The Birth of David, a story with a happy beginning.
It was a dark andstormy night…just kidding. It was a calm and cool early morning inNovember around 3am. I hadn’t been able to sleep after my prenatalappointment that day had revealed a dilation of 4cm. It is alwayshard to know what a birth experience will be like ahead of time, butI was told to compare with my own mom, as well as my previousdelivery. For Zoey’s birth I had two and a half hours of activelabor, and we had arrived at the hospital early because I was worriedthat I hadn’t felt any movement all day. My mom’s four deliveriesranged from two to four hours long of active labor, so I was on pinsand needles to make sure I made it to the hospital in time. At 3am, Istarted feeling faint contractions about fifteen minutes apart. By3:15am they had increased to every 4-5 minutes. I woke up Michael,left sleeping Zoey with her grandma, and we were on the road by3:30am. Although I new I had steady contractions, they weren’tpainful or heavy. I was more excited and nervous than anything. Wechecked into the newly remodeled L&D wing of VCU Medical Centerat 4am and the first person I saw in our birthing suite was themidwife who had helped me through Zoey’s delivery. I was immediatelyrelieved to see a familiar face, and so grateful to have the exactpersonality I needed to face my fears head on. And for the next fewhours, I repeatedly came to grips with the fear that I mightexperience the same agonizing pain as I did with Zoey. My efforts tostay calm and relaxed were so much less from pressure or pain, andmore because of that fear. But you know, active labor has a way ofmaking us think of nothing else beyond that second and that moment. Ihad been using a birthing tub, and it had relaxed me too much so thatthe contractions had backed off. I decided I didn’t really need waterthis time, and contractions began building again around 6am. Sometimearound 7:55am, I unloaded a ridiculous amount of amniotic fluid. Youknow it’s more than usual when the nurses are muffling expressions ofsurprise, and it sounds like a gallon bucket of water just hit thefloor. I made an important discover in the next five seconds:contractions are so much more painful once the fluid is gone! Inshort, a few pushes and a few minutes later, I heard a wail echo myown. All 20 inches of sweet, deafening David Michael emerged on November 14, 2013, at 8:02am. He was completely healthy with long finger and toe nails anda little mohawk of coppery blond hair. The hair color has remainedtrue sixteen months later, and I love it. David was tossed into my arms immediatelyfor about an hour before he was weighed in at 7 lbs 9 oz. At thatpoint I started broadening my thoughts a bit and realized that therush was over. I don’t remember the APGAR score, but he was fine, Iwas fine, and we were discharged the next day. No pain medication, noIVs, no emergency training, no tubes or even formula feeding. It allseemed too easy, and yet I didn’t want to ask too many questions. Wewere all happy to be going home so quickly. In hindsight, I mighthave complained so much more had David been my first, but thecomparison was so drastic that I was thrilled with the whole process.The only medical suggestion was that David’s ears be taped down for afew weeks so that they would grow more flattened. They were bunchedup in little balls when he was born. The tape was mostly successful,and we have never been very concerned with the appearance of hisears. In the shadow of someone as unique as Zoey, he needs somethingto call his own too. He was born an enthusiastic eater, and he gainedback his full birth weight within five days. It would probably befair to say that I have had one of the more traumatic birth stories,and also one of the simplest. Both have resulted in beautiful littlelives and I am so blessed. “Every good and perfect gift is fromabove, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does notchange life shifting shadows.” James 1:17
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