Not Sorry I Got Those Genes…

Read most any pregnancy book or magazine and you’ll be assured that labor isn’t like the movies. The average first labor is 12 hours. Most women don’t experience their water breaking as their first symptom – often it doesn’t happen until they are in the hospital. Those scenes where women who have been otherwise going about their normal activities suddenly stop short and exclaim, “I think my water just broke!” are pretty unrealistic. I’m not claiming that my birth story is something out of the movies – but it wasn’t exactly average either.
The day I was born didn’t start out much differently than the day before. My mom rose to make my dad breakfast before he headed to work. She’d been noticing some contractions, but her due date was a week away and she didn’t want to be one of THOSE first-time moms who ran off to the hospital at the slightest hint of labor and ended up being sent home. According to Mom’s recollection, she made the breakfast and sent Dad on his way, sure the “false labor” would dissipate as the morning went on.


Instead, it continued to make her uncomfortable, and she wondered whether she’d have to deal with this discomfort for the next week until my due date – or beyond. It wasn’t until she answered the doorbell for the delivery driver that she was convinced she wouldn’t be spending another week in this condition. As she stood at the screen door in her robe, she experienced a gush of fluid. She excused herself and called Dad to return home to get her. He had hardly had time to get to the office!


Upon their arrival at the hospital, the labor and delivery staff was not in any great rush to see her; she wasn’t bellowing or complaining much. By the time she was assessed by a nurse, she was dilated to 9cm and nearly ready to deliver. The doctor was summoned and I arrived only about 6 hours after breakfast! Her speedy delivery sans epidural was impressive in and of itself, but even more so considering I tipped the scales at 8lbs 14oz!

Both of my deliveries went pretty smoothly too: B arrived about 6 hours after I was induced, T arrived about 3 hours after my water broke at home, neither required an epidural. I don’t know how much of our body’s labor behavior is inherited, but I’m counting myself blessed to have my mom’s genes!