Written by Melissa Tomczak

Picture taken by Joseph Tomczak

From the start, we wanted you to be introduced into the world within the safety and security of our loving home rather than a hospital. Your caregivers were very supportive of our decision and prepared us well for the happy event. We had two midwives during our pre-natal checkups:  Michelle Janutka and Carron Canning. A third midwife assisted at your birth because Carron was already presiding at two other hospital births. Her name was Maureen Silverman. Our doula, was Carol-Anne Brockington. She helped me cope with the labour pains and followed up to ensure we were both o.k. with the breastfeeding.

You were due on Monday April 28th 2003. On April 29th, I was still very pregnant and anxious for you to arrive. I visited Carron at 9 in the morning and she examined me indicating that you would be delivered at any time.

Having a good sense of things, I went to the grocery store on my way home and stocked up on lots of delicious food.  Somehow I knew today would be the day. In contrast, your Papa was spending the afternoon upgrading the electricity in the basement and by the time the contractions started coming at 6 in the evening, he was ready for a nap.

By 7:30pm the contractions were quite strong and at best were no more than 5 minutes apart. I called Michelle and she asked me to drink something sweet and feel for your movement. You see, she didn’t think that I was experiencing true labour contractions. By my descriptions of the pain, she felt that my body was merely preparing for the contractions to come. She asked me to page her if I didn’t feel you move more than four times in the next two hours.

Papa and I lay on our bed, his hand on my belly and we waited for you to tell us you were o.k. You responded by kicking and squirming and we knew all was well. We were anxious for your arrival. 

By 10:15pm the contractions were very intense. I needed some help to cope with the pain. Papa called Carol-Anne and she arrived at about 11pm. By that time, I really felt ready to push and we paged Michelle again.

She arrived at 1am. Maureen joined us at 2am. She called us on the way because she got a bit lost and I remember shouting directions in between contractions until Papa told me to concentrate on delivering you instead. By this time I was really focused and had withdrawn into my self. I knew people were in the room because I heard them but couldn’t see more than four or five inches from my face. Your Papa helped me with various positions to cope with the pain. We “slow danced” beside the bed, he supported my back as I labored on the toilet and in the end, I laid down on our bed as the pushing continued.

You arrived on Wednesday April 30th at 3:27am. You weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and were a long 22 inches. Eucalyptus incense burned in our candle-lit bedroom and you came into the world during a melodic version of “Greensleeves” from the Celtic Lullabies CD, I purchased only weeks before.

In total, I laboured for about nine and a half-hours with very little breaks in between contractions. I pushed for three hours (Papa thinks I wasn’t trying hard enough!). I remember saying privately to myself that this is too hard, I don’t want to go through this again. Now that the labor is well behind me, I only remember the joy I feel knowing that you are part of our lives.