Elizabeth Haley Franzello……. 5lbs 14oz……. May 18, 2001

I named her Elizabeth Haley Franzello and with her birth my life changed forever, but before I get into the details of her birth story I must explain the time frame of events. I found out that I was pregnant on October 25th 2000, I remember this date because it was also my ex-husbands birthday. I remember telling him a few days later and at that time he informs me that our marriage I'm 9 years is over and he does not want to be a father. 

 

So Elizabeth’s birth journey begin

 

I had a very rough pregnancy. I spent most of the 33 weeks I was pregnant throwing up (not sure if it was morning sickness or stress or both) I have been put on bed rest because of my blood pressure during week 28. I remember going to my now weekly doctor’s appointment on May 17th, 2001. my appointment was at 3:30.so I have decided to spend the day resting but I sell strange all day I remember thinking it must of ate some bad, food poisoning maybe. I went to the appointment and the same ritual as last week......pee in a cup......blood pressure taken.....Miss Franzello lay on your right side...your blood pressure is really high. I was laying on the table the door flew open with a very concerned Doctor before me...she said I was very dehydrated and she wanted me to go to the hospital she was going to have me stay in the Hospital for 24 hours and give me some fluids. When I got to the hospital they had a bed waiting for me.  I remembering getting into the bed, my doctor coming in and telling me that I had preeclampsia and ready or not I was going to have a baby. My doctor told me I needed to get some rest.   It was a very long night and the next day was even longer.  Sometime in the early evening I was told, I was ready to start pushing.   It seemed to go on forever at the time, but looking back, I feel has I just blinked and she was in my arms. May 18, 2001 at 9:18pm, Elizabeth Haley Franzello let the world know she was here.  She had to be reminded to breath with a little air pillow. But otherwise she was perfect.   

After reading about other cultures and how they look at child birth. I wonder if my child or I would have even made it through my pregnancy if we lived anywhere else.   I read how unlike the United States most of the world looks at having a baby differently. I the US giving birth in a Hospital is just part of the progress. It just the way it is. American’s view childbirth as a highly medical. In many other countries that I just not the case. For example in Holland Medication during childbirth is unheard of. Most births in Holland are still done at home with a midwife.