Birth #2 - This is one is Cory

Jack and I were married in June 1950 and my worries about having a sister or brother for Jana were almost over. We had the goal to get pregnant as soon as we could but we didn’t worry about that happening. “I feel so lucky! I’m finished with school after a hundred years and I have a job. Now we need to look for a place to live not too far from my work.” Jack got his first, Los Angeles Unified School District, job in the San Fernando Valley. He was going to be a first grade teacher. We rented an apartment in North Hollywood that was on the ground floor and had a lawn that we could use. It didn’t have a fence so I always had to be out with Jana. I would carry a basket of toys, a blanket and a chair for me to sit on and we went out every day. Two year old Jana said hello to anyone who passed and made friends with the other tenants. One of Jana’s new friends was Mrs. Zeigleman. She was a woman in her 60’s, a grandmother whose daughter, Helene and grand children lived close by and visited often. Mrs. Zeigleman enjoyed Jana and was invited her into her apartment. “Honey, sit here. You can watch me make cookies. I’ll give you one when they’re finished. What kind do you like?” Jana sat at the kitchen table, talked to Mrs. Zeigelman and watched, waiting for a reward.
I got pregnant and needed to find a doctor. Helene referred me to Dr. Seigel and I made an appointment to see him. He took the call himself and asked some questions. “How old are you? What was your last pregnancy like? Did you have problems with the birth?” I told him that I was in labor for 36 hours with Jana. He said “We won’t let you do that this time.” He sounded so reassuring on the phone that I was looking forward to meeting him.

I came to see Dr. Siegel and was surprised by what he looked like. After I stripped and put the hospital gown on and got up on the examining table. Dr. Seigel came into the examination room. He had Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had never met anyone whose hands seemed so swollen and distorted. “What am I doing? Can he be the one who helps me give birth? How do I get out of this?” I thought with my feet up in the stirrups, ready to be examined. After the examination, which did feel pretty normal, I dressed and went into the doctors office.
Dr Seigel said, “I know you are worried about my hands. I am able to do the work but if you are too worried we can refer you to my partner and he’ll take your case. Would you like to think about it?”
“Thank you. I think I’d like to talk to my husband. Can I bring him next time?” I answered. Dr Seigel was so very calm and informative about my pregnancy that I didn’t want any other doctor but I did think I needed to talk with Jack.
We made an appointment and Jack came with me. Dr Seigel remained my doctor. He told me I should come into the hospital as soon as my labor started. He worked at Cedars of Lebanon so that’s where we went. “Jack, it looks like now’s the time to go.. What do you think he’ll do? He said he wouldn’t let me have a long labor.” I asked. We brought Jana to Mrs. Mrs. Zeigelman and off we went.
Jack was invited into the examining room where the doctor told us he was going to monitor how I was dilating and as soon as it was OK he was going to administer a drug to speed up the birth. “Is that safe?” Jack asked.
“Yes, we use it all the time and have never had a problem. It really keeps the mother less worn out when the baby is born. Especially since her last labor was 36 hours. Way too long! I feel we need to shorten that time.”
Jack was sent outside to wait. In the examining room, Dr. Seigel administered a drug that made me sleepy. He had a young colleague with him and was explaining the process of inducing labor. I listened and found it very interesting. I was groggy but didn’t fall asleep. I didn’t feel anything below my waist and didn’t know if I was ready to have a baby yet or not.
After a while I was taken into the delivery room and my glasses were being removed. “No!” I shouted. “Please don’t take them away I won’t be able to see anything.”
The nurse turned to the doctor, who said to me, “You can keep them but you have to promise to keep your hands at your sides.” He turned to his assistant doctor and said, ”I told you she wouldn’t fall asleep.” He knew a lot about me I didn’t know. A cloth was hung right before my stomach so I couldn’t see what was happening and I couldn’t feel anything but there was a mirrored light fixture above that gave me a wiggly sight of the procedure. I was fascinated. The doctors kept talking and the whole procedure took just a very little time when I heard a cry and a baby was born. It was a girl. A playmate for Jana.
The baby was beautiful. She had not struggled to get born. The induced labor meant she could be helped out without strain. Her skin was very white and when I held her we looked like white milk and chocolate milk. What a treat.

I had a private room in the hospital with no restrictions on visiting hours. Jack, my folks and Jack’s folks came in and out and it was like having a party. No children were allowed so Jana couldn’t come up and Mrs. Zeigelman babysat when Jack came to see me. I couldn’t wait to show jana her new sister. I was there, living in luxury for 5 days. No more mothers in the hospital hall. The baby boom must have been slowing down I thought. Will I have more children?