Rosemary's Birth Story

First of all, the obligatory baby tax. 2 weeks old and freshly bathed.

I suppose I should start off with some background information for this birth story. I have a history of having macrosomic babies (over 8 lbs 13 oz) and quick deliveries. The active labour for Edgar was only 3 hours long, and the active labour for Arthur was 3 hours and 42 minutes. Because I had set a "trend" of big babies and short labours, we operated under the assumption that this would be the case again for this pregnancy and I mentally prepared myself for such.

By some miracle, I had obtained the same midwife who caught both Edgar and Arthur. As before, we'll call her "N" for privacy and simplicity's sake. Because she was present for both prior courses of care, she knew my history well. Because both large babies and fast (or, precipitous) labours carry risks for hemorrhage, in addition to a few risks new to this pregnancy (very low ferritin for me and a marginal cord insertion on baby's placenta) we discussed and decided that I would deliver in hospital this time, and that I would not be allowed to carry into 40 weeks. If we got to that point, we'd induce...

Growth

my early life years were vancouver
fast and grandiose and wild
predictably capricious

I married young

younger than most these days

twenty two.

I can't and don't do it all.

Hold on and steady yourselves, folks. This is a long and intense one.

I recently had some say to me, "I don't know how you do it all," and it took all of me not to break down and cry at them that I can't and don't "do it all." No one can and no one should. At the very least, not all at once.

Facebook has the ability to make us all look far more stable and successful than the mercurial beings that we are in reality. Everyone is drawn to paint themselves as the perfect career woman or homemaker, mother, popular chick, or all of the above; and when we don't conform to that, we're told to stop complaining or told that we're exaggerating.