Just thinking of labor day

27 years ago I was in a tight spot. We were living in Texas. I was estranged from my family and I was pregnant. The part of Texas I was living in had no doctors or hospitals. The closest hospital was at least an hour away and it was a private hospital, no ER no OB/GYN. I had no prenatal care the whole time. I took multi-vitamins because I knew that I needed them. I ate food, all I could for the first time in many years. Much more food than I wanted but I knew my baby needed it. I was anorexic at that time but did not realize it until a few years later.

The doctor that confirmed my pregancy gave me a due date of September. This was in May the day after my 18th birthday. What a present that was. To be told that you are 5 months pregnant. I was scared. 1000 miles from home with a bunch of strangers. I spent the next several months trying to get on medicaid so I could see a doctor.

In August after a long hot summer in Houston, my boyfriend decided we were moving. In one weekend he had us packed and on the road with another couple that I did not even know. Now I am really scared. At that time I still believed that I was due in September. Finally we get to where we were going, way out in the Texas country. I had no idea where we were. The following week I find out we had no money, there were no doctors, no hospitals.

A neighbor lady found out that I was pregnant and she arranged for me to meet the midwife that worked the area. This was a scary thing. I wanted nothing to do with this but had no choice. I met her and she checked me over and told me I was going to have a Halloween baby. She gave me the info on how to get in touch with her when the time came.

When the time came.. humm.. Everybody kept telling what it was like. I was told how it would start off nice and easy and build up into harder labor, how my water would break and then I would push and out she would come. I knew I was having a girl. I could feel it nside. I had only picked out a girl's name, Candiac Eleana.

Halloween came and went still no baby. I was beginning to think that maybe I was not going to have a baby. November 20st arrived, time to slaughter the steer. Early that morning, the 2 familes that were doing it got together to do it. It was a long day, one I spent handgrinding hamburger and chili meat. I had never been around so much blood in my life. That evening Ed came up to me and told me he was going to Chicago with someone and would be back in about a week. I could not believe that he was going to do that to me. Leave me there, ready to pop and Thanksgiving that week.

 Gene, hubby of Sunny, the other couple we lived with, left for work after dropping us off. 2am I wake up with spasms that was horrible. I crawled down the stairs and woke up Sunny. She told me I was in labor. She started timing them and I could see the panic on her face. I knew something was wrong. My contractions were 1 minute long and 2 minutes apart! We had no car and no phone. Our nearest neighbor was 2 miles away by road. Sunny was afraid to leave me there while she went to call. Sooooooo we went walking across the fields to cut the distance. I think that was possibly the longest walk I have ever done in my entire life. We get to the neighbor's house and she had no phone either. We knew the next neighbor had a phone so this neighbor drove us the 5 miles to their house. This was Sunny's MIL so we knew her. We get there and call the midwife. Her car is broken so we go pick her up. Mind you I am in labor, hard back breaking labor and I am looking at a ride that will take about 45 minutes normally. Well pedal was put to the medal and we were there in 25 minutes. The midwife examined me and decided I could make the ride back home. I was only 3 fingers she said. I had no idea what she was talking about.

We get home and I am tired. My body was racking with pain and I was sick to my stomach. They kept me walking, 2people on each side of me holding me up. My kitchen was filling up with people I did not know. Somehow word had gotten out that I was  delivering. Kids were running in and out, I could smell the coffee and cakes.

Finally she said it was time. I got to lay down for the first time in many hours. I hear a voice can I come in? Sunny's hubby is home . I tell why not everyone else is here.

I start pushing and I could feel the tearing of my skin. I thought that I was being ripped in two! I am cussing, the lady holding me is telling me to let it out. I cursed Ed and swore that he would NEVER touch me again. I hear "she is almost here PUSH". So I give the hardest push I could imagine. My knees are at my chin, Gene is holding my hand, or rather I am breaking his. I push and my back went POP! Icould feel my baby going back inside and all I felt was pain in my back. ( I have curved spine). I realized that my labor had stopped. Everyone around me is panicing. All I knew is that my back hurt but the big pain was gone! The midwife finally got thru to me that I had to push even though the pain was gone. My baby had to come out or she would die. And so she was finally born 9:14 am November 21st, 1977. She was placed on my belly while the cord was cut, I remember rubbing her head and seeing that she had red hair and I was amazed at how much she looked like my daddy. Everyone was so quiet. She was so still and quiet, so pale. The midwife grabbed her and went to the kitchen ( I was in the dining room on a pullout bed). A few minutes later I heard a cry and then loud cheering.

My baby was brought to me and I nursed her. Everyone left.  I was alone with my daugter. I slept then.

A couple hours later I was woke up to crying. I fed my baby and then got up and went outside to feed my other baby. I had a calf that was on the bottle and no one had thought to feed him. That was the crying that had woke me up!

I had so many memories of that time. Some good, but most were not.