week 14

“I have set out some snacks and drinks. You can help yourselves to these. Also, the bathrooms are right across the hall if you need to use them,” Denise said to the class. Denise had just led us through the first half of our birthing class, our first one. The class was running smoothly for its size, eight pregnant woman and their helpers. Denise, our teacher, had just let us have break which was good because I was starving. The last time I had eaten was at 2:00 p.m., so with 8:30 p.m. rolling around I was ready to start chewing a whole in the metal tables.

When everybody got up there seemed to be a swarm for the snacks. I sat in my seat next to my husband Andrew as all the pregnant woman attacked the food tray of cheese and grapes. They all talked giddily about what they were craving while they prepared their plates. I could not get up out of my seat. I watched the woman attack that food tray like a pack of lioness attacking a defenseless gazelle who strayed away from the herd. That tray didn’t stand a chance.

“Are you going to get something to eat?” Andrew asked me. He knew I was starving. He had listened to my stomach chit-chat with us all through my Health, Safety and Nutrition class. But I couldn’t get my self to answer him. I just sat in my seat watching the woman work that tray. I wondered what would happen to a stray limb if the woman got a hold of it during their feeding frenzy. Andrew glanced over at the other woman, then back at me. “You don’t have to worry. If one of them tries to take your arm I’ll bite them.” I smiled at him; he had read my mind again.

I slowly got up from my seat, not from fear but from back pain. Can’t hardly move these days. One of the women moved away to her seat, and I closed in on the food tray. I was the poor lioness that didn’t belong to the pack. All I could hope for was that they wouldn’t notice me moving in on their kill while their back was turned. Andrew followed behind me silently with his hand on my back. I squeezed in between the wall and another lady. I slowly navigated the table to grab a plate, cheese, grapes, and a glass of water. The ladies were still talking around the table. I didn’t hear what they were talking about as I hurried away with my scraps.

“See, that wasn’t so bad,” Andrew said to me as soon as he sat down. “No one bite you.”

“I didn’t know if I was going to make it in there and out again. I thought I got hungry! I’m nothing compared to them.”

Andrew chuckled as he began to eat. After a few minutes Denise began talking more about active labor as we munched on our snacks. I had made it through snack. Just six more times to go!