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Grace
"Is everything ready?" Noah nodded, today was our lazy day. We were sitting in bed, Noah made waffles and got me the mango juice I've been craving. One of the perks of being nine months pregnant is that I can balance my juice glass on my stomach while sitting.
"Are you sure?" Noah sighed and kissed my belly.
"Yep, the bag is at the door. The keys are in the glass bowl, the baby seat is strapped in. I put the most important people on speed dial. I know the route to the hospital by heart and our emergency plan is set." He smirked.
"Did you put Adam first?"
"Yes, as you requested. “
"He's delivered many babies before and he's the only one qualified to put those snarky doctors we saw the other day in their place." We were looking at hospitals that were the closest where I'd be giving birth and overheard one of the doctor's conversations. They were qualified assholes, to say the least. Noah agreed to use another hospital just because he didn't want those people near us.
Thankfully, our doctor confirmed that our baby was healthy and turning the way a baby should so the birth should go smoothly. Bean was head down and ready.
"And he's your protective older brother."
"That too. I swear if this baby gives us another scare like yesterday, I'm evicting this bean now for sure."
I was still having some pain but yesterday after having various contraction and calling the doctor’s office they said it's just Braxton Hicks.
"You know our little bean is more like a watermelon now."
"Shhh! That sounds way more painful than birthing bean. Oof these Braxton Hicks contractions are going to be the death of me. Yesterday they were okay but this morning they got to a new level of uncomfortable."
"They aren't getting any closer together right?" Noah asked while the look of panic surfaced on his face.
"I don't think so. You know I'm glad that Adam and my father are in town for the next few weeks. It makes all this stress so much easier. That video didn't help at all." Noah chuckled and then grimaced. We made the mistake of watching a birthing video.
"They should say somewhere that watching a birthing video is both horrifying and painful for both parties."
"You're not planning on recording the birth, right?" He shook his head.
"I do not want to scar our bean for the rest of his or her life, but yes I will. Did the mucus plunger thing already happen?" Noah wasn't the best when it came to birthing phrases. I laughed loudly and held my stomach as I laughed, almost spilling my juice.
"Mucus plunger? Really? It's a mucus plug. I think so, I haven't seen anything, but I can be wrong. I haven't even seen my toes in a while either. Did you put the list of names in the bag?" He nodded; I clutched my stomach as another wave of pain hit.
"I'm calling Adam."
"Why?"
"Because all these contractions are scaring me and I'm not even having them. I'm in pain too you know. It's like the contractions before an earthquake." Before I could protest, he made his way out of the room and I heard him jogging down the steps.
I patted my bump. I was finally ready. Even though we weren't so sure at first, I was now very thankful to have this baby. All through the first trimester I was in this sullen mood, I was so afraid that the worst might happen.
There were nights that Noah worked on his exhibition that I sat up and Skyped Adam, waking him in the middle of the night so that he could soothe my fears. He didn't complain once. He was there when I needed him no matter how weird my questions were or how irrational my fears were. I am so thankful to have the kind of family I did, even my father came by while he was in town to make sure everything was okay.
Noah came back into the room and continued eating; I glared him for a second.
"Is Adam coming over?" He nodded as he bit into a waffle.
"I've never really asked you this before, but what do anthropologists do?" Noah eagerly tried to change the subject. I could see he was very worried; he's been acting strange for the past week.
"I mostly do research on human social interaction; you get a lot of different types of anthropologists. But I really don't see myself doing that for the rest of my life."
"What do you want to do then?" He looked at me inquisitively. I've not really thought about it in a while, “I’m not entirely sure but I have a thing for burritos, for all I know I might start a burrito business." I joked. For a second Noah was in deep thought and turned to me.
"That's not a bad idea. I have a business degree I'm not using so we might put it to some good use. Of course, someone else will have to make burritos. I know how talented you are in the kitchen." I slapped him on the shoulder; just as I did, I heard the front door open.
"Anybody home?" I stood up and rushed down the stairs to Adam in a wobble.
"Careful!" He scolded and hugged me.
"So I hear you're scaring Noah." He laughed, after he and Noah had a talk, he and Noah got along better. I think that underneath his tough exterior he approves of Noah. Well, I'll be damned, Noah wasn't right. His charm could persuade anyone to like him.
"He thinks my Braxton Hicks are the real thing, which I know isn't." Noah rolled his eyes as he stopped beside us.
Adam started timing my contractions and asking me a bunch of questions. To be honest, they weren't very painful now. It was more of a dull throb. I know after watching that video that contractions should hurt like a bitch. Adam was checking my blood pressure when I turned to Noah.
"You know he isn't a gynaecologist." Noah sighed.
"I know, but he's a doctor. He knows the difference between a mucus plug and plunger. It's better to be safe than sorry." I chuckled and Adam just looked at us both mortified, mouthing 'plunger'.
I felt a sudden pop.
"Actually, I think I'm going to become a gynaecologist right about now." I followed Adam's eyes and looked down at the puddle on Noah's couch. Oh no, this was not the plan! Now we need to get a new couch too.
"But...but I still need to have more contractions and the awful pain. Doesn't it take twenty-four hours after your water breaks before you give birth? We have time!" I was so confused. I wasn't in a lot of pain there was a slight ache and a bit of strain on my bump but that was it. Where is the contraction that feels like being ripped apart and me in agony? Not that I was complaining but I was expecting it.
Adam moved us over to the other couch, so I could get a comfortable seat.
"Well, you have been having them since yesterday. That was certainly not Braxton Hicks, so whoever told you that was a shithead and for the last two hours they have been getting closer and very strong. We're in at about fifteen minutes between each. Congratulations you're in labour! Usually, twenty-four hours after your water breaks but each labour is different, your body is ready now and sometimes water breaks just minutes before pushing. Though we're not that close yet...and sorry sis I have no drugs for the pain in my bag although we're kind of too late for that too.”
My eyes widened. What? And no drugs?
"We have to go!" Noah ran to the door grabbing the bag. I've never in my life seen him move so fast. There was another contraction and the intense pain radiated up my spine. I could barely move.
"No, we're at ten minutes now. You won't get to the hospital in time. I guess I'm going to have to deliver this baby right here. Do you trust me?" I felt another bad contraction. I took a deep breath and clutched onto my bump.
"Yes, of course. But we had a plan, even an emergency plan and that does not include a home birth...although it should but it doesn't!" I intervened.
I just knew we forgot something in the emergency plan.
"This baby is coming right now not in a few hours. You've been in active labour for at least twelve hours and this baby is coming as we speak. So I suggest you stay here unless your emergency plan includes a car birth. I can deliver this baby here.”
"We can do this here.”
The contractions were coming in waves now. I kept breathing deeply as I was trying to remember what the books said.
"Our bean is just full of surprises. You can do it my darling! At home is much better than a hospital with those asshole doctors, no offense..." Noah turned to Adam with a sheepish smile and looked back at me, stroking my hair. Noah tried to soothe me as he squeezed my hand and I clutched on to his arm, squeezing as the pain became worse.
"Okay, I need to check how far you are dilated." My eyes widened. That's fantastic. I was in so much pain that I didn't even care at that moment. Even though Noah seemed calm I could see he was in panic mode.
"Noah, can you go get some ice?" He nodded and kissed me on the forehead.
Adam threw a blanket over me after pulling my pyjama pants off and checked me. Everything just felt so rushed, we went from a good morning breakfast with some contractions to delivery pain quick. Why couldn't this bean just wait for a few hours?
I was on the verge of tears, but I bit them back.
Noah placed the ice on my forehead to calm me down.
"I don't know if I can do this." Noah squeezed my hand again.
"You can do it. Don't think about the pain, think about...burritos.” I could see Noah was on the verge or running for the hill, he was also deeply breathing along with me. I started laughing in the middle of another contraction.
Here we were, Noah was deeply breathing, and I couldn't stop laughing.
"Your contractions are now barely a minute apart. It seems like this baby is in the right position and judging from the scans we'll have no complications. Okay, you need to start pushing."
Noah grabbed my hand, with all that I could muster I pushed. I couldn't stop the tears or the utter screams of agony.
"Oh shit, fuck this is painful!” I grunted.
"You can do this!" Noah said.
"I want you to push again, the baby is crowning." I let out another agonizing yell.
"Okay, we're almost at the shoulder. Keep pushing!" I did as he said for the next hour since our bean was far too stubborn, but my worries increased as the time went by. Adam kept telling me it's normal and that our baby is going to be fine and there are no complications.
"One more big push." With one last scream, I heard the softest of crying.
"It's a girl!"
Adam lifted the baby up, cut the umbilical cord and wiped her clean. There was a tense few minutes where he did a quick check, waiting five minutes and checking again all the while the crying continued. And Noah and I looked at each other worried. The tears were running down my face and Noah continued to hold me.
Adam handed her to us.
"Perfectly healthy."
"It's a girl," Noah repeated looking at the small pink bundle.
"Hello there Emma Rose Miller." Noah's eyes gleamed with tears.
"Emma Rose Miller." I repeated letting my fingers trail over the pink shrivelled bundle.
"Another pink mutant in the family." Adam cooed. Noah placed a kiss on my temple.
"You did it." He laughed happily.
I held onto Emma again as tears of joy rolled over my cheeks.