My Birth Story

That was quick, huh? ;)

Just kidding. I'm talking about MY birth story, as in... when *I* was born. I already knew much of it, but tonight when I was talking to my mom, she told me the whole story (and my dad chimed in with more details about his part), and I want to write it down for posterity. :)

I was my parents' first baby, and they were young (24 and 25, I think) and very naive. I was due on January 25th. My dad was on his way home from a business trip to NY on the 22nd, which they figured was fine, because they had three more days. Yep, they actually didn't realize that sometimes babies come before their due dates! So, my mom was at her friend Nancy's house all day, and kept feeling these little "stomach aches" and was squirmy... she was in labor, but didn't know it (told you they were naive!). She went home, and kept having these little stomach pains, and felt like she had to go to the bathroom (pressure), but couldn't. She finally called Nancy, who'd had a baby 6 months earlier. Nancy said she should call her doctor. Her doctor told her she should go to the hospital. Her response? "I can't go to the hospital, my husband's not home!"

My mom called Nancy back and asked if she could take her to the hospital. Nancy's baby was very colicy and difficult, and she didn't want to deal with putting the baby in the car. So she called an older couple who lived nearby that they knew because the husband worked at the same company as both of their husbands (the couple was Sy and Rose). They agreed to bring my mom to the hospital. Rose was in the front seat, my mom was in the back seat, and they held hands. Part way to the hospital my mom kind of screamed, and Rose reassured her that it was going to be ok, they were almost there, etc.

At the hospital, they whisked my mom up to labor and delivery, checked her, and she was already 6-8 centimeters (she doesn't remember exactly) dilated. She sent the anesthesiologist away as she'd taken lamaze classes and wanted to do natural childbirth. My dad was supposed to be her coach, of course, but since he wasn't there, she only started to do the breathing when someone finally came in and told her to breathe - she just needed the reminder.

Meanwhile, my dad tried to call my mom from the Knoxville airport (they lived in Chattanooga), and there was no answer. So he called Nancy, who told him that my mom was at the hospital having the baby, and he needed to get there soon! He told the flight attendant his wife was having their first baby, paced the aisle on the plane and was standing at the door before the plane was even at the gate (this was obviously long before 9/11 and all the safety measures that are in place today). He called the hospital from the Chattanooga airport and asked the doctor if he had time to go home to get his car. The doctor said, "Not if you want to see your baby being born!". So he jumped into a cab and went straight to the hospital.

At the hospital, the elevator doors opened on the labor and delivery floor, and there was Sy, waiting for him. He just pointed with his left hand up and said "that way". My dad dropped his bags and ran down the hall. A nurse saw him and told him he didn't even have time to put on a gown and mask, and just pointed him right into the room.

Meanwhile, the doctor's in with my mom, who's 10 centimeter's dilated, and he's having her do her lamaze breathing and hold off on pushing, even though she was ready, because he knew my dad was on his way and was trying to get him there to see the baby being born. As my mom put it, I could have possibly been born a few minutes earlier than I was, but the doctor wasn't letting her push yet.

My dad rushed into the room (my mom said she gave him a look that could kill), the doctor turned and saw it was him, and said "push!". Something like 3 pushes later and I was born. Apparently I was "ready to come out" by this time and was way down in the birth canal just from all the contractions, so it was really easy to push me out.

Wednesday, January 22nd, 1975

9:59pm

6 pounds 8 ounces

As an aside, my mom's doctor told her she was "made for having babies" because she has broad hips. I have the same hips. I sure hope I'm also "made for having babies!". My mom had fairly easy labors and deliveries with all three of us, so I'm REALLY hoping that's genetic!!!