My mother-in-law insisted on helping me with the home birth, but something was terribly wrong as she kept slipping out. As soon as she left the room again, I heard disturbing voices outside the door. When I saw what it was, I froze.
When I told Josh I wanted to have a home birth, his eyes lit up like a baby’s on Christmas morning. But that was nothing compared to the reaction we got from his mother, Elizabeth. You’d have thought we’d just handed her the keys to a brand new car.
‘Oh, Nancy! This is wonderful news!’ exclaimed Elizabeth, clenching her hands into fists. ‘I just have to be there to support you both. I can help with anything you need!’
I exchanged a glance with Josh, raising my eyebrows. His shrug told me that he was leaving the matter up to me.
‘I don’t know, Elizabeth,’ I said with doubt in my voice. ‘It’s going to be pretty intense.’
She waved away my concerns. ‘Nonsense! I’ve been through it myself, dear. I know exactly what you’ll need.’
I bit my lip, contemplating this. Maybe an extra pair of hands wouldn’t be so bad, right? And it would mean a lot to Josh if I invited his mum to help me with the home birth.
‘Okay,’ I finally agreed. ‘You can be there.’
Elizabeth’s delighted squeal was so loud I swear she could have scared the neighbourhood dogs.
‘You won’t regret this, Nancy,’ she said, hugging me tightly. ‘I promise I’ll be the best support you could ask for.’
Finally, the big day arrived. Our midwife Rosie was setting up the equipment when Elizabeth burst through the door with bags in hand.
‘I’m here!’ – she announced, as if we might have missed her appearance. ‘Where do you need me?’
I was about to answer when a sudden contraction took my breath away. Josh was instantly at my side, his hand resting on my lower back as I tensed and groaned.
‘Just…just…just put your stuff down for now,’ I managed to mumble.
As the contractions eased, I noticed Elizabeth fiddling with something, her gaze darting around the room. She looked more nervous than excited now. And I realised that something was seriously wrong.
‘Are you okay?’ I asked, frowning.
She turned round startled. ‘What, oh yes, just thinking about what I can do to help. You’re doing great, honey. Just keep working.’
Before I could finish my sentence, she was already out the door, mumbling something about getting me some water.
Josh squeezed my hand. ‘Do you want me to talk to her?’
I shook my head. ‘No, it’s fine. She’s probably just nervous. This is our first baby, right?’
As my labour progressed, Elizabeth’s behaviour became increasingly strange. She would come in, ask how I was doing, and then disappear again. Each time she returned, she seemed even more agitated.
During a particularly strong contraction, I clutched at Josh’s arm so hard I thought I was going to break it. When the pain subsided, I heard a strange sound.
‘Josh,’ I gasped, ’can you hear that?’
He tilted his head and listened. ‘It sounds like… voices?’
I nodded, glad I wasn’t imagining it. ‘And that’s music?’
Josh furrowed his eyebrows. He kissed my forehead and turned away. ‘I’ll check it out. Be right back.’
As he walked away, Rosie smiled encouragingly at me. ‘You’re doing great, Nancy. It won’t be long now.’
When Josh returned, his face was ashy, as if he’d seen a ghost.
‘What is it?’ – I asked, dreading the answer. asked me, dreading the answer. asked me, dreading the answer.
He ran his hand through his hair, looking distressed. ‘You’re not going to believe this. My mum is having a party. In our living room.’
I stared at him, sure I’d misheard. ‘What?’
‘A party,’ he repeated, disappointment audible in his voice. ‘There’s at least a dozen people there.’
The pain from the contractions was nothing compared to the rage that swept over me. I struggled to my feet, ignoring the midwife’s protests.
‘Nancy, you mustn’t…’
‘I have to see it with my own eyes,’ I growled.
Josh backed me up and we headed into the living room. The scene that greeted us was surreal. People were chatting amongst themselves while holding drinks in their hands like it was a normal Sunday barbecue.
On the wall hung a poster that read, ‘WELCOME, MALE!’.
Elizabeth stood in the centre of it all, holding hands with a group of women I had never seen before. She hadn’t even noticed our appearance.
‘What the hell is going on here?’ I growled, my voice cutting through the chatter like a knife.
There was silence in the room, all eyes turned to us. Elizabeth turned around, her face pale when she saw me.
‘Nancy! Holy smokes! What are you doing here? You were supposed to…’
‘Elizabeth, what’s going on here?’
‘Oh, I… we’re just…’
‘What? Turning my home birth into an exhibition?’
Elizabeth had the audacity to look offended. ‘Nancy, don’t be dramatic. We’re just celebrating!’