Leave it to Leonor #184

This week, I'm thinking about giving birth.

But before that, here is the first ever Leave it to Leonor trigger warning. I have friends having babies every month between now and October and maybe some of you, readers, are also pregnant. Maybe some of you are a bit squeamish. Thankfully, this story has a happy ending, but there are a lot of dark moments, too. Now is your chance to skip down to “This week in reading.” For the rest of you, carry on. 

A little over a year ago, I was a week past my due date and nearly out of amniotic fluid, so my doctor sent me to the hospital to be induced. Around 1 o’clock, we walked into the hospital, which is fun when you are going to have a baby. Everyone is very excited. It’s like a very small parade.

The first few hours of the process were standard. They monitored me and the baby for a bit before inducing me with a pill. I had some early labor contractions which made me laughably confident. Those hours were chill and damn near delightful. I was up and about, breathing, squatting, moving through my pain, and using visualization techniques that my good friend Alice taught me. Look how much fun my mom and I were having before she left for the night: 

Around 9 p.m., my water broke and things took a very sharp turn. My contractions could no longer be helped with visualizations or movement. The pain was intense and all encompassing. I listened to Homecoming: The Live Album in between each wave, and while they slammed into my body, the only thing that eased the pain was swaying like we were slow dancing in middle school.