Chapter 13 #2
‘The contractions will get more intense, but they’ll also come with the urge to push that will make them feel quite different to what you’ve been experiencing up until now.
’ Hope kept her tone upbeat, making it all sound like it would be a breeze.
It wouldn’t be – even the most straightforward deliveries were incredibly hard work – but positivity could go a long way.
‘You’ve done brilliantly so far and when you get into the birthing pool, the water will help a lot.
And we can use the Entonox too, if we need it. ’
Hope had spoken to Rebecca about pain relief when she’d first arrived, checking that her patient understood what options were open to her.
It was too late for pethidine with the baby this close to arriving, as it could affect the baby’s breathing.
Hope wouldn’t have been able to administer it to Rebecca when she was in the birthing pool anyway, in case it made her too drowsy.
There was no reason to believe that Rebecca would need more help than the midwives could provide at a home delivery, but Hope knew that things could change in an instant.
So neither she nor Izzy would relax until the baby was here.
‘I want to save the gas and air until I start pushing. I’ve done okay so far, but I just want something in reserve if it gets even harder.’
‘You’ve done more than okay,’ Izzy said, and Hope nodded, but she wanted Rebecca to understand there were no medals for going through labour without pain relief.
She knew from having read Rebecca’s birthing plan that she wanted to do things ‘as naturally as possible’, but sometimes the reality of labour wasn’t what people expected.
Hope hated the idea that any woman would think less of herself for the decisions she made when the reality was at odds with the plans they’d expected to follow.
Rebecca needed to know it was okay to change her mind at any point.
‘Izzy is right, but you’re going to want to save some of your energy for when baby arrives, to enjoy those first cuddles. So just let me know any time if you want the gas and air. You don’t need to wait until you’re ready to push.’
‘I know.’ Rebecca looked up at her. ‘I just don’t want the kids to see me with a mask over my face.
I’ve already had to tell them that the moaning I can’t seem to control isn’t anything to worry about, but I know Dottie will panic if she sees me with a mask on.
I should have thought more about the impact this might have on them when I decided to have the baby at home, but I just wanted them to feel like they were a part of it and be able to see the baby straight afterwards.
I didn’t ever want them to think I’d chosen to leave them behind when I went to have the baby.
Our situation makes things so much more complicated. ’
Suddenly Rebecca’s face screwed up into an expression of pain that made her almost unrecognisable, and Hope didn’t have the chance to ask what she meant.
She hadn’t had the opportunity to read every detail of Rebecca’s notes, focusing instead on the birthing plan and the fact that this was her first pregnancy.
However Dottie and her little brother, Albie, had come into their world, there was no question that Rebecca was their mum, because even in the midst of labour, they remained her priority. Women really were amazing.
‘Am I too late?’ a male voice called out, seconds before a man burst into the room, breathing hard, as though he’d just run a 10K.
‘You almost were, Jung.’ Rebecca shook her head. ‘But if you haven’t got Mum with you, you might as well leave again, because I’m not having this baby until she’s here to look after Dottie and Albie!’
‘She’s right behind me.’ At the very moment Jung offered his wife that reassurance, his mother-in-law appeared at his side.
‘How are you doing, my darling?’ Rebecca’s mother gently brushed the hair away from her daughter’s forehead, stroking it back.
‘I’m nearly ready to push.’ For a moment Rebecca sounded almost proud, but then her face seemed to crumple. ‘I’m just so scared something is going to go wrong, or that this might not be the right thing for the kids.’
Rebecca looked towards her children, who were far too engrossed in whatever they were watching to risk overhearing the conversation, but she lowered her voice all the same.
‘I don’t ever want them to question whether being adopted means we love them any less.
The doctors said we’d never have a baby, so this can’t be happening. ’
‘Oh, it’s definitely happening, my love.
’ Rebecca’s mother stroked her hair again.
‘And nothing is going to go wrong. You’re going to do a brilliant job bringing this baby into the world, just like you’ve done a brilliant job being Albie and Dottie’s mum.
Right now, I want you to stop worrying about them, just for a little bit, and focus on what you need to do to get this baby out.
They’re going to love her, we all are and it’ll only change things for the children in a good way.
So stop worrying, and let yourself experience every moment of this.
You’ve wanted this for so long and you need to allow yourself to enjoy it. ’
Hope couldn’t have put it better herself and she didn’t need to read the rest of Rebecca’s notes to know how she’d created her family. Albie and Dottie had been adopted into a family who adored them, exactly as she had.
‘I think if you want to get into the birthing pool, we’re going to have to make the move soon. Would you still like to do that?’ Hope leant closer to Rebecca, who nodded.
‘Yes, I—’ Rebecca scrunched up her face again, emitting a low growl as another contraction arrived, stealing the rest of her words. When her face finally began to relax again, she looked at Hope. ‘I think we’d better hurry up, because it’s starting to feel like I need to push.’
‘Right, come on then, kids!’ Rebecca’s mother called out to her grandchildren, who finally managed to drag their attention away from the film they’d been watching.
However much the family was paying for their Disney Plus subscription, it was worth it.
‘Let’s go and get some sweets. You can pick anything you like and then, later on, we can get some fish and chips from Penrose Plaice. ’
‘Fish is gross.’ Dottie grimaced at the idea of having fish for dinner and her grandmother laughed.
‘Okay, darling, how about sausage and chips for you?’
‘Yay!’ Both children were already on their feet and barely seemed to notice that their living room had been turned into a delivery suite as their grandmother ushered them out, getting them to say a quick goodbye to their mother on the way.
Izzy checked the temperature of the pool, as Hope examined Rebecca again.
She was fully dilated now and the urge to push was only going to become stronger.
It was now or never if they were going to get her into the birthing pool.
Just minutes later she was in the water and starting to push with every contraction, which were coming about thirty seconds apart now, lasting longer than the gaps in between.
Rebecca was kneeling and leaning over the edge of the pool, with Jung in the water beside her, rubbing her back and whispering words of encouragement.
When Hope used the waterproof mirror to monitor progress, in the next gap between contractions, she could see the baby’s head crowning.
‘I can see your baby now, Rebecca. You’re doing so well. We don’t want her to come too fast, so don’t push too hard with the next contraction.’ As Hope delivered the news, Jung let out a celebratory whoop.
‘She’s nearly here, angel! We’re going to meet our brand-new baby girl any minute now.’
‘Uh huh.’ It was all Rebecca had the chance to say before another contraction took hold, her whole body shaking with the effort, the sound she made guttural.
All the hard work was paying off, though, and there was no sign of the baby’s head slipping back.
She was definitely on her way into the world.
Two more contractions and the baby’s head was all the way out, Hope offering reassurance with every step along the way.
‘That’s baby’s head born, Rebecca, you’re doing such a great job.
Sometimes baby comes quickly from this point onwards, but we’re monitoring everything that’s happening, so don’t worry and she won’t take her first breath until we lift her out of the water.
So there’s no rush. Just listen to your body and go with it. ’
Hope didn’t want to mention the risk of tearing, especially if Rebecca pushed too hard.
It might make her panic and tense up. Instead, she did what she could to encourage Rebecca to take it slowly and trust that her body knew what it was doing, because it was already doing such amazing things.
Just as the next contraction started, there was a knock at the door.
‘I’ll see who it is,’ Izzy offered. ‘And tell them that now isn’t a good time!’
She laughed lightly and Rebecca managed to join in the joke. ‘Yeah, unless it’s someone from the Postcode Lottery coming around with a big cheque. Then they can come in, if they’re brave enough.’
‘Let’s hope it’s a big win, you certainly deserve it,’ Izzy said, before turning to Hope and whispering, ‘I’ll be right back.’