Chapter Two
Rose returned to the birthing room an hour later to check on her patient. The atmosphere was less positive than the last time she’d been in. Belinda looked exhausted, her damp hair was plastered to her forehead and Charlie had the beaten-down look of a man who’s recently been yelled at.
“Okay,” Rose said, stepping into the room, “looks like things are coming along.” If she had to guess, she would say her patient was in transition, possibly the toughest part of labor when mentally the patient was struggling the most. To Rose, transition signaled that the final stage of labor was about to get underway.
“Let’s take a look,” she said, putting on a clean pair of surgical gloves and once more positioning the stool at the bottom of the birthing bed.
“This isn’t like the other times,” Belinda said. She was panting and Rose could hear distress in her tone. “It’s taking longer and I feel like something’s not working.”
“Every birth is different,” she said, speaking as soothingly as she could.
But her examination revealed that, in fact, Belinda hadn’t progressed very far, only another centimeter. “You’re at eight centimeters. Not much farther to go.” Belinda knew as well as she did that full dilation was ten centimeters. “Try walking around for a little bit,” she suggested.
“We tried that,” Belinda snarled at her. “I’ve trekked miles down this damn hospital corridor.”
“Okay.”
She glanced at Charlie. He said, “She’s been getting a lot of contractions. Hard ones. Something’s different.”
Anita came in at that moment with a student nurse in tow. “I’ve run a hot tub for you. Sometimes that can help.” At least it would give Belinda something to do, and the warm water should help relax her. “This is Tess, she’s going to help you into the tub. I’ll check on you in a few.”
Rose didn’t like the way this birth was more complicated than the previous three. She always listened to the mothers because they were the ones in touch with their own bodies. She was concerned that Belinda felt something was wrong. While Tess helped Belinda out of the bed and walked her slowly out of the room, Anita stayed behind to confer with Rose.
“What do you think?” Rose had learned a long time ago that astute nurses were among the best friends a doctor could have in the birthing room. There wasn’t much they hadn’t seen.
There was a crease of worry between her brows. “It’s like her body’s working so hard but the baby doesn’t seem to be budging.”
Rose nodded. “When she gets out of the tub, let’s put her on a monitor and see what’s going on with baby.”
According to the monitor, the baby was doing okay; it was simply taking its time.
“I’m so tired,” Belinda wailed.
“Our only other option would be a C-section.”
She already knew that Belinda and Charlie had strong feelings about birthing naturally, but she wanted to float the idea.
“No,” Belinda said. “Let’s see if we can do this naturally.”
“Sure.”
They waited an hour, and then another hour, by which time Belinda was wearing down. “You’re nearly fully dilated,” Rose said, relieved things finally seemed to be happening. “Do you feel like pushing?”
“I feel like going home, opening a beer and pretending none of this ever happened,” Belinda said.
“Well, if you’re making jokes that’s a good sign.”
Belinda started pushing, and she kept pushing, she pushed until it was clear she was beyond exhaustion and only brute will was carrying her on. Rose never ceased to be amazed by the strength of women giving birth. Even though Charlie and Belinda had three children already, she was still amazed that such a very large man and such a tiny woman had mated. Love might be blind, but you’d think simple biology would rebel against her having children with such a big guy.
Tess, the student nurse, stayed with them. All of them, from Charlie to Anita to Rose to Tess, kept encouraging the laboring mother. At last Rose saw the head crowning. “I see the head,” she said packing her words with encouragement. “We’re almost there.”
The nurses were ready to greet the newborn, everything was in place. With a huge cry of pain Belinda gave all she had as she pushed. The head emerged.
And there it stuck.
“Okay, another little push and we’ll get the shoulders out.”
Belinda grunted, pushing so hard her face grew deep red with effort. Nothing happened down below.
