Birth Story Part 1

Many people have asked me to share baby Sevryn's birth story, and while it's still fresh in my memory, I've decided to share with my readers about my journey into becoming a mama. Of course, if you are squeamish or just don't care about babytalk, best to skip these posts and put your fingers in your ears, saying, "lalalalala..."

The final days:
My last day of work was July 8th, 19 days before my due date of July 27th. The midwife had been telling us the baby was measuring about a week ahead, and I was certain that I didn't want my water to break and go into labor at my office on the 34th floor on 5th avenue. Getting to and from work was increasingly difficult- wait, let me correct myself, it was an effing NIGHTMARE! I would choose to walk to and from work because taking public transportation at that point was the worst possible hell. Buses and subways were so crowded because of the peak of tourist season, and no one would offer me a seat. That's right, a 38 week pregnant woman in NYC cannot get a seat on the bus. Women, more than men, would get up and give me a seat, which I still think is so absurd. As soon as I boarded, newspapers would fly up in front of the faces of men all throughout the train or bus. Several times, I would find a young man and quite bluntly ask him to give up his seat. In the last weeks before delivery, I was so irritated with the lack of chivalry that I told the bus driver as soon as I swiped my metrocard that I needed a seat and just let him/her take over and majestic someone get up. I should note that it wasn't that I needed a seat because I physically COULDN'T stand, but rather because I REFUSED to stand on a moving bus or train lurching around at high speed. Balance and agility are two traits that do not seem to come to mind when one is hauling a 20 lb watermelon under their dress. I was terrified of falling when the vehicle stops suddenly, or even worse, another person falling on top of me or pushing into my belly to stop their fall. In any case, I was NOT too shy to demand a place to park my pregnant ass.

I also gained a new understanding of what it must be like as a senior citizen in NYC. I was slow-moving, always looking for escalators or elevators instead of stairs, and had to sit down and drink water all the time
To just take a break while I was out around town.

I also can't even tell you how many people asked me if I was having TWINS. It was just assumed, since I was so huge! I started just agreeing with people and saying, "yep! A boy and a girl!" when they asked. It was just easier. There are 2 reasons I decided, that people would assume I was having twins: 1) that they had never seen a woman at full 40 weeks term, or 2) that most women stay at home all the time once they get that close to delivery, and I was still out all over the city every day, riding the bus, the subway, walking through times square, etc. I figured, if my water broke, no one would even notice, since there are thousands of other people on the same sidewalk anyway. I did wear a huge pad, tho- just in case!

Check out this belly, in the final days of my pregnancy:







39 weeks- 4 days before giving birth


So...yeah, I was huge, but I really was ALL belly. Oh, and ankles. My ankles looked like they were about to give birth as well:





I literally had creases in my ankles of where the rolls
were acumulating from all the water retention. I only wore long maxi dresses that covered my ankles and I literally had ONE pair of leather flip flops that fit, and that was it. Even my toes were puffy! It was SO hot in July, and we had weeks of 105-110F temperatures. I was retaining SO much water that I would drink a whole liter of water and still not have to pee.

Cory and I started gelato dates after work a couple times a week. We would meet up at Grand Central Terminal after work and get huge dishes of gelato and then walk to the park and eat it there. It was such a fun little ritual! One day, we walked by a psychic on 41st St who was doing a palm reading and she stopped in the middle and looked at me as I walked by and said, "you're having a boy!" EVERYWHERE I went, strangers told me I was having a boy. The only person who ever said it was a girl was my best friend (who has 2 girls), Kristi!