My name is Jessica, and I am a young pianist. It was one hot summer day, that I something that would forever change my life, had happened.

I was pregnant, and was due to give birth. My student, Adda, her mother was a midwife, and worked together with a few others. Adda and Abby had attended deliveries before, and worked as assistants. On the day of delivery, I went to their apartment and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Chan let me in, and I slid off my flip-flops, to give a lesson as usual.

I had already been experiencing labor pains, and after 45 minutes teaching Adda, I decided to tell Mrs. Chan that I wasn't feeling well. "Jessica, let's lie down and check," she told me.

Mrs. Chan called over her friend, a midwife also, Brenda Hsu, who lived in the same apartment. I was nervous. "Hi, Jessica, how are you?" Brenda asked. "Good, thank you. I'm nervous," I replied. "Well, don't be, you'll be fine," Mrs. Chan said. "Let's take a look!"

I laid down on their bed, which was covered in towels, as Mrs. Chan and Brenda Hsu put on their gloves. "5 cm, dilated. You won't be pushing until 10, understand?" Mrs. Chan said.

I nodded. I took deep breaths, and I rested. As I waited for the dilation to complete, I drank water, and listened to some of Adda's recordings. The contractions became more intense, and I felt more pain. "UGGGGH!" I groaned.

Mrs. Chan checked one more time. "8 cm, Jessica. You are in the transition phrase now."

"Two more," I moaned.

With not much longer left, Mrs. Chan checked one more time, and said that I was ready to push. I got into position. Adda and Abby propped my legs up, knees facing the ceiling, as I laid down. Mrs. Chan got in between my legs to help deliver, as did Brenda. "Alright, Jessica. When the next contraction hits, I need you to push as hard as you can into your bottom. Like you're trying to poop! Really big, like you're constipated."

I pushed with the next contraction. "UGH!" "Chin on chest," Brenda instructed. I tucked my chin on chest and gave a hard push. "Good, do it again!" Mrs. Chan ordered. I did. "UUUGGGGGHHHH!" I groaned. I continued pushing, with each contraction. Brenda put the heart-monitor onto my abdomen to check for the pulse. "Good, normal heartbeat."

As the next contraction hit, I continued pushing, as Mrs. Chan and Brenda continued encouraging. "You're doing good, Jessica. Just keep going. You can do this," Mrs. Chan said. I pushed one more time. "I can see some hair," Brenda smiled. I smiled too, knowing that I was coming along. With the next few pushes, I continued bearing down, I felt a burning sensation on my birth canal.

Brenda poured a green, glass bottle of yellow liquid onto Mrs. Chan's gloves, who applied it carefully around my birth canal, particularly on my perineum.' What are you doing?" I asked. "I'm applying olive oil, to help you stretch. The hair is peeking out." Mrs. Chan told me.

I felt the next contraction and pushed. "Big breath, and do it again!" Mrs. Chan cheered. "UGH!" I pushed again. It felt so hard. By now, Abby and Adda had let my legs down, as they sat on stools next to me, waiting. I tensed up with the next contraction, and pushed. Adda had set up a video camera to film my pushing. With each push, I felt the baby's head move forward, slowly, but surely. Brenda continued applying olive oil, as Mrs. Chan pressed a cloth to my perineum to help me stretch. I continued pushing, as I saw my baby's head gently making it's way out. "Keep going, Jessica. You can do it!" Brenda cried. With a long big breath, I finally delivered the entire head. Abby gently grabbed my left leg, as she placed one hand under the bottom of my foot, and the other on the knee, as she slowly flexed it open. I pushed. "Good, bear down and push!" Brenda said. I pushed, and tried again. "AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHH!" I screamed. I was exhausted, and losing strength. Adda grabbed my right foot and knee, flexing my right leg to my ear. I pushed. Still, it wouldn't move.

Brenda began applying downward pressure to my pubic bone. I pushed again, "Come on, Jessica! Use your energy! Push her out! Push her out!" Mrs. Chan and Brenda cried. With one more push, Mrs. Chan guided the baby's shoulders out, and...

"ALRIGHT, Jessica, you did it!" the four cheered in unison. Mrs Chan and Brenda beamed as they placed my newborn child onto my chest. "I did?" I murmured. They laughed, "Of course you did, Jessica!" The baby began crying. "It's a girl!" I cried.

"You were awesome, Jessica!" Adda said. "Thank you, Adda, for your help, I couldn't have done this without you!"

"You were terrific!" Abby said. "No, the four of you were!" I cried. Tears rolled down my cheeks, as I murmured, "Hi, baby!"