Sweet TINY Emily!

Baby Emily 

5 lbs 81/2 oz. 18 in long, head 12 1/2 cm, chest 12 cm. Born on Monday, January 16, 2012- 1:51 pm 

9 am - It was my day off, Martin Luther King’s day and I was sound asleep, sleeping in, when Anne called me at 9 am to say that our expecting mother's water had broken and that her contractions were about 5 mins apart. I laid back down for 10 more seconds, closed my eyes, and then the reality of what she has just said, hit me! I was an hour and a half away and her contractions were 5 mins apart!!!! I shot up, took the pups out to pee, brushed my teeth and was out the door! 

11 am- I arrived at 11 am to their wonderfully old fashioned, romantic, rustic home. With children’s scribbling all over the walls, flower pots and religious art everywhere, and an LOVELY light yellow baby nursery. This home was so dreamy. Anyway, I arrived to Anne telling me that she was just 4 cm. A few hours later, I checked her and found; 8 cm stretchy to 9, 80% effaced, -1 station. SROM, cx 4-6 mins apart. She labored beautifully, her husband at her side. Only problem was, the bb girl was not low enough and asynclitic. We had her change positions  and by 1:45pm she was wanting to push! She squatted on the side of the bed and pushed a few times and bbs HT dropped to 118. We gave her O2 and they quickly recovered. 

About 30 mins later she said, “I have to go to the bathroom”, so I followed her, holding the O2 tank. She sat on the toilet, had a few cx and about 2 mins later, said...

“she is coming!!!” I jumped in the bathroom with her and put my hands underneath her bottom to catch the bb in the toilet. Anne came in and said, “get her on the floor”. I was a little disappointed! I thought this was going to be my first toilet bb!! Anyway, we got her onto the floor and I was ready with my hands underneath her as she squatted on the bathroom floor. One push, I felt the bbs head emerging. HEAD OUT! Then one more push at 1:51 pm and BABY OUT! She was the SMALLEST thing I have ever seen in my life. 5 lbs, 8oz and so so tiny! I feel that she was possibly IUGR. The placenta was just as small, as was the umbilical cord. Interesting considering that this mama and husband were both LARGE people; tall and big boned. Anyway it was all in all a wonderful birth!! PRAISE YOU LORD, thank you so much for allowing me to be the first to lay hands on your precious new child. I feel so undeserving Lord. All the Glory and praise to you, Father!! 

 Baby Emily, nursing right away!

OPAH!! The Greek Baby.

Born on January 6th, 2012, to a beautiful mother. She is bubbly and easy going and so sweet! It was a warm thursday night and I had just gotten home from a long day of prenatals with Anne. Full of bellies, heartbeats, urine sticks, and measuring tape...I was glad to be home but excitingly anticipating the birth of Demetria's baby. Anne called me around 9 pm and said that Demetria's contractions were 8 mins apart, but because she lived quite far from me, I should get going soon. I drove and drove and drove down to Rancho Cucomonga where this baby was to be born. 

Then I received the DREADFUL text, “baby born 3 mins ago.” Oh no! I missed her arrival! 

Well, I arrived to the house about 10 mins later and I walked in the door and up the stairs to find beautiful Demetria laying in bed with her new 8 lb baby GIRL in her arms! Her husband lay beside her, beaming but tired. She looked radiant, not a hair out of place and all smiles. The whole house was quiet and calm and little baby Zeela was busy nursing away. Thankfully, my preceptor midwife has arrived before me to make sure that everything went well. About 30 mins later, I checked her perineum and she had a nice tear, so I sutured her up, using catcut sutures. It was a fine suturing job, and before I knew it, it was finished. She looked wonderfully back to normal. 

A few minutes later, the dad, to now 3 children, took his newest addition over to the sink to bath her. It was the most precious sight I ever saw. She sat in the sink, held and protected by his hands as he gently washed her down with warm water and a wash cloth. She cried for a second, then realized that she loved every minute of it. 

Did I mention that this family was VERY GREEK? Both mom and dad, full Greek and along with baby Zeela, they had two other children named, Zenobia and Zacharias. Such an adorable Greek family! We left only 2 hours after the birth and I was home before midnight! Thank You God for this family and for allowing me to watch such an amazing bond between a father and his daughter. And thank you Lord for baby Zeela!