Sweetie! | Birth photography Zeeland
Jessica emailed me early in her pregnancy. Even before she was pregnant she knew she wanted photos of the birth, so when she was pregnant, she took action quickly. 🙂 This was Jessica’s second child, and her husband Wim’s first. Unfortunately she was admitted to the hospital with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (extreme nausea and vomiting, which results in dehydration and malnutrition). We agree that she will contact me again after the 12-week scan. She did so, but not with good news. The baby’s heart had stopped beating. So sad.
It took a while before she got pregnant again, but a year later I receive another email. It’s March 2014 and this time all went well! Jessica did have Hyperemesis Gravidarum again in the first months of the pregnancy, which made it less enjoyable than it should have been. But from 5 months things improved, and she could finally enjoy the pregnancy! She came to meet me, together with her husband, Wim, and daughter, Yaiza. It was a lovely meeting and Jaiza (8 years old) couldn’t wait to meet her little sister.
The estimated due date was November 15th, and funnily enough the 14th of November was exactly 9 months since their wedding night. 😉 During the pregnancy Jessic developed gestational diabetes. So from week 33 she had to start a strict diet. Finally after all the sickness she could eat what she wanted, but they “took that away” from her again. But she sticked to the diet and it stayed under control, but it was a reason to induce her labour. So they picked a date: the 12th of November. Exciting!
At 8AM they have to be at the hospital. They keep me up to date via What’sApp. Everything happens at a nice relaxed pace, and at 9AM Jessica is hooked up to the monitors. Everything looks good, so they decide to break her waters at 9:45AM. She is already dilated to 2 or 3 centimeters. The amniotic fluid was clear, and now they just have to wait for contractions to start. If they don’t start, then an IV will be started. When the contractions are regular, I’ll go to them. It’s in Goes, so nice and close-by for me. 15 minutes after the waters are broken, Jessica is allowed to get out of bed and she sits on the birthing ball next to the bed. At 11:15AM contractions start, but they are still irregular. I decide to wait until the next vaginal check to see whether the contractions are effective. At 12:50 we find out they definitely are effective – she’s at 5cm!
I decide not to wait for regular contractions after all, and start driving. At 1:15PM I’m in the hospital. Jessica is sitting on the ball and is still chatting happily between contractions. A bit too happily. 😉 These contractions need to get a bit stronger. Every time she gets a contraction she says, “Sweetie!” and that means Wim has to come and apply counter-pressure to her lower back. They are completely tuned in to each other.
In the meantime the room is being prepared for the arrival of the baby. Wim can get the clothes ready. Jessica bought 2 identical outfits, because they’re not sure which size they’ll need. During the scans there has been said the baby could be a little bigger than average. They don’t know if this is due to the diabetes or due to the fact that Wim was also a large baby: 56cm! Also coming from the bag is the book for visitors to write in, and Jessica tells me she’d really like a photo for on the birth announcement card. While Wim looks through the visitors’ book, Jessica looks for the birth announcement card.
At 3PM they come and check dilation again. 10 minutes before the midwife comes in, the contractions suddenly intensify and Jessica wants to lie in bed, and is no longer chatting. She is dilated to 6cm, and the midwife wants to start an IV. She leaves the room to go and get things ready for the IV, but it is clear that the contractions have become stronger by themselves. When they come back with the IV, Jessica asks them if they can delay it a little. She is afraid the contractions will become unbearably strong. The midwife agrees to see how things go for now.
It’s a good thing the IV wasn’t started, because at 4:10PM Jessica is at 8 or 9cm! Yippee! She has completely withdrawn now, and is lying on her side in bed, breathing away the contractions. Wim is sitting next to her rubbing her back at each contraction. If he’s too slow to start, he quickly hears his ‘command’, “Sweetie!” again. Jessica says nothing else. When he hears how far she is, he asks whether he can quickly go to the toilet. 🙂 I take over his role for one contraction, so that he can empty his bladder before his daughter arrives. When he comes back, Jessica says for the first time, “It hurts so much.” Wim whispers some kind words to give her that last bit of courage.
Not much later, at 4:40PM, Jessica can start to push. She goes for it without holding back! In no time we can see a little head! And slowly but surely the baby comes into view! Jessica doesn’t make a sound, and just focuses on what the midwife is saying. Wim is watching the birth of his daughter closely. She already wants to wave to daddy, because her hand is next to her head. At 5:11PM she is born!
Wim is a bit overwhelmed initially, but then he smiles from ear to ear! Her name is Izàrra Rivièra, and she is beautiful! After she’s been thoroughly admired, Wim can cut the cord. Every time he speaks, Izàrra tries to open her eyes. She looks at him continually. She’s such a beautiful baby! A short while later the placenta is born without any problems.
Then they phone the big sister. Her joy is infectious, and it’s an emotional moment. She was soooo nervous, and she’s waited for this for soooo long. She is incredibly happy! She’s coming to visit immediately, with her grandparents. Izàrra is already sucking on her own fist, so it looks like she’s hungry. Jessica has chosen to bottle feed, so Izàrra is first checked over, and then given her first bottle by her father. She weighs 3620g, and is perfect. Then she spends some time skin-to-skin with her daddy. The bottle is quickly finished, and she can’t keep her eyes off her daddy – so sweet!
After the bottle she is dressed, and her mother goes to have a shower. We move to a new room, where we can receive visitors. Izàrra continues to keep a close eye on proceedings from her cradle.
In the corridor we bump into the first visitors, and Yaiza is so happy, she can’t wait to look into the cradle. She keeps saying, “She’s so pretty!” It’s so sweet to see! When Yaiza has had lots of time with her little sister, the rest of the family comes in to admire her. Both grandfathers and grandmothers, the grandma of Jessica, the sister of Wim and also Jessica her best friend is here. I take photos of the whole family, and then a few of Izàrra, for the birth announcement card. I leave a very happy family behind when I leave.
Dear Wim, Jessica and Yaiza, I wish you much happiness with Izàrra!
