Page 307 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

“Lie on your left side,” said the nurse on my right.

“Try to relax; take deep breaths,” my father said
sympathetically.

“He isn’t ready. Boys have a much harder time being

born early than girls do. We need to do whatever is

necessary to hold it off,” explained the doctor. “He
needs more time.”

For half a day, the pain lingered on before they were

finally able to stop the labor. When the initial scare

was over, I was transferred to a nearby hospital that
had a specialized neonatal intensive care unit, just in

case something went wrong. With careful observation and

much rest, we were able to delay his arrival and I was

sent home for the remainder of the pregnancy. As I

counted each day that passed, I felt I could relax and
enjoy what was left of the last trimester.

It was a beautiful day that would be filled with

activities. I had only two weeks left to go, so I felt

safe enough to venture out. I had plenty of shopping
left to do before the baby arrived, and I was also

craving the biggest double cheeseburger I could find. It

was a good day and I wanted it to go well, but it became

harder to ignore the twinges of pain radiating through

my lower back. At first I dismissed it, thinking it was