Birth Stories

NEW LIFE - Daughter May 14th, 2003 6 lbs 4 oz

Fatima Aisha

I remember waiting for each and every prenatal visit, eagerly.
I loved going to the doctors to have them measure and feel and tell
me how much I've gained and how well me and baby were doing. I
especially loved hearing her little heart beat.

Everynight I'd wonder how beautiful and smart my daughter would be.
Also worried I wouldn't live up to being a good mother. Or a better
mother.

My due date was May 7th, 2003. That day had passed and I was getting
impatient. I wanted to meet my Princess. So, I had a check-up scheduled
for a possible induced labor. Which I was dreading and fearing.
Funny how nature takes its course when it feels like it because it felt
like beating the Doc's to it.

May 14th, early morning...oh, I'd say around 5AM I started having pains.
My (then) husband was sound asleep. Swear to goodness- a battle could
be passing right over him and he wouldn't wake. So I decided to wait
as long as I could for him to wake himself.

I sat in bed for a little. Excited but SCARED! Then I went into the
living room and sat on the couch for a little bit. Biting my lower lip
every miniscule contraction. As I sat on the couch my kitty Lilo came
over and sat on my lap. Or, more on top of baby. I think she was able
to feel that I was in pain. So I stroked her fur and enjoyed her comfort.
Not too long after I decided to wake him.
He was up in a jiffy and getting ready.

My appointment that day was at 11am. I kept telling him I wanted to wait
until the appointment but I was also scared that the baby would plop
out any second. So at 9AM we caught a cab and headed towards the hospital.
God, that was a long day.

They had me sit in bed with all them wires and thingys strapped to my belly
and arm. What killed me the most was when they told me I couldn't eat
anything.

Sure enough, the contractions were getting stronger. Me- more scared.
Whenever the contractions got stronger I thought, "Ok, this is painful.
I think I'm ready to start pushing. They're painful enough, they can't
get any worse."

Boy, was I wrong.

Uuugh! What made me really start panicking was when they inserted that
long hook and burst my water for me. When I felt the trickle and flow
I started crying and shaking and felt so cold. And I couldn't stop trembling.
My whole body trembled.

When it got time to push, I can't remember too clearly but I know I was crying
out loud and squeezing the sweat and blood outta' my (then) husbands hand.
He stood there next to me, wide eyed and silent. Woulda' laughed but
I was in too much pain.

This nurse with a deep, heavy African accent was there, "Breathe, Iris,
Breathe!"
1 2 3 PUSH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH 10!

I wasn't breathing right so they put the oxygen mask on me.
It made it worse, so I thought. I couldn't breathe at all with that
thing on my face. They put something in my IV, instead of the epidural.
WELL, I still felt ALL the pain but I couldn't keep my eyes open.
I just kept telling myself, "No more kids. Let this be over. I promise
no more kids, just please hurry this up!"

I pushed for maybe a good 30 minutes, I'd say. Then, her head was out.
They yelled at me to stop pushing while they checked her and everything.
I waited.

5PM- Last push!!!! And there she was. Covered but yet so beautiful. My baby,
I finally saw and met my baby. They took her to the table and cleaned her
up. As soon as she was out, I forced my eyes open and kept them on her.
I felt EXHAUSTED!!! I kept asking if she was ok. Why hadn't they handed
her to me immediately? I was worried because I hadn't heard her cry.
But when her tiny, sweet voice let everyone know she was finally in this
world I started to cry. I was so happy.

I held her in my arms and it was just so precious. SO beautiful.
Her pink face and head full of hair. God! She was beautiful. And still is.
I didn't want them to take her away. I wanted to hold her and never let
go. And it felt like eternity when they would take her away for testing or
baths or whatnot. I couldn't sleep, waiting for her to come back.
She's the light of my life. And very smart and very beautiful.
I don't know what I'd do or where I'd be without her. She keeps me sane.
She keeps me loved.
---------------------------------------------------------------
New Life - Son March 24th, 2006 6 lbs 7 oz

Hayden Alexander

"Second time around, it's easier and faster." Faster, yes. Easier...
I wouldn't say so. I'd even say it was more painful.
That boy was two days late but when he was ready to come out,
he sure let me know.

March 23rd, late morning I started with the pains. I went to work with
my mom and my daughter. My mom was a Nanny and she would bring my
daughter with her to play with the younger child, who had become
like a brother to Fatima.

I walked around. Sat around. Walked some more. I was avoiding going to
the hospital too early to just sit in a bed again. The pain
eased up everytime I walked. And late afternoon I thought it was false
labor because I was hardly hurting anymore.

But when I got home, later that night it got worse. Each and every contraction
was immense. Breaks in between were short. Pain durations were getting longer.
Biting down on my lower lip wasn't helping.

My mom would keep telling me to breathe. I tried but I felt like I was
about to explode. SO, around 10PM we called our dear friend, Bonnie,
and she came over to pick me up and take me to the hospital.
It's funny though, because on the way to the hospital I wasn't hurting
much.

Got to the hospital, got strapped and IVed, checked and hooked again.
My prenatal doctor was there and he was the BEST!

I watched King of The Hill while gripping the side bars on the bed
for every contraction. I'm sure I could've yanked them right off. Around
11AM he checked my progress and told us, Bonnie stayed with me, that
within 3 hours the baby would be ready to come out.

We waited those three hours watching back to back King of the Hill.
I wanted to call my baby's father so bad to be there by my side. SO
he would be able to see his first baby born. But I restrained myself
because I felt like he didn't deserve to be there after what he did.

Doctors came back 3 hours later and checked me. I couldn't stand it
anymore and started pushing. DR started gathering all the supplies
and instruments and gloves and smock. He kept telling me to "Hold on!
Hold on!" All I could think was, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'HOLD ON'
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GET THIS BABY OUT OF MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I had even made a promise to myself to never, ever EVER get pregnant
again!

The pain was killer. Dieing probably felt sweet compared to it.
Didn't take too many pushes and in no time at all, around 1:30AM, my
Prince was born.

He looked purple. And he was silent. I waited. And waited. He cried out
and I lay my head back on the pillow. When they handed him to me he felt
so warm.

I knew he was a strong boy. I knew he would be fine. I rested. And I waited.
From the moment he was born I could feel his masculinity. I knew he
would be GREAT and strong and kind hearted. He is wonderful!
And he takes care of his two girls very well.
He keeps us safe.