Happy Birthday Genevieve!

Welcome Genevieve Tessie Lara!

July 31, 2010

6:16am

AquaNatal Birth Center, Chino, California

10 lbs 2 ozs

21" Long

Genevieve’s Birth Story

Told by Ann Lara (AKA Mommy)

July 25^th was your guess date. Well July 25^th came and went with no sign you were coming anytime soon! I didn’t think my stomach could get any bigger but you just kept growing and growing in there! All week I tried to keep busy, staying active in the pool, walking and finishing up all the details in your room. On Thursday July 29^th I was planning on going to a concert at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario. The show started at 8pm.

Around 7pm I got my first pressure wave, it was light but enough that I thought twice about going to the concert. Daddy suggested I not go and as the waves kept coming every 20 minutes or so, I agreed. All night the waves came about 20 minutes apart. They were uncomfortable but not enough for me to think that this was the real thing. I was up all night because as soon as one ended and I drifted off to sleep another began. Daddy left for work the next morning and I stretched out sideways on the bed and was able to sleep for a couple hours. The waves drifted to 45 minutes apart and I thought, false alarm!

My friend Nicole and I were going to go to lunch that afternoon (Friday, July 30). I called her and asked if she could bring lunch here. We had a nice lunch and she didn’t mind sitting through my mild pressure waves every 30 minutes or so. We had spoken with Lynn (our midwife) the night before and she told us these could just be practice waves and it could go on for a few days. I thought this is going to be a long 2-3 days! Nicole left and Lori came by about an hour later.

About 3pm the waves started getting stronger and closer together. Daddy had to wait to pick up his check so Lori and I worked through the waves together. Lori called Daddy and asked him to stop and pick up some fruit popsicles for me. When Daddy got home it was close to 3:45 and I believed that this may really be the real thing. The waves were about 10 minutes apart. It was still mild enough that I could watch TV in between. Daddy was in communication with Lynn through text and phone calls to keep them updated on my status. A little before 5pm Daddy called and they said they would prep the room for us. I thought they must think it will be tonight or tomorrow if they are doing that!

About 7pm the waves got noticeably stronger. Lynn wanted me to eat and drink to keep my energy up but I kept throwing up what I put in. The lunch with Nicole was going to have to last me a long time! Daddy helped time my waves with the app on my phone and I kept to our bedroom to ride them out and rest in between. Daddy watched the Dodger game in between helping me (Are you surprised?) and timing the pressure waves. Grandma and Grandpa Hernandez went to Vince’s Spaghetti and got us food to take with us to the birth center. I was able to keep Vince’s soup down and kept working through the waves.

They kept getting stronger and closer together. Lori came back over about 10:45pm and helped Daddy load up the car. Lynn finally agreed it was time to head down to the birth center and we left just after 11pm. Daddy drove nice and calm and we got there about 11:30pm. Lynn met us at the door and Lori unloaded the car for us. Upstairs Joyce, Alex and the two visiting midwives, Naomi and Sarah, from England were there waiting for us.

When we got upstairs we headed right back to the room that we had picked out. They asked if I wanted to be checked or if I wanted to get in the tub. I chose the tub because I figured if I could get checked later and no matter what it would be more then what it was right then. The tub felt so good, it didn’t take away all of the uncomfortableness of the pressure waves but still felt very good. The tub was warm and Daddy got in the tub with me to help me out. We were in the water for a while and I felt a small pop and felt something rushing out of me. I thought I had gone to the bathroom in the water but my water had broken! Alex let me know that is what had happened. You had merconium but no one told me at the time, I am glad because I would have been worried about it. After each hour in the tub we got out and they made me use the bathroom and checked me. On one of the first checks I was 8 cm almost 9. I was so excited; I had kind of started believing that it wasn’t really happening.

With no clocks in the room it was hard to tell when everything was happening. We went back and forth from the tub to the bathroom several times. Alex and Lynn helped coach me through the waves and Daddy put counter pressure on my back while the waves were happening. Sometime (maybe 2 or 3ish?) it was time for me to start pushing. I was fully dilated and I squatted in the tub. I was pushing and trying to remember to breathe through the pushes. Alex told me to “grrrrrr” through the pushes and it really helped! They gave me some oxygen to keep my strength up but you still weren’t going anywhere! We got out of the tub and Joyce said for us to walk the halls and maybe climb some stairs. I liked the idea of the walking part, the stairs I didn’t! Every couple steps I would take I would get a big wave and lean all my weight on Daddy. Grandma and Grandpa Hernandez had arrived at the birth center and got to hear all of the commotion as we walked up and down the hall.

The midwives kept saying to not push and let my body bring you down on its own. I would be able to save my energy this way and not tire out. It was so hard not to push and clench up all my muscles when the waves came though. Some time around 5 I saw a clock for the first time and I said “It’s 5am! We have been here all night!” Lynn told me she was taking the clock down. It was a good idea because I started getting stressed out that it was taking so long. Near the front of the hall I went into a ½ squat and leaned against the wall. It finally felt like I was doing something right. Lynn suggested I get on all 4’s in the room and try that position for a while.

We made the long trek (not really that long but it seemed forever!) down the hall and back into the room. I got on all fours and started working through the waves. Lori set up a fan to blow on me (I was so hot!) and Daddy kept a close eye on me. Lynn could finally feel you; she felt hair before she felt your head! I knew we were getting close and was so happy and relieved because I was so tired and sore. Wave after wave you kept getting closer and closer and as the room started to fill up with people I know we must be getting close! They asked me if I wanted to get back in the tub to have the water birth we had talked about it but I was comfortable as I was going to get where I was and the thought of moving back into the tub didn’t sound like much fun.

Your head poked out and went back in a couple times. I was so frustrated with you! I wanted you to stay out as far as I pushed you and not pop back in. Lori was getting warm wash cloths for Lynn to help the perineum stretch. Finally your head came out and stayed out. Lynn suctioned your nose and mouth while your body was still inside me because they didn’t want you to inhale the meronicum. Daddy was behind me with a towel ready to grab you when you came out. A few more pushes, giving it everything I had left, at 6:16am you slid out in what felt like one big gush. All of a sudden all the pressure, back pain, muscle soreness and discomfort I felt was just gone. It was amazing that you can be experiencing something so intense and in the matter of seconds have it all go away.

I couldn’t see behind me but Lynn caught you coming out and placed you with Daddy inside the towel he was holding. They wrapped the towel around you and suctioned you a bit more. All at the same time Joyce was giving me directions on how to turn around on my back. Grandma and Grandpa Hernandez came into the room right after you came out and they got the ok from Naomi and Sarah. Your umbical cord was so short I had to do some acrobatics to get my leg over you and get turned around on my back. Some where in all that chaos I asked if you were still a girl and Lynn said yes you were! I was glad; I didn’t want to have to re order your name we had up on your wall! They had me talk to you and you let out a little cry, it was so cute! Since your cord was so short they cut it sooner then they usually do so you could reach up on to my chest. Daddy cut your cord and you were laid on my chest/belly wrapped up in a towel.

I couldn’t get over how much hair you had! Daddy got next to me and we stared at you, not believing that you were actually with us! Daddy cried tears of happiness as he looked at you for the first time. A few minutes later the placenta came out and they scooped it up and put it in a bucket to exam it. Joyce gave me a shot of pitocin to help with the bleeding since you and the placenta was so large!

Joyce and Lynn wanted to weigh you right away because you were such a big baby! They took you to the post partum room and came back and told me you were 10 lbs 2 ozs! I couldn’t believe I gave birth to a 10 lb baby! We tried breast feeding in the room but everything was so messy on the bed from the birth we moved to the second room. We got setup on the bed and Alex coached me on how to get you to latch on. It took less then a minute and you were eating! While you were eating Lynn checked everything out down there to make sure it was ok. About this time Grandma and Grandpa Di Donato showed up and came back to the room to see you. They were so excited to meet you! Daddy took you out to the living room area for everyone to get a better look at you and Lynn got a better look at me and was better able to assess everything.  I used the bathroom and the blood dripping down my leg was concerning for me but they reassured me everything was normal. I had a small 1^st degree tear, no stitches required. I never even noticed it or had any discomfort from it.

I wanted to take a shower and Naomi and Sarah helped me out. They didn’t want to leave me alone in case I fainted so it felt a bit like I would imagine a shower feels like in prison with people watching you but after everything that just happened it didn’t seem like a big deal anymore. Plus I had a hard time bending over to reach the shampoo and they were able to hand it to me. After the shower I felt like a new person and got dressed. Lynn checked me one more time and I got to spend some more time cuddling with you.

Before long Lori left, grandparents left and it was just Daddy, me and the midwives at the birth center. About 11am we started packing up the car and saying our goodbyes. We were home by 11:30. When we came home and after Daddy unpacked the car we went to bed! I had been up for over 2 straight days (just a few hours of sleep) and was so tired. As we were getting into bed Daddy looked at me and said “this is the happiest day of my life!”. We all got some good and much deserved sleep!

We are so happy to have you hear. You are such a wonderful and perfect little girl. You have brought so much joy into our lives already. I can say I enjoyed the pregnancy journey and in large part due to the wonderful care I got at the birth center. I had a wonderful labor and delivery as well, I am just glad I only had to push you out once!