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LABOR 1970 STYLE

I was 3 days past my due date when I visited my OB. I had "lost" my mucous plug. He didn't examine my cervix saying I'd probably go into labor soon. And then he gave me the


HOW YOU'LL KNOW IT'S LABOR talk:

"Labor doesn't come every 15-10 or 5 minutes on the button. When labor happens the time differences will be irregular(11-9-12-10-15-8 minutes) apart. The contractions will vary in strength. They will be irregularly regular and they'll keep coming no matter what you do. When they are around 5 minutes apart and more painful, come to the hospital."

The following afternoon I was awakened from my nap by a phone call from my mother. Of course, she wanted to know if anything was happening. What I didn't tell her was I started having contractions from the moment she called. They started @ 10 minutes apart but they weren't painful. I kept walking around....they kept the 10 minute pace/no pain. I rolled out pizza dough...they kept coming....10 minutes apart/no pain. I ate the pizza and they still came every 10 minutes/no pain. And then ...they stopped! Nothing more happened for the next 5 hours!

Around midnight while watching "The Graham Kerr Show," I had a contraction. That one felt different, a little stronger, amnd a little painful. Eleven (11) minutes later another contraction....12 minutes another....I knew I was in LABOR! I turned to my husband and told him...and his response was as follows:

"Look, I need to get some sleep! Here's a pad of paper, a pen, a watch, and a flashlight. Wake me up when it's time to go to the hospital."

So there I sat on the bed IN THE DARK:

Turning on the flashlight, reading the watch and recording my contractions for then next 4 hours. I felt alone, scared and angry. The sound that night wasn't my moaning or crying. It was his snoring!

Epilogue:

It was 1970 and men rarely welcomed participating in women's labor and delivery. Remember all the TV shows/movies where men were in the "Waiting Room" pacing back and forth: passing out cigars: slapping each other on the back? Well that wasn't my husband. When the time came to pace, smoke and slap in the waiting room he was found sleeping! Yes, it had been a long hard night for him! And oh yes.....he's no longer my husband!