Chapter 36
Cora
There are ten of us in the parental classes, all in various stages of pregnancy. It feels like every female in the country is pregnant, being in a room full of pregnant women. It’s my fourth class, and I’m enjoying it. Thomas was right. Learning about what to expect during labor and after is dispelling my fear. Now I feel as if I can do it. I can take care of a baby.
After class, I head to Riley’s to see her baby girl. She’s two weeks old and has a mass of blonde hair on her little head. It seems like the baby season is on us now, first Fran and then Riley. I have several weeks to go, and to be honest, I can’t wait. I’m tired of being pregnant, and I’m looking forward to seeing my baby.
Riley gave birth with no pain medication. That’s Riley for you. I have no intentions of going that route. Whatever they can give me for pain, I’ll have it. I’m a wimp when it comes to pain, and I don’t even bother to pretend otherwise.
I get to Riley’s and ring the bell. A minute later, she opens the door and stands there holding her baby against her chest as if she’s been doing it for years.
“You’re a natural,” I tell her after we exchange greetings.
“It might look that way, but I’m a mess inside sometimes. Leo is awesome, though,” she says.
Before following her to the living room, I pop into the bathroom to wash my hands. Then I sit down, and she brings baby Sophia to me and places her gently in my arms.
“Is she always asleep?” I swing by Riley’s at least three times a week.
“Pretty much during the day, and then at night, she’s fully awake. I can’t wait for her to adjust her schedule. It’s a killer trying to stay awake at night,” Riley says. “Can I get you a coffee?”
“Yeah, that would be great, thanks.”
I raise Sophia to me and inhale her. She smells edible. I do this every time I come to see her. Babies have this sweet scent that makes you melt inside.
“How was class?” Riley says, returning with two mugs of coffee.
“Good, but I still can’t get over the fact that some women, a lot of them actually, want to give birth at home. I mean, that’s why we call it modern medicine, with hospitals and equipment and so forth.” I shake my head.
“It’s comforting to be home,” Riley says, but I’m not even listening to her.
I’m on a roll. Before the prenatal class starts, we all say our names as well as our planned place to give birth. I always say hospital, in a tone that suggests wanting a home birth is some form of madness.
“I think it’s crazy to want a home birth,” I say hotly.
“Knowing you, I’m sure that you state your views openly in class,” Riley says.
“Yes, of course. If I can get one of them to change their minds, I’ll be a happy camper.” I’m smug about it, but I can’t help it because I know that I’m right.
“I also bet you’ve made tons of friends in your class,” she says, her tone heavy with sarcasm.
I ignore her. From where I’m standing, giving birth seems so bloody, and anything can go wrong at any time.
“Hey, drink your coffee, it’s getting cold. Have you had enough baby love? I can take her to her crib.”
I haven’t, but she’ll be more comfortable in her own bed. “Sure.” Riley carries her upstairs, and when she comes back, she has a baby monitor.
“When is Doctor Sexy coming back?” Riley says.
I frown at her. “You should stop calling Thomas that. It’s weird. Anyway, he comes back tomorrow. That house is too quiet.”
We chat over this and that. Riley and I never run out of things to talk about. An hour later, I’m ready to go home. I’m tired, and I need to stretch my body.
I’m surprised that I’m not hungry when I get home. I’d saved some chili from last night’s leftovers, but I head straight upstairs to lie on the bed. I think the coffee reacted badly with my system. I don’t feel good, but I can’t pinpoint which part of my body is not well. I strip off, pull on my nightshirt, and then slip between the cool sheets. I feel too shitty to check my phone for messages from Thomas. I promise to check as soon as I wake up from napping.
I manage to doze off, but I wake up later to a crushing pain in my belly. I let out a groan as it reverberates throughout my body. When it’s over, I lie back in bed with sweat trickling down my face.
It’s definitely not labor. First of all, I have three weeks to go, and secondly, the first sign of labor is water breaking. I move my hips, but everything down there feels dry.