Seventy-three

                                    

                                          
So I decided to do the dishes before bed.
                          
Though a plate slid out of my hand, hit another plate and they both shattered across the floor.
                          
That was at 11pm. I went outside to throw them out after wrapping them in a newspaper and then there was a hedgehog right outside my door.
                          
That's the first time I've ever seen a hedgehog and I literally got so scared but I've put a bowl of water out for it.
                          
Anyway, now I'm drinking tea, writing this and watching Mamma Mia because I don't want to go to bed like I planned.
                          
-
                          
Fred stayed in the delivery room while I was being moved to an operating room in a wheelchair.
                          
George walked next to me, holding my hand.
                          
I was so tired. I had only gotten three hours of asleep and now I was about to push two babies out of me while not being able to feel my own vagina.
                          
I mean, I chose that because of how intense the pain was, but still... pushing was gonna be more difficult.
                          
When we got to the operating room, I was helped onto the bed and George got a chair to sit on next to me.
                          
We had to wear hairnets which was annoying but I understood that it all had to be sterile.
                          
It was also rather annoying that we couldn't stay on the cosy delivery room but due to the chances of a c-section being higher, I also understood why it had to be in an operating room.
                          
There was about twenty nurses and doctors in the room, including doctor and nurses for me, for each baby and some from the NICU team.
                          
I didn't really enjoy being on the display for that many people, but then again, it was protocol.
                          
When it was time for me to push, it had been one hour and a half since they told me I had dilated ten centimetres.
                          
I pushed for thirty minutes, crying with frustration of how difficult it was. It hadn't been this difficult with my previous pregnancies but now it was so difficult that I cried.
                          
George was there with a wet and cold cloth, and placing it over my forehead and removing it again when I needed a new one.
                          
Though after pushing for thirty minutes, the wonderful sound of a baby crying filled the room, and Meg wrapped her in a towel as she held the baby up to let me have a look.
                          
"It's a girl." She smiled before placing her on my chest and I cried even more as I looked at her.
                          
When I looked at George, he was leaned over to have a look at her, tears appearing in his eyes.
                          
Then I looked at my girl again and let out a cry.
                          
"She's so ugly." I cried, causing George as well as some of the birthing team to laugh. "She looks like an alien!"
                          
I lifted my arm to brush my finger over her cheekbone.
                          
"Hello little one." I sobbed while George gently brushed his hand over her head.
                          
"She's got so much hair." He said. "It's dark."
                          
A nurse from the team approached.
                          
"We'll have to take her now." She said and I nodded slowly, not taking my eyes off of her as the nurse took her from me.
                          
I looked up at George.
                          
"You have to go with them when they go to the NICU." I cried as he wiped the tears from my cheeks with his thumbs.
                          
"You don't have to worry about that right now." Meg told me. "I need you to not push right now, okay? Even if you feel like it. I have to reach in and grab the boy's legs. He's still in a breeched position."
                          
I nodded.
                          
My boy was gonna be born feet first.
                          
I looked up at George who was looking down at me as well, brushing his hand over my forehead, and at the same time, I could feel Meg reach in to grab the feet off Liam.
                          
George leaned down to kiss my forehead, smiling comfortably at me.
                          
"You're doing so great, beautiful." He whispered. "Just one more baby, yeah?"
                          
"That's easy enough for you to say."
                          
"Dahlia?" Meg asked, causing me to look at her and she smiled at me. "I've got him. His feet are out. I need you to push with the next contraction, alright? He'll have to go straight to the NICU so you won't be able to hold him right away."
                          
Oh...
                          
"Okay."
                          
I looked up at the screen to see when my next contraction was, seeing as I could barely feel them.
                          
When the contraction hit, Meg instructed me to push, and I did, my chin digging into my chest and my hands holding onto the back of my thighs.
                          
I didn't make a sound but I closed my eyes and kept breathing.
                          
It took two pushes to get him out but he didn't cry. Immediately I followed him with my eyes as he was carried to the other end of the room to get checked out.
                          
"What's happening?" I asked, crying again. "Is he okay? Why isn't he crying? George, why isn't he crying?"
                          
I held onto his hand as we both looked in his direction while Meg tried to talk to me but I shut it out.
                          
"Is he okay?" I repeated. I kept asking that same question until I was told that he was fine and would be taken to the NICU right away.
                          
I broke into tears of happiness, feeling such relief that my baby was okay.
                          
I covered my face with my hands as I cried.
                          
"Dahlia, look at me." Meg said, and I did, taking a deep breath. "I know that was scary, but your babies are okay and so are you. We need to deliver the placenta now and then you need a few stitches. You tore a little but not a lot."
                          
After I delivered the placenta and got the stitches, a nurse from the NICU team came over with Liam and handed him to me.
                          
I cried as I held him, and that wasn't anything knew. I had cried continuously throughout the birth.
                          
"Look at his hair." I cried. "It's blonde."
                          
He had his hand up to his face and when I stroke it with my thumb, he loosely grabbed onto my finger.
                          
"You're very small." I whispered. "Your sister is really big, but you're so tiny, aren't you?"
                          
"Looks like Amelia got most of the nutrition." George said, planting a kiss on Liam's head.
                          
He was all clean, having been washed by the nurses.
                          
After a few minutes, Liam was taken away from me and they prepared to move him and Amelia to the NICU.
                          
"They're here." I said, looking up at George. "They're actually here."
                          
He smiled, leaning down to kiss me.
                          
"Go with them." I said. "I want one of us to be with them."
                          
"Okay." he whispered, kissing me again. "You did so good, gorgeous."
                          
He went with the NICU team when they moved the twins away, and I kept looking at the door while Meg put my legs down and covered me back up.
                          
"Congratulations." She smiled at me. "Not many women are able to birth twins without a c-section. It's rare, but you did it. You're strong... you should be proud of that."
                          
I chuckled and wiped my cheeks before looking at the ceiling.
                          
"Now, we'll just do some check to make sure you're all healthy and alright, then we'll roll you back to the delivery room."