Locklyn hasn't left her bed for days now. She is very uncomfortable and doesn't want to be pregnant anymore. Today is my day to help her out. Cason went hunting since it stopped raining and he wants to get more meat before the babies arrive.
I walked into Locklyn's room and she was sitting on the edge of her bed, rubbing her stomach, which is about three times her size and very low.
"Hey, how do you feel?" I crossed my arms and leaned on the dresser.
"They're running out of room in there." She looked at her stomach and smiled lightly. "Can you help me up? I want to go to the living room to sit in the recliner. I can't take sitting in my bed any longer."
"Yeah, sure." I held out my hands, lifted her up from the bed, and held onto her arm. She put her hands on her back and sighed. "You okay?"
"No, the contractions are strong today." She was very tired sounding. "I'm so uncomfortable. The pain in my lower back is horrible."
"When did the contractions start?"
"About two hours ago but they keep coming back and stronger each time." I nodded. Anya came into the room. "Hey."
"How is momma doing?" Anya put her hands on Locklyn's stomach and smiled widely. "I hope you two aren't hurting her," Locklyn and I laughed at Anya. "How you feeling?" she asked Locklyn.
"Contractions are very strong today. They keep coming back in intervals it feels like."
"When did they start?"
"Two hours ago," Locklyn took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. She gripped onto my shoulder and squeezed. "Oh, ow, this hurts."
"Lock, you might actually be in labor," Anya said while looking at her watch. "that contraction lasted a minute." Locklyn nodded. "tell me when the next one comes."
"Now," Locklyn yelled and clenched her stomach. she was breathing rapidly and heavily.
"about ten minutes apart," Anya whispered. I looked over at Anya and she had wide eyes and a surprised look on her face. "Lock, you're in labor." She shook her head. "You need to walk downstairs to the living room just in case your water breaks and you start crowning."
"Come on, I'll help you." I held Locklyn's hand and we slowly walked down the stairs. At the bottom she stopped and let go of my hand. Anya was right behind us. She was holding onto the stairs' railing.
"Guys," I soon heard water dropping onto the floor. I looked down and saw a giant puddle of water under Locklyn's feet. "My water just broke."
"That's a lot of water, Anya. What do we do?" Locklyn screamed and her knees buckled. Anya ran down the stairs and we both held her up. "Trace!" I yelled down the hall. "Breathe, Lock."
"I can't do this. I'm not ready." She was crying and huffing and puffing.
"Trace, help us!" I yelled and he came into the hallway. "Can you help us get Locklyn to the living room?"
"What's going on?" he came over but slipped on the water from Locklyn. "what is this?" he yelled and looked up at Locklyn. "oh my God! Is this her water?" we nodded. "Gross!" he stood up and went into the living room.
"Get me the couch cushions so I can prop them under Locklyn's back," Anya said in her medical voice, which is strict, stern, but worrisome at the same time. "Hadley, get me a sheet and some towels. Trace, get Locklyn a cup of ice and get me the box after that. GO!" Anya yelled.
I ran upstairs and into the girls' bathroom. I went into the small cabinet and grabbed four towels and a loose sheet. I went back to the living room and Locklyn was lying on her left side and rubbing her stomach. I gave Anya the sheet and towels and sat down on the ledge of the fireplace. Anya put a towel under Locklyn.
"Locklyn, lay on your back for me. I'm going to take off your pants to see how dilated you are, okay?" Anya put the sheet over Locklyn's legs and took off her pants and underwear, which were both soaked. "Get Cason! Now!"
"Why?"
"These babies are coming. Hurry, run, go!" Anya yelled.
I ran down the hall, out the sliding glass door, and jumped over the steps of the back deck. In high school, I was number one for indoor and outdoor track and field in the event of the hurdles. I enjoy running. It makes me feel invincible and never understood why, but I loved the feeling it gave me. I feel like I'm on top of the world right now.
I ran into the forest and towards the garden. Cason said he was going there to pick more fruit and vegetables, but then heard a gunshot behind me and saw many birds flying away. I veered towards the left and ran to the area the birds came from.
"Cason!" I yelled loudly. "Cason!" I yelled again. I finally found him through the trees and yelled once more, "Cason!" He held the gun up at me and I stopped, sliding on the leaves, and put my hands in the air. He shook his head and dropped the gun to the ground.
"Hadley?" I nodded. "What do you want? I'm sort of busy." He stabbed the deer in the neck. "Is everything alright at the cabin?" his voice was tired and weak. He has been doing so much and on top of it, was helping Locklyn, I can see why he seems depressed. "Hadley!" he screamed at me.
"Locklyn's water broke and the babies are coming."
"What?!" he yelled. "She's in labor?" I nodded. "No, no, no!" he started to run back to the cabin and I followed him. I caught up and ran up the back deck steps before Cason, so I can have the door open for him. he ran into the house and into the living room. "Locklyn, I'm here." he went over and took her hand. I came in and sat down in front of the fireplace.
"It hurts!" she yelled and cried.
"I know, babe, but our babies are going to be here very soon and everything will be back to normal." Cason was being gentle with Locklyn.
"you did this to me!" she yelled at Cason. "You made me get fat and ruin my perfect body." Cason looked away from her and had tears in his eyes. "We are never having anymore babies after this; not for a long, long time!" she soon tensed up and squeezed his hand tightly. "It burns, Anya!"
"It may burn just a bit but it will pass," Anya was lightly touching the top of her stomach. "You can't push yet, so, stay calm and keep doing the deep breathing."
"I want them out!" she cried harder and shook her head. "I can't have them; I can't do this."
"You can do this," Trace was at her head, looking at Anya count. He glanced over at me with worrisome in his eyes and a look of fear that something bad may happen. "I believe in you Locklyn, you can do this. This is what you've been waiting for, right?" she nodded. "its finally time to meet your children, who you will love to death. These babies were truly a miracle for all of us."
"How? You aren't the one who has to push them out of you. you didn't carry them for nine months. You weren't the one who has to change everything about themselves for the sack of your children!" she was taking deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Trace," she cried out.
"You are in pain and I get how this may be nerve-racking, but understand that none of us are going to leave; we are all sticking by your side and wait for these new lives to come into our world and we will love and care for them." She nodded and put her hand at the top of her stomach.
Locklyn has been in labor all day. It is about to be nightfall and she hasn't changed at all. She is lying on her left side with Cason rubbing her lower back.
Anya had everything from the box in order. She also had the red bag and the contents spread out just in case something was to go wrong. Anya had two blankets and outfits picked out, two baby bottles, the book was open to the page about what to look for in the babies.
"I need to take off my shirt," Locklyn said while taking off her shirt. "It's hot in here." she had one of my bras on. Her stomach had faint stretch marks and a dark line down the middle. Trace looked away from Locklyn. He probably feels weird that she is basically naked in the living room.
"You were in my room, that's my bra," I said.
"I took this awhile ago. I needed it since my boobs grew two times the size when I got pregnant." I laughed and smiled at her. she tensed up and held her breath. She started to scream. "Anya, it burns!" Locklyn put her hand at the bottom of her stomach. "I need to push!"
"No!" Anya yelled at Locklyn. "You are about nine centimeters dilated. Don't start pushing until I tell you to!" she was adjusting Locklyn's legs. "Sit up." Locklyn shook her head. "Locklyn, you need to sit up some more so the babies can come out smoothly. Sit up." Locklyn sat up and made a noise through her teeth. "Okay, push now." Anya had a towel ready for the first baby. "Push, Locklyn, push."
"I can't!" she was weak and tired. Locklyn was drained of energy and really needs to get to a hospital. She looks very sick and what if the babies need medical attention, like professional doctor medical attention. "I can't do this, Anya," Locklyn cried and cried harder.
"babe, you can do this. Come on, you knew this was coming and now it is here, and you want to meet your sons or daughters, right?" she nodded with her eyes closed. "I would like to meet our sons or daughters also. You can do this and we all aren't leaving your side until these babies are out of you, in your arms, and healthy." Cason kissed her forehead. "come on baby, you can do this," he whispered to her.
"Wait!" Anya yelled. "Don't push just yet. you aren't fully dilated yet. I made a mistake." Locklyn nodded and sat up some more. "what are you doing?"
"My back hurts. I had to readjust myself."
"do you need anything?" I asked.
"Yes, get a notepad to record the date, time, and weights of the babies, a small bucket of hot water, more towels, and then the scale from the bathroom upstairs," Anya said. I got up and went upstairs to get my journal, more towels, and the scale. I then went into the kitchen and ran the hot water for a couple seconds and filled a clean pan. "here Anya."
"Okay, Locklyn, you need to push now. Its time." She shook her head. "Locklyn Giovanna, its time to deliver these babies. so you need to push before I cut you open to get these babies out of you."
"Come on, Locklyn, you can do this," Trace said while he wiped her forehead with a washcloth.
"Ready, Lock?" Anya asked and held Locklyn's legs up. Locklyn nodded. "Push now!" Locklyn squeezed Cason's hand so tightly it was turning purple. She then grabbed hold of my forearm and squeezed tightly.
"Lock, Lock, Lock," I screeched while she squeezed tighter.
Locklyn kept giving up so quickly and I was getting nervous that the babies may be in distress, and that isn't good at all for either one of them. After ten minutes of her pushing, the first baby was almost out of her.
"One more push Locklyn, you're doing good." Locklyn took a deep breath in, held it, and pushed. Soon we all heard crying and Locklyn sat back and relaxed a bit. "Do you want to know?" Anya asked after she clamped and cut the umbilical cord. Locklyn and Cason both did small nods with smiles on their faces. "It's a girl!" Anya yelled, held up the baby, and handed her to Locklyn. We all stared at her and admired how beautiful she is. She was making small whimpering noises and was curled up in a ball close to Locklyn's chest. "Cason, take off your shirt so the baby can be skin-to-skin with you." Cason took off his shirt and waited to take the baby from Locklyn. "what is the time she was born?"
"May 2nd 2013 at 12:03 AM," I said.
Locklyn then tensed up and made a noise with her teeth. Cason took the baby, held her close to his chest with a blanket over her, and watched as Anya got ready for the second baby. Locklyn held my hand while she pushed.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Anya yelled and tried to get a towel for the next baby. "Lock, stop pushing!"
"I'm barely pushing!" Locklyn yelled.
"What's going on?" I asked and watched as Anya tried to get the stuff together frantically. "Anya Rowan!" I yelled.
"The baby is halfway out and I'm not even close to ready for it. this little one does not want to be in there any longer it looks like." Trace giggled when Anya said that. After ten seconds we heard crying again, Anya clamped and cut the umbilical cord, and then said, "it's a girl, identical twin girls. The time she was born?"
"12:06 AM," Trace said.
Locklyn held the second baby girl and stared at her with a wide smile on her face. After ten minutes she tensed up, gripped the left side of her stomach tightly, and screamed out in pain. She had her eyes closed tightly and made a noise.
"OW!" she yelled. I took the baby from Locklyn and held her close to my chest. I had a tank top on from earlier and was able to put the baby on my skin.
"What's happening to her, Anya?" Cason asked in a panicked voice. "Why is she screaming in pain again?"
"There's another baby. Her left uterus is contracting and there is another baby in that one." Anya grabbed another towel and more clamps.
"What?!" Trace yelled. "Triplets? She's having three babies?"
"Yes. No wonder she was so big." Anya felt Locklyn's stomach and glared at her face. "Push. I get you are tired, but this baby needs to come out now." Locklyn pushed and screamed.
I stood up slowly with the baby and went to the other side of the room. I stared at how beautiful she is. She looks just like Cason, has hazel brown eyes a little darker than Locklyn's and dark brown hair like Cason. She was naturally tan like Cason and we knew that was going to happen since he is Hispanic. She was tiny, not like a premature baby. We don't know the exact date Locklyn conceived, so, guessing the age of the babies may be hard. It looks as though she is about thirty-four weeks along though, which isn't that bad considering she had to share the womb with her other two siblings.
I forgot how wonderful it is when a baby is born. I remember when my youngest sister was born, I was jumping with joy and so happy to for my parents. Of course, I met her after my mother gave birth, but, being able to watch and help Locklyn give birth and holding her baby, it is an amazing feeling and a moment I will never forget.
"Don't stop! The baby is breeched and I need you to push for at least two minutes so the baby's shoulders can get through." I glanced over my shoulder at Anya and Locklyn. Cason was sitting on the couch and staring at Locklyn with pain stricken eyes. He doesn't like to see her in pain and feeling helpless is eating him alive. "almost there Locklyn, you can do this."
"No, it hurts, I'm tired." She was breathing heavily.
"Locklyn, you are almost done and look at what you got out of this journey; three beautiful children and we will always be there for them, no matter what's going to happen. You can do this, I believe in you," Trace was comforting her. he glanced up at Cason and to see he was crying while holding his daughter. Trace grinned and looked down at Locklyn, who was getting weaker by the minute. Locklyn then relaxed but we didn't hear crying coming from the third baby. Anya went through the red bag frantically, took a bulb syringe, and began to suction the baby's nose and mouth.
"Is the baby okay?" Locklyn began to panic and Trace was talking to her softly. She leaned back and cried harder. "No, no, no." she was having an anxiety attack at this point. "Anya Rowan Pritchett, talk to me!" Locklyn yelled and right when she did the baby started to cry. Anya handed the baby to Locklyn wrapped in a towel. Locklyn put the baby on her chest and stared down at it's face. "My baby. What is it? Another girl?"
"I didn't look; I was too busy trying to save its life." Anya covered Locklyn's legs, stood up with the gauze and a marker, and went over to Cason to see how the baby was doing. "What time was this baby born at?"
"12:29 AM," I said. Anya wrote the times down and tied the gauze to the ankles of the babies'.
"These are just to tell them apart for right now. Once we get them cleaned and dressed, then we will tell them apart." Cason nodded and Anya put the gauze on the other two babies. "So, Locklyn, what is it, another girl?"
Locklyn smiled at Cason. "It's a boy." Cason cried harder, went over to Locklyn, and kissed her deeply on the lips. "We have triplets."
"I know and you did a great job." Cason smiled while looking at the babies. "I love you so much, Locklyn. You gave me the best thing any man could've asked for." She laughed and smiled widely.