FEBRUARY 22, 1967--A NEW BEGINNING

On the morning of February 22, 1967, I was awakened by a slight, but significant pain.  I woke my husband, Paul, immediately.

"I have a pain!" I cried.  He looked bewildered and his blue eyes slowly closed.  "Wake up," I cried.  "Today is the day and I have a pain."  His blue eyes slowly opened.

"Have you taken some aspirin?" he said reasonably.  Was the man simple?

"Today is the 22nd and I have a pain.  It may be labor!"  He immediately snapped to attention and started running around the room, looking for God-knows-what.  Probably his clothes.  "Should I call Dr. Scott?"

"Yes, call Dr. Scott!" he said and lit a cigarette.  "I'll make coffee and you call Dr. Scott and ask him what to do."

"Do we have time for coffee?" I said. "What if the baby is coming now?"

Paul inhaled deeply and thought about this.  "I don't think it happens that fast."

"No, surely not," I said.  All I could think of was Prissy in Gone With The Wind screaming, "I don't know nuthin' 'bout birthin' babies!" (It was 1967.  We didn't know this was racist.)

Dr. Scott was quite calm and said we could meander down to the hospital any time now.  It would be a while before the baby came.

Seven or eight hours later I had still not had a serious pain and was laughing and joking with the Candystripers.  Paul had hoped for a little action by now and he was becoming increasingly anxious.

"Paul, go on over to your parents' house and have some dinner.  I think it's going to be a while yet."  Gratefully, Paul sped away to the safety of his mother's dinner table.  Since there was absolutely no drama, the pretty little Candystripers lost interest and wandered away.  I was quite cheerful.  What was all the fuss about childbirth for heaven's sakes?  I burrowed under the covers with Cosmopolitan and Helen Gurley Brown, hoping to find an article about sex.  I soon found one entitled 27 Positions for Blissful Sex and I settled down for a good read when....

            Oh, my God! I yelped.

Was this was they were talking about?  Suddenly, I wanted to put a knife under the bed to cut the pain in two.  Good Grief!!  This was terrible!  After two more earth-shattering pains I called the nurse.

"And how are we doing, Miss Linda?  Coming along are we?" she said, smiling broadly.  How dare she smile?  Suddenly, I disliked her intensely.  I was suffering and she was all sweetness and light.

"I think my baby is coming!" I loudly announced.  "In fact, I'm sure of it."

"Oh, let's not jump the gun, Sweetheart. This is your first and I don't think--"

"Would you check," I said through gritted teeth.  "I can feel it coming."

Nurse Ratched laughed merrily as she pulled aside the covers.  "We'll just take a little looksee and you can calm down oh my God it IS coming and Dr. Scott is at the golf course it's Wednesday."  Nurse looked stricken.  "I'll just go and call him," she said and departed with all possible speed.

I was alone with my baby ready to pop out into the world at any moment.  I crossed my legs and prayed. Out loud.  

              TO BE CONTINUED
                  



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