was most likely from hormone overload! LIFE ADJUSTMENT! I felt as if I’d grown up emotionally overnight! Priorities changed, and I welcomed the life inside me. This pregnancy progressed with no complications. The thing I like about my doctor was that he was a family practitioner who cared for your family from birth to death, and he believes strongly in noninvasive medicine if possible. So there were no sonograms, no ultrasounds, no prenatal screenings, etc. My husband and I attend natural childbirth classes of the Lamaze method. Lamaze was a French OB who advocated controlled breathing techniques to help mothers cope with labor. The Lamaze philosophy of birth stipulates that "birth is normal, natural, and healthy" and that "women have a right to give birth free from routine medical interventions." This was what I wanted… a drug free labor and delivery achieve by using controlled breathing techniques, and I wanted to watch the baby’s delivery through the use of mirrors in the delivery room, and I wanted my newborn to be immediately cradled in a tub of warm water after her birth to simulate the womb for peace and comfort.
On September 24th at 7:00 a.m. I had my first contraction in the bathtub. My husband was gone somewhere, so I called my big sis, and she came to get me and take me to the hospital. I walked to a labor room, and my sis stayed with me. Someone got the message to my husband, and he arrived shortly after I did. Sometime early afternoon we sent my husband out to get a bite to eat and some fresh air because he was just sitting in a chair against the wall and his face was nearly as white as the paint behind him! He went to a nearby bar and ate a bite, had a couple of beers and watched the beloved Illini play! I did have back labor for a while, and the nurse had me get on my hands and knees and rock. They did give me an enema, and an IV port was placed in my hand as a precaution, but I think that happened a lot in the 80’s. Somewhere during all this my husband came back. By the way, my older sister had three children, and she coached me through my entire labor. She was awesome, and she was my DOULA in every sense of the word, helping focus me to breath, offering suggestions for comfort, rubbing my back, giving me ice chips, trying to make my husband comfortable by talking to him, etc.. When I had the urge to push they checked and found the baby ready to be delivered, so they wheeled me into the delivery room. I was so nervous being the first time, and I forgot everything I wanted for the baby and myself during delivery! I just laid there and did exactly what they told me to do, and she was born after just a few pushes. My fluid bag broke as her head crowned, and she slipped out without a problem completely clean except for a bit of bloody color on the crown of her little head because she had been in the bag of waters the entire time traveling through the birth canal, I guess. First contraction to delivery was 12 hours, as she was born September 24, 7:24 p.m., 6 pd. 10 oz., 19 in. long
I want to share my birthing stories because I was fortunate to give birth to all three of my daughters what I consider to be entirely “drug free”.
Early February 1983 I went to work at 6:00 a.m. as usual, but this day I had a swollen upper lip for no apparent reason. Within the hour the swelling had spread to the rest of my face, and I could barely breath because my lip was over my nostrils, and could barely see as my eyes were slits. My boss (also a dear old friend) referred me to her family doctor as I was new in town and didn’t have a doc yet. They got me in immediately, and the first test they did was a pregnancy test. Lo and behold, I was pregnant and the swelling was most likely from hormone overload! LIFE ADJUSTMENT! I felt as if I’d grown up emotionally overnight! Priorities changed, and I welcomed the life inside me. This pregnancy progressed with no complications. The thing I like about my doctor was that he was a family practitioner who cared for your family from birth to death, and he believes strongly in noninvasive medicine if possible. So there were no sonograms, no ultrasounds, no prenatal screenings, etc. My husband and I attend natural childbirth classes of the Lamaze method. Lamaze was a French OB who advocated controlled breathing techniques to help mothers cope with labor. The Lamaze philosophy of birth stipulates that "birth is normal, natural, and healthy" and that "women have a right to give birth free from routine medical interventions." This was what I wanted… a drug free labor and delivery achieve by using controlled breathing techniques, and I wanted to watch the baby’s delivery through the use of mirrors in the delivery room, and I wanted my newborn to be immediately cradled in a tub of warm water after her birth to simulate the womb for peace and comfort.
On September 24th at 7:00 a.m. I had my first contraction in the bathtub. My husband was gone somewhere, so I called my big sis, and she came to get me and take me to the hospital. I walked to a labor room, and my sis stayed with me. Someone got the message to my husband, and he arrived shortly after I did. Sometime early afternoon we sent my husband out to get a bite to eat and some fresh air because he was just sitting in a chair against the wall and his face was nearly as white as the paint behind him! He went to a nearby bar and ate a bite, had a couple of beers and watched the beloved Illini play! I did have back labor for a while, and the nurse had me get on my hands and knees and rock. They did give me an enema, and an IV port was placed in my hand as a precaution, but I think that happened a lot in the 80’s. Somewhere during all this my husband came back. By the way, my older sister had three children, and she coached me through my entire labor. She was awesome, and she was my DOULA in every sense of the word, helping focus me to breath, offering suggestions for comfort, rubbing my back, giving me ice chips, trying to make my husband comfortable by talking to him, etc.. When I had the urge to push they checked and found the baby ready to be delivered, so they wheeled me into the delivery room. I was so nervous being the first time, and I forgot everything I wanted for the baby and myself during delivery! I just laid there and did exactly what they told me to do, and she was born after just a few pushes. My fluid bag broke as her head crowned, and she slipped out without a problem completely clean except for a bit of bloody color on the crown of her little head because she had been in the bag of waters the entire time traveling through the birth canal, I guess. First contraction to delivery was 12 hours, as she was born September 24, 7:24 p.m., 6 pd. 10 oz., 19 in. long
I went home with this little gal two days later, and on the fourth day I was walking around in the beautiful fall weather with her in a front pack! I felt wonderful! And I had this sweet little baby girl to attend to. I nursed and we both got along well with that. I did not take birth control as I was nursing and had been told it was very unlikely I would bet pregnant when nursing. LIE! That is an old wive’s tale. In February 1984 I learned I was pregnant again, and this second child was due early September, just two weeks prior to my first child’s birthday! Irish twins, born less than 12 months apart. I began preparations for another precious child. But this time I was bound and determined in my stubbornness that it was going to be MY way!
This is my sister's birth story, and my mom inspires me!
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