Baby Born in Bethlehem, Pará, Brasil

We thought it was pretty cool to have a baby born in December in the city of Bethlehem (Belém in Portuguese). A reminder of a miraculous birth so long ago—the dawn of redeeming grace.

Almost there!

Two hours after delivery--Mommy meets Juniper!

Tears of joy!

She can have anything she wants!

Swaddling clothes.

Pleased to meet you.

Our view.

First diaper change.

"So this is the world, huh?"
Brothers meet sister.And now there is five.

I ordered coffee to go.

She's official.

Home, Jeeves.

Juniper Bea Stewart arrived at 5:30 am on December 7, weighing 7.7 pounds and measuring 20 inches long. To quote her big brother Finn, “She has a tiny chin…she’s so cute!”

Needless to say, having a baby in Brasil was a bit different than our experiences in Spokane. Of course, as a husband, my role was largely the same—trying to be supportive and helpful and trying not to say anything stupid like, “I’m tired of all this standing.” Although I’ve never swatted mosquitoes in the labor room before—that was new!

Jill woke me up at 1:30 am, and it was time to go. While we waited for the taxi, we packed the final things in the suitcase—a rather large suitcase because we had to bring such things as:

• Diapers, wipes, baby shampoo & cotton balls
• Pillows & sheets (for me)
• Post delivery medical stuff for Jill
• Hat, gloves & socks for Juniper
• Jill’s entire medical file
• Cash for the doctor

It took less than 15 minutes to get to the hospital which is a real answer to prayer since during rush hour the drive can take over an hour. Our doctor was waiting for us as well as a missionary nurse, Jacobine, without whom we may not have survived.

They immediately whisked Jill away, and I stood at the counter getting us checked in. We paid cash in advance a few weeks before because they won’t let patients in until they’ve paid the projected bill. Finally the paperwork was done, and I dashed upstairs to find Jill in a cramped, stuffy room with a couple beds, several gurneys and some miscellaneous medical equipment laying around. The air-conditioner was on but couldn’t keep up and before long I was dripping sweat—to say nothing of Jill!

As Jill huffed and puffed, a woman next door was giving birth. The door between the rooms was thin, and we heard her screaming and then silence, then the cry of newborn. Apparently, most births in this hospital are C-section, so the staff is unfamiliar with natural birth. Jill asked for water and the nurse was astonished. “She can’t have water!” Jacobine rolled her eyes and demanded the water—NOW!

The room grew hotter, so we opened the window and let some night air in. It helped a bit (nights here are usually around 78 degrees Fahrenheit). After what seemed like a day, but was actually two hours, the doctor said Jill was ready. They put her on a very skinny gurney and warned her not fall off. I went and changed into scrubs, and then we moved from the hot mugginess of the labor room to the cold sterility of the operating room.

It was like stepping into a medical scene from a 1940s Technicolor film. Mint green tile on the floor, walls, and ceiling, bright lights, scary metal implements.

When Juniper popped out, she was very blue—like a bluestone angel. They whisked her to a cold table, and she quickly turned white. After cleaning her up a bit and letting Jill have a brief, brief look at her, they absconded with her to the nursery. Jacobine stayed with Jill while I went to make sure Juni Bea was treated with the dignity and respect my first daughter deserved. In the nursery under the hot lights, Juni turned quite red. Red, white, and blue—she was born in Brasil, yet illustrated her nationality. I stood and stared through a tiny window at our sweet little gift.

Meanwhile, Jill, after having the placenta forcibly removed (you didn’t know an umbilical cord can function as a handle, did you?), was wheeled out into the hall for ‘observation’. Back on the gurney, they tucked her in under a big wool blanket and told her not to talk or lift her head. When she did, a nurse would reprimand her, “No talking, keep your head down!” Jacobine rolled her eyes yet again.

I waited with Juniper, and Jacobine waited with Jill. Finally, two hours later, we were all united. We gave the doctor a wad of cash for her services and she left.

The rest of the story is fairly normal…normal for Brasil.