Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Birth Memories, 1

I once promised Belle I wouldn't post a birth story (plus, it's pretty boring: I went into labor, eight hours later my kid came out, then there was a lot of lidocaine, the end).  But I keep reading Bionic Mama's highly entertaining and only mildly horrifying birth story and remembering bits and pieces.  So here's one:

I'm in the giant tub at the birth center.  Or maybe I'm leaning on the bed, or in the shower, or hiding in the bathroom; I wasn't exactly present, if you know what I mean.  There is a midwife, in her late forties, immensely experienced and a little sarcastic, and a sweet, blonde student midwife.  "Is the baby coming soon?" I ask the older midwife.

"No," she says, "it's going to be a little while."

"Can't you just LIE to me?" I say, exasperated.

"No," she says, "I generally make it a practice not to lie to my patients."

"You could make an exception here," I say.

Much later, I ask her again.  "Yes," she says, "very soon."

"Well, now I know it's true, if you finally said it."

3 comments:

  1. And WAS it true? Or did it turn out she was a liar after all?

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  2. it would be a much better story if it hadn't been. but not such a good time.

    i sort of believe medical professionals should selectively lie, but then i end up assuming they're all lying and being unnecessarily unhappy.

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