We headed up north to the birth center a few days before his arrival. This allowed for plenty of time to settle in, and enjoy one another as we passed our last few days as a duo. Here we are at the beach the day before labor started.
Naz Menno Rosenbloom
Born October 1, also Rosh Hashanah and the Eid (last feast of Ramadan!)
Named after the city where he was born, Nazareth, and Adam's mother's father whose anniversary of his death was today.
Weight at birth was 8.8 Ibs and length as 22 inches
The labor was everything I'd ever hoped it would be: deeply hard, gratifying, and raw. Adam was a rock and was with me contraction for contraction for all 30 hours. We labored at a birth center in the Galilee and were attended by two midwife friends of mine here, they were amazing. The hours we labored we walked in the gardens, danced to music prepared by my sister (awesome mixes of Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benetar, and other such inspiring faves to me), and spent lots of time in the water in the tub at the birth center. Everything I'd ever wanted. We really had a great time.
However, after 30 hours of long, hard labor I was stalled out at 7 centimeters (for about 8 hours) and little Naz had not even entered the birth canal. We all decided it was best to transfer to the private Arab hospital in Nazareth. Upon arrival I decided with calm and contentment to have a cesarean as the idea of laboring with an epidural for some mystery amount of more hours with little hope of moving him down was too much for me. So, Mindy our midwife and I headed into a surreal, uneventful surgery and Adam awaited the arrival of Naz to join him in the nursery so he wouldn't be alone. Given the circumstances, as lovely as it could be. Really.Here is the view from our hospital room, Nazareth.
Being in the hosptial was hard, I won't lie. People in and out of the room every hour, an incredible amount of pain, and a great sense of isolation as it was just Adam, the babe, and I. Every once in a while folks would drop by and each times I felt my spirits soar. But I needed to get out of there, so I checked myself out three days early and we headed back to the birth center.
We returned to the birth center for some water and cranial/sacral therapy, and to try to catch up with all that transpired in our bodies and spirits in the last week. We arrived home in Be'er Sheba last night to a clean house, a stocked fridge, and meals that keep arriving provided by our friends in Adam's program here. What a wonderful community we feel apart of.
Thanks for the love, keep it coming. We are doing well all in all. The current focus for us is that I am having some trouble nursing while doing my best to not get swept under by the emotions and hormones shifting inside of me. A full time job, both. Adam's family is here, and I can't even describe how helpful that is. Let us know when the rest of you will be cruising by, we can't wait to see you!!!!
More to come, promise!
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