Birth Stories

A Simple Walk

"Let's go for a walk?" I said circling my hand over my enlarged stomach. I'd been sitting down for who knows how long and my legs were feeling it; they needed to move. I was met with a concerned look, and I was so sure that my boyfriend was going to make me stay home longer but he let out a long sigh and looked me in the eye.
"Baby I don't think that's such a good idea. What if you start having contractions?" I knew he meant to save his worrying for the best but it was very inconvenient too. I stood up and grabbed his hands in mine pulling them to rest on my belly.
"Hey, I've got another month left to go, I don't think anything will happen." He looked at me and moved his hand up my back tipping my face up to meet his.
"I love you. You better be right." I smiled into him as he kissed me.
"I'll go get changed into something more... appropriate... and meet you down here in a minute." I turned around before I headed up, "And don't think about changing your mind now." He smiled and put his hands up in surrender.

*****

The fresh air feels so good against my skin. I haven't been out since my last doctors appointment a week ago so this is a nice change. We walk hand in hand down a trail we made in the woods when we first moved here. There are fallen trees every so often that make the perfect benches, meticulously placed by Jake so I could read while I walk.
"Are you sure you're all right? We can head back. Tell me if you feel anything, even a kick." I laugh at his nerves and assure him I'm fine, though a voice in the back of my head tells me we should go back. I don't feel anything weird though so I choose not to worry him.
"Jake, wait," All of a sudden I felt the need to keel over. I bent down and put my hands on my knees, breathing as a wave of pain flew over me. Immediately he was bent over looking up at me, a shocked expression glazing his features.
"Maia? What's wrong? Are you ok?" He took my hands in his and guided me over to a soft spot of moss up against a tree. Graciously I sat down and leaned my head back waiting for the pain to pass. It was finished almost as fast as it began and I stood up and reassured him, but he still insisted we head back.
"Ahhhh!" Not five minutes later I stood with my knees pushed together and my body bent towards the ground, another shock of pain running through my body. "J-Jake..." I quavered, unable to finish the sentence. He put his arms around my waist as I felt myself weaken and fall into his arms.
"Oh my god. Maia? Are you... are you in labor?!" I tightened my grip on his shoulders as another contraction zipped through my body. I could feel myself already breathing heavy when Jake helped me onto the ground. Once again, a contraction was sent through my body, this time producing an extra consequence. My jeans were all of a sudden wet, the pain only increasing.
"Jake... I-I think my... water just broke..." I struggled to get through even one sentence as another shock of pain was sent through me. I screamed out as I felt my baby move around inside me. I moved my hand from clutching his shoulder and moved it to wear my legs split, trying to feel if my baby was crowning or not. Jake and I had taken a birthing class recently and they taught us what to do in an emergency like this. I breathed in a shaky breath as I felt the baby moving inside me trying to find its way out.
"Jake..." I started, "please, we need to get to a hospital... I don't know how long until the baby comes... check... see how dilated I am." He quickly unzipped my jeans and slid them down with my underwear. I leaned forward and grabbed his shoulders as another contraction hit me, a fire spreading through my lower regions. Spreading my legs so he could check, a strange feeling arising between them, I moved my fingers down to figure out what was happening. When I stuck my fingers inside of myself, I could feel the top of my baby's head.
"Oh..." a look of terror crossed his face as he looked back up at me, "Maia... I think you're almost fully dilated..." I felt a wave of fear hit me. I didn't know if I could give birth in a hospital without panic, but a forest? I screamed again, pain racking through my body, my eyes tearing up. When the cloud of pain cleared I could see Jake staring at me, upset he could do nothing to help me.
"Jake... I'm-I'm scared." My body shook with sobs, Jake throwing his arms around me in an attempt to comfort me.
"I know, I know babe, but I think we're going to have to deliver this baby out here, soon." When the next contraction hit me, my body screamed at me to push.
"Ahhhhhh, oww ooh!" I quickly spread my legs, trying to allow my baby some extra space. I could feel my body trying to open itself up and the only thing I could think of to do was help it along. Jake positioned himself in between my legs ready to catch our baby when it comes into the world. I felt a pulsing pain between my legs and it felt like I needed to get something out immediately.
"Maia, honey, I need you to push. It's very important." I leaned forward, trying to see if I could see my baby being born. I screamed again and felt a painful pressure near my birth canal and when I looked down I could see the tip of our baby's head peeking out. It's small head was covered in blood and other goop from being pushed through a tiny hole. I put my hand down under the head and continued to push. For a while, no matter how many times I pushed, it didn't seem to make a difference but I kept trying.
After the head was fully out, the next part was the shoulders, one of the more painful parts to deliver unless someone positioned the baby. I could feel the baby beginning to squirm a little in between my legs but i couldn't push any more until it was fixed. "Jake..." I breathed, "help... position the baby..." he stuck part of his hand up my sex and maneuvered so the baby was facing the correct direction.
"Ok Maia, I think you're ready to try again." I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could but nothing happened. "Let me try and guide the baby out," He said putting his hands back, "now, push!"
"Ughhhhh... ahhhh!" I continued pushing and screaming until finally, I leaned my head back and breathed. Tears and sweat streamed down my face, my baby lay half out of me, I was too exhausted to continue. Jake put his face close to me and kissed me, long and hard.
"Baby, you're so close. I know you can do it. Just a few more quick pushes?" I nodded and gathered my wits. Taking in a big breath I pushed out screaming. I felt the sides of my split open as the baby pushed out more into the world. I felt my insides split and finally a pressure was released and my baby slid out into Jakes waiting hands. I gathered my breath and began to cry tears of joy as my boyfriend held our beautiful baby.
"It's a girl!" Jane exclaimed near tears.
Jake grabbed my sweater and wrapped the tiny child in it, all of a sudden in an emergency mood. He helped me slide my panties up, and then very slowly helped me to stand. Every step I took sent a shooting pain into my lower half, but our daughter was almost a month early and we were still attached with an umbilical cord and I didn't want to lose her already. About halfway up the trail I told Jake I needed a break because I was about to fall from exhaustion.
"Maia, I know this is hard but we are almost home and then we can call an ambulance." I could see his eyes starting to cloud with the feeling that he couldn't help me again so I forced myself up again and continued on. When we finally made it back to the house I was seeing stars and immediately started to drift in and out of consciousness as soon as I hit the dining room chair.
"Maia? Maia!" I could hear Jake calling me but it sounded like he was calling from somewhere in the distance. Then I stopped hearing him altogether.

*****

I woke to the sound of beeping. My head felt fuzzy but when I looked over at Jake holding our daughter in his arms I forgot all of that. He looked up at me and his whole body sighed with relief. He stood up slowly, our daughter in his arms, and crossed over to me. I slid myself over in the bed and gave him space to lay with me.
"What should we name her?" Jake whispered to me, "She's probably a little hungry." I took her in my arm and opened up my hospital gown, allowing her to eat for the first time. He looked down at her, more love in his eyes than I'd ever seen in anyone before. When she finally finished, I rocked her close until she fell asleep and Jake laid his arm over the both of us, securing us from anything bad that could happen in the future.
After a few days we were finally allowed to go home and I couldn't wait for us to sleep in our own room.
"Laila will love it here, don't worry." Jake took my hand in his and walked us into the house where there was a cake and balloons and a variety of baby themed decor hanging along the walls. I turned my head to his and kissed him, flowing all my love into him.
"Welcome home Laila!"