The contractions were still happening-even after all of the rest and medications.... She was tired of 'resting'. She wished for a midwife, she wished to be able to do a home birth. But there was no home birth midwife to be found. Her husband did not want to go unassisted...so to the hospital they would go.
Care from a OB was ok, she was more attentive with her than her other clients, at least that is what the nurses told her. Actually, a few weeks ago- she had gotten brave enough to attempt to switch to a Midwife who was serving in a different hospital, made the appointment and everything, but the OB had agreed to all of her demands when she had told her she would be changing care providers, -so she canceled that appointment. The OB agreed to everything --except one....
She knew when she was due, and yet-the OB was going by the new 'toy' in the office. An ultra sound. Little was known as of yet about ultra sounds, so health care providers believed they were safe. She had now had 3 of them....
Years later she would learn the truth and she would regret her decision to allow those to be done...but for now, she trusted her care provider...trusted her comments and suggestions.
Except for their disagreement of the due date. And she disagreed with her OB telling her that she was not ready to deliver this baby. That the baby was not ready. She knew she was ready. She knew that the baby was also ready. But the medical community right now felt that to deliver even 2 weeks early was a big no -no. So she had been sent home after they had 'stopped' her labor, she was 4 centimeters, and was told to stay on bed rest. But now, she was tired of all of this.
Tonight, she would be up walking around, tonight was a date night-a family night, so they would go out to eat as a family.
That evening they went to the family restaurant in a town a half an hour away, where they could get family style. Her husband and 3 children, all ate a hardy meal-she ate about 6 pieces of chicken herself, lots of mashed potatoes and gravy, and plenty of stuffing. She felt 'stuffed'.
Everyone asked when she was due, and she would just smile and say soon. But those twinges that were coming so softly now, were regular. She did not think it would be long.
When they were done, and when they stood up to go, she felt it stronger when standing--- she had to take her daughter to the restroom, but it was getting difficult to walk. She she swayed and waddled. Standing felt difficult to her, she felt heavier...the pains felt stronger. They did not hurt, but she knew they were serious.
By the time she came out of the bathroom with her daughter, she was doubled over with a strong contraction. She told her husband they needed to go quickly. Everyone around her just looked and whispered...the cashier hurried them thru the line.
On the drive home, she suggested to her husband to stop at a friends home to see if they could drop off the children. No one was home. This was years before cell phones, before she would own a cell phone....
They made it home and she called her family, as her husband put the children to bed. A family member, one of them, would come up to stay with the children. But no one was home. Not one family member on either side of their families. So her husband got the children back out of bed. Meanwhile, she had went to the bathroom... pressure she was feeling a lot of pressure, she did something that medical people said to never do-she reached up inside and felt for her cervix. She was greeted with a large water balloon, and knew she was open to about 6cm. So back out to the living room she went. Her water could go at any time!
She began to read the bible story about when the donkey spoke to the 3 children sitting now on the couch, as her husband got the children's things packed for staying away from home. She read with earnest and the children listed not. They were focused on their mother as she would stop now and then and pant ...they found this odd. They were worried about her, worried that she was hurting and they told her so.
Finally, into the car they piled and off to town they headed. If they had to take the children into the hospital- they would.
But-finally- the very last place they stopped, that couple was home and as she started to get out to help unload the children, they told her no, and quickly grabbed all of the items. they could tell she was in active labor. She handled it well, but her breathing was a hard panting....
Now it was just her, the baby and her husband. They were blocks from the hospital, and when they arrived she was taken quickly up to the OB unit. Her husband was called away to sign her in, this was so frustrating, why take him away when she was so close.
Earlier, she had called a friend who wanted to see a natural birth, and that friend now arrived at the hospital. They prayed for things to go smoothly and quickly. The nurse had checked her, and felt that she had some time yet to get her "ready" for delivery. A saline lock would be placed in the back of her hand for the "just in case". The nurse struggled starting that, first dropping the needle, needing to get a second one, then trying again. Meanwhile, she had had 2 contractions since the nurse had 'checked' her. She felt the baby move down, and felt like she might be ready to push. Yes, the pressure was greater and she was sure she would be able to push now... SO she told the nurse, but the nurse looked at her and said no your not. After all, she had been laughing, and laughing women do not go this fast in labor ...laughing women are not in enough pain to be that far along....or so the medical world thinks....
But she still encouraged her to check...and after checking her again-the nurse said, oh no, don't push! And away she went running leaving her alone, with the friend in the room, and her husband still out of the room because not more than 1 person can be in the room with her....
The doctor arrived and asked her why she was not back in the delivery room yet? The doctor knew how fast she delivered, and so she pushed her back to the delivery room herself---where was the nurse? Her husband sat at her side, and her friend was allowed to stand in the doorway of the delivery room....eventually the nurse showed up and kept saying "I ain't never seen a birth like this..."
just a few pushes later, a little baby girl was born....
and that was 24 years ago....today....
Happy Birthday
~Nalani (meaning calmness of the heavens)
~Rose (after your grandmother, Rosella)
