Daniel's Birth
Daniel Robert Folweiler came into our world at 9:13 PM
on Tuesday, 22 Jan 02. The labor was short, intense, painful, and
unmitigated by pharmaceutical agents. Molly started "pre-labor"
(milder contractions) at 3 AM. She couldn't sleep after that.
Molly came to work with me. The contractions became more
intense mid-day. We went to lunch and Molly could talk through
her contractions. We left my office around 4 PM and went home.
Our good friend Melissa McClintock came over to be a labor support
person. About 7 PM, the contractions intensified and quickened. She
was in transition at this point, but we didn't know it. We went to the
Ballard Swedish hospital. They checked her right away and she
was 6 cm dilated. We had called the midwife an hour before and
again when we left for the hospital. Nonetheless, she didn't arrive for
40 minutes and we were a bit panicky. Of course, the nurses are
pros and could deliver a baby without a hitch, but we wanted the
midwife with whom we developed a rapport.
Before the mid-wife got there, dozens of nurses started rolling in all the
sterile instrument trays, set up the bright lights, and dropped the neonatal
tray down, and turned on the warming lights. They checked Molly
again and she was 9 cm (10 is fully dilated).
Finally, the midwife charged in, followed shortly by her student.
Sally was clearly in a rush. She whipped on the surgical gloves and
checked Molly herself. Molly's contractions were coming quickly and
intensely at this point. We were all convinced she was going to sliding
out a baby within minutes.
Alas, the water finally broke and the contractions eased just a little
bit and the baby's entrance was slightly delayed. But, after a few minutes
Molly's contractions were coming fast and furious again. She leaned on me
for a while (I thought my legs would give out) and sat on a rubber exercise
ball in between contractions. Then she got on the bed and used the squat bar for
a while until her hips ached.
After a bit, she was in a semi-reclined position pulling her thighs toward
her shoulders (with help). After a lot of screaming (screw the "hee-hee-hoo" stuff)
and a bit of tearing, out came a squished little head (but not misshapen), followed
very quickly by the shoulders and the rest of him. I was overcome with emotion
and pronounced, "He's a male!" (I know you're supposed to say "It's a boy!" but
my tongue slipped.)
He wasn't too thrilled about being removed from his comfortable abode.
He cried for the first hour or so. When he was finally swaddled, he calmed down, opened his eyes and started bonding.
Poor guy! All naked and dry. Nothing like the sweet, soft, wet, muffled comfort of Molly's uterus.
Dad tries his best to soothe a distressed child.
.jpg)
Here is proof of his birth weight (7 lbs 12 oz). I can't remember, but Molly thinks he was 19.5 inches long.
He has some hair, which is light brown (possibly with blond highlights). The nurse said it was a little curly,
but it's too short for me to see it. His eyes are very dark. The nurse said he scored two "nines" on his
Apgar tests (once at birth and another at 15 minutes later). The maximum is a ten - he got a point off for
being a bit blue in his extremities (see the photo below).
Daniel finally gets a few comforting words from Molly. Maybe a few kisses, too.
Finally Daniel settles in for some eye contact and imprinting with his mother. Thus begins his life in our family.
I want more! Show me more pictures of Daniel, Camille, and others!