Today I called Aidan's old nanny, Elba to see if she could babysit on Sat night. I knew it was a crap shoot since she is due to have her daughter on 11/28. Well, she sounded tired when I called. I asked her if she was okay, and she asked me if water coming out down there was normal. I urged her to call her doctor and let them know. She called me back about 5 min later to tell me that she needed to go to the hospital.
She was going to take the bus. Can you imagine? I happened to have the day off since it was a holiday and since my sis's kiddo is sick, I am at home. So I went to her house and picked her up and drove her to the hospital. I think she thought that I was going to drop her off and leave, and as she said "thank you Betsy" I told her that I was coming with her.
We arrived at the LDR ward as someone was whisked quickly by us in a gourney as they told us to get out of the way. She needed to have an emergency C section. Elba's eyes were like saucers at the commotion, I just smiled. I translated for her as the nurses examined her, and knew by the placement of the hearbeat lead that her daughter was not in the right position. An ultrasound later and she was next in line for a C section, for the baby was breech. I comforted her and advocated for her and cringed as the nurse gasped "she's going to be ALONE for the C section?"
As she was wheeled in the operating room I felt a twinge of sadness. I could not be with her, my sister in single-momdom. SHe looked to me for reassurance that IT can be done alone, and for her not to worry. I showed her how to breathe through her anxiety and explain how important it was to stay calm. I could not go into the ER because of Aidan. I did not have a babysitter. I wanted to see her little daughter come out, I wanted to hold her hand as she was injected with the epidural and assure her that it was okay. I wanted to see her sweet little daughter. I had to leave her. It made me feel so sad. But I will have to leave her when she goes home too-with her baby as she fumbles through the first few weeks of trying to figure out what her daughter needs, alone-like I did. I hope I showed her by example that it can be done.
I hope she knows by example that your child always comes first, just like today.
