Page 11 of Abby

I snap awake in the middle of the night. I don’t even remember falling asleep. I look around, disoriented, and wonder what woke me when a sudden pain shoots through my belly, and then there’s pressure and a gush of wetness spreading on the sheets.

“Oh, god,” I whisper and lift the blanket to look at my lap. I reach over and shake Jake.

“Jake… Jake, wake up.”

“Wha…” He yawns and looks over at me. “What’s wrong, babe?”

“My water broke.”

“Oh.” He blinks up at the ceiling for a minute before realization bleeds into his eyes. “OH!” Jake flies out of bed and hovers over me.

“Are you okay? Oh man, I’ll get the bag. Stay here.” He rushes into the closet and comes back with a small overnight bag slung over his shoulder and a pair of comfortable shoes for me. He kneels and slides them onto my feet before pulling me up to stand.

“Can you walk?” I roll my eyes a bit at his dramatic reaction but can’t help but smile. He’s adorable.

“Yes, Jake. I’ll be fine. Let’s go.”

In the car, Jake connects his phone to Bluetooth and calls my doctor; she says she’ll meet us at the hospital. I spend the rest of the drive focusing on my breathing, especially when the contractions hit. Luckily, they are still pretty far apart… On the other hand, I hope that’s not a sign of prolonged labor.

***

Six hours later and I’m still not dilating. Because of my high blood pressure during pregnancy and my subsequent bedrest, Doctor O is growing more concerned by the hour. She comes in and sits on a rolling stool to recheck me before sighing and looking at us thoughtfully.

“Things still aren’t progressing, Abby. I’m concerned for both your health and the baby’s health… At this point, we need to seriously consider taking you in for a c-section. I don’t want to get to a point where we have to take you into emergency surgery and put you under for it. If we give you an epidural now, we’ll be able to avoid that.”

I look to Jake; he’s pale but determined. “I think we should listen to the doctor, Abs. I know you wanted a natural birth, but it’s not worth risking either of you to wait this out any longer.”

I won’t lie, I’m disappointed, but I have to agree. It’s not worth the risk.

“It is possible to have a natural birth after a cesarean, so you can always try with the next one.” Doctor O smiles, and I feel a little better.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

The anesthesiologist comes in and preps me for the epidural. I’ve never seen a needle this big in my life, and suddenly I’m not so sure about this. Jake comes to stand in front of me, and the nurse has me lean forward and rest my head against his chest. He takes my hands and squeezes them gently just as the needle goes into my spine.

It’s awful. Possibly the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life. I know I screamed, my throat was sore and hoarse once I calmed down, but I don’t remember much beyond that. I find myself lying on the bed, numb from the waist down.

“This feels awful; I’m never letting them do that to me again.”

“I know, love. But just think, soon we’ll get to see our baby.” Jake’s smile is infectious, and I can’t help but smile back. Doctor O shuffles back in then.

“Okay, Abby, I want to check you once more before we prep for surgery.” She rolls over on her stool and puts my legs into the stirrups. “Oh!”

At the doctor’s exclamation, Jake and I both stiffen, worried.

“What? Is something wrong?” Jake asks, moving to Doctor O’s side.

“She’s dilated; this baby is coming now.”

I watch Jake glance between my legs and grow pale all over again.

“Jake, don’t you dare faint. I need you right now.”

He shakes his head and comes to hold my hand. Doctor O calls the nurse and scrubs his hands, slipping into a sterile glove before returning to her position.

“Okay, Abby. When I tell you, I need you to bear down and push.”

And so, I do, and before the hour is up, I hear my daughter’s first cries. She’s healthy and beautiful, with a head of thick black hair, just like her father. Jake and I both fall in love at first sight.

“Hazel,” I say softly. Jake looks over at me in surprise. I look back, filled with love for my husband and my daughter.

“Are you sure, Abs?”

“Yes. Hazel Marie – after your grandmother and mine.”

“I love it, and I love you.” Jake kisses Hazel and me on the tops of our heads and smiles, joyful tears slipping down his cheeks.

After they clean the baby up and get me settled, they bring everyone in from the waiting room. Our family comes in to surround the new addition, and Jake and I look on, happier than we can ever remember being.

To be continued….

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