“Hi,” Black said when he walked in and kissed CeCe.
“I’m glad you made it.” she said.
“Are you kidding. I wouldn’t miss this. I’m sorry I wasn’t with you.”
“That’s really was my fault. You didn’t want to go, but I made you go.”
“It’s good that I did. Things were in dissarray and I had to get them back on track.”
“Anyway,” CeCe said and grabbed his hand when her pain increased. When it let up, she loosened her grip. “I’m glad you’re here. But this shit hurts. I swear, I am never doing this again.”
“What’s that noise?”
CeCe reached over and turned up the volume. “That galloping sound is our baby’s heart.”
Black smiled at CeCe. “Our baby,” he said and CeCe smiled at him. Even though she was in pain, she was very happy to be having his baby. She prayed it was a boy. CeCe knew how much he wanted a son.
Her doctor came in the room and greeted them. He examined CeCe and told them that she had dilated to 6 centimeters. “How long before the baby is ready to come?” CeCe asked.
“The duration of labour varies widely, but active phase averages some 8 hours for women giving birth to their first child. The cervix dilates at a rate of 1.2 centimeters per hour over a period of at least two hours.”
“8 hours?” CeCe almost screamed.
“I’ve seen it be much less, I’ve seen it be much longer. But you’re doing fine. You’re at 6 centimeters now and full dilation is reached when the cervix has widened enough to allow passage of the baby’s head, which is around 10 centimeters. Have we talked about episiotomy?”
“What’s that?” CeCe asked.
“It’s a surgical cut in the muscular area between the vagina and the anus called the perineum. It’s made just before delivery to enlarge your vaginal opening.”
“No, we haven’t.” CeCe said. “What do you think?”
“Research has shown that women with a spontaneous tear generally recover in the same or less time and often with fewer complications than those who had an episiotomy. Women who have an episiotomy tend to lose more blood at the time of delivery, have more pain during recovery, and have to wait longer before they have sex without discomfort.”
CeCe and Black looked at each other. “Spontaneous tear,” they both said almost at the same time. The doctor laughed, but he understood and was ready for their next question.
“When can we start having sex again?” CeCe asked.
“Your perineum should be completely healed around four to six weeks after delivery. I’ll examine you to be sure that you’re healed. So when you feel up to it you can try having sex again. You might feel some initial tenderness and tightness. You might prefer to be on top so that you can control the degree of penetration, or you may find lying on your side to be more comfortable. Relaxing as much as possible and using a good water-soluble lubricant will help make sex more comfortable. This may be especially helpful since you plan on breastfeeding. Lactation lowers your estrogen levels, which reduces the amount of lubrication your vagina can produce. Many women continue to use a lubricant during sex until they stop nursing.”
“Good to know,” Black said and CeCe agreed.
When she had gotten to fully dilated at 10 centimeters, CeCe began the second stage. The doctor told them that the head was fully engaged in the pelvis. “The widest diameter of the head has successfully passed through the pelvic brim. Now what remains is for the fetal head to pass below the pubic arch and out through the introitus. So you’re going to have to get ready to push.”
CeCe had chosen to use the spontaneous pushing method instead of being coached to push. This allowed her to follow her body’s natural urges, and pushed when and if she felt ready, and in whatever way felt right to her.
“Let the contraction build a certain amount before bearing down,” the doctor said.
CeCe screamed and yelled while she pushed and cursed at Black. “You did this shit to me!” and swore once again, “I ain’t ever doing this shit again!”
When it was over, CeCe had given birth to a healthy baby boy. “What are we gonna name him?” Black asked.
“His name is Michael Black Jr.,” CeCe said.