54 Hour Labor and Not Even an Aspirin People

“I have a whole new appreciation for the cross”…were the first words that came out of my mouth after birthing the most beautiful child in the world, in my eyes of course. My first thoughts as she was lovingly placed on my breast were “Now how did I end up with an African-American child?” That was before my midwife explained to me that her dark purple color and smooshed nose would soon turn pink and perk up in a matter of minutes.
Fifty-four hours is a long time to be in labor. I mean for cryin’ out loud isn’t that like two marathons? I think of Jesus because on his way down Calvary he never asked for an epidural, or valium, or even a shot of tequila for that matter. I’m not sure why I decided to go totally natural, and a home birth at that, other than I really hate hospitals. They need to open those windows and let some of that sick air out and some fresh air in. And come on people can’t we decorate a little? So drab. And I really don’t like being told what to do, like ever, so the thought of having strangers in charge of how I birth my child was kind of out of the question. I guess I’m a little right of center. Or is that left of center.
They say I’ll forget all the pain. I say I don’t forget that easy but man it was worth it. Even if my cankles still haven’t gone away and I feel frumpy and granny-like, kind of like Mama on that show back in the 80’s, what was that show called? You know the one with Carol Burnett and whats-her-name…
This birth has been such a time of healing between my mother and I. We have had more quality time together the past five days than in years combined. Not to mention there’s something pretty intimate about attending someone’s birth, especially the birth of your very own grandchild.
So Rebekah in the Bible was the grandmother of the twelve tribes of Israel. I love that. Well I just love grandmothers in general. I miss mine. She would have loved to sit and rock this wee one.
I have officially “entered the sisterhood” my friend Evangeline tells me. The motherhood tribe of women who can just look at each other a certain way and there is a certain knowing, a bond, an unspoken thing. Glad to have so many sisters.
My husband looks at me different, and he cries when he thinks about what I went through to get this small child here in this world. Thank God we breathed together through the whole thing, and now I have a charm bracelet with a heart that says May 31st, 2006 with Rebekah Lee “BeBe” on the other side, a gift from my better half. Good man. A real good man.
My heart is a bigger container today. So is my cervix but that is a whole other story. For those of you who prayed for me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. In the meantime, I have a little miracle to tend to.