Aubri's Early Arrival

Famo42011 · February 2012

Another shooting pain, ?What?s going on? These can?t be contractions! Lying on the living room couch I hold my stomach trembling in pain. My son looks up at me not able to talk but asking with his eyes ?Are you okay mommy?? I?m 32 weeks pregnant with my second child. I call the hospital and listen to the ridiculously unwelcoming music plays as I wait for a live operator. Finally after, an hour on hold I receive a calm sounding man asking ?How can I help you?? I explain the situation and wait to hear his response. Do you need an ambulance he asks as he hears me wallow in pain? ?NO? Do I need to go in our not I ask? ?Yes he says as soon as possible? I call my mother and tell her ?Mom I need a ride, I?m having contractions!?

Pacing my two bedroom apartment floor as if it was a dance floor, holding my stomach as another wave of shooting pain comes. I manage to get my son bundled in all his winter gear and wobble out the door and down to the 1^st floor. Thirty minutes later my mom shows and takes off toward 6^th Ave. Sun glare the whole entire way, with back to back traffic. Contractions are getting closer and closer. I tell myself that this is just another false alarm. Another twenty pain wrenching minutes bumper to bumper we arrive at Denver health, park the car and start speed walking. Having an anxiety attack my mother walks behind us and takes a couple puffs from a death stick (cigarette).

Holding on to my sons stroller handles I brace myself as another lightning bolt blot of pain sears from my lower back to my pelvis. Pushing the call button on the observation area I get impatience, younger mothers watch in horror as a hold on to the wall in obvious pain. The automatic door opens and I slip through before I make a scene in the hallway. The nurse sits at the desk and looks as though she?d rather be home then at work, looking at me as though I was another teen mother in labor unknowing I?m 22 years old. As I get checked in a nurse offers a hand to help walk me to the room. ?SWAT? I hit her hand away before she even notices I rejected it. Griping the handle on the wall for stability as so many other mothers have done in labor. Almost to the room I say silently to myself.

Lying on the cold stiff hospital pillow the attending nurse asks ?How far along are you?. In reply I say ?32 weeks?. She does the strep b test and then checks me for dilation. Looking at her facial expression I knew right then. I was in LABOR! She grabs for her walkie talkie and says ?we have a bulging bag at 8?. I ask what does that mean. ?Honey you?re having that baby now your 8cm and your water bag is bulging out. I thought I was going to faint right there. Feeling myself as I take slow and steady breaths, I pick up the telephone and call my boyfriend of 6 years at work. ?Babe I?m 8 cm Aubri is coming!? CLICK I hang up the phone before he can ask. Making one other phone call she says were taking you to the delivery floor. Winding up and down the hidden hallways of the hospital taking elevators restricted to visitors. Blink of an eye I?m in a hospital gown have IV?s and getting testosterone shots for my daughters lungs. Lying on the bed I wish I wasn?t there knowing its way early for my baby to be coming.

After, eight hours of slowed labor the doctor says ?It?s time to push?. Five minutes later my daughter Aubri Nicole was born weighing only 4lbs 4oz and 19 3/8 in long. March 24, 2011 I would have to say was the scariest day of my entire life because of the unknown of having a very premature baby. She had to stay in the hospital for almost 3 months, but I?m very proud to say she is home and is thriving. Being a mom is a hard job but I?ve taken that job with pride and I could honestly say ?I couldn?t see myself anything else then being a MOMMY?!