The Back Building by Julie Dewey

Author:Julie Dewey [Dewey, Julie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Contemporary Fiction
Amazon: B00P1UVJ1I
Publisher: JWCD Press
Published: 2014-10-30T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Lucy

Lucy was born seven and a half months later. The contractions started slowly at first, but when my water broke at four in the morning the pain left me breathless. James was sound asleep besides me, but I was tossing and turning all night long with the feeling of indigestion. When I could no longer bear the intense cramping, I tapped James on the shoulder to wake him. He was startled upon seeing my discomfort, but jumped to action. He knew his first order of business was to get Jennifer and the midwife.

I was fine alone for the hour it took him to gather the ladies. I paced the well-worn floors holding tight to my belly. I took small sips of water and wiped my sweating brow. All the while I prayed for an easy delivery. The midwife had come to check me several times through-out my pregnancy and she declared that my hips were made for birthing. I wasn’t so sure I agreed. The labor put extra pressure on my pelvis, making me feel that I had to relieve myself. I had an urge to push but promised I would wait for help. In moments the door flew open and the ladies came in. They assessed the situation and began getting my bed ready for the birth. James came to my side, but was sent into the kitchen to boil water and make tea.

“I need to push, Kathy,” I told the midwife.

“Let me check you first.” She knelt down between my legs and agreed the baby was coming quickly. It’s head was already visible so she told me to push. I pushed three times and the baby’s head was out, followed by the rest of her. Her cries echoed in my bedroom and nothing could keep James from entering. He came in the room and went straight to his daughter, counting her fingers and toes. Then he smiled at me with new-found amazement. He kissed his baby on her forehead and then kissed me. The women gathered the birthing sheets and mopped the floor before giving us our first moments alone as a family.

“She is beautiful, just like her mother,” James said.

“Are you disappointed, James?” I asked because it was a girl and not a boy as I hoped.

“How could I be? She is lovely. What shall we name her?”

“I like Lucy. What do you think?”

“Lucy it is then.”

Kathy came back into the room with fresh towels for me to expel the afterbirth. Then she taught me to nurse. She had me cradle the baby’s head in alignment with my breast and nipple. Lucy latched on lazily and kept slipping. I had to hold my nipple in her mouth and express milk until she latched on firmly and could extract the sustenance on her own. Once she learned how to nurse she became an expert.

James took the ladies home when they were certain everyone was healthy. When they left, I dozed on and off with Lucy beside me. I would keep the blue baby blanket tucked away in the closet for our next little one.

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