Susanna's Birth Story, Part V

“Oh, Paige!” I heard Brian say. “Oh Paige, it’s a girl!” and this tiny purple mess of limbs was placed flailing in all her sliminess on my chest. “You’re here!” I wept. “You came, you came just when I needed you to!” Donna put a warm towel over the baby and me, and then a heating pad behind that, as I rubbed the towel and patted the baby’s back, staring at her face while she gurgled and sputtered, all squinty-shut eyes and wide, wide open mouth. Her gurgles slowly changed to a lusty cry and she turned from purple to pink, her limbs slowing to occasional jerks, settling, calming. We kept her at my chest for a long time, as she became aware of my nipple and gradually figured out what to do with it. When she finally latched on, we rested, and told her her name—Susanna.

Soon after that, I delivered the placenta—no big deal—and Donna realized that the baby had passed a huge amount of meconium all over me and our bed. This was the first of quite a few indications that even though she was only two days “late,” Susanna showed evidence of some degree of postmaturity. Besides the meconium, she also had very dry, wrinkled skin (particularly her feet, which had deep cracks), long fingernails, and the appearance that she had sort of shrunken back in her own skin. Still, everything appeared to be perfectly fine, and after she had been latched on for a while, we got up so that I could shower, cleanup could begin, and the baby could be given a more thorough examination.

Once showered, I climbed back into my freshly made bed and held Susanna so that her big sister (who had slept through the entire delivery and only recently woke up) could meet her. We had prepared Lea as much as possible, and although she seemed somewhat bewildered by the whole thing, she greeted Susanna with a smile and a kiss on the head. Then she got to help give Susanna a bath while I sipped juice, listening to my sweet daughters get to know each other. “She needs fishies,” Lea offered, pointing out her collection of bath toys. When Donna told her that Susanna wasn’t quite ready for bath toys, Lea said, “Oh. Next time, she takes a bath with me!”

Lea also helped get Susanna dressed, and after Susanna was weighed and measured (8lbs 1oz, 20.5 inches long), we all climbed into bed for a family picture. I consider it to be a very good sign that Lea quickly got bored, acting more interested in the bottle of lotion next to my bed than either me or the baby. Since then, the pattern has held: alternating fascination with the baby and preference for doing her own thing. She’s an amazing big sister. I love watching them together, and I love our new family of four.

I am so grateful to my husband, who read extensively about being a good birth partner, and to my caregivers, who never missed a beat—who encouraged me with their kindness and confidence, and who instilled confidence in me through their professionalism and expertise. I could not have asked for better care, from anyone. I am proud of myself, too, but mostly I consider myself very blessed that Susanna’s entrance into the world was so peaceful, an act of creation, an act of life—uncomplicated, but beyond any words I can muster.