Tell me about your birth

Week 2 - Tell me about your birth

It was late May in Phoenix and the hot dry desert summer was quickly approaching.  Although the daytime high temperature in late May averages 99°, records of over 110 have been recorded. In 1954 the weather was temperate. On Saturday May 29^th the high was only 95° and the night time temperature dropped to 64° which was significantly cooler than expected.

Mom was in labor with her fourth and final child. She was a patient at Good Samaritan hospital in Phoenix (now Banner hospital), which was just down the street from her parents house. The hospital was not very close to her home in the farm community of Kyrene, just south of Tempe. She and Dad left my three older siblings with family, I think my Gates grandparents, but I'm not sure.

At 10:37 p.m. their daughter finally made an appearance.  I was a healthy, full term baby, weighing 7 lbs. 8 oz. and 20 ½” long.  I had dark hair, dark eyes, and was instantly loved by both of my parents.

Although Dad wanted to name me Maude after my grandmother, Mom wanted a more modern name. She settled on Margaret June, and when Mom made up her mind, it was a done deal.  I am much like her in that regard.

Mom and I spent a few days recovering at my Reppel grandparent’s home on McDowell Road before returning to the farm. Mom noted in my baby book that my first outing was the trip home.

Being the mother of four children, Mom was too busy to make many notes in my baby book.  When I was a kid, I decided it needed more entries. I drew a small hand in the blank spot where the baby’s handprint was to be placed.

Being the youngest, I was spoiled; my parents used to say that whenever I would cry, one of my siblings would try to give me a bottle so shut me up.  My sister Shirley was only 21 months older than me; she didn’t want to give up being the baby. She said she was the big baby and I was the little baby.

According to the family story, “Grandma Gates,” (my great grandma who lived just down the street) was babysitting the two of us.  Shirley was an early talker with a full vocabulary. She told Grandma “Give her a bottle and put her to bed and rock me."

As a young woman, I hadn’t given a lot of thought about family planning in the 1950’s.  One day my mom made a comment about the best thing that happened to her was the diaphragm. She had gotten pregnant on her honeymoon with her first; and there was less than 2 years between each successive baby.  After 4 children, she had had enough. I'm glad she didn't discover the diaphragm any earlier or I might not be here to tell this story.