I'm well past the birthing years. I “descended into the valley of the shadow of death” six times, and all six popped out female.The oldest is almost 27, the youngest 16. As they have grown and become women and gone on to live their lives and become the people they were meant to be, I have noticed something quite interesting: The personality of each one parallels their birth experience.
Let me illustrate. Number One daughter was 48 hours of labor. She has grown up to be identified with the Life-Label, “Everything I do takes longer and cost more.” She was the hardest child to raise, and was the hardest child to birth. She has grown up to be amazing and a best friend, but she did do some things the hard way.
Number Two Daughter came out in half the time, 24 hours. Straight forward, no nonsense. A calm child. And she remains one today. All I really remember about her birth was that I went in to labor, went to the hospital, and then had her. This daughter has always been known for her common sense attitude toward life. See something that needs to be done? Just get ‘er done. Like being born.
Number Three Daughter was all over the place. She was the first transverse-lie baby that was turned to a head down position while in the womb in Utah Valley. In other words, the kid decided to be carried sideways. She swam and kicked and was a wiry little thing. Her due date was also all over the map. First I was on time. Then I was induced. Then I went home. Then I was late. Who knows when that baby was supposed to come? She was a worry before she came, and she was a worry at times growing up. She is still wiry, active and busy.
Number Four Daughter was the most cooperative birth. We were waiting for a house to go through escrow and it was taking a long time. We were living with friends while we waited. This daughter was due on Thanksgiving, but I did not want to have her until we were at least in our new home. So I talked to my stomach and said, “Little Baby, just stay in there, okay?” And she did—for two-and-a-half more weeks. The day we moved into our new house, I went into labor and a few hours later she slipped out. As she grew she always did what she was supposed to, and was the first child I didn’t have to go to juvenile court with for some silly infraction like water ballooning or curfew violation.
Number Five Daughter did not want to be forced to come into the world. She was stuck in the birth canal and would not come out. So the doctor tried to grab her head with forceps, which she kept craning her head to avoid; and my husband, who was assigned to push on her from above, commented with astonishment that she was kicking him. She entered the world mad. As she grew she always placed a high value on her own choices and power of agency. Never try to make her do anything. She gets irritated.
Number Six Daughter had the easiest route to life: Caesarian Section. Like her older sister, she was also a sideways baby, but it was because my uterine muscles were shot and couldn’t hold her head down. We decided Caesarian and she entered the world unscathed and unsquished. She was lovely from minute one. Her life has continued to be pretty unscathed and unsquished being the last of the flock of chicks. She has the biggest bedroom and most privileges. She entered easy, and things just seem to be continuing that way.
You young mothers out there in the “production” mode, I tell you these things so that you might pay attention to the characteristics of your baby’s births, because as they grow you might begin to realize they came into the world with distinct and strong personalities. No two are alike, even in the beginning.
