"Come on, Zipporah, shh, it's gonna be fine." Mom, Grandma and Felicie coo as I lean against the counter, breathing and swaying to get through the contraction. Basil holds me from behind, applying pressure to my lower back and massaging it gently. The contractions are getting to be very intense, and are eight minutes apart. The team is close to getting here. Isaac, Dad and Grandpa are setting up the Birth pool. I groan, head in hands, as the contraction strengthens, "Shh, breathe, Zipporah. In. Out. In. Out. Relax..." Basil guides. I try to tune everything else out but his voice, but once the birth team arrives, it's serious.

Nancy and Zara start taking vitals and check me over, "Alnodt fully dilated. Active labor has begun." Zara presses a doppler to my stomach, and the sound of Lanzo's heartbeat fills the room. Basil squeezes my hands and I tighten my hold on his.

Nancy calls to Joanna, "Is the pool ready, Jo?"

"Almost. Get her ready." With that, I change into a swim top and am helped into the pool, filled with comfortably warm water and scented with essential oils. Joanna, my doula, starts guiding me into different positions and massaging my back.

"The water... it's helping." I sigh, leaning over the side with my head on my arms. Basil, kneeling beside the pool, rubs my arms and strokes my hair.

"You're doing great, Zipporah." He croons. I groan as another contraction surges, more powerful than the last.

"Good, very good. Breathe, Zipporah. Relax. Very good." Joanna coaxes. I focus on her voice and the calming music playing from somewhere in the room.

"Can we know if it's a boy or girl yet?" Isaac asks out of the blue, some long while after I've gotten into the pool. I don't bother lifting my head or responding, but it helps me smile.

"That's up to Zipporah." Basil replies softly. I sigh.

"No. I want it to be a surprise for them." He passes it on but it sparked a conversation. As always, most everyone says it's a girl, but Isaac and my grandparents say it's a boy. I don't mind the chatting but tell them to leave me out of it.

Basil, and the team stay at close range and keep me well monitored. Joanna and Basil are my supports, and who I pay attention to. Nancy and Zara keep track of contractions and whatever else. They tell me when things change or if I need to do something.

"Contractions now four minutes apart, sixty five seconds long. She's officially in transition, ten centimeters dilated." I lift my head, puffing out a breath.

"What time is it?" I ask after sharing a sweet peck with Basil.

"It's three in the morning." I whimper lowering myself back to my former position. Basil kisses my head and hands as Joanna resumes massaging my back. Another contraction courses through and I reach out for Basil's hands, squeezing them firmly. I dig in and hold on, seeking a release. To his credit, poor Basil doesn't pull away or whimper in any way. He just whispers and croons soft encouragement and love.

"Basil~!" I hiss when I feel Lanzo drop even more, causing greater pain. I groan and whimper more as the contractions increase in power and decrease in rest time, "I feel too hot!" In seconds, Nancy presses cool wet cloths to my head and neck.

"It's just a hot flash. It's normal, Zipporah." Joanna assures.

Not very long after I feel a strange but vivid impulse. I gasp and straighten up. Nancy and Zara flock, "Do you feel the urge to push, Zipporah?" I nod fervently. Zara nods in understanding.

Nancy checks me again, "Don't push yet. I'm making sure you won't tear," I groan, getting into a kneeling position, propping myself up on my hands, "Contractions are two minutes apart and 90 seconds long. Okay, with the next contraction, I want to to take a deep breathe and push."

"You can do it, Edelweiss!" Basil cheers on. I follow Nancy's directions and push as hard as I can, holding it as long as I can. I cry out and whimper. Basil and Joanna combine forces and Zara checks the baby's progress after I stopped pushing.

"The baby's getting closer. C'mon, Zipporah, you can do it," She coaxes. At her signal I push again, then again, and again, until she announces, "It's crowned! The head is nearly out!" I focus again and push harder. Basil reaches over and steadies me. I brace against his arms and continue.

But when it seems that nothing is happening after several minutes, I get frustrated and snap, "Come on! Come on!" I shoo Basil and any other person except Zara and Joanna. Basil stays in place and doesn't move to touch me, but he continues to coax me on.

I push hard and finally feel progress again. I know Lanzo's head is free, but of course Zara has to announce it. She checks and then gives me to go to keep pushing. Now it's the shoulders, then everything should flow quickly. I groan and shift around, trying to figure out how to push Lanzo out the rest of the way, "Push, push, push!" Zara directs and I bear down, "Relax,.. now again!" We repeat this cycle until I by chance settle into just the right position and one shoulder pops, then the other.

"Ahh! The shoulders! They're free!" I shout. All of the team gathers and checks to see if the umbilical cord is around his neck before I give a couple short efforts more.

And then the whole house seems to ring with joy as I swoop up my baby into my arms, bringing him against my chest. I immediately start sobbing, holding him close, "Congratulations!" The team choruses as I lean back against the tub, patting Lanzo's back to help clear out his lungs. Basil comes up alongside and we share a brief kiss. I'm focused only on Lanzo as he sputters a little, then lets out a healthy, hearty cry.

"Oh, oh, shh!" I croon, finally arranging him so I can look at his face, "Mutti's here. I love you, baby... shh.."

"Is it a girl or a boy?!" I glance around the room, beaming. Basil clears his throat and strokes Lanzo's cheek.

"Welcome to the world, Prince Lanzo Andreas Kaiser."

Please Vote and Comment! The story is drawing to a close!

~Uilosris