Josie's Chronicle

Chapter 26: Buffalo Girls

  Alexis lay on her side, resting her pregnant belly on a pillow. She was now thirty-nine weeks pregnant.
She found that she was swollen in places that she never knew could be swollen. She remembered that Josie's feet were always swollen near the end. She wondered about the birth. It would be nice to ask questions of someone you'd known awhile, but she'd asked the doula a lot of questions, and the birthing classes had helped a lot.

  The doctor knocked and entered the room all at once. The doula greeted him. "Hello, Dr. Godsey. Fancy seeing you here." He smiled.

Alexis said nothing. Pam, the  baby's mother, began to ask questions. "How much longer is it gonna be? I didn't have to wait this long with the other three. Is there something wrong?"

   Both the doctor and the doula laughed. Doula Mia took Pam by the shoulders and planted her on the settee next to the window.

Dr. Godsey sat down and looked at the chart before handing it over to the doula.
  "Things look fine, Mrs. Prentiss. Your baby isn't in a hurry to get here. He is, I suppose, waiting to be evicted."
   The Doula placed the chart on the end of the bed and helped Alexis onto her back, placing the pillow under her knees.
   "I've checked her, and she dilated to three centimeters. She's been that way for two weeks. I suggest that we admit her to the birthing center."

The doctor nodded his head in agreement. He stood up and walked over to Alexis. "Do you have any questions? I get that you're the bread basket, but until this little guy makes his appearance, you have the most say here."

   Alexis smiled. "Do you even have a tentative ETA? Are you certain that everything is ok?"
   The doctor nodded, "Doula Mia is excellent at what she does. We've delivered many babies together. So if she says you should be admitted, I believe her."
  He turned to Mrs. Prentiss. "I suggest you call your husband and make plans for you to stay with her in the birthing unit. You did make plans for this in your birthing agreement, correct?"
The woman's face was now very red. "Of course not! This has never happened before!"

  Doula Mia placed her hand on Alexis' belly. "Mrs. Prentiss, Pam, I have discussed this possibility with you and your husband at each and every pregnancy. There isn't anything wrong. We just want her here because the baby could come anytime."
  Pam took out her phone and  voice called her husband. Placing him on speaker phone, she asked if he knew that the birthing unit was an option for them. Mr. Prentiss barely got the word "yes" out before she disconnected the call.
She glared at them and left the room.
  Forty minutes later, the nanny, Pam's mom, entered the room.
  She was a friendly woman. Alexis had met her at the beginning and wondered why she'd chosen to be a nanny for her grandchildren.
 
     "I'm so glad I got here before you got checked in." She said, speaking directly to Alexis.
"How do you feel, honey? It won't be long now."

    Alexis smiled. She liked her.

    "Doctor, I was told to ask for the star room by the other nannies."

The doctor nodded and left the room.

Doula Mia hugged the woman. "I always enjoy seeing you, Nan."

    Alexis listened as the women spoke about the birth. This most certainly wasn't their first rodeo! By the time transport came for her, they'd decided that she'd have a water birth, no matter what Pam had to say.
   Nan told Alexis that it would be far less traumatic for a first-time birthing experience.
"Don't worry about Pam, I am after all is said and done, her mother. Don't take anything, she says, personal. She was always an excitable child. so different from her siblings." She winked at Alexis. "I must explain her anxiety about this birth. You see, this is to be her last child born by surrogate. Don told her that he wouldn't spend any more money on surrogacy." She stopped talking and helped Alexis out of the hospital gown and dressed her in a short pink gown. It came just to the bottom of her buttocks. It had snaps and velcro closures. It was made of the softest cotton Alexis had ever felt.
   "This gown has been worn by the women in my family when giving birth. Pam has worn it the last three times. But now, I'm putting it on you. She can wear it again when she gives birth." The woman smiled and helped her back onto bed.
  Doula Mia moved over to the bed and raised the sides.
"Pam doesn't have any fertility issues. She simply doesn't want to ruin her figure. Which is her prerogative. However, I agree with Nan on this. You should have the blessing of this gown."