by Woods, Karen
“Fucking hell mam, this stuff is great do you want a go?” Lisa blushed as the ambulance man laughed.
“Don’t worry love,” he said in a cheeky voice, “you should hear what I’ve heard when they’re on that. They say some strange things believe me. One woman told her partner that he would never have sex with her again, because he was the one who’d got her into this mess and made her feel the pain she was feeling.”
Lisa smiled at his story, but she was more concerned about her daughter and turned her back on him to avoid chatting any further. The ambulance arrived at North Manchester General Hospital fairly quickly and when they pulled up a nurse came to greet them. The nurse looked at Misty and demanded she sat in a chair so they could take her down to the delivery suite. She told her she had no time to be arguing and placed the chair at the back of her legs. Misty sank into the chair and was wheeled up some long grey corridor towards the delivery suite. The hospital looked gleaming, the floors were shining that much it nearly blinded her eyes. Misty was taken into a medical room while the nurse determined how many centimetres her cervix had opened and Lisa took the opportunity to go and phone Dominic and to have a sneaky, well-earned cigarette.
The nurse put on plastic disposable gloves and stretched them out to make sure they were a good fit before she explained to Misty was she was doing. Misty didn’t need to know what was happening as she knew exactly what was going on through previous experience, and tensed as the nurse slid her fingers deep inside her vagina. The fingers inside her felt like hot pokers and her body tensed as another contraction started. The nurse told her to breathe through the pain and kept her fingers still inside her until the pain had passed.
A midwife entered the room, dressed in a navy blue dress with a white collar and looked at the notes at the bottom of Misty’s bed. She also confirmed that she was eight centimetres dilated and told her it wouldn’t be long before she gave birth as the contractions were coming quite regularly. The midwife carried on reading her medical file and discovered Misty had had a stillborn baby several years before. As she carried on reading her notes, she thought to herself how important this baby must be to the person who lay in front of her. She wanted to get things moving as quick as possible to avoid any complications and started to prepare for the birth.
Once the examination was over, Lisa returned with a very nervous looking Dominic by her side. His face focused on all the different equipment scattered round the room and he moved to Misty’s side as he watched her suck on a plastic tube. The next hour passed quickly and then time come for her to push her baby into this world.
Misty’s face looked hot, as she sat up ready for the next contraction. The midwife gave her instructions to follow when the next pain started. She also told her if she listened to her, she would lessen her chances of any tearing and avoid having any stitches. Dominic took his position at the side of her and held her hand, as Lisa held the other. The midwife positioned the overhead light right between her legs and they all waited until the contractions returned. The nurse now took over and raised her voice, as Dominic watched on in panic.
“Right my lady, breathe through the pain and when I tell you to push I want you to push with all your might.” Misty followed the instructions and when the midwife finally told her to push she let out a scream like someone had poured boiling water on her.
“Pant, pant, don’t push for a minute just pant.”
Dominic and Lisa were now at the side of Misty and were panting with her. Dominic told Misty to be brave for a little longer. His heart was in his mouth as he watched her and he felt so helpless that he couldn’t take the pain away.
“I can see the head,” the midwife shouted as Lisa moved to the bottom of the bed. Lisa now shouted with her and Misty seemed to get a second wind and sat up fully on the bed. The next contraction came and she screwed up her face as if she’d eaten something sour and pushed once more with all her might. Lisa now screamed as the baby’s head emerged. All she could see was a mass of black hair and a screwed up little face that was covered in something that looked liked lard.
“Misty I can see the baby’s hair,” she shouted. She beckoned Dominic to come and have a look but he remained at Misty’s side, holding her hand. The midwife now wiped a wet cloth round the baby’s neck and told her that if the next push was a good one, her baby would be born. Misty looked tired now and didn’t seem to have the strength left for the final push. Dominic wiped her brow with cold water and told her she couldn’t go to sleep yet as she had to do one last push. Misty moaned and attempted to position herself. She was weak and struggling. Dominic now took control and helped her to sit up on the bed. His voice was strong and firm as he told her that it was nearly over. Misty whinged as her head twisted from side to side and her eyes could barely open as the pain returned. The nurse now shouted in a wild voice.
“Push girl, push. One last good push and it will all be over.”
Misty tried her best and used her last bit of energy to free the child from her. The screams filled the room and Dominic sunk his head into her shoulder unable to take any more of her screams. The sound of a baby crying caused him to lift his head and Misty sobbed as they placed the little baby onto her chest.
At first she felt a bit scared as the baby wriggled on her chest. She seemed to freeze, as she realised everyone’s eyes were on her, waiting for her to see her baby for the first time. Her hands shook as she slowly peeled back the blanket they had placed on it. Dominic was by her side eagerly waiting too. As she looked all she could see was a mass of black hair and the side of the baby’s face. Her tears trickled down her face and her lip shook as she tried to speak, but the emotion was too much as she saw her baby fully for the first time.
“It’s a girl,” Dominic shouted as Lisa danced around the room as if she’d won the lottery. His head now came down to meet Misty on the bed and he kissed her cheek as his emotions got the better of him. Misty couldn’t take her eyes of the child and couldn’t believe her baby was now in front of her. The midwife now needed to get the afterbirth from Misty’s and asked Dominic to take the baby for a few minutes. His face went white and you could see he didn’t feel comfortable holding such a precious little baby, so Lisa stepped in and took the child to a small chair at the side of the bed.
Lisa cuddled the baby and cried as she welcomed her into her family. She could be heard introducing herself to the baby and she was telling her she was her nana. She held the small infants hands and stroked each little finger. What, everyone didn’t know was that she was counting them to make sure they were all there and she could be seen doing the same thing to the toes.
Misty’s eyes never left her child as she held Dominic hand while the nurse finished cleaning her up. All the pain she’d felt moments before had left. If someone was to have asked her how bad the pain was, her answer would have been that she couldn’t remember, as her memory had blanked it all out.
Everybody was overjoyed with the new arrival and it was Lisa who asked what the baby would be called. Misty now turned to Dominic and smiled, because she knew how much he’d wanted to call the baby Charlotte. As she spoke, she gripped his hand and announced the baby’s name for the first time as he stood with a big smile across his face.
“Her name is Charlotte” she smiled. Lisa ran the name across her lips and said it aloud a couple of time and nodded her approval. The full examination of the baby now started and Lisa compared Charlotte to Misty when she was a baby.
“She looks just like you love, when you were born.” Lisa tried to find a resemblance of some feature belonging to Dominic, but the more she looked she couldn’t find one feature that was identical to him. Lisa felt a little sorry for Dominic as he watched her every move and to not make him feel left out, she lied and said she could see Dominic in the child around the eyes area. Dominic smiled at Lisa and went along with her finding, but deep down inside, his heart broke in two. He knew deep down that the child had Gordon’s genes in her and not his.
&nbs
p; Misty looked at Charlotte with endearing eyes. She loved her already with all her heart and couldn’t imagine life without her. As she looked deep into the baby’s eyes a shiver passed through her and the eyes that looked back at her made her heart miss a beat. The eyes she saw looking back were those of a past life she was trying to forget. There was no denying he was the father of her child no matter how much she tried too. Dominic had already seen the resemblance in the infant’s face and looked at Misty knowing he’d have to put on a brave face, no matter how much he was dying inside.
The nurse came into the room and told them that Misty and Charlotte would be now taken to the ward. Misty felt so tired and welcomed the thought of being able to sleep. Lisa kissed her new granddaughter and kissed Misty’s forehead before she left. Her words were emotional as she pulled out a tissue from her pocket and tried to make sense of her emotions.
“I’m so happy, Misty. You’ve made me so proud.” Lisa now held her tight as the words fought their way from her mouth in a mumbled tone. “If your dad was alive he’d have been so proud of you” she couldn’t speak any more as her emotions took over. She kissed her daughter one last time and stoked the baby’s head before she waved and left the room. Dominic knew that he didn’t have a lot of time left with his new family, as he could see the nurse waiting patiently to take her to the ward.
“I’m so happy Misty” he spoke in a loving voice. “Charlotte is beautiful just like her mother. I promise you both I will always protect you both and always do my best to make sure you have good lives.”
Misty placed his head into her hands as he leant over and declared her undying love for him. Her heart broke, as she knew how hard this was for him. He was her rock and somehow, whatever happened, as long as he was by her side nothing else seemed to matter. Dominic left the room, but still hovered near the door not wanting to leave them both, but Lisa took his arm and told him he needed to get some rest. His eyes looked as if they were ready for closing and he looked mentally and physically exhausted.
Misty sat in a wheelchair and once she was comfortable, Charlotte was passed to her wrapped in a small pink blanket. The nurse started to wheel her through the doors and headed to the lift. The night air was whistling through the hospital as they walked down the corridor and Misty held Charlotte close, protecting her from the cold. As she peered down into the little pink blanket, her heart melted at the little face that looked back at her. Charlotte was a lovely pink colour. When she’d been born earlier, she panicked and asked the nurse was this normal that her baby was a yellow colour. The nurse had already put her mind to rest when she explained that most babies were born that colour and told her usually it meant they had a bit of yellow jaundice and it was nothing to worry about.
The ward was strangely quiet and all the beds had the curtains drawn round them as they entered. She led Misty to her bed and lay the baby in a small transparent cot at the side of her. Once she was in bed, the nurse brought some little bottles of baby milk. She told Misty that once her baby woke up she would need to feed her. Misty looked horrified. She had never fed a baby before and wondered if she would be capable. The nurse saw her distraught look and chuckled.
“Listen love, everyone’s the same at first, but once you’ve done one feed they’re all much the same after that. If you need any help just give one of the night staff a shout and I’m sure they will help you.” The nurse checked the baby one last time and wished Misty luck in parenthood. She thanked her and watched as she closed the curtain behind her.
Misty lay like a scared animal looking round her surroundings. She shook with the cold air as she pulled the checked woollen blanket over her to try to keep warm. Misty positioned herself so she could see Charlotte’s face in her little cot. It was amazing how long she just stared at her and every now and then, she would reach over and feel the infant’s chest just to make sure she was still breathing. Misty finally gave in and closed her eyes for sleep. This was her first night’s sleep as a mother and she felt like she was going to take to the role like a duck to water.
The sound of a crying baby woke Misty and when she finally focused she realised it was Charlotte at the side of her. Her heart jumped about in her chest as she reached for the small bottle. Once she had it ready in her hands, she hesitated a few minutes before she took the baby from the cot. Charlotte screamed loudly and Misty had never heard anything as piercing in all her life. She hurried to place the bottle in the baby’s mouth and held her away from herself. The baby found the teat to the bottle and sucked at it with incredible speed. Misty immediately panicked thinking she was going to choke and pulled the bottle from the baby’s mouth. Within seconds, the whole ward was in uproar, as Charlottes piercing cry startled the patients and nurses. The nurse on duty heard the infants cry and immediately came to assist. As she pulled the curtain from round the bed, she could see a distraught mother looking for help. The nurse took the baby from her arms and sat on the green leather chair at the side of the bed. Charlotte’s cry was now at full pelt and she looked like she was going to pop, as her face became redder and redder. The nurse remained calm and started rubbing her back while holding her hand under her chin as Misty looked on with concern. Within seconds, Charlotte gave out an almighty burp and Misty looked shocked. The nurse reached for the remainder of the bottle and carried on feeding the baby without a care in the world and made it look all so easy. Misty’s eyes filled and she started to speak as her tears started to flow.
“I feel such a gawp, why has she stopped crying for you? Have I done something wrong?” The nurse had seen this so many times over the years since she’d worked on the maternity ward and Misty wasn’t the first to think she was a failure. The nurse leant forward with the baby still on her lap and faced Misty before she spoke.
“Of course you haven’t done anything wrong. Babies are funny creatures and once you get use to feeding yours, you’ll be fine. Trust me, everyone’s the same. Babies don’t come with instructions and a lot of it is trial and error. Your baby has most probably had wind, and that’s why I started rubbing her back. When you feed a baby you should really stop half way through and wind her, because believe me if your baby’s got wind, say goodnight to any decent sleep.” Misty wiped her eyes and the nurse passed the baby back to her. She still remained at the side of the bed and stood observing her as she told her how to wind a baby properly. Misty smiled when Charlotte burped again and looked at the nurse in surprise. The nurse smiled and told her well done and reminded her that her baby’s bum would now need changing. She stayed with Misty for a few minutes longer and just watched as she completed the task. As she watched, she knew Misty would have no further problems dealing with her baby and slowly left her bedside.
Charlotte was now back in her cot and Misty lay back on the bed feeling proud that she’d mastered the art of winding a child. She turned her eyes to a small clock that was situated on her bedside cupboard and realised it was two o’clock in the morning. The day had been so long and all her fears of her baby not surviving the birth had lifted. The nine months she’d been pregnant had been torture for her and she now felt like a dark cloud had been lifted. The days ahead looked bright and filled with happiness, and now Charlotte was in her arms the world seemed a brighter place.
The tea trolley came round the ward at six thirty in the morning waking Misty from a deep sleep. The hospital staff pulled the curtain from round her bed and a mature woman appeared asking her if she wanted a cup of tea or coffee. Misty sat up and tried to straighten her hair. It looked like someone had rubbed several balloons on it as it stuck up all over the place.
“Yes please” she answered in a soft voice. “Can I have a cup of tea with one sugar?” The woman took a large silver teapot that was on her trolley and struggled to lift it as she started to fill the small white cup in front of her. Misty felt as if she needed to get up and help the woman, but her legs felt like someone had tied pieces of iron around them and she struggled to move. The cup of tea was placed on her bedside c
abinet and she thanked the woman with a smile on her face. The cup of tea was just what she needed at the moment, as her mouth felt like a thousand monkeys had shit in it. The first sip washed around her mouth as she tried to wash the horrid taste away. Misty blamed the gas and air for her breath and hoped nobody would come near her until she had at least brushed her teeth. Looking round the ward through the curtains she could just see the new mothers caring for their babies and looked at her own child who was still sleeping. Her heart melted as she looked at the little bundle in the cot and she couldn’t wait till she was awake again so she could hold her in her arms.
All the curtains from around the beds were opened now and she could see other women fussing about. The woman in the next bed was older and her face was hidden by the amount of blue balloons tied to her bed frame. Misty needed the toilet as her bladder felt like it was going to burst. One by one, she struggled to lift her legs from the bed and with a final effort she managed to sit with her legs hanging over the bed. Her head felt fuzzy at first and she felt dizzy. Taking a deep breath, she got up and stood to go and find the loo. At first, she had no idea where they were, but with a quick question to a nurse, she started to make her way. The sanitary towel rocked between her legs as she quickened her pace. Another minute more and she would have pissed herself, she thought as she locked the toilet door behind her. Yanking her knickers down, she felt relief almost instantly and sighed. She seemed to be there for ages and wondered how much her bladder could possibly hold. Once it was over, she reached for the toilet paper and started to wipe herself. As she wiped she could see masses of blood and bits of clots on the tissue paper. Misty didn’t worry at the sight of it, as she’d been through this procedure once before. Once she’d finished, she replaced her sanitary towel and pulled her knickers back up. Her legs were still wobbly as she walked back to her bed and she felt like she needed something to eat to give her strength. The window that overlooked her bed, had a great view of the hospital car park, and as she sat on her bed she could see could see all the comings and goings.