A Birth Story...

(REVISED EDITION)
Naomi Rose Norquist

On a cold Alaskan morning, Becky pulled herself into the truck for the 100-mile journey to the nearest hospital for her 38-week check-up. Her husband Jim was in the driver's seat next to her. They had come to Alaska three months earlier to serve for one year at a Bible camp that was located in the middle of nowhere (so remote in fact that the address read: Mile 95 of the Glen Hwy). The hospital to which they were now headed was a tiny, six-room hospital used mainly for workers building the Trans-Alaskan pipeline. It was nestled in a small town called Glennallen. Shortly after arriving in Alaska, their doctor found out that Becky had given birth to twin boys almost two years previously. He immediately ordered a sonogram to make sure that her large belly did not contain two babies again, as they were not equipped to deal with a high risk pregnancy. During that ultrasound, they found only one beautiful baby girl. They gave her the name Naomi Rose. During those last few months of the pregnancy, Jim would often talk to and sing to his little developing daughter in-utero.

After two hours of bumping along, they arrived at the hospital. The check-up was normal, and the couple was told she had another week or two at least before the baby would come, as she was not at all dilated nor effaced. Jim and Becky piled back into the truck and made the long trip home.

Later that day...

It was getting cold enough now, especially in the Alaskan climate, to start preparing for winter. Jim and Becky started splitting and piling wood for the long, cold winter. After throwing wood for awhile, Becky started to have some fairly painful contractions. She sat down to rest. When the contractions got worse, they decided it may be time to jump back into the truck. They hurried their 22-month-old boys, Andy and Ben, over to the neighbors, and once again set off toward the small hospital. Meanwhile, a snowstorm had been brewing, and now hit them with full force. With a pregnant bladder, and a two-hour drive through the mountains, a stop was inevitable. As they crept along the mountainside, Jim looked for a good spot to pull over for a quick pit stop. Becky carefully climbed out of the truck and emptied her full bladder with the snow swirling around her. A gust of frigid, snow-laden wind sent her back into the truck with a shiver.

When they finally arrived, they were told to wait in the clinic's waiting area, because all of the six hospital rooms were occupied. While they sat there, Becky's labor stopped. The contractions were becoming less consistent. By this time, it was the middle of the night. As you can imagine, this was the perfect recipe for misery. Becky broke into tears. They drove six hours to and from this hospital today, and now the labor had subsided. When dawn started to peek over the horizon, the doctor came in and told the weary couple to go home. Once again, Becky was in tears. Just as they were getting up to leave, SPLOSH! Her water broke.

Since all of the hospital rooms were still full, the staff cleared out the hospital waiting area and turned it into a make-shift room for the laboring mother. There was a pull-out couch that they directed Becky to, and there she laid for most of the day.



After almost sixteen hours of enduring contractions in that hide-a-bed, Becky was moved to the delivery room, where she gave birth to a beautiful little girl. Jim turned shining eyes on his new daughter.



The excited couple made phone calls to the anxious grandparents waiting in the "Lower 48."



Naomi Rose Norquist
October 23, 1983
5:45pm
7lbs. 12 oz.
19 3/4 inches long
Faith Hospital


Naomi's ID wristband


Baby Naomi

37 Week Check-up

Our check-up went really well today. Everything was much the same as last week. Here are all the important details:

Group-B Strep (GBS) test: Negative!!!
Hemoglobin: 12.5 (needs to be between 11-16)
Weight gain: 1.5 lbs (34 to date)
Blood pressure: 106/58
Fundal height: 37 centimeters
Fetal heart rate: 148 bpm
Effaced: 40-50%
Dilated: 1 cm
Station: -1


Next appointment: Monday, Sept 17th, 3:20PM

My Newest Trick

37 Weeks

My Braxton Hicks contractions have increased considerably over the past week. I have been getting them several times per day, usually following a spurt of activity. Laughing hard always brings them on as well.


The baby is so big now that it constantly pushes on my ribs, which gets very uncomfortable. It has also recently developed the habit of kicking my ribs and pelvis bones. That baby has one strong kick, cuz it hurts sometimes!


My stretch marks continue to sting as my belly grows larger with each passing day. I have been rubbing Vitamin E oil on them several times per day now, since it relieves the itch and burn.


I have encountered several people over the past week who have asked my due date, and then when they find out it is 3 weeks away, look at my belly in utter disbelief and proceed to tell me that that can't be possible because my belly is so small. Let me tell you folks, my belly is NOT small. It is heavy, painful, uncomfortable and very, very LARGE compared to what it was. To be perfectly honest, my belly looks small because my boobs are so huge and it doesn't stick out much farther then they do. If I were to hoist up these knockers and show you where my ribs are buried, you would be able to see just how big my belly truly is, and I think all these disbelieving onlookers would sing a different tune.


I have been struck with a new found urgency to be prepared for little Presh. I did the final load of baby laundry today, and smiled in excitement as I folded all the tiny onesies, socks, blankets, and burp cloths. Also, I have been pouring over the name book again this week, desperate to make sure we have the best possible names chosen for our dear babe. It is hard for me to believe that the end is so near. It seems like I have been pregnant for so long, and it is unreal that we will see the result of the past nine months, in only a matter of weeks!


Right now, the poll regarding the sex of our baby is almost exactly evenly split. I want to hear your guess. Boy or girl? I promise you will have an answer within a few weeks!

36 Weeks

Can you even believe it? I am in the month of my due date! Only 25 days to go!! With the way the past few weeks have been going, this baby is going to be our my arms before we know it!

I had my 36 week appointment yesterday morning. I give Jared kudos for waking up at 7:45am with me, after getting home from working at the fair the previous night at 3AM. Whew! He is a devoted daddy though, and loves coming to the appointments with me.

Once again, we were met with great news:

• I gained one pound since the last check up (32.5 lbs to date)



• Blood pressure: 102/52



• Fetal heart rate: 150 bpm



• Fundal height: 36 centimeters

Things are really speeding up now! Starting with this one, my appointments have become weekly now. Also, I got several tests done in preparation for labor. I got a pelvic exam today to test for Group-B Strep (GBS), which involved a vaginal and rectal swab (not as bad as I was anticipating). I will find out the results next week. GBS is a virus that comes and goes rather quickly, and 40% of all women are carrying it at any given time. If I am positive for GBS, I will be given two doses of antibiotics during labor, so I don't pass the virus on to the baby during delivery. I was very happy to find out that even if I am positive for GBS, this will not compromise our waterbirth plans! I also got a finger prick to test my hemoglobin, and had to give them a urine sample.

Some of the most exciting news we got today is that the baby is head down, and in the perfect position for birth! I am 40% effaced, 1 cm dilated, and -1 station. (All you moms out there will be able to interpret this pregnancy jargon!) It all basically means my body is preparing for labor! It could be tomorrow, or it could be 5-6 more weeks! You just never know when that baby is going to decide it's time!

Bring it!

Some great comebacks to those rude comments about your pregnancy...
(Erin~ Use one of these next time those rude co-workers bother you!)

"At least I made somebody's heart and brain today. What did you do?"
"You're huge too — and you don't have the excuse of another person living inside you."
"Go ahead, but I'm not touching yours."


Anyone else got any?

35 Weeks

My clothes are all getting too tight! Ah! What is a pregnant girl to doooo? I only have a few weeks left, so it seems pointless to buy any new maternity clothes. But on the other hand, one must clothe themselves! I am not is such a dire situation that I have nothing to wear, but the choices have become very limited. I am ecstatic to be done and meet our little miracle (and regain a body I can handle!)

It really is a hilarious sight to watch me maneuver and roll, twist and turn and grunt, just to get out of bed. Jared giggles at me daily as I grunt and huff while simply going about very normal daily activities. I have tried to convince him repeatedly that these noises of discomfort that escape me are entirely involuntary, but he just giggles more. I am pretty sure he doesn't believe me. Because then he breaks into a series of grunts himself, and turns to wink at me. It's all in love. He tells me everyday how cute I am, and he loves to help me with any task I may find a little too challenging. Like picking up the sandwich I just dropped on the floor, or putting away a cup that belongs in a shelf that's at eye level. I really am becoming slightly pathetic. I feel like the baby has taken over my body completely. But then when I gaze down at the bowling ball under my shirt, I have a hard time believing that an entire baby actually fits in there!

Let me just tell everyone reading right now: Pregnancy is the union of God's humor and his unspeakable power all wrapped up in one tummy. The things that happen to a woman during pregnancy are hilarious at times, but the end result is one of the most beautiful miracles God gives us. I am so happy that I have had this experience, and been able to laugh at the humor of it all, and anticipate the beautiful gift waiting for us at the end. Without these things, pregnancy would be just unbearable!