Jan became a Baba!

My daughter Heather developed pre-eclampsia 7 weeks before her due date and was admitted to the hospital on Valentine's Day until the baby decided to come. On Feb. 18th, I did a belly cast for her at the hospital and then friends paid for her to have a pedicure. Later that day at 7:30 pm, Heather's water broke and when checked, she was 3 cms., 100% effaced and contracting. We rushed downtown and got settled into her birthing suite. By then she was 6 cms. and moving right along. Because of the pre-eclampsia, it had to be a very medical birth BUT Heather describes it as being quite intimate. Her husband, Dror, her male midwife, Patrick, and I were the only ones there except for the nurse. Even though Heather had a 'carousel of IVs' as she called it, she was able to labor without pain medication and avoided an episiotomy. Believe it or not, the experience lasted only 2 1/2 hours because Zeev Stanley Mallak-Yaron was born at 10:04 pm weighing in at 5 lbs. 7 ozs. His apgars were 9/9 so the staff let him bond with his parents for 30 mins. before taking him to the NICU. He never needed oxygen or a chest x-ray, only an IV. After 8 days in the hospital, he was released and has been thriving on his mommy's milk ever since. He is solely breastfed and now weighs over 12 lbs. in only 2 and 1/2 months! Here is a picture of him with his daddy. I LOVE BEING A NEW BABA - especially as I celebrate Mother's Day today!