Jurassic Baby

16

When they said labour was painful, it was most definitely an understatement.

Throughout all my doctors appointments, they had warned me and I had kind of brushed them off as I knew I had a high pain threshold, however this was something else.

It felt like my insides were being ripped apart every 3 minutes. Owen was looking stressed at the amount of pain I was in as we rode in the helicopter. Claire was looking on helplessly.

"Fuck you Owen." I cried as another one seemed to destroy my body.

"What have I done?!" he said innocently.

"You put your dick inside of me." I moaned, clutching the side of the seat. Masrani and Claire chuckled whilst Owen looked ghostly white.

We finally arrived at the hospital at around three in the morning and I was rushed into a side room. Claire and Owen piled in after me. Barry was on the mainland visiting family, so he was coming in the morning. My Mom had called Owen to tell him she was at the airport and boarding a flight in an hour, and Maria was nearly here.

"I need an epidural." I panted. Sweat was dripping from my forehead.

"But babe, you said you didn't want the drugs." Owen coaxed me, pressing a towel to my head.

"I know what I said!" I shouted, "But that was before this happened!" I gestured to the various wires wrapped around my stomach. A midwife had stuffed me into a hospital gown and and lay me down, but I was restless.

"Look, let's find out how dilated you are, then see. If you're close to the end, then you should carry on." Claire suggested and I considered that for a moment before nodding. Luckily for me, the midwife came in just then to measure my dilation.

"Well you're only about four centimetres dilated, just under half way. We still have a while to go yet." she smiled warmly as I cried out in pain.

"Please," I begged her, "I need an epidural."

"Is this something you have discussed?" she asked and Owen and I nodded, "I'm happy to do that for you, give me five minutes and I'll bring the doctor in." I sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry I'm not strong enough." I suddenly burst into tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't be ridiculous." Owen said, hugging me, "I want what's best for you, and if you need pain relief, then that's fine. The last thing I want to do is see you suffer." I bit my lip and nodded and he kissed me on the forehead. I relaxed into his arms and he handed me the gas and air as my next contraction began. The sooner this baby was out of me the better.

Maria came in just after the epidural had been given and I was a lot calmer.

"How far along are you honey?" she asked, smoothing down my forehead.

"About five centimetres just before the epidural was given." I explained breathlessly.

"We're half way there!" she smiled and took a seat in the spare chair.

Claire was reading a pregnancy magazine she found on the side, Maria was texting and Owen was rubbing my arm gently. Now it was just a waiting game.

Our baby girl decided to make an entrance at 8:17am the next morning.

"Well Rosie, it looks like you're just about 10cm dilated!" Dr Gomez had come in and was now tending to me considering she was my midwife.

"Okay then, let me just check everything and then I think it's time this baby was born, don't you?" she said and everyone in the room nodded. My Mom had just arrived in time and was standing right next to me with Maria.