Taken from my small red Journal, Page 270....Dec. 15, 1983
In Sacrament meeting it was mentioned that we should write down for our children what happened during the time of their birth. So Jodie this is for you....
Jodie Margaret was born on Dec. 2, 1983 at 4:24 am, on a Friday morning.
Early Friday morning about 12:30 am, I told Michelle (17) not to go to bed, because I though I would be going to the Hospital, and I wanted her to be aware so she could take care of the kids and house.
The labor pain was 5 minuets apart. I put my coat on, got my suit case and purse. I woke Lynn who was asleep on our bed, and asked him kidding if he was going to take me to the hospital, or was going to drive myself. By the time Lynn got himself together and we were ready to leave, the contractions were about 2 minuets apart.
When we arrived at Phoenix Baptist Hospital, I was surprised the people made me walk back to the labor rooms, which wasn't the easiest to do. After I was settled Dr. Farrar came shortly and gave me a paracivical block, and a baby's fetal heart beat monitor was strapped on my stomic, to keep track of the baby's heart beat. I had such a bad cough that every time I would cough, I would wipe out the monitor screen.
Margaret Ortez, one of my nurses attached a fetal heart monitor to the top of Jodie's head. The monitor has a small screw, that screws into the skin of the baby's head. At this point I had dilated to a 6 and the bag of waters had already broke.
This was the first time I had a baby heart monitor used on any of my 6 children. What a blessing it was. Every time I would have a contraction the baby's heart beat would drop. I remember the heart beat being around 138 and dropping to the fifties. Margaret would turn me from side to side trying to relieve the pressure off the baby.
I remember looking at the clock, it was about 1:05 am, and thinking the baby would be born about 1:30 am the way every thing was going. Shortly Dr. Farrar came in and said the baby's heart was dropping low and felt we might have to take the baby Cesarean. I responded to him knowing the baby was in trouble, "lets go", he said it would take a while to get every body here. I wasn't sure who all he meant...It seems now that there was a lot of people there.
I am not sure what happened from 2 am to 4 am. I remember them getting me ready to go to surgery...trying to get the bed moving, and having to disconnect the wire from the monitor. I thought to myself that it made sense to disconnect from the one monitor and replug into another monitor in surgery, rather than dragging the whole unit with us.
I must of been drugged at this point for I do not remember any pain or contractions. I had no desire to even open my eyes to see what was happening. However I was very much alert spiritually or mentally, and could hear all that was going on around me.
I remember being wheeled to surgery, we stopped someplace just inside the doors. My senses made me think of a extremely small room, or hallway space to the left side of the surgery room. I was there about 5 minutes. There was no baby monitor there, and the nurse insisted the fetal heart monitor be plugged in. "the Dr. wants it constantly monitored!"
They wheeled me into surgery, and plugged the monitor in. I don't remember them moving me on to the surgery table, but I am sure they did. I do remember being strapped down, my arms straight out on both sides, and they also strapped my legs down. I couldn't move, nor did I wish to. I already had an IV in my hand through which all medications were administered.
The Anethesealogist had a real neet accent in his voice. I don't know what he looks like for my eyes were closed. He kept talking to me letting me know what he was going to do. His voice kept my attention. It was nice to be spoken to and comforting. A oxygen mask was placed over my nose and mouth. I felt that not enough oxygen was coming through the mask. Having Asama I panic when I feel I can't breath. I called out many times, that I can't breath!. Shortly the Anethesealogist said he had opened one of the ports or vents so I could get more air. It helped but it could have been better.
I must have slept. I could hear voices on my left side, nurses I think, concerning the baby's heart beat. I heard Dr. Farrar voice, he was waiting for the baby Dr. (Dr. Conley) who had not arrived yet, every one elts was there. At this point I don't remember the mask being on my face. Just a slight feeling I might have a tube in my throat. ( I asked the nurse later about it and she said that I did have a tube.)
Dr. Farrar and the nurses was talking about how low the baby's heart beat had dropped, down in the 30's. Dr Farrar said he couldn't wait any longer. Someone said "he's here!" meaning Dr. Conley. "He just walked threw the door." The Anesthesealogist was given the information he was to put me completely under, which they hadn't planned to do. He asked Dr. Farrar "Now? Dr. Farrar!" to which he received a yes.
Dr. Farrar made the incision. I felt the pressure and a little pain. It hurt when he removed the baby, but only briefly. Nurse Margaret was trying to remove the fetal heart monitor at the same time Dr. Farrar started. Dr. Farrar said its a girl. I remember thinking I didn't hear the baby cry. I didn't worry anymore about the baby for I knew Dr. Farrar would take good care of her.
I felt I could go to sleep and not worry. I had the strangest feeling. I was completely awake but couldn't move a mussel, nor did I wish to. I don't remember how long I was awake.
The next I remember was being in recovery with a nurse telling me that I would be put in the hall on the ward until a bed was available, which would be soon. I was placed in the hall across from a door way. Every time someone walked threw the door a cooling breeze came across me, which felt good. I later learned it was the doorway to the children's ward. I was placed in room 305, bed A. The hospital helicopter pad was just outside my window. I could hear it come and go all hours of day and night.
I wanted to know what had happened during surgery, I asked if Lynn was around, to which the nurses couldn't find him. I thought maybe he had gone home to check on the kids. The nurses found him at home and told him I would like to see him.
After 8 hours they brought Jodie to me. The first time I got to see her. My what a beautiful baby she was. Such big beautiful eyes, looking all around just as if she was in a hurry to take all of this world in at once. She is a very contented little girl. Jodie looks so much like her older sister Pauli. Jodie was born with a birthmark. A large red mark under her chin on the right side. It can be seen in the pictures of Jodie when she is 8hr. old. (the Picture of Jodie and I in the Hospt. that Lynn took.) Jodie at this time of writing is almost 2 months old her birthmark is very light pink and hardly can be seen. I believe it will probably go away. Jodie has long thin fingers, As my Dad would say, she would make a good piano player. She is so sweet.
Latter as I visited with nurse Margaret, I learned that she worked with Jodie for two hours to get her to breath on her own. Jodie was so active, that she had wraped the cord all around herself, and never would have been born naturaly alive, because the cord then was too short to supply oxygen for her. This nurse Margaret, gave us permission to give her name to Jodie. She also sent a little stuffed brown and white dog, for Jodie's 1st birthday. Latter when Jodie would take swimming lessons, I would have to tell her teacher to watch Jodie, for she would have to tell her to breath after getting her face wet, to get her to do it. Jodie would hold her breath and not breath.
At our Dr. Appointment I was told by the office staff, that Dr. Farrar was real shook up when he had returned to the office after Jodie's birth. He was so afraid we were going to lose her.
And I had lost so much blood that I was not permitted to stand to hold Jodie. He kept us in the Hospt. for 5 full days because I had no help at home.
To think about it now, we must have been a scary problem for Dr. Farrar. Nancy who worked with him a lot told me that Dr. Farrar was one of the few doctors who would not ignore a baby after it was born, he would make sure it was aright before he would leave. He was also diabetic, and it was not unusual for him to ask for a candy bar during a delivery.
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