A day of birth... party

Walking while in labor is supposed to speed the process. I read that somewhere. I'd also read using a breast pump will stimulate contractions naturally. I did a lot of both but my labor just didn't want to start. I was blessed to have my high school friends more then willing to come over and entertain me while we waited. We walked up and down the street, pausing now and then while I waited for a slightly more then a menstrual cramp type pain to pass and then start walking again. Wondering if people were looking concerned or thinking I was just crazy.

At some point the hospital called and said I should probably go back. They were right, had I'd known the risk of infection, I never would have left to begin with. Hindsight is 20/20.

Anyway, my labor was awful. I had both sets of parents and a multitude of  friends in and out to keep me occupied. Which was good because hard labor wouldn't come for a very long, long, time.

From the time my water broke to the time I actually gave birth, was almost 3 days. I was pumped full of I.V. fluids, the nurse had missed my vein and my entire arm puffed up to double its size, it would later turn to a mass of bruises.

I was beat up and worn out. I finally took the Pitocin. We waited and waited, my contractions peaked and my pain was a sudden a red hot rush of suffering I'd never known. Still refusing the pain medication I trudged on. I don't know what I was trying to prove, if anything at all. My concern for my babies health was misguided. I refused the medication for her safety but stressed her by stressing myself. Again, an innocent mistake made by someone too young and uneducated to know better.

The doctor was exhausted, my mother was exhausted, my best friend was too.I was weak and worn out. My body was fighting a losing battle, when i finally reach 9 centimeters..I began to close up again. The doctor looked at me and my mother and said "Enough, is enough..can we do the C-section?".

Hesitant, but too weary to protest, I gave in.

They stuck a needle in my back and the sweet relief came. I could smile even. The pain stopped. I was wheeled to the operating room, only two people could come in and they had to be older than 18. So my best friend could not. My mom was coming and I asked my dad but he thought of his wife, who'd never given birth herself. So my mother and my step mother were the first to see my baby enter the world.

It was shockingly bright in there. I wanted to watch but they wouldn't let me, afraid I might pass out from shock. I was drowsy but excited. It felt like they were crunching potato chips on my stomach. Everything smelt like disinfectant. I heard my mother "ooh" and the doctor say " It's a .." which I finished with boy because I was so certain, I'd bought all boy clothes.. "girl!"..

A GIRL!