Birth Day

Eight years ago today, I gave birth to my little boy.

When my water broke at 5 am on Friday morning, I was worried a bit about the timing. My BFF, Shannon, was arriving on Saturday morning from the other side of the country to help out and be with me. I was single, and she was going to be my labour support and take care of me and the new babe for a couple of weeks. I knew I would manage if the baby came before she did, but I wanted her there, and she wanted to be there, too.

True to form, being tardy and into dilly-dallying, I didn’t go into labour until after she arrived, 31 hours later. Fortunately my mid-wife was calm and experienced and was prepared to wait for me to get on with things in my own sweet time, so I did not need any medical intervention.

Once it got started, shortly after Shannon’s arrival, labour was fairly rapid. I was thankful to have both Shannon and Erik as my labour supporters, since they were able to assess how labour was progressing, be in contact with the mid-wife to keep her posted on my contractions, run interference with the phone and visitors. It was they who recognized me move into active labour/transition and called the mid-wife; by the time she arrived a very few minutes later, I was ready to push.

In fact, I was so ready to have the baby, that the midwife sent Erik to her van to get supplies while she called the back-up midwife (Come now!), her husband (I’ll be late for supper) and the hospital (they have to be notified so as to be on stand-by), and to continue to monitor me. As it turned out, I was a fast labourer, but a slow pusher- it took me 1.5 hours to work Sam around those bones...

Sam was born at 18:06, Saturday September 30th, 2000, needing a little whiff of oxygen to pink him up before settling in to nurse and snuggle. He weighed 3350g (3.35 kg or 7lbs 6oz, if memory serves). He was a bonny baby, who has been easy to raise and continues to be a real charmer, inside and out.

Happy birthday, Sam!