Clara Janette

Clara is 3 weeks old and she already has her first cold. I guess that is what happens when you are child #4 and your older siblings (with colds) can't stop kissing you. Fortunately, it's not too bad and she seems to be on the mend today.

It's time for me to provide the details of the last 3 weeks- starting with Clara's birth. Since I've been asked so often how giving birth in Switzerland differs from the US, I thought I would compare the two.

The Labor
US: In the US I was always admitted to the hospital at a very early stage in my labor. An epidural was given shortly after my arrival, so I never really experienced any strong contractions. Could it have been more perfect???

SWITZERLAND: Here in Switzerland midwives deliver the babies, and let me just say they prefer things natural. There were all sorts of devices meant to help along the labor in the delivery room- huge bouncy balls, ropes hung from the ceiling to hang onto, a big jet bathtub, a CD player and a stack of Enya CD's...it was my worst nightmare. Early on the midwife suggested that Andrew and I go for a walk, and so we did. After about 45 minutes the pain became unbearable and we headed back. I was sure that I would then be offered an epidural, but boy was I wrong. Instead I was offered tea and a hot sack filled with cherry pits for my back. HERBAL TEA! Are you kidding me??? I kept asking for an epidural, and the midwife kept putting it off by telling me to breath through my nose. After several hours my salvation finally came in the form of a shift change. A new midwife was on duty, and her first order of business was to get me an epidural and some pitocen. Words can't describe my gratitude for those miracle drugs. An hour later I was delivering the baby.

The Delivery
US: My deliveries in the US were all done by a Dr accompanied by several nurses. After each delivery the baby was whisked away by the pediatric nurses who gave the child a good cleaning and checkup. I would then feed the baby, hand him/her back to the nurses, and go to sleep for at least a couple of hours.

SWITZERLAND: Here there were only 3 people in the delivery room during most of the labor- me, Andrew and a midwife (who looked younger than me). At one point I started to panic wondering who would help the midwife if a problem arose- Andrew?? I'm sure whether there was nearby help, but it was a little disconcerting not physically seeing it. Towards the end a nurse did come, and that put me a little more at ease. The delivery went great, but immediately after pushing out the baby the midwife yanked down my gown and placed the baby on my chest- cord still attached and all. She was then confused as to why Andrew and I (who both get weak at the sight of blood) didn't want to look at the placenta or cut the cord. No thank you!!

The Recovery
US: My US hospital stays were 2 days filled with bad hospital food and constant interruptions from some nurse wanting to check me or the baby. It was also like a lock-down with all of the security measures taken to ensure that the baby did not leave the maternity wing of the hospital. The upside to those stays was the nursery- which is where I always kept my babies at night.

SWITZERLAND: Here you stay in the hospital for 5 days (I chose to only stay for 3). Compared to the US, no one comes to bother you and you and the baby can come and go as you please. The maternity wing of the hospital is open to anyone, and they even had a handful of strollers in case you wanted to take your baby for a walk outside in the park. A nurse also told me that most of the mothers keep the baby in their rooms rather than in the nursery. The care for the baby, like everything else, was also a lot more natural than the US. For example, at the end of day two I was a little concerned that my milk hadn't come in yet, so I suggested we supplement with a little formula. Holy cow, you would have thought that I suggested we give her soda in a bottle. The nurses were horrified and instead brought the baby a little bottle of watered down herbal tea. Again with the tea! The food for me, however, was spectacular! Each day I was given a menu to choose from with options like muscles, veal and steak. They even had a cart that would come around with snacks like brie topped with figs and walnuts. That was my favorite part of the deal.

Overall giving birth in Switzerland was a great experience. As I mentioned, the labor and delivery philosophies were a little more natural than my taste, but I can certainly understand and appreciate why many women prefer this approach. We're just all grateful to have a new healthy member of our family!

Andrew brought the kids to meet Clara for the first time right after church. I knew they would be excited, but I wasn't expecting them to be so ecstatic. Their reaction to their new sister was one of the sweetest things I've ever seen.

My mom also came out for 3 weeks (there will be a tribute post in her honor later). Can I just say that I could not have done the 3-to-4 kid transition without her? What a life saver!

These past few weeks have gone by so quickly, and yet it is hard to remember life pre-Clara. Words can't express how much we all adore this sweet baby.