 | ||
| Aaron Chayne Laibhen "DJ Rivera" & Slim Perfection. Photo by Renzo Lee Media |
Now I promised to share my labor & delivery story so here we go. It was December 20, 1995 about 2AM and I began feeling what I would describe as electric vibrations coming from my lower abdomen. I was awakened by these vibrations and began to look at the clock on the VCR. This of course being my first pregnancy and haven given the due date of December 16th one would expect eventually the coming of the baby.
Now I began timing the electric vibrations which of course were contractions and they went from 7 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart. Figuring that this wasn't gas, I went over to my sister's room to tell her that I am having contractions and they are 5 minutes apart. I was in Hempstead, Long Island at my sister Renee's house so we got in the car and headed over to Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.
When we arrived at Mercy the ER Physician checked me and said that I was dilated just a "finger tip" (whatever that meant) so I had more than enough time to go to my Doctor. So we left Mercy hospital and Renee drove me to another sister's house in Roosevelt, Long Island we'll call her Dr. Ruth. Back in '95 she was a Nurse but now she's a Dr. so the story continues... When I got to Ruth's house by then the contractions were much stronger, the time now about 11AM or so. Ruth was busy fixing breakfast for her family and I had to wait until she got herself together in order to take me to Brooklyn. Now Winter of '95 had record snowfall and we pretty much had snow up to our waists around the time that my child Aaron was born. Dr. Ruth was taking her sweet time getting everything together. I waited patiently on the living room couch moaning in agony while an elderly lady who rented a room in my sisters house felt impressed to just sit & watch me and make idiotic comments in Creole. Yeah - so she wasn't helping.
Finally we are getting ready to head to Kings County Hospital, I lived not to far from the Hospital but my keys to get in the house were left with Renee. So my emergency bag with all things needed for me & baby were locked away. When we arrive at Kings County Hospital Emergency Room, there's a snow storm outside so of course all the homeless people have made themselves quite comfortable occupying as many seats as desired. By this time it's after 3PM, I haven't eaten breakfast, it was offered but the contractions were too strong for that and now I am extremely hungry and thirsty. Dr. Ruth decides to go visit our Grandmother since were in the neighborhood.
Now who doesn't love Grand Ma's home cooking? I said "Great bring me back some food from Grand Ma" as I pace the ER floor back & forth (I wasn't allowed upstairs because they're were no beds available yet) So I'm pacing thinking about Grand Ma's good food, It's real food so I know it will give me strength. After all, I didn't eat all day and that's all I could think about. Well when Ruth finally comes from Grand Ma's house my eyes widened ready to sit & eat some real home cooked food. Ruth decided to EAT ALL OF MY FOOD THAT GRAND MA MADE FOR ME, AND COMES BACK WITH CHICKEN WINGS & FRIED RICE FROM A CHINESE RESTAURANT. Boy oh boy when she opened up that chinese food in front of me, the wings looked like bats to me and I looked at her & said "you eat it" I can't eat that. So all I had was a can of Minute Maid Juice from the vending machine and that was it. Ruth had to go back to Long Island the storm was getting worse and I was told another sister, Elsie will be on her way.
Well by now it's after 9PM and somewhere after that time I finally got a bed and was able to go upstairs. In a room filled with other pregnant mothers wailing and crying I layed down waiting to be seen. Elsie arrived and my thoughts to myself were, with what strength am I going to have to push this baby, I ate nothing all day. However many centimeters dilated I was at this point, the nurses station felt that I should walk. I wanted to grab them by the neck, but hey let's "walk".
So Elsie trying to be a good sport about things helped me off the bed and we began walking up and down the hall. I was in so much pain, and did not want to walk anymore. My sister went to the nurses station to tell them that I can't walk anymore - but those nurses insisted that I continue walking. I had some choice words for them while my sister tried to calm me down. Then right about midnight my water broke - splashed right their on the hallway floor. Elsie notified the nurses station, I was placed back on the bed and waited for a doctor to check me. Now I have always been petite body framed, that didn't change during pregnancy. When they placed the strap to monitor the baby heart rate, etc., and when they would check my bed and read this monitor, those numbers weren't registering properly because that strap wasn't even on me properly.
By now I am beyond dehydrated, I'm asking for ice chips something to help me. These people decided no, we're not giving you any. I look at my sister, she looked at me like, "Peggy there is nothing that I can do." Well the doctors & nurses were taking too long for me so I started pushing on my own.
Then this Dr. from Trinidad I presume by his accent came in and asked "Do you feel like you need to do the two's?" repeatedly. I had no idea what this man was talking about, I couldn't even understand him, I looked at my sister, she looked at me and tried to translate. By that time all kinds of fluids were coming out of my body and I was ready to rip everybody's head off.
They FINALLY brought me to the OR, I have fluids coming from everywhere they wheel my bed over to the OR table and tell me to get up and go to the OR table. Can you believe this? I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STRENGTH, I do not know how on Earth I am going to do much of anything and these people had the nerve to tell me to get up myself and go on the OR table. I looked at my sister, she looked at me and there was nothing that she could do. So I muster whatever strength that I have and transfer myself to the OR table put my foot in the stirrups and began pushing. Now they told me to push as if I was "doing the two's" that's not hard to do. We all know that motion, if you're regular you do that everyday, maybe even more than once.
So I began pushing, as I pushed it was as if Earth and Time stood still I do not know how I pushed, I do not know where the strength came from to push. I just kept pushing with all of whatever I had in me to push. While pushing - I blacked out - all I could remember is the Doctors calling my name while an oxygen mask was put on my face. As I came to, I heard the Dr. (the OR Dr. was a woman) "Ok Ms. Laibhen we need you to push" and so I did.
Then I heard the cries of my son, all 21.5 Inches & 6lbs 13oz of him @ 2:46AM. My sister looked at me and said "he has your feet." Like that is the first thing that she said to me when Aaron emerged from my womb. So the Dr. says "It's a boy, does she know it's a boy?" then instructs me to push out the Placenta that hit the ground and I pretty much gave the Dr. a blood bath with all of the splatter. No episiotomy - just the Dr. saying "We're gonna stitch you up now Ms. Laibhen." With the Placenta splatter she says "I guess I will be going in the showers." Yeah - Kings County Hospital in 1995 is not what Kings County Hospital's Maternity Ward is today.
Holding Aaron, feeding Aaron, looking into the eyes of Aaron was the greatest joy a Mother can have. The miracle of childbirth is just that a miracle. My miracle is now 19 years of age who makes me relive my labor and delivery story each year when his birthday is nearing. Aaron asks me all sorts of questions pertaining to those days nearing his arrival and bringing him into this world. It's ok - although 19, he will always be my baby. Now I can't get into the entire hospital stay cause you'll be reading forever. The Hospital food was gross and I never got my Maternity bag with all my personals for Mom & Baby until the day I was leaving the hospital - yes how convenient, while watching all the other Mom's on the floor with their beautiful robes on, etc.
We all have our miracle stories, yes our children are blessings. The beauty is in knowing that God entrusted a Woman with the Awesome Responsibility of Bringing forth Life. I'm grateful and as we are in full swing of the Holiday Season where most Christians reflect on a precious Newborn King born in a Manger in Bethlehem - Aaron and I wish you all the best during this season and 2K15. Till my next entry...
 | ||
| Aaron at 7 years of age |
 |
| Aaron at 17 years of age |
