Chapter 22: The Birth
Manhattan Memorial Hospital – 9:00am
Elliot ran in the hospital and headed straight toward the waiting room with Fin tagging along behind him. When they got in there, Munch was sitting in the chair, but he stood up when he saw Elliot and Fin.
"Where's Olivia?" Elliot asked Munch.
"The nurse took her to a room a little while ago to check her blood pressure and heart rate. She also said that they're checking to see how far she is dilated."
Around that time, Ashley, the labor and delivery nurse, walked into the waiting room and acknowledged the three men. She then turned to Elliot.
"Are you Elliot? Detective Benson is asking for you."
Elliot nodded, "Yeah, I'm her husband. How is she?"
"She's dilated to a five right now, which means that she could be in labor for several hours if it stays that number for a while," explained Ashley. "Her contractions aren't coming really fast now, even though she's having cramps. I asked her if she wanted anything for the pain, but she said she didn't."
"That's Olivia, always the tough one."
Ashley smiled at Elliot, "She's in room 226 down the hall on your right past the nurses' station. I already called Dr. Morris and she's on her way here."
"Thanks Ashley."
"John and I will go back to the precinct to wait for Cragen to come back from the meeting," announced Fin. "Call us if you need us to do anything."
"Thanks Fin." Munch and Fin walked out and Elliot went towards Olivia's room.
Meanwhile, Olivia was in her room watching Regis and Kelly and looking around the room at the monitors surrounding her bed. The nurse had her hooked to an IV and she was strapped to a monitor that rested across her stomach that checked hers and the baby's heart rate as well as the rate of her contractions.
"Hey Livvie," said a voice outside the room.
Olivia looked up from the TV and saw Elliot standing there, "Hi honey."
He walked over to her and sat down in the chair next to the bed, "I came as soon as Munch called me."
"You probably went through the red lights, didn't you?"
"A few of them," answered Elliot, reaching out his hand to Olivia, who took it and was absent-mindedly playing with his fingers. "So, how's our girl doing?"
"She's fine for right now. Maybe she'll come out soon to meet her parents."
Elliot laughed, "Maybe she will soon."
Six hours had passed and yet, there was still no sign of the baby coming anytime. Dr. Morris came in to monitor Olivia and assured her that everything was fine and a normal labor for a first baby could be anywhere between now and twelve hours. Elliot had called Munch and Fin to let them know that the kids would be coming home from school and he needed them to meet them at home so they could tell them that Olivia was in labor.
5:30pm
Elliot and Olivia were in the room making small talk while the nurses checked on the monitors that were hooked up to her. The baby's heart rate was normal and didn't seem to be distressed, but Olivia was beginning to have very close contractions even though her cervix was dilated to about 5 cm.
A contraction began to hit and Olivia moaned at the pain and made a face, "Dammit, this hurts."
Elliot grabbed her hand, "Shh, it's alright. Just keep taking deep breaths."
She loved it when he was gentle with her, even during one of her most vulnerable states. He brushed her bangs away from her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears. Another contraction began to hit and Olivia turned to the delivery nurse and Dr. Morris.
"I need something for the pain."
"Do you want an epidural or a spinal?" asked Dr. Morris.
"Epidural," answered Olivia.
"That will slow down the labor, right?" Elliot asked Dr. Morris.
"It has its different effects on every woman. If she has an epidural now and depending on how it will work, she may not deliver until several more hours."
Elliot turned to Liv and she nodded, "Anything for the pain."
A few nurses turned Olivia on her side and injected the epidural into the IV line in her back. It seemed to lessen the pain from the contractions and the nurse said that it would help with some or all of the labor pains.
Night was falling in the sky and it was nearly one o'clock in the morning. About three epidurals later, Olivia was becoming anxious, exhausted, and nauseated, but it seemed to make her more at ease when Dr. Morris looked up at the monitor: it was delivery time. She sat down in front of Olivia and pulled up the sheet to check her cervix and saw that she was fully dilated to 10cm.
"Okay, Olivia, it's time," announced Dr. Morris. "I need you to breathe and when I count to ten, I want you to push."
Olivia held in her breath and let it out, "I can't do this."
"Yes, you can, you're strong," Elliot assured her. "It will be all okay, baby."
"Oh god, this hurts," Olivia howled through gritted teeth as she pushed after Dr. Morris counted to ten. "Ahhhhhh!"
"Come on Olivia, you're doing well. Breathe again and push."
Olivia collapsed on the pillow and moaned while Elliot wiped the sweat off of her forehead. She took his hand and moved forward to push again.
"Uggggghhhhhh!"
Dr. Morris instructed Olivia to keep taking deep breaths and to push. She looked at the monitor and saw the contraction coming, "OK, it's coming, Olivia, give me a big push."
She gritted her teeth and pushed with all of the energy that she had left in her body. "Gaaaaaahhhhhhh!" she screamed when she felt as if her body was splitting in two."
"Good job," breathed Dr. Morris. After a few more good pushes, Dr. Morris announced that she could see the baby's head. "I can see her head. Just relax and don't push even if have to urge to do so."
A little while later, Olivia heard a loud cry and Dr. Morris proudly held up the baby carefully, "It's a beautiful, perfect, healthy little girl."
She placed the baby on Olivia's abdomen as the nurses dried her off. Elliot came over there, nearly in tears, and Dr. Morris gave him the honor of cutting the umbilical cord and then she handed the baby over to Ashley, who cleaned her up.
"Wow, she's a big girl," called Ashley. "Eight pounds, six ounces, and 21 inches long." She swaddled the baby in a blanket and Elliot helped Olivia sit up as she came back over and handed Olivia her new daughter.
"OK, Olivia," announced Dr. Morris. "I'm going to deliver the placenta, so you'll probably feel a slight tug." It wasn't going to matter to Olivia. All of her attention was focused on bonding with her new daughter.
"Hi, baby girl," said Olivia, crying happily. The baby looked at her mother with big blue eyes.
Elliot came over behind her and looked at their daughter wrapped up in Olivia's arms, "She's so beautiful."
"Have you picked out a name for her yet?" asked Dr. Morris.
Olivia looked at her daughter and then at Elliot, "It's going to be Kaitlyn Serena. Elliot and I both love that name and Serena is after my mother."
"She definitely looks like a Kaitlyn," said Ashley.
Meanwhile, the nurses finished up their work and left Olivia and Elliot alone with their new daughter. In that moment, this was beautiful. This was a child that they had created together. Kaitlyn Serena Stabler finally made it into the world and her parents couldn't have been any happier during this special moment.
TBC
Next up: Epilogue—Baby Kaitlyn(Last chapter before sequel)
