Do you remember the birth of your firstborn? If you’re a parent (or even if you’re not), do you have any fun birthing stories to share? That’s the question posed today for Working Mom Wednesday.
In response to the question, I thought to myself, I’ve written about this before! So I decided to post an excerpt from my book, Chasing Superwoman:
I decided to walk, a fifteen-minute stroll from my office, to what I thought would be an uneventful checkup. If I was lucky, maybe I would be dilated. All of my sisters agreed I shouldn’t get too anxious with my first delivery, so I was playing it cool. To my surprise, after a quick exam, the doctor immediately recommended that I proceed with a C-section. Nick’s position had shifted, and labor could be high risk. I went back to the office and started crying. I wasn’t ready to deliver a baby. I hadn’t even cleaned off my desk. So I proceeded to do what most expectant mothers do twenty-four hours before delivering their firstborn: I put on my best poker face and went to take a deposition.
I was in the midst of contentious litigation. Opposing counsel, a Jerk Lawyer, looked at me straight in the eye prior to the deposition and said, “When’s the baby coming?”
I lied, “In a couple of weeks.” I couldn’t let him see that I was weak and vulnerable. I could cry later. Now, it was time for Lady Lawyer to take care of business. For Lady Lawyer, there are certain advantages to being pregnant. I find that most witnesses are eager to spill their guts and make damaging admissions to a pregnant woman. I appear sweet, innocent, and harmless. All I want is the truth. A pregnant lawyer is a sheep among wolves. My motto? “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matt 10:16)
By the time I finished the deposition, I had regained my composure and hadn’t let my guard down. I couldn’t give Jerk Lawyer that satisfaction. But I was still unprepared. And scared. Even though I had the advice of my older sisters, I wished I hadn’t skipped all those birthing classes. Besides, I had gotten comfortable wearing my lawyer cape. Would a mommy cape even fit?
Chapter 3, pp. 50-51.
For the rest of the story, you’ll have to read the book. Here’s the good news: there’s a give-away TODAY at one of my favorite blog sites, All in a Day’s Thought. Thanks much to author Wendy Paine Miller for her friendship and thoughtful review.
So, do you have any interesting birthing stories?
Were you calm and prepared?
Or, like me, were you completely unprepared and terrified?
(By the way, Nick is now 9 years old, but the photo above was taken just hours after his birth! Isn’t he gorgeous? Just looking at this picture makes me want number 4!)
11 comments:
Wow you are much braver than I would have been! Your book sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing some of it!
D, It's a great read.
My foggy memory is surfacing from eight years ago. My mother-in-law standing over me while I've just been confirmed fully dialated.
"Should I stay or go?" She asked, flustered.
Why, oh, why had we not planned this out!
We learned our lesson for babies two and three.
Go. Go. Go.
~ Wendy
Yeah it's funny how stoic we can get when faced with an urgent birth. My first was a complete surprise. We went in to the office for a visit at 35 weeks due to some "cramps" that turned out to be contractions. I got sent straight to the hospital at 10 but stopped at Barnes and Nobel to get a book because I really thought I'd be hooked to monitors all day, and had the baby by 2pm!
i remember reading that in the book!!!!! which i am LOVING!! hear that people, her book is awesome!!
I don't think saying you were giving birth the next day was vulnerable; I think it was bad-ass - working right up until the last second!
Interestingly enough, I remember my first labor like it was yesterday. The two more recent ones, however...I struggle with the details. I guess it was *that* traumatic! Ha!
I wanted to let you know that I devoured your book. I laughed, I empathized, and I absolutely loved, *loved*, LOVED the floating analogy. Absolutely wonderful! Thank you so much for tackling the subject that is "Being a Working Mom"!
All three of my labors are etched in my mind forever-- they were all so different! Can you believe 9 years has passed since you held that precious little one? Hold on tight, because the next 9 will go by even faster.
Enjoy every moment!! :)
From my first labor I remember lots of waiting and waiting. For my second child, I remember rushing and rushing. Although even with all the rushing, we still didn't make it to the hospital in time!
New follower from Working Mommy Wednesday.
Great story! I would've had a melt-down.
I had a quick first delivery. At my husband's insistance, we went to the hospital to get checked because I was feeling a little crampy. (Besides, it was my due date. Who goes into labor on your due date???)
My doc was headed in for a middle-of-the-night c-section anyway, so he's meet us there.
Yes, I was in labor (and I'm living proof that "you'll just know" is a bunch of bologna!!). Doc J. told me to get comfortable, because it was going to be a long night, but he'd check back after the c-section.
Well, he did, 45 minutes later. That's when he informed me to start pushing right away--I wasn't ready for right then!
She came at us quick and missed her due date by only 52 minutes!
I loved reading this -- in the book and here, too!
Well, for me there was the Christmas Eve baby that wasn't due till New Year's...
Love the baby picture of your #1. #4? I say, "Go for it!" Four is GREAT.
My firstborn arrived exactly on his due date, which I was not expecting at all. (I wrongly assumed that firstborns were usually late.) I also went into labor on Labor Day!
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