blossoming
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I’ve moved the May pictorial articles onto separate pages so that slower modems don’t
have to deal with the entire month’s images at once.
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| 010525b | 010524 | 010522 | 010520 |
birth, right
Baby boy Gadzikowski (unnamed but we’re thinking Gabriel Roland) was born Friday evening
at 18:43 (6:43 PM) May 18, 2001, via cesarian delivery.
Yesterday’s week 39 ultrasound indicated that our boy was already 10 pounds and 12 ounces!
Even thought this measurement has a +/- 2 pounds accuracy, his head diameter
was 6cm smaller than his torso diameter, so both the natal specialist and our
general OB strongly recommended a cesarian delivery to avoid complications with
his shoulders through Deb’s pelvis and birth canal.
Oh, boy—are we glad to listen to the experts. At delivery, he was 11 pounds, 1 ounce;
22 inches long; 98.1 degrees Farenheit, with a (good) blood sugar of 58 whatevers.
As of this writing, 2AM Saturday, I’ve fed him twice, and he’s had one bath.
I was allowed in the delivery room, with camera and minidisc recorder. I was dressed
in a white paper jumpsuit, including coverings on my shoes, head and face. Deb was not
required to wear a face mask, and she got to wear blue. I believe medical personnel
was wearing green.
Deb was numbed from the chest down, but remained conscious. The anesthesiologist, Carl, was
cool dude maximus; he talked Deb through the surgery like a flight controller teaching a
kid to land a plane for the first time.
The three surgeons had a blue cloth screening her view from her belly,
like the cloth you see in the movies between the camera and the gnarly activities.
However, from my vantage point at her right hand, when I stood up I was able to watch.
The staff even gave me permission to take flash photographs of the action. I avoided
immortalizing any icky things, but took one picture of his head and face as they first emerged,
plus captured one shot of him still attached to mommy by the cord, but entirely clear of her belly.
I really hope they turn out.
I recorded the baby’s first cry, and later his hiccups, and other small noises.
As planned, I went with the baby when he was taken to a room for initial examination. Within
half an hour we were reunited with mom in the recovery room. He was in physical contact
with—or listening to the voice of—at least one parent for the first six hours of his life.
He's sleeping now, two feet from me.
Deb’s sleeping finally, six feet away. She’s recovering strength, but has been
given anti-nausea drugs she requested in her IV. This helps her retain the clear liquids
and ice chips she’s been allowed.
I’ll post the pictures and sounds here as I am able.
to be or to doula
We've retained a Doula, a professional midwife! She taught one of our classes as a
substitute teacher, telling keen stories from her personal experience, expressing
her preferences about what should and should not be done at a birthing event. Her
preferences matched with ours in every issue, on every point. She knows how it
should be done.
Deb and I agreed that we wanted her for our labor and delivery without needing any conversation.
Luckily, i had the cash for her retainer in my pocket, having been extravagant at the
automated teller that morning. It was fate.
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