With Her Love

8: Mia

So far I had taken everything pretty well. The check ups, the poking and prodding, even the news that I wouldn't be able to get an epidural. However, the thought of pushing my babies out was terrifying.

I was always told I had a high pain tolerance. From the time I got shot with an arrow in the shoulder, to cutting my own palm open numerous times, the pain never bothered me. Labor was a whole different kind of beast though.

I hadn't let go of Riley's hand for the past hour and a half, and as the contractions worsened, so did my anxiety. I was worried about the health of my babies, how fast everything was progressing and was on the verge of tears.

While the room grew busy with midwives, nurses and doctors I could feel my heart beating heavily in my throat, my mouth growing dry as I tried to comprehend what was going on. Riley gripped my hand even tighter, turning my cheek so that I looked at her. She leaned her forehead on mine. Without needing me to tell her, she already knew how I was feeling.

"It's gonna be okay", she reassured me through the mind link. "You've got this".

I nodded and took a deep breath as I felt my legs being moved on the bed. It was time. Another contraction hit me, but this time it was different. The pressure and pain I was feeling was urging me to push. I groaned and pushed my head against the bed as the midwife positioned herself at the end of the bed.

"I need to push", I panted. "I need to push".

With shaking limbs and a scrunched face, I accepted the pain. Without needing any instruction, I pushed down with my lower body. I couldn't hear any of the words being said to me by the medical staff, or Riley's mom, or Riley - my focus was solely on getting through the excruciating pain I was feeling.

Tears streamed down my face, and I held on to my mate's hand with a death grip, her free hand holding my right leg. She was endlessly encouraging and motivating me, tears freely pouring down her face too. She sniffled and looked at me.

"You're doing great sweetie".

During my brief respite between pushes, I took a breath, almost sobbing with the burning pain I was feeling. I tried to steel myself against the pain, but it didn't work.

Soon it was time to push again. Minutes felt like hours, and what started as whimpers of pain soon morphed into groans and screams as one of the babies got lower and lower.

I hadn't noticed Riley's mom on the other side of the bed until she began to speak.

"I can see the head", she sobbed. "You're doing amazing honey".

With a final contraction, I pushed with every ounce of strength I had and soon I could feel my baby leave my body. The room erupted in cheers, sobs and elated laughter as I reached down, pulling my baby to my chest as I burst into tears.

"It's your baby girl", the midwife announced.

Riley leaned her head on mine as we cried and cried, looking at our beautiful baby girl as the nurses cleaned her up.

"She's beautiful", my mate whispered, kissing me on the cheek, then doing the same to the baby's tiny face.

Although I didn't want to let her go, I knew by the return of my contractions after the delivery of the first placenta, that my baby boy was just about ready to come out to.

One of the doctor's carefully lifted my little girl from my chest, and I was prepped to push again.

"Honey, the doctors are just going to clean her up and weigh her, Ray is with her though so you just focus on pushing okay?"