Essay Draft #1 (After the Labor Pain....)

After the labor pain, I looked at both of my children with complete amazement. They both came from the love Leroy (my then boyfriend) and I shared. I looked at my son, the oldest, the first child I carried and asked my self "where did the time go"? The 15 years went by so fast but yet slow and now look at him a strong and handsome high schooler. His name is Yorel, which is Leroy backwards and he looks just like his father but has my personality. Yorel is driven, intelligent, extremely focused, love all sports, and does not easily welcome new people in his life. And then their is my Yazmin, my second born, which means sunshine/flower in Arabic. We (Leroy and I) were looking for a name that started with the letter "Y". Yazmin is a breath of sunshine in our family. She lookes like me but has Leroy's personality. Yazmin is intelligent, very friendly, loves playing her musical instruments (flute, clarinet, Alto Sax), loves to dance, and a joy to be around. Her 1st grade teacher, Ms Erickson, said at a school conference that " Yazy is a social butterfly" and that statement is so true. I really enjoy these 2 people who makes me laugh, scream, threaten them, hug, warn, and just love unconditionally. After the labor pain, I am more in love than ever before with these two wonderful people.



After the labor pain, I am holding my son. A long 21 inch, 7lb 14 oz baby boy that is screaming at me and trying to grab my left nipple with his mouth. But 13 hours eariler you were the cause of my unbearable pain and worry. Thirteen hours eariler I woke up to a wet bed. In my dream I was on the toilet so when I woke to a wet bet, I thought I had an accident. But even though I contracted my vaginal muscles, there still was leaking. OH MY GOD, I thought to myself my water broke. I screamed to my sister "my water broke, my water broke get a towel". Sophia (my baby sister) ran to the hallway closet and brought back the biggest, thickest towel in there. I fold the towel up and put it between my legs. I also told Sophia "call Leroy and tell him to meet us at St. Peter's Hospital". Yes, I am having a baby and not married. I lived with my father and baby sister in Piscataway and Leroy lived with his mother and 3 younger siblings in East Orange. Leroy and I enjoyed a healthy sex life but did not plan on becoming parents. But when we got pregnant we decided to keep the baby. Leroy's mother was more concerned with our unmarried situation than my liberal father. I feel my father was more liberal about my single motherhood because my middle sister already had 2 children and was not married. Even though Leroy's 5 older brothers and sisters each had kids but only one was married and divorced. With this information it was hard for me to believe that Leroy's mother was concerned with our unmarried situation and or she just did not like me. The latter proved to be true. Any way with this family drama I chose to stay clear of negitive people and have my baby. So now at St. Peter's Hosiptal and heading up to my room in labor and delivery. It's now 2pm and still no sign of Leroy, and my doctor. The intern came in to check how far along I was. He put on his gloves and put his whole hand up my vagina. The only part of his arm I could see was his elbow. The intern said I was 4cm and could not give me any drugs until I was 5 cm. I asked "how long would that be", he said "he really did not know"? Then I asked if he heard from Dr. Nawanna (my OB/GYN), the intern said "no". Now its 2 hours since my water broke, no Leroy, no Dr. Nawanna, I am in great pain and I am also worried about the baby getting an infection (the umblic fluid protects the baby from infection and since my fluid is leaking out of me the baby might get an infection). Four o'clock and the intern came back in and lost his hand in my vigina. He said "5cm, you can get your Epidermal now". Thank God , I thought. Six o'clock got my epidermal and the pain is their but not as bad, and now walk in Dr. Nawanna. He lost his hand in my vagina also. Eight o'clock Leroy came bearing balloons, flowers and a suitcase. I asked him "why a suitcase"? Leroy said, "he is coming home with me and our baby, he does not want to miss any part of this baby's life." I was happy but did not know how my father would feel about our new roomate. My hospital room was standing room only. Sophia, her boyfriend (Sean), my father, my mother (my parents are divorced), and now Leroy were in my hospital room. It was like a party with food and sodas, but I was in bed with great pain. At midnight the Dr. Nawanna came in and he said "the baby's heart rate is increasing so we might have to have a c-section". I got scared. Dr. Nawanna said "it is good that you already had the epidermal, so lets move you in to the operation room". I grabbed Leroy's hand and told him "you have to come too". The party like atmosphere came to a quick end and everyone hugged and kissed me and told me don't worry every thing will be alright. In the operating room, a blue curtian like cover blocking me from lower half. All I can remember is the Doctor telling me to stop moving then they put restrants on me and I lost all memory of what happened. When I came to, I was holding this beautiful baby boy. After the labor pain, I was holding my son.


After the labor pain, I was holding my daughter. Yazmin's birth was not as complicated as Yorel's birth. Dr. Nawanna wanted me to have a natural birth. Her due date was on Thanksgiving and Dr. Nawanna would be on a family trip. The three of us (my husband, myself, and the doctor) discussed it and we decided to set a date, come in and have my baby. Yes, my husband, Leroy and I decided to get married six months after Yorel was born. Mulenberg was the hospital that Yazmin was born in. We left Yorel with Sophia (my baby sister) then Leroy and I went to the hospital. My pre-admission was already in the computer and they took me straight upstairs. Dr. Nawanna was informed I had arrived and was closing his office because after my delivery he would start his holiday trip. The nurse administered my IV and in the IV was medicine to start my labor. Two hours later I was ready to push. The nurse said "Dr. Nawanna was just downstairs and on his way up to my room". I said to the nurse, "I have to push, I have to push". Dr. Nawanna ran into the room and said "go ahead and push". I pushed and their was Yazmin. But she was not scream, as a baby leaving her old home and entering her new one. The pediatrician grabbed Yazmin and placed her on the neonatal table and put a needle in her heart (remember, I seeing this from a druged up view). Then I heard my baby cry, that was such a sound of relief to any parent. The nurse cleaned her, wrapped her up in a baby blanket, and handed her to me. After the labor pain, I was holding my daughter.


After the labor pain, I have an ever changing, ever evolving loving marriage that has its good and bad times. Like when we had to decide whether to live Piscataway or East Orange, but Piscataway won. A marriage that lead to one parent working 2 full time jobs ( police officer, and gym teacher) and the other being a stay at home mom. A marriage that is full of compromise whether forced or suggested. A marriage that made 2 people grow up and accept what they can't change and change what they can. A marriage that always puts the children's needs ahead of their own. A marriage that tests the love between a man and a women. A marriage that looks at the big picture rather than the individual photo. A marriage that time and time again ignores outsiders. A marriage that I love and if I had to do all over again I gladly would. A marriage that still needs work but is willing to do that work. A marriage that keeps the relationship between a husband and wife interesting and creative. After the labor pain, I have an ever changing, ever evolving loving marriage that has its good and bad times.



After the labor pain, I look at myself and ask " is this who I intended to be"? I don't know. As a child no one asked me "what do I want to be when I grow up"? It was implied that I would be a wife and mother. The older I became I asked myself , "is that it"? "What about me"? Yazmin was in the 3rd grade and I had a discussion with Leroy about me going back to school. He was hesitant at first, but then when I made my point he understood. I started at Middlesex County College and completed it. Then I transferred to Kean University. Now I have something just for me and that makes me happy. After the labor pain, I love myself.



After the labor pain, I have Yorel, Yazmin, a loving marriage, and I am in love with myself.