Emmy had given Dory a crash course in Lamaze breathing a few days before thinking that it might be helpful since there were no drugs to be had. “In, out,” she chanted as she waved Connor to help her move the furnishings away from the window as two footman arrived carrying the table Emmy had constructed a week or so before. A homemade version of a birthing table complete with stirrups. She had given it a try with Eleanor’s maid and it had done its job well. Someone had added some upholstery to it since then. It would be more comfortable if not more functional.
Susan and Margo arrived carrying towels, scissors and buckets to fill with water and heat by the fire. Margo also brought the medical bag Emmy had been given. “Alright, boys, out you go while Dory gets changed.”
“But, but,” Ian stuttered.
“You can come back in when she’s settled,” Emmy assured him and pushed all the men from the room giving Connor a strained smile as he left. “Show time.”
He smoothed back her hair and kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry,” he whispered with assurance. “Ye’ll do fine, I know it.”
“I hope you’re right,” she whispered back though she was trembling with apprehension inside. Putting on her most professional face, she turned to her patient with a confident smile. “You ready for this?”
Chapter 39
Emmy handed Ian a glass of ice chips to feed to his wife before resuming her position at the end of the table. No need to check for anything new just yet. An examination five minutes before had shown her that nothing had changed. Dory had been in labor for many hours already, nothing outlandishly long, but painful nonetheless. What I wouldn’t give for an epidural, Emmy sighed as she watched her new friend suffer. I hate natural childbirth. Emmy had always been a promoter of child birthing drugs thinking that it never did a mother any good to suffer through her ordeal or for a baby to arrive in this world to the screams of its mom. A pain free labor allowed the mother to enjoy the aftermath so much more.
But there was nothing she could do for Dory. Ether or laudanum, the only drugs readily at hand, would only cloud the minds of Dory and the babies and were likely to slow the labor.
Emmy took up the old stethoscope and listened carefully again, hoping the babies weren’t in any distress. She had seen labors longer, much longer, but with Dory’s water already broken and the fact that she was carrying twins, Emmy was starting to worry.
An hour of having Dory walk the room had done little to speed things along.
“You know, Ian,” she began nonchalantly. “You’ve been up here a long time. Nothing is going to happen soon. Why don’t you go get something to eat?”
“I’m not hungry,” he replied squeezing Dory’s hand who in turn looked up at Emmy with pleading eyes.
“Well, I am,” Emmy continued. “Maybe you could get something for me?”
“Call a maid.”
Emmy raised her brows and mouthed ‘okay’ to herself. Going to the door, she opened to find Connor in a chair he had pulled into the hallway. Reading a paper and drinking a cup of tea. Nice. “Connor?” she waggled a finger as he rose and came closer.
“Is everything alright? I’ve heard her crying out.” On closer inspection, she noted his pallor. What a sport.
She grabbed him by the shirtfront and pulled him down to meet her face-to-face. “I need you to get your brother out of here,” she hissed.
“Why, is something wrong?” he worried.
“He is driving us crazy!” she bit out. “I might just have to cosh him over the head if he doesn’t stop fussing. I have never seen a father act like such a ninny before.”
Connor released a breath and allowed himself a chuckle. “That is why men should never be allowed during childbirth.”
“I always have the fathers present when possible, but he’s just getting on my nerves and Dory’s as well,” she insisted. “Please help? Get him outside for a while or feed him. Something!”
It took several minutes to get Ian to leave but Emmy was finally able to shut the door behind him with a sigh. She leaned back against it and shared a look with Dory across the room. “Thank God,” Dory panted against the pain, “I thought you’d never get him to leave!”
Emmy, Susan and Margo all shared a laugh as Emmy went back over to her delivery area. She examined Dory again briefly and found no change in the dilation.
“There is something wrong, isn’t there?” she asked through gritted teeth an hour later when what seemed like Emmy’s hundredth exam was followed with a frown.
“No, no,” Emmy soothed, “not wrong, it’s just not going as fast as I would like, Dory. You’ve had no change in dilation at all and there is nothing here that I can use to make that happen quicker. Babies just like to be born quickly and sometimes a mother’s body can’t keep up with that.”
“So what do we do?”
“We need to get them out, Dory,” Emmy told her in a low voice.
“But they won’t come out! Oh, God,” Dory moaned as another contraction started. “It’s punishment, that’s what it is.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Emmy scolded lightly used to the ravings of a woman in labor. “I’m sure you’ve never done a thing in your life to be punished for.
