All I could feel was the most intense pressure have ever felt. Nothing was helping it go away. There was about ten people surrounding me, most were family and friends. All the others were nurses and doctors trying to tell me what to do to help this intense pressure go away. Big lights were pointed on me, and all I could hear was, “Push! ” Not matter how hard I pushed, I felt like I was getting nowhere. I was stuck in this never ending moment, but still I kept pushing. I could see the worry in my mom’s eyes, she had never seen me like this.
The doctor tells me, “One more and your done! So I gave it all I have. Then, it’s ver, and everything is silent and no one moves. I hear the tiniest cry, and in that moment it’s all worth it. I knew I was due for labor at any moment. I was already 40 weeks pregnant, and my doctor told me any day now. So, I sit and wait day after day. I get phone calls every hour from my mom asking me if I feel any different, and of course every time I say no. It was April 1, 2014, and nothing was new. I sat around the house most the day feeling pretty miserable considering I was almost 41 weeks pregnant.
All the sudden, I feel this small pain in my lower stomach. I had been feeling these little pains for the past few ays so I thought nothing of it. But as I kept sitting there, the pain happened every few moments. I didn’t want to call my mom because I didn’t want to get her hopes up for nothing. An hour went by and the pains were still there, but a little more intense. So I finally decided to call her, and much to my surprise she didn’t seem excited at all. When I asked her what’s the matter, she said I know its April the first and l’m sure you are just playing a joke.
After convincing her I was not playing a joke, and I was pretty sure I was in labor she came home to take me to the hospital. I grabbed all my things and we got in the car. On our way to the hospital, I told my mom I wanted to grab some food cause the food in the hospital wasn’t very good. Then she was again convinced that I was playing a joke. I guess the confusion came from the fact that most women in labor have to go in a hurry and are in a lot of pain, but for some reason my pain wasn’t unbearable and I wasn’t going to go into labor with a empty stomach.
After grabbing food we made it to the hospital. After checking myself in, my family and I had a seat in the waiting room. A little while later they came out and got my mom and I. I was put in a small room meant just to evaluate a patient, nd they began checking my contractions. I was in that room for a few hours, and my contractions got worse and even more painful. I was in a lot of pain and my nurse came in and told me that If I couldn’t get my body to dilate more so the baby could have room to make it’s way out I would have to go home and wait.
I walked the halls for a hour, and after the nurse checked me again she sent me home. It was very late at night, and I went home in a lot of pain. I laid in bed, and after 3 hours of misery I decided to return to the hospital. They put me straight into a labor and delivery room, and after I was checked, they told me I ad dilated some more, and I would be having the baby sometime that day. I would meet my baby girl on April 2nd. The thought made me anxious and nervous. They came in and out all night checking my contractions, my IV, and to see how far I was dilated.
I got the epidural early in the morning so I could rest before the big event. When I woke up the sun was rising, and my family surrounded me. It was almost time. The day dragged on, and I could feel more pressure as the day passed. There was no pain only pressure, and a lot of it. It was later in the day, and I was dilated to 9cm. It was finally time. I started ushing around 4 pm, and I was surrounded by my families love and support. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything but support me. I was on my own in this, and it was up to me to give birth to a baby without any help.
I started to panic, and no matter how many times I pushed, I felt like I wasn’t making any progress. An hour passed and I felt like I was never going to be able to push her out. I could feel my body shifting to make room for her. I was miserable. Then, finally I seen the excitement in everyone’s eyes. “Your so close! ” my mother said to me, but I couldn’t see anything. The doctor told me If I give a few more big ushes I would be done. Everything happened is fast after that. I finally pushed her out, they took her and laid her on my chest.
She looked at me with her small dark eyes, and it felt like she looked into my soul. She didn’t cry while I held her, she just stared. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever saw, because I made her. She knewI was her mother, and I was so amazed by the instant connection we had. She was comforted by just being close to me, and she had never seen me before, but she knew I was the one who would look after her. Ever since that day, my life has been forever changed. This reminds e of a quote from a popular author named Elizabeth Stone, “Making the decision to have a child is momentous.
It is deciding forever to have your heart go walking outside your body. ” Giving birth to my daughter has taught me many things. I learned that things don’t always go as planned. Five years ago, If someone would have asked me when I wanted to have children, I wouldn’t have said when I turn 21. You can plan things throughout your life, but sometimes things happen when you least expect it. Sometimes that thing that you didn’t want to happen can turn out to be the most magical thing, and be exactly what you needed. I also learned that you have to cherish the little things in life.
I will never forget the way my daughter looked at me on the day of her birth, and even though everything else about the day may be a little foggy, that is one thing that stays fresh in my mind even two years later. Our lives are made by the little things that happen, and a lot of times we take them for granted. My daughter continues to teach me things everyday, and I’m sure there are many more things she still has up her sleeve. I’m excited to enjoy my life with her, and I hope that I live up to her expectations, of what it means to be her mother.