Zach's Birth Story

Zach was my first baby. Since I was 35 when I got pregnant with him, I was somewhat concerned but not overly so. My husband, Brad, and I had taken a Lamaze class so we were prepared. My due date was Friday, March 26, 2004 but that day came and went with no sign of labor. The next day, I went to breakfast and shopping with my mom and dad. We were shopping for buttons for my husband’s work shirt, and I had one in my coin purse to compare them to.

Around noon, I started to feel what I thought was a backache, but it was very mild. My parents dropped me off at home and my husband arrived home shortly after that. Throughout the evening, I noticed contractions and started to time them around 6 PM. They didn't become steady until about 10:30 PM, when they were three minutes apart. About 20 minutes later, I paged my midwife. I told her about my contractions and she suggested if I really wanted to have natural childbirth, I should stay at home for a few more hours to make sure I wasn't sent home from the hospital. I agreed but the contractions were worsening. I started to pack my hospital bag while I waited, but ended up having to ask my husband to finish because the contractions were so hard.

By 11 PM, I called my midwife back and told her I decided to go to the hospital. She said I should do as I felt and they would call her to let her know how far along I was when I got there. I called my mom and dad to let them know we were going to the hospital and they said they would meet us there.

We got to the hospital just before 11:30 PM. My parents were already there and my dad suggested a wheelchair, but I wanted to walk inside. When I got to the hospital, I was already dilated to eight centimeters. I labored in the bath for a little while, my midwife arrived, and she broke my water. By 1:30 AM on March 28, 2004, my sweet little man, Zach Hiroshi Garcia Yamasaki, was born. He was 21½ inches long, and weighed seven pounds, two ounces. His eyes were open and curious about the world–as he currently remains. And, although I did get some replacement buttons, I still keep the original in my coin purse.