Harry Potter and the Little Pink Plus Sign

Summary – Ginny showed Harry the Muggle pregnancy test with a sigh. They hadn't been trying. And she was nervous on his reaction. Was this much too soon after the War? His face broke into a smile.

Authors Note – This is going to be intense! And just to clear things up, this will NOT be the end of the story. AND I am super happy because I fit in my favorite shorts! Yay for dieting!

Dedication: I am dedicating this chapter to ksmith092, because my story has eased her fear of having children. I feel special!


Chapter 8: Patience for Pain

They say men can never experience the pain of childbirth. They can… if you hit them in the goolies with a cricket bat for 14 hours.
Jo Brand


Your Pregnancy: Week 40 July 7, 2001
You made it! Yes this is the last week of pregnancy. Predicting a due date is not science, so don't be alarmed if you pass your due date by a few days! Just look for regular and painful contractions, bloody show, and of course, the breaking of the waters.

Baby's now the size of a small pumpkin!
As your due date comes and goes, you may be thinking: REALLY? Am I STILL pregnant? But don't worry! You still have 2 weeks before your considered "post-term" and your Doctor will consider inducing labor.

[ tip ] It's time for you to kick back, read a book, and take a nice cat nap! You deserve time to yourself before the baby comes.

Ginny woke up to bright sunshine. It had been a restless night. Both Ginny and Harry had spent most of the night freaking out and having second thoughts and Ginny kept swearing there was a contraction, but it was really nothing.

She got out of bed carefully so she wouldn't fall down. She checked her panties. No bloody show… no contractions, no back pain… no nothing. She sighed exasperatedly and took a shower.

Harry woke up next, freaking out when Ginny wasn't in bed next to him. It took him a few moments to realize she was showering.

They spent the whole day on edge. She tried to relax and read, but gas pain made her almost tell Harry is was time. The last thing she wanted to do was be the center of attention, only for it to be a false alarm.

Ginny found herself exhausted that afternoon from lack of sleep. She dozed off, and she didn't wake up again until Harry had cooked supper. They ate slowly, trying to make time go by faster. Ginny couldn't fall asleep that night.

"Harry?"

"Uhn.." Harry grunted, exhausted.

"What if I can't wake you up?" Ginny worried.

"Trust me, I'll wake up. Just hit me in the groin if I become stubborn." Harry sighed and buried his face in his pillow.

Silence for a few moments. Harry was on the verge of sleeping when…

"Harry?"

"Yes, Ginny?"

"What if I sleep though my contractions, and I wake up and the baby's head is coming out!"

"Gin, that is ridiculous." Harry sighed. "I thought you said contractions are painful."

"Yeah, but… it could happen."

Harry groaned. "If it happens then I will call the midwife, deliver our son and all will be well." Harry hugged Ginny's body close to him and sighed. "Now get some sleep."

Ginny stayed awake until 2 AM. She fell into a fitful, although uninterrupted sleep.


July 8, 2001

Ginny woke up to a thunderstorm. The clouds were dark enough that the lightening was visible. The thunder shook the walls and rain fell in sheets against the window. She felt that maybe it was a sign. Ginny jumped up and rushed into the bathroom.

No bloody show.

No contractions.

She is still pregnant.

"Come on, James!" She moaned, thunder crashing loudly outside. "Don't you want to come out now?"

Ginny spent the day rather uncomfortable. James had dropped two weeks ago, but now it seemed that he had dropped lower. It was uncomfortable to sit, so she spent most of the morning lying on the couch with Harry. They watched the storm strengthen, weaken, and then pass. The sun came out and dried up the Earth. A beautiful rainbow stretched against the morning sky.

The afternoon was much easier on Ginny. Harry suggested they walk to the Burrow and have dinner with Molly and Arthur. Ron and Hermione were also there.

"No news yet, dearest?" Molly asked her only daughter.

"No. I am so sick of waiting! It's torture." Ginny plopped on a chair, and Ron leaned away as though she had a disease.

"Ah yes, I was a week late with Charlie…" Molly nodded, stirring the stew. "It was sort of a relief when Percy was three weeks early!"

"When was I born, mum?" Ron asked.

"A day early." Molly smiled. "Quickest birth ever! We didn't even go to St. Mungos. Luna's mother came down and helped me out, you were born right on the living room floor."

"Ew! I've eaten on the floor!" Ginny said, disgusted.

"We cleaned it." Molly assured.

"Luna's Mother delivered me!" Ron blanched, as pale as the moon.

"What's so wrong about that? She was a trained professional!" Molly defended. "And you are lucky she was there, the cord was wrapped up tight around your neck, and you would have been brain dead by the time your father would have cut it off!"

"That explains your thick headedness, Ron." Ginny giggled. Hermione, Harry and Molly laughed at Ginny's comment.

"Not fair!" Ron grumbled, his cheeks red.

Molly served the stew and Ginny tore ravenously into it. They all sat down to a home cooked meal, and Molly told more birth stories. Bill was normal, on time, no issues. Charlie was a week late and born 10 pounds! Percy was three weeks early, and a tiny little thing, a meager 5 pounds 11 ounces. Fred and George were born on time. Fred came out head first, and George feet first.

"And right then I knew that they were both trouble makers. I knew that Fred would be the head of the operation, and George would be the one to carry it out!" They laughed, and then morphed into silence in which they all wished that Fred was still there.

Ron was born on the living room floor. "You were so messy, Ronald. Not only was there a lot of fluid, but you had your first poop on my chest."

"MUM!" Ron was as bright as a tomato. Ginny was laughing so hard, she almost peed and Harry was choking on stew.

"What, Ron, its natural!" Molly laughed.

"Tell something embarrassing about Ginny now!"

They thought Ginny was going to be a boy. "We planned on naming you after Arthur." Molly smiled fondly. "I went into labor early in the morning, and I liked birth at home so much that we did it with you and all your siblings watched –"

"You mean they saw me naked!" Ginny was wide eyed.

"Ginny, you were a baby. And all your brothers were under age 10." Molly sighed.

Ginny was a calm and beautiful birth. "I was in the middle of the contractions when I said 'Wait we need a girl name!' and Arthur just said 'Keep pushing!' and boy was I right when they placed you on my chest and I said 'It's a girl!'"

They all smiled and Harry rubbed Ginny's back. "Did you have a girl name for any of us, mum?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I wanted a girl so badly!" Molly smiled. "Bill was going to be Muriel. Charlie would have been Sarah, and Percy would have been Lucinda. Fred and George were going to be Callidora and Molly. Ron was going to be Betty –"

"Betty?" Ron's mouth dropped open. "Why am I always the one who gets humiliated?"

"It was a very popular name!" Molly sighed.

After a long night of laughter and love, Ginny went home. She was so tired that she couldn't even stay up late and worry. She just fell asleep.


July 9, 2001

Ginny was so sick of being pregnant. She and Luna sat in the living room, going over the birth plan and talking about labor. "Is there anything else you are concerned with?" Luna said, dreamily.

Harry wasn't in the room, so Ginny finally felt comfortable releasing her more embarrassing fears. "Luna… Has anybody… released their bowels while giving birth?"

"Oh yes, very many women have done that." She sighed. "Don't worry, before you even realized you've done it, we will have you cleaned up."

Ginny blushed. "Oh, I see." Ginny rubbed her belly and sighed sadly.

She smiled. "Just relax, Ginny. It will happen." Luna stood up and placed her wand behind her ear. "And if you are impatient, I can give you the urine of an Umgubular Slashkilter to speed things along. It really is tasteless!"

"Um, no thank you. "


July 10, 2001. 4:13 AM

Ginny woke up suddenly to a sharp pain in her lower back. She blew it off and fluffed her pillows, trying and failing to get comfortable. She laid in bed and shut her eyes tightly. Sleep… sleep… sleep… a few minutes passed and suddenly the pain returned, a same tightening of the muscles.

Ginny got up and walked around a little, thinking maybe that would sooth her muscles so she could get more sleep. She sat in a chair, pick up her current pregnancy books and read about contractions. Suddenly she was nervous.

She climbed into bed and waited, awake… She compared the intensity of them to menstrual cramps and they were about 10 minutes long and lasted 15 seconds each one. They came ever ten minutes. She had been counting them for about 45 minutes, and in that time they went from 15 seconds to 25 seconds long. Yes. Okay, this is not fake.

"Harry." She nudged him in the side. "Harry, wake up."

"Ungh, I don't have your wand, Ron!" Harry shouted.

"HARRY POTTER!" Ginny pushed him so hard that he fell off the bed.

"What?" Harry jumped up, "What did I do!"

"Harry, I'm having contractions." Ginny was so calm that it was surreal. "I have been counting and timing them since 4 and I'm positive that this is the real deal."

Harry stared at her. "Do we need to call somebody? Okay, I'll go call someone! Like Luna, or your mum…"

"Harry, don't panic! It's not full blown labor… yet." Ginny suddenly felt nervous. "Maybe we should call Luna."

Harry called Luna and she came to sit with Ginny. Ginny felt perfectly normal during this part of the whole ordeal. She got up and reported to Luna that she had the mucus-y and blood tinged show. She suddenly felt very excited, but soon she would see her son!

She showered and dried her hair. Then she spent the rest of the early morning sleeping between contractions. By 9 o'clock that morning, Molly and Arthur were told to come and Ginny was experience more pain. The contractions were 6 minutes apart and lasted 45 seconds. Ginny was doing everything the books said: She was keeping hydrated and peeing often so that the uterus could contract efficiently. Luna checked her in the upstairs bedroom and told her she was about 4 centimeters dilated.

At 11 AM, Luna told her she was in active labor. She lounged in the reclining chair and Harry came in with a Muggle hand held video recorder. "How is mummy holding up?" Harry asked her.

"What is that?" Ginny asked.

"A Muggle video recorder. I'm filming the birth of James. Now tell the camera how you feel." Harry smiled.

"I'm tired." Ginny said. "Oh, another one." Molly grabbed her daughters hand and Luna coached her through the more painful contractions. Harry knelt beside her, taking her other hand.

"Deep breaths, Ginny." Luna said.

The door opened after the contraction was over and Hermione pranced in followed by a reluctant Ron.

"Ginny!" Hermione squealed. "This is so exciting! How do you feel?"

Harry pointed the camera at the new visitors. "Harry, what is with the… thing?" Ron asked.

Harry sighed and explained what it is. "So say hi to your future godson so that he knows who you are when he possibly watches this in the future."

"Hi, James… Or baby girl in case the doctors are wrong." Hermione said, the announcement that she and Ron were now godparents going on unnoticed. "Oh, wait! Me? Really!"

"Yes! Who did you expect?"

"I'm a godparent!" Ron said in disbelief.

Ginny giggled, but then moaned as another contraction took over her body. After it was gone, she sighed. "I want to walk outside."

Ginny got up with the help and support of Harry and Luna. She sighed happily when she got outside, fresh air at last! She walked around for a few minutes before having to lean against Harry during another contraction.

With another contraction, her water's finally broke. It was a small gush, and Ginny thought she had peed at first.

When she got tired from walking around noon, she went indoors and to a private room where Luna checked her again, declaring her 6 centimeters dilated. They called the midwife, Carrie Sharon. She arrived within twenty minutes and they began to monitor the baby's heartbeat.

"This is taking so long!" Ginny grounded out after another contraction. She was only 7 centimeters and it has been an hour since her last check.

Ginny's contractions are 4 minutes apart and are lasting about 55 seconds to a minute each. She found it was best to get up and walk around occasionally, and she liked it best when Harry rubbed her lower back with mild pressure.

Around 2 PM, Molly served snacks. Everyone had arrived at this point and Ginny was distracting herself with their conversations. Ginny got up with Harry and Luna to be checked. She was 8 centimeters. She was in transition, the hardest part of labor. She wanted to spend this part in private, with Harry, Luna, and the midwife.

She moved into her room, onto the bed and got comfy. Contractions are 2 minutes apart and lasting a minute and 15 seconds. Ginny was crying at this point and she felt awful.

"Ginny, you are doing excellent, you are amazing." Luna told her. "You are brilliant."

"Gin, I'm so proud." Harry murmured, rubbing her back.

"I can't… I- I feel like I need to go to the loo." Ginny sobbed.

"It's the rectum pressure often felt in transition, completely normal." Carrie assured.

"Ginny, just think, this is getting you closer and closer to meeting your James!" Luna soothed Ginny. "You're doing fantastic, not a single Wrackspurt in the room!"'

Ginny laughed at Luna's comment, but another contraction took her over and she squeezed the life out of Harry's hand. She groaned, grunted and sobbed her way through a grueling minute of pain.

Another hour of the same words, contractions, pain, tears, and the occasional vomit incident and Carrie announced she was 10 centimeters at last.

Ginny and Harry stepped into the warm water of the inflatable birthing tub, and Ginny actually relaxed. During the second stage of labor, contractions are easier to handle while the baby descends down the birth canal.

Ginny relaxed for a few moments, enjoying the relaxing feel of the water and Harry rubbing her shoulders. "Harry, it's almost here, he's almost here!" Ginny smiled.

Harry kissed Ginny's neck and told her more words of encouragement. She suddenly stiffened and sat up as straight as a board. "I wanna push now!"

"Okay, Ginny, I'm going to monitor your perineum so it won't tear. If I tell you to stop pushing, you must listen to me." Carrie said, sitting between her legs in the pool.

Ginny nodded, and the next contraction came. She whimpered, then boar down. After many minutes of pushing, they were awestruck to hear Carrie say "I can see the head; there is lots of black hair!"

"I want to feel!" Ginny reached her hand down and felt a tuft of hair between her legs. Harry followed Ginny's hand and was just amazed at his son's head. It suddenly made this all so real!

Ginny took the next few moments slowly. She gently pushed while Carrie massaged the perineum. "Crowning!" Carrie announced and Ginny began sobbing.

"You're almost done, Ginny!" Luna chanted. "Stay strong!"

The baby's eyes, ears, nose, mouth and chin emerged. Ginny demanded a mirror so she could see the facial features. The baby's face rotated to the side and His shoulders slipped out one by one.

"Just one more, Ginny! Then he will be in your arms!" Luna encouraged.

"I can't do it!" Ginny screeched, but with one final, great push, the rest of his body slid out and Ginny reached down and caught her son. "It's a boy!" Carrie shouted.

He was raised out of the tube and dried off. His nose and mouth was suctioned and then, at last, he was placed on Mum's chest. Ginny cradled the baby, and then… He let out a strong and fierce wail.

He was finally in Ginny's arms.

After that, things moved fast. Harry was instructed to get out of the tub and James was picked up by Luna, who was weighing, measuring and performing the Apgar test. Meanwhile, Ginny delivered the placenta and they checked to make sure her uterus was tight so the severed blood vessels from her placenta were not causing her to bleed out. She got up and out of the pool and settled into the bed. James scored a 9 on the Apgar because his fingers and feet were a little blue.

Ginny was checked for tears, and Harry cut the umbilical cord. Finally, Ginny had both Harry and James back with her. Luna encouraged her to attempt breast feeding, and no surprise, James was ravenous, although he did have difficulty latching on at first.

Harry spent those moments with his family. His son was amazing. His eyes were wide and alert, taking in his surroundings. His head – top with a Weasley made blue baby hat – was cone shaped from his trip down the birth canal. His skin was pink and healthy looking and it didn't take much longer for his little fingers to turn pink as well. His second Apgar test, James scored a 10 – perfect score.

"Go tell the family now. I'm ready to see them." Ginny murmured, completely exhausted.

Harry scrambled down the stairs, eager to release the news and then get back to his new child. The family looked up at his footsteps.

"It's a boy!" Harry shouted excitedly.

Everyone rushed at him with joy. Molly hugged him happily and Ron clapped him on the back. Hermione squealed and hugged him; even Fleur gave him one of those kisses on the cheeks that he received a lot when Fleur was happy. Ron was jealous at that little fact… But Hermione is better, of course!

"Come, come see!" Harry urged, impatient to return back to the little boy awaiting him.

"Who?" Some of the family all said at the same time.

"I don't care!" Harry laughed. They shrugged and followed him up the stairs.

The family spent long moments gushing over how soft his skin was and how adorable his looked, and his amazing resemblance to both Harry and Ginny. "He has Ginny's eyes, but Harry's hair for sure." "Look, look he's yawning!" And of course, Victoire said something 'adorable': "He looks like an alien!"

Somewhere in this chaos, both James and Ginny fell asleep. The Labor lasted almost 15 hours and no wonder both Ginny and James were exhausted. The family stuck around awhile longer, before they all headed home themselves.

James Sirius Potter. Born July 10, 2001 at 6:23 PM. Weighs 8 lbs 2 oz. 21 inches long

He is perfect.


This was an exhausting chapter to write! But I'm glad I wrote it! I have QUITE a few things to explain.

Active Labor: Strongest contractions, when the cervix dilates from 4 to 8 centimeters.

Transition: The stage of labor when the woman prepares to push, when the cervix dilates from 8 to 10 centimeters, and often described as the most painful part of labor.

Perineum: The skin between the vagina and rectum; often tears during birth.

Apgar test: A test performed on newborns 1 minute after birth, and again 5 minutes after birth to determine the baby's health: Scored on muscle movement, breathing, skin color, heart rate and facial expressions. If the baby scores 0, he or she is basically dead.

I think I explained all the medical terminology! If I forgot, just ask and I'll tell you!

Read and Review! Thanks a lot, you guys are awesome!