The Birth of a Twilight Addict

Or as much of an addict as a 7 year old can be. Of course, she feeds off of it from me and the girls at school. Not that it's a shock. I remember when I was younger, my "cool" older sister heard about The Simpsons at school, and she would sneak to watch it. I didn't look up to my mom, I looked up the person who took care of me, and that was my sister, so, I adored Bart too. Amazing that when we were younger, we identified with Bart, and now that we are older, all we care for is Marge and Homer.

But, back to what I was talking about! I want to tell the story of Alice's birth. As many of you know, it's not her real name, but the name she chose for when I write about her. So, let's take a trip down memory lane (cue wayne and garth scooby doo'ing)

I was 20 and stupid. I was the patient at the most awful OB/Gyn clinic in town. Any time a person gets pregnant, I can't keep my mouth shut. It just rushes out. Don't use _____________! They are horrible and almost killed my baby!

It started when I noticed that Alice had stopped moving. It worried me, but she had never really moved a lot, but when she just stopped, I had to go get checked out. I went in, after yelling to them, that Yes, something is WRONG. They really didn't care to see me, but I wasn't letting up. They listened and her heartbeat sounded fine, so they tried to send me home, but I demanded they find out why my baby wasn't moving.

For two hours, I laid in a room alone, hooked up to a machine that monitored movement. In two hours, she never moved. So the person pulls out a taser looking object and SHOCKS MY BELLY. Which proceeds to make Alice move some. And I was sent home, and I guess chalked up to an idiot 20 year old mom.

By the time I was ready to give birth, there wasn't a single person in that clinic I wanted to touch me except for Dr. Booth. One doctor, Dr. Moon had told me the week before, when I was 37 weeks pregnant, that I was too fat. I had gained 40lbs and was 180. Yes, I had gained too much, but to tell a mom at 37 weeks she was too fat? Asshole!

So, because I would only let Dr. Booth touch me, we scheduled my induction. I didn't want to risk my life to anyone else.

The night before I was to be induced, I went into a cleaning frenzy, while my then SO went to bed, because he was "tired". I had to be at the hospital to get my water broken at 6am, but he was tired. So I was up all night. I never went to sleep.

At 5:15, I woke him up to help me get the stuff to the car, we were meeting my mother and sister at my moms house and we were all going. He helped me get over there, and then went back home, and back to bed. Yeah, you read that right.

My mom and sister take me to the hospital, where everything gets started right away. Things move swiftly, and before I know it, I am begging for my epidural. During this time, my sister leaves to go get my SO, knowing I wanted him there (did I mention I was an IDIOT at 20?). She later admitted she thought about telling me she couldn't wake him up, but didn't want to hurt me.

The red head anesthesiologist came in. He looked hardly any older than me. But apparently, he seemed to have an issue with someone my age giving birth. Because he started doing it, and the nurses holding me in place, exchanged looks at my screams of pain, while he told me to suck it up and deal with the pain.

I later came to find out that he never numbed me, and his reasoning? The young unwed mother needed to know that childbirth was pain filled. No, he doesn't have a job anymore.

The nurse kept checking on me, they were really very nice. Making sure after that, that I was comfortable and had everything I needed. My heart rate and Alice's dropped, and I had to go on oxygen. I was scared, but everyone kept reassuring me it would all be OK.

At 2:50 I told my mother I felt like I was ready to push. The nurse smiled and rolled her eyes and said "No, it doesn't progress this fast", but she checked any way, lifted her head and said "Page Doctor booth, baby is ready to come now."

I started pushing at 3pm (my sister reminded me I was making her miss General Hospital), and by 3:33, my baby girl was ripped from my body. I say ripped, because that's what they had to do. Remember when I had to force them to even listen that she wasn't moving? There was good reason. She had the cord around her neck. She was strangling herself while I pushed. My baby came out blue and black from lack of oxygen. She wound up in NICU for quite a few hours afterward, because they had damaged her shoulder and collar bone, and on my doctors orders, I wasn't let to see her.

Apparently, my doctor, realizing their mistakes, wrote orders for me to not be allowed out of bed for bleeding. So I couldn't see my daughter. Until 8pm that night, when my sister raised enough hell for me.

That is my birth story. I was 20 and stupid, and I don't wish that experience on anyone. I advise any mother to do her research and if you feel your doctor is not listening to you, MAKE THEM. if they refuse, don't worry about it. Switch practices. You and your childs health are more important than their money.