Blended Love

Chapter 4: Ainsley's Party

The holidays came sooner than I expected. Halloween had come and go and Thanksgiving was creeping up slowly.

I was officially 16 weeks pregnant now. My breast had grown a full cup size, my belly was very noticeable, and my hips hurt like hell always. I took a few days off from work so I could be home for a Doctor's appointment and relax around the house with Alanna.

Alanna went with me to my appointment. As we were waiting in the waiting room, I looked over the birthing plan pamphlet the front desk lady had given me.

"Alanna they are going to charge me $30,000 to have this baby at their preferred hospital. What the fuck," I whispered loudly.

"That's crazy. That's a down payment on a house."

"I can barely afford these appointments let alone 30K, and I still have to buy clothes and bottles and stuff for the baby." I start worry rubbing my protruding belly.

"Don't stress. We will figure it out. When we get home I'll call one of my friends. She had a baby last year and got all this assistance from the government. They gave her a car seat, play pen, clothes, and gave her and the baby insurance. We're gonna get you help."

"Thanks, Alanna."

"Of course. And shit if you're really about it we can have this baby by ourselves at the apartment. Just fill the bathtub up and pop that sucker out," she says jokingly, but I don't take it as a joke.

"Alanna. Why didn't I think of that?!"

"What, having the baby at home? I was just playing girl."

"No, not necessarily at home, but with a midwife at a birthing center. I remember seeing a TikTok of a lady doing it and it actually looked cool."

"Christian, you seriously want to push a baby out in some room, at a birthing center, with no epidural?"

I always thought of having a natural birth without pain medicine. My mom did it all natural with me. If it was in a hospital or in someone's room it didn't really matter to me, but I bet it was a whole lot cheaper with the midwife.

"Yeah. I think I'm really set on that."

She looks at me incredulously. "You're crazy."

I laugh as a nurse comes out to escort us to the back. The nurse weighs me and asks me preliminary questions. I'm officially 10 more pounds than I weighed before getting pregnant.

Once I enter the room I unbutton my pants and lift my shirt up for the doctor to conduct the ultrasound. Alanna and I watch in awe as we watch my little baby moving around.

The doctor finishes up. "Everything looks great with the baby," he says, "you got any questions or concerns for me?"

"I actually was wondering about birthing at home or at a birthing center in a tub."

"That seems to be the new craze for your generation. I don't see the appeal." He leans back to sigh and adjust himself in his stool. "Having a baby is a risky business. Anything can go wrong and it's safest to have your baby at a hospital where life saving care is easily and readily available to you. Most midwives or birthing centers will not give you an epidural or pain medicine to ease the pain either. You will be in agonizing, pain for hours while you try to get that baby out of you. And they don't assist you, it is up to you to push the baby out. It's not worth the risk to me. And the hospital that we're partnered with has the best staff and turnover rate for c-sections in case you choose to go that route or an emergency intervention leads us there."

"Oh, okay. Well, awesome thank you for that information. I don't have anymore questions." I say politely.

"No problem. Maddy at the front desk will have your ultrasound pictures from today," he says before leaving.