Don't be hatin'

I was at work one morning, conversing with one of the nurses. She's pregnant.

I wasn't sure how far along she was, but she didn't look very big.

She was sitting at her computer, inputting her assessments. Only she was having to stop every few minutes or so.

She was having contractions! We talked a bit more, turns out she was 3 days from 40 weeks. With her first. She'd had irregular contractions the night before, and her last office visit the day before had shown she was 2cm and 100% effaced.

But she came into work. It being her first, she didn't think she was in labor. She was planning to go natural, prepared to go overdue, have a long labor etc.

Only at work her contractions were regular. When I was talking with her they were 4 minutes apart. She said they were painful but she was calm and breathing through them. She was working on getting her paperwork complete because she felt she wasn't going to finish her 12 hour shift (it was about 11am).

I was telling her she was doing good by keeping busy and keeping her mind off it. It could still be awhile, it's going to get much worse (although I always include that everyone is different and feels different sensations as they labor), early labor is easy etc etc.

Well about 45 minutes later she was getting a bit more serious looking. She handed over her patients and went to Labor and Delivery.

I don't know all the details from there. Only that we checked on her about 1-2 hours later and per her family she was 7 cm and said to tell us that she was "dying".

She had her just shy of 7 lb baby at about 2pm. After a 4-6 hour labor, 3 of which she worked through.

I told my husband that when she came back from maternity leave I was going to punch her.

He told me not to hate just because she had the labor and delivery I wanted.

Even my midwife would tell you that she and anyone like her are an exception to the rule.

 But I still begrudge her a little.