Joe’s Very Own Birth Announcement

“STORK HEIR-LINES announce” Front cover for Joseph Russell Linton’s birth announcement

In preparation for moving back to Los Angeles (soon, but no definite date yet), we’ve been going through my boxes, piles, files, racks, shelves, drawers of stuff, stuff and stuff. Sorting some things, tossing some, giving some things away. I came across my very own birth announcement. I’ve posted pictures of the front (above) and the inside (below.)

Beginning Carrie’s Version of Maeve’s Birth Story

Maeve Margaret Linton Lincourt – born July 30th 2013

Written a week after the birth – the morning the grandparents headed home.

It was most pain I have ever experienced – more than I had expected. Don’t know how I did it for 12 hours – my sense of time was completely different – it passed more quickly than usual.  Starting right when we got home from the walk (about 8am) until I started pushing at about 4:30pm, the contractions were steady and intense.  The pain was in my lower abdomen – and into the creases of my hips.

I made a loud, constant noise/tone on each exhale, over and over through each contraction, the sound I made got louder and “truer” as the intensity of a contraction built – when I would hit the “truest” tone (exhale) of a contraction I felt like I was transforming myself into pure vibration for a moment. I had the thought that I sounded like a bleating sheep or those Bulgarian throat singers, that I sounded like I was discharging very early grief – my own birth? and that I was discharging (healing or resolving) the pain in the exact moment I was experiencing it.  My inhales felt short like I was gulping air.  I wondered if they were too short.  I think the toning made me dehydrate quickly – my mouth felt dry and I drank a lot.

I kept my eyes closed and face buried, pointed toward something, the tub wall or couch cushion, most of the time – would look out once in awhile between contractions at Joe, Marci, Maritza, Raizy and Vicki. This way of coping was totally intuitive – making a vibration seemed to be the best way to make the pain bearable. The contractions came very regularly with what felt like short breaks (I wonder how many I had in total – how many it took for her to come out.) I could feel when a contraction was coming and it was a short run up (couple of seconds) until the pain was full blown. 

Our Home Birth Story: Welcoming Maeve into the World

(hey everyone – this is a birth story – it’s perhaps a bit graphic – some real blood, adult themes, not for everyone)

Maeve just after being born. Her head was still somewhat oblong then, as it gets squeezed going through the birth canal

Two days ago, Tuesday, July 30th 2013, my wife Carrie Lincourt and I gave birth to Maeve Margaret Linton Lincourt, a 21-inch long 8-pound 4-ounce daughter. Our first. We had Maeve at home, in the flat where Carrie has lived for the past 6 years. Below is my account of the incredible, intense and ultimately wonderful home birth experience we had.

Let me start by saying that I am a very imperfect witness. (This is a concept I borrow from Primo Levi, one of my favorite authors, who, in The Drowned and the Saved, states that, as a survivor his Auschwitz experience was highly unusual, and therefor he is not the best person to tell the stories he does.) As a male, I was there, was supporting, but I didn’t go through one-hundredth of what my wife went through… nonetheless, I am going to try to tell the birth story as I experienced and remember it… so we can share with friends, family, our future selves, and our daughter. (Another imperfection is that I didn’t take a lot of pictures. I was in the thick of it supporting Carrie… thanks to others for taking quite a few of the photos here.)

For the past months, we’ve been preparing for a home birth. Various friends of ours had successful home births (including my neighbors at L.A. Eco-Village), so from even before we became pregnant, our intent was to have our baby at home. This was welcome to a lot of our friends, but some folks who were less familiar with birthing at home were worried for us. Overall, though, it was a decision we knew was good, and the more read and listened and talked – we felt better and better about our choice being right for us (though perhaps not for everyone.) 

The Birth Story: Extended Prelude

Cristina, Rich and Carrie at Liberty State Park yesterday

My wife Carrie Lincourt and I are due to have a baby on July 25th 2013!

That’s yesterday.

Apparently first time moms do tend to run about a week late. We thought that we might be the exception, but it’s Friday, a day “late” and there’s no baby here yet. I thought I would write down some of the story of the last couple days… and how we thought maybe we’d deliver right on our due date.

On Wednesday night, July 24th, Carrie’s dad and stepmom arrived in town. We went out to dinner at Rustique, and during the meal, Carrie started having contractions. We knew it was early and this early labor could last days… could come and go… but I, at least, got excited that things were moving and the baby would arrive any minute… or at least in a day or two.