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Lauren Gray
Mrs.Petty
Eng101
14, February 2015
Great Expectations
Well ready or not its happening today, KC proclaimed as she pulled open the large
floor length indigo curtains that hung from the ceiling. Instantly my heart sank to the pit of my
stomach, and I look at my mom sitting in the oversized plastic chair against the wall. She gives
me a half hearted smile to try to reassure me, but I can see right through her, she is worried too. I
was not anticipating this to happen, and without a doubt I was in no way ready. This is not the
day I have been dreaming of the last eight months. Like the snap of a finger, things quickly took
a turn for the worst, and I ended up in a position I never could have dreamt up.
There I was thirty-five weeks pregnant waddling up to the hospitals labor and delivery
unit. It was just like any other day for me, for I spent at least three days a week there due to high
blood pressure and some contractions. I considered my frequent visits pretty standard
considering I was in my last trimester, and no one had ever told me other wise. I did a lot of
research on pregnancy and labor, and my mom worked as a neonatal nurse, so naturally I
considered myself an expert on the topic. I often dreamed and fantasized of what a blessed,
wonderful occasion the birth of my son would be. I finally make my way to the large oak doors, I
press the large sterling button and the doors open and I trudge forward to the desk where my
favorite nurse KC sat eating her dinner.
Again? she asks as she gets up and leads me towards a triage room.

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I quickly follow behind KC in her navy scrubs with her sandy blonde hair that was
spiked in the back. KC was by far one of my favorite nurses, and we spent lots of time together.
She always had a good joke, and her wise cracks made some of the uncomfortable things like
getting my cervix checked a little more bearable. I sit down on the hard, standard hospital bed as
KC prepares the tools to start an IV; I extend my arm out in preparation of what is to come.
Suddenly the overwhelming scent of rubbing alcohol fills the air as KC vigorously scrubs my
arm; poke, the IV is in and KC hands me my gown and a small clear cup with a bright orange lid
on the top that I had to pee in so she could test it. I let out an over dramatic sigh, grabbed the
dreaded cup, and my gown and paraded to the bathroom with my IV tower in tow. After the deed
is done, I peak out the bathroom door down the long triage hall to make sure no one was coming.
After all I could not let anyone see me parading around with a cup of urine in my hand. Once I
am sure no one I coming, I grab the back of my light blue gown so my backside was not
revealed, and I brought my half full cup to the nurses station, so she could send it off for testing.
I head back to my room and I make myself comfortable again; Meanwhile KC is at my
bed side putting the clear, thick ultrasound gel on the large round pieces that look like an oversized stethoscope as I adjust my pillows. There was a frigid sting as the monitors made contact
with my belly, and she moved them around till we heard a heart beat. She then strapped a light
pink band around each of the two monitors to hold them in place. Hearing the sweet pitter-patters
of his heartbeat was the perfect remedy to alleviate some of the worry from my mind.
Occasionally we heard a loud thump as he kicked the monitor real hard, and my mom and I
would look at each other and chuckle his discontent with the monitors squeezing my belly.

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Well ready or not its happening today, KC proclaimed as she came back into my little
room, Youre spilling a lot of protein into your urine, youre kidneys are shutting down, and if
we dont get him out the rest of your body will do the same.
KCs words surge through me like an electrical discharge and I became completely
overwhelmed with emotion. It was too soon for him to come. He needed these last five weeks to
grow and develop before entering this harsh world. The magical day I had been dreaming of did
not entail a life or death delivery. Immediately I called my fianc at work and filled him in on
what was going on and that it was time and that he needed to get here because I was being
induced. We were having this baby tonight, or so I thought.
What? his voice trembled, Is he going to be okay?
I dont really know much right now, so please get here, I said. Saying those words
made everything feel so real. I barely managed to let the words escape my mouth.
I get transported over to the labor room; it was so much bigger than the triage room. It
had a large bed in the center of the room and a purple pleather couch against the large window
that overlooked a beautiful green golf course. I plop down on the bed that looked like a big white
fluffy cloud compared to the triage bed and get myself situated. Almost instantly I think to
myself that this bed is nowhere near as comfortable as I thought it would be. After what feels like
an eternity, my fianc Richard walks into the room with a drained expression across his face. He
was scared, I could tell he had enough time to really think about the situation. I wished I knew
what to say to give him some relief, but I was scared too. I catch a whiff of hot wings in his bag,
and my mouth waters. I really wanted one of those hot wings, but alas I could not have anything
but ice chips in case I had to have emergency surgery. As Richard sat there mowing down on his
wings a nurse came in and pushes a medicine into my IV to jump start labor. My nurse flushes

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the IV with a saline solution, and I get a cool sensation through my body and a salty taste in my
mouth. I anxiously laid there in the bed waiting for something to happen, for I just wanted this
day to be over. As I laid there expecting to start feeling labor pains, I found the beautiful stained
glass window on the ceiling above my bed that I had failed to notice up until this point. The
window had swirls of yellows and golds in the background and atop were blue roses in full
bloom. I spent quite some time disappointed as I laid there waiting to feel contractions or
anything really. This was not my idea of jump-start labor that the nurse had given me medication
for. So for the next few hours I switched back in forth between staring at the beautiful window
and playing games on my phone. Richard laid next to me on a small sofa chair that pulled out
into a bed fast asleep. I was extremely envious of his ability to sleep because my mind was
racing, and I just simply could not get comfortable. Suddenly I feel a harsh pulling and
tightening feeling work its way down my belly. That wasnt to bad, I thought to myself. But
each one got worse and worse, so there I sat there on an oversized medicine ball bouncing up and
down to work through the pain as contractions ripped across my belly. It was a pain I had never
felt before, like something was about to tear me open from the inside out. KC came in to check
one me and I asked to get in the Jacuzzi. It was quite the debacle getting in the tub with an IV
and a bunch of monitors hooked to my belly, but I was willing to do anything to relieve some
pain. I step in the tub that was quickly filling up with lukewarm water. The water temperature
was a bit disappointing, but that was as warm as I was aloud to have it, so it would have to do. I
finally get relaxed, and I sink down into the tub. The Jacuzzi jets beating against my back are
such a relief, so I close my eyes and relish in pain relief. Suddenly a hear a loud beep from the
monitor that is hooked to my belly and three nurses come rushing in and instantly get me out of
the tub and back in my bed,

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Heart rate is still dropping, prepare for an emergency C-section, and go call her doctor,
one of the nurses said. The nurse strapped the blood pressure cuff to my arm and it squeezed
tight, and then released, all I could think about was my little boy. I instantly thought the worst. I
thought I might lose my little boy, the little boy that I loved more than anything in this world,
although I had not even met him yet. Again it was more things I was completely unprepared for.
This was not how I imagined the big day would go. In that moment I realized that this was
probably not going to be the day I dreamed of but it did not matter as long as my little boy was
okay. Suddenly we heard the thundering thumps as his heartbeat came racing across the monitor.
The room quieted, and everyone took a massive sigh of relief as the heavenly tune of his
heartbeat filled the room. The rest of my labor moved along pretty slowly, and I had not
anticipated it taking this long, and it was so painful. Each contraction was more agonizing than
the last, and I knew labor was going to be difficult, but this was no joke. I finally called for an
epidural, and it was something I never thought I would do. I wanted to be one of those all natural
moms I kept reading and hearing about, but the pain was just unbearable. Luckily the
anesthesiologist arrived quickly kicked my mom and mother in law out and began the process.
We ran into a lot of difficulty because it is a very intricate procedure, and I was heavily
contracting and unable to sit still. After about thirteen failed attempts he finally got it in. But
nothing could have prepared me for getting a long needle shoved into my spine that many times.
Eventually it was time to finally push this baby out.
My mom grabbed one leg and my fianc grabbed the other and my mother in law held
my hand as KC said, Alright take a breath and hold for one, and two, and three, and four, and
five, she slowly rhythmical counted, and six and seven and eight and nine and ten and rest.

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I gasped for air like I had been under water for many minutes, those ten seconds felt like
the drug on for hours, but I continued on. I continued on pushing for the next three hours after an
already thirty hours of labor. I was so tired there was no way I could even move, and my mouth
was so dry and I was starving. The only thing I had tasted in the last thirty-three hours was ice
chips and cherry chap stick.
I cant do it, Im done! I screamed.
Everyone in the room remained optimistic and gave me pep talks, You can do it, youre
so close now, dont give up, get angry and just push.
Something they said must have clicked because I got right back to it. Suddenly a nurse
leaves and comes back with a specialist since my son was about to be born early. It was time, I
knew it, and so I pushed and gave it every ounce I had in me. Finally all the pain and pressure
released from my body. Everyones eyes welled with tears, and wide grins came across their
faces as they admired the newest addition to our family.
I feel him, I feel him kicking me in the thigh, I cried.
Richard walked up and laid a soft sweet kiss with his dry, chapped lips on my forehead
said how proud he was of me. The nurses put my son Colton on my chest and he looked up at me
with piercing grayish-blue eyes. Despite the crust like film he was covered in he was perfect. I
was struck with love, and it was the most intense feeling I have ever felt in my life. He was
swaddled in a white blanket with pink and blue pint striping, and had on a hat that matched. I ran
my fingers across his smooth face as he stared up at me with wonder. The room was still as I
bonded with the most perfect thing I had ever laid eyes on. I knew I could never love anything as
much as I loved this little boy, and that I would do anything for him. It did not matter what I
went through to get here. He was here, and the purest perfection I had ever seen.

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I never expected my labor and delivery to be so intense and dramatic. I sure I had high
expectations for something I did not know much about. I never in my life would have imagined
such a special day having so much turmoil, and being so scary. My whole pregnancy I had been
dreaming of this day, and I went in thinking I had it all figured out on how the day was going to
go. That day taught me more about life and love then all of the rest of the days of my life
combined. That day felt real and raw, and I felt everything with such intensity. It was the day I
felt most alive. That day was a reality check, I realized that things can change in the blink of an
eye and ultimately life does not always go according to plan, so you have to enjoy every
moment.