I'm a grandma

[Guest guest]

Granny Carol is happy to report that daughter Tammy was delivered of a very

healthy baby boy at 1:10pm January 20. Aidan Lucas Ahmed are the given names. 8

lbs, 3 oz, and 21 " long with a fantastic Apgar score of 9 (very unusual at

this altitude, so I'm told). Labor pains started at midnite, went from 2 "

dilated at 2:30am to 8 " in only 6 hours, but then she asked for an epidural and

everything slowed down tremendously. Doc finally suggested suction machine, as

mommy was just exhausted and had little strength left to push anymore.

It is indescribable to relate all the feelings. So so different from the days

I had my babies, when only the father was allowed in the labor room, and NO

one in the delivery room. Anyone the mother wanted there could be there. No

separate delivery room (which was like an O.R. 40 years ago. It all happens

right

there in the same place, and they don't whisk the baby away to the nursery

when you're aching to hold it. Baby gets passed around to whoever wants to hold

it. And stays with mommy the whole time she's in the hospital unless she WANTS

to send it to the nursery for a respite. Daddy got to cut the cord, AND stay

overnite in the same room until mommy is discharged. Amazing. Makes the

birthing of my day seem totally barbaric. I remember being strapped down, hands

and

feet, like a prisoner, and so lonely for my baby and my family.

But it was also very hard to watch my own child go thru so much pain. At one

point I couldn't keep helping with the labor team, I was crying too hard. More

later. I gotta hurry up and get back to the hospital so I can hold that kid

again !!