"February 25, 1917
Canning Maternity Home
Ginny Jessup's First Birth
I can tell Ginny's nervous, scared. It's her first baby, after all. Laird worries so.
You're a good girl, Ginny. You'll be a good mother.
Dr. Thomas says he can make it easier. He can take the pain away. Twilight sleep, scololamine and morphine. She won't remember a thing.
She's breathing heavy, here it comes. Yes, yes. Make it go away.
Count back from 100, relax, all will be well.
She's propped up, heels settled in the stirrups, knees falling limp to either side. The body keeps working while she's gone, quaking, twitching.
He's silent as he works down there, between Ginny's legs.
There's another woman in the delivery room. She's angry, howling every complaint she's ever had against her husband. Bastard. Son of a bitch. Lazy. Stupid. Yellow no-account bucket-mouthed ass.
I wonder if there's a pain, even if she's not aware of it. Will it come back in a dream tonight, tomorrow? He tells me the method he's using gives him complete control. A clean slice to the tight red skin, this allows for the outlet forceps to enter without lacerations, it allows for a clean, accurate repair when all is said and done.
The other woman is groaning, weeping, asking for her mother.
Ginny's child is extracted. His head misshaped, a little bruised, breathing like he's exhausted and can't catch any air.
Twilight Sleep leaves them a little short of breath, nothing that a hot bath in the nursery won't cure.
The other mother is quiet now. I can hear her breathing on the other side of the curtain pulled around her bed.
Ginny's eyes open and her hand reaches out to me. The rest of her body is still, as if she's afraid to question what's just happened. There was no moment of celebration at the end. She's feeling left behind, unsure.
You're a good girl, Ginny. You'll be a wonderful mother.
The doctor sees this as normal. A kind of bliss. He's happy when he greets her and tells her everything went smoothly, splendid. A healthy baby boy. Can you recall what happened?
Not much. No, nothing actually.
Good. Good.
She's weak on her feet. She can't keep food down. She thanks him for his accomplishment. She waits to hold her child.
--The Birth House by Ami McKay
This book is wonderful. If you have considered reading it--borrow it, or buy it! It is not due to be published here in the US until the fall, so I broke down a while back and ordered it from Canada. I am only a third of the way in, but it is hard to put down, and I find I have to ration myself. Set in Nova Scotia during WWI, a young woman is apprenticed to a midwife when a new doctor arrives--with the promise of "fast and painless childbirth."
I put these links in the comment section, but I will add them in the body of this post as well. I originally found out about this book from Patricia at BookLust (she even got to meet the author!), as well as Isabella at Magnificent Octopus. You can read their posts about the book as well. Incidental Pieces is author, Ami McKay's blog, and she also has a website about her book--more temptations for you to read this book...