Where was I 34 years ago tonight? Let's see, I was at home in Waldorf, Maryland, with my almost 5 year old daughter and my now ex-husband. I was 10 months into a 9-month pregnancy and the baby was scheduled to be induced the following morning. I was probably throwing up (as even Jenny remembers from when she was 5, Mommy was throwing up all the time). It started at 4 days and didn't end until I transitioned in the delivery room (right before delivery). It was a fun 10 months. At my doctor's appointment the day before I had threatened to kill myself if they didn't induce the baby. You see back in the day, they weren't as smart at figuring out just how far along you really were and the doctor's just assumed I was wrong about my dates. Like any woman has ever not known when the little critter was actually started. But I digress. I think I was at least as big as a house, maybe bigger and very, very uncomfortable.
The next morning we traveled to D.C. to Greater South East Hospital and I was was given the drug to start contractions. At some point in time they gave me an epidural for pain and put it in a little too high on the spine. The doctor said "If you have any trouble breathing, let someone know" and then he left the room. WTF? Isn't breathing something they should be monitoring if it might be an issue? Luckily for both of us it didn't become a problem. After only seven hours my son Dave was born. What I remember about the delivery room was that it was so quiet. Dave was born with his eyes wide open and looking around. He didn't cry right away but he was fine. He was probably thinking WTF! (Sorry, I seem to be loving that phrase tonight.) The reason I said after ONLY seven hours is because his sister took from 6:00 a.m. on a Monday morning until just after 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning to leave the mothership. Thirty-three hours!! Seven hours was a walk in the park after that.
When Dave was a week old, the top layer of his skin peeled off which is something that happens to babies that stay too long in the womb and their protective waxy coating wears off. These days they wouldn't let mother's go that far past their due dates as there is too much risk to the fetus.
He was 9 pounds, 3 ounces.
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Dave, crusty? Yeah, that's about right!! lol
ReplyDeleteIt's good to remember the events leading up to the birth of your children, isn't it? It's an event and a connection you won't ever share with anyone else. Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy,Cheryl, all those many years ago!
Thanks Sharon. It was fun to remember it.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory. Often I wish we would have been able to have children and I wonder what they would have been like. I will tell you based on my friends' experiences that doctors are still doing things that leave mothers saying WTF.
ReplyDeleteThings have changed since our day, Cheryl. I remember walking into the hospital to have the baby and finding another woman writhing and moaning on the floor while a nurse stood over her asking if she was in pain! When they got around to asking me why I was there (!!!) and I said to have a baby, they asked if I was sure. Would have thought it was pretty obvious...
ReplyDeleteBennett, you had lots of children with all the little ones you worked with over the years. That was a gift too.
ReplyDeleteJesa, I think your memory beats mine!! I can't stop laughing over that "Are you sure?"
Thank you for giving me him..I know that sounds so corny but I love him and you gave him to me. Thank you for sharing this story ...he is something else...isn't he, in a good way??
ReplyDeleteWhat is up with you and the WTF?? You must be having some major flashbacks from that delivery or the puking that lead up to it...lol
Love you!
Birthin' babies. Yep, I did that once. Found out it hurt, so I got wise and decided not to do that again.
ReplyDeleteI often think back to the days that I delivered both of my son's....it truly is a life altering experience from that day on isn't it? I think those days were best days of my life we they were still small and learning how to be little boys and playing. What makes me think about this even more..especially this morning is Santa's Lane.,,,today they are having Santa's Lane this morning at school....and my grandson Jared is going to his first one this morning. Life is wondrous too at times. Thanks for the beautiful memories first thing this morning....and thank-you for David...he is a great young man.
ReplyDeleteawwwwww The story of how "Dave" came to be.... =:D
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday Dave!!!
Yeah, I sure do remember the puking...I think that's all she did that summer while she was pregnant...Where's Mommy? Oh, she's in the bathroom barfing again.
ReplyDeleteHim being born with his eyes wide open kinda explains why he used to SLEEP with his eyes half open all the time. Weirdo. lol...
Ha ha...the "little critter" lol
Happy Birthday DPaid. :-D
ummm okie dokie...
ReplyDeleteSo today would be your birthday!! Happy Birthday!!
ReplyDeleteI seem to have no
ReplyDeleteaccessible memory
of what I was doing thirty-four years ago
Good guess it was 10-12 hour days
carrying mail
Why bother making memories
when you're in the zone all day?
:>)
You're welcome Jen. I'm glad you and David got together.
ReplyDeletedejaviewstudio, yeah I don't remember anyone telling me it would hurt before hand, or that they didn't arrive already able to sleep through the night. I suppose the world would be an emptier place if we were given full disclosure up front about parenthood LOL.
Yaya, I left out the part of the story about the aliens LOL.
Jenny I can't believe you didn't comment on the story of you taking so long to leave the Mothership!
Davie - Happy Birthday!!!!
Bennett - indeed its his birthday.
Tom, somehow pain anchors memory I think. My brother carried mail for awhile when he was younger. I think the dogs were his least favorite part.
Mom, If you knew before hand what having a child would be like , the species would have died out by now. lol
ReplyDeleteDave so true.
ReplyDeleteAlthough generally the youngest in the family is a true delight.
ReplyDeleteOk David does not like Davie Poo...lol
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, knowing this, none of us will ever use that name for him. hehe
ReplyDeleteOk, wait a minute, you should have already known that it hurt and that they don't arrive ready to sleep through the night...Dave was your second child. Did you forget??? Or was I just such a perfect baby that you didn't know what normal babies were like? lol...
ReplyDeleteYou were adopted!
ReplyDeleteI KNEW IT!
ReplyDeleteBennett you are a true delight, those other two though LOL.
ReplyDelete