June 11, 2008
I may or may not have told you this story before but for some reason I feel like telling it. (If you already know this story feel free to skip this post.)
I went into labor at the 28 week mark of my pregnancy. It wasn’t hard labor but the contractions were causing my cervix to dilate meaning that if at any time I were to actually start having major contractions the babies could be born very quickly. Because of this I was put on hospital bedrest.
I was in the hospital for the very last episode of “Friends” ever. I used to love that show. For a while (back in 1995 - 1996) I wouldn’t miss an episode. I used to get mad if people called me between 8:00 and 8:30 on a Thursday night. But truth be told by 2004 I was completely over it and I had absolutely no intention of watching the finale.
I was happily watching an NBA playoff game when one of my nurses came into my room. She was very excited. She couldn’t wait to watch the stupid “Friends” finale. I really liked this nurse and I didn’t want to disappoint her. I knew she didn’t have a television at the nurses station and that she was stuck monitoring my contractions for at least 30 minutes. (I had to do that twice a day. If I had more than six contractions in any hour I was given a shot of terbutaline to stop the labor.) I felt sorry for her and I turned on the much hyped show.
I hadn’t watched “Friends” in a while and I did not know that Monica and Chandler were expecting to have a baby though a surrogate.
Somewhere during the episode the twist came into play. There were two babies. Monica and Chandler were going to have twins.
So while this episode is on I am having contractions. I am having a lot of contractions. My nurse gave me the shot and they didn’t stop.
But I’ll tell you this - I was damned if I was going to have twins on the same day as Monica and Chandler did. How lame would that be? They weren’t even real people.
I was panicked. It didn’t seem fair. I was going to live the rest of my life as the person who had her multiples at the same time as the Geller-Bings.
Screw that.
Somehow I managed to keep the Goon Squad in my body for seven more days. As unpleasant as the delivery was, at least it was ours alone. No one even mentioned “Friends”.
And now you know how my mind works.
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June 11th, 2008 at 9:13 pm, Beth Says:
Freak.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:43 pm, Headless Mom Says:
I would have wanted it to happen- just for the opposite story.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:17 pm, Tela Says:
I would’ve done the same thing.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:25 pm, Devra Says:
The question left unanswered. Who wont the playoff’s?
June 11th, 2008 at 10:26 pm, Devra Says:
That would be “won.” Not sure where that extra “t” came into play.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:27 am, RubiaLala Says:
That’s some pretty serious will power. I’m impressed.
June 12th, 2008 at 7:39 am, floreksa Says:
LOL
I would’ve been the same way.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:28 am, Chris Says:
Now that, my friend, is impressive. Mind over sitcom.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:48 am, JamesMommy Says:
That is hilarious! Good for you!
June 12th, 2008 at 8:58 am, Momo Fali Says:
And, now you know why I read you.
Though, I would love you a lot more had you named the twins Geller and Bing.
June 12th, 2008 at 9:39 am, Arwen Says:
I had Noodle on Good Friday the thirteenth. This is supposed to be good luck in some religions, too bad I am not religious.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:19 am, Mama Maven Says:
It is amazing the power the mind has over the body!
June 12th, 2008 at 10:32 am, Mom at Work Says:
At least you weren’t planning on naming them Jack and Erika. (Don’t hate — I had to google to find that out.)
June 12th, 2008 at 10:56 am, Suz Says:
I almost have you beat. After 6 episodes of pre-term labor, I went to the doc for my weekly check. Started having contractions 3 mins apart in the waiting room. No biggie, they had been 30 seconds apart the week before. He checked me, said he wanted me to get an ultrasound, and that he’s see me “across the street”.
Shorten this story a little — 3 hours later I’m “across the street” at the hospital having my water broken by said Doc. The last episode of Seinfeld is on that night. My dh shows up just in time to watch it. I’m writhing on the table/bed/whatever hardly able to breathe from the contractions, yet not really able to move as they’d already given me the epidural, and vomiting the whole way through.
Anyway, I’m trying to watch this stupid show because I’m sure it’s going to be hilarious, but also trying to keep my wits about me (evidently I cussed out my mom). And I’m not sure if it’s the epidural, or if it’s lack of oxygen, or if it’s the whole surreal “I’m finally getting these babies OUT”, but the final show seems weird. Not Seinfeld weird, but “what is this show and what have they done with Seinfeld?” weird.
Fast forward 2 hours & here I have Crab; Yell has gone to NICU (she was truly pissed to have been delivered & refused to cry, just glared at everyone), and I’m saying to dh “well, that wasn’t so bad”. And he says something like, “Yeah, well you could have picked a night other than the last episode of Seinfeld.”
Grrrrrrr.
I saw that episode again a few months later and it still didn’t make sense. I guess I can’t blame the kids.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:03 am, House frau Says:
That’s funny. But I think being pregnant with twins makes you a little loopy, especially if you are stressed and on hospital bedrest. I know I am acting more and more brain dead each day.
When I told one of my neighbors I was having twins with an August due date, she was like “Oh just like Brad and Angelina!” OK… where is my million dollar villa in Southern France and league of nannies???
June 12th, 2008 at 11:26 am, lumpyheadsmom Says:
It was really nice of you to let your nurse watch the show.
June 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pm, Mama Snyder Says:
She must have been a realy good nurse for you to have turned off a playoff game. Me thinks you must have been a bit loopy…
June 12th, 2008 at 4:14 pm, mp Says:
I don’t blame you…even though no one else but YOU would know that now it still would have sucked. I was SO over that show by then too..I don’t think I saw it either.
June 12th, 2008 at 5:06 pm, cheryl Says:
Our twosome had already made their grand entrance by the time of that infamous finale…and while I was a bit post-partumly irked at Courtney Cox stealing my twin mom thunder, I did LOVE the very real moment when Monica and Chandler wanted to trade the babies they were holding and couldn’t figure out how. A very nice homage to the logistics challenges with two uber-floppy newborns.
)
(I always thought my mental strength contributed to my anal retentiveness…I have to think yours qualifies vaginal retentiveness!
June 12th, 2008 at 5:36 pm, Alison Says:
I still haven’t seen that episode.
June 12th, 2008 at 6:22 pm, jason Says:
Way to hold ‘em in. Who won the NBA playoff game?
June 12th, 2008 at 7:47 pm, Michelle Says:
Ok, I had my daughter the night Ross and Rachel named their baby. I had been having AWFUL back labor for more than 24 hours that no amount of drugs would help, but I wouldn’t start pushing until AFTER the episode was over. That’s how I know exactly how long I pushed before the c-sec. Damn Friends’ and their suckage-in power. I blame it on my Mom, she was in the room with me and totally was my enabler!
June 12th, 2008 at 9:45 pm, Papa Bradstein Says:
While Mama was knocked out on Nubain in the next room, I was over in the “lounge” (who puts a lounge on the labor and delivery floor? who’s going to lounge there? if you have time to lounge, you’re on the wrong floor…then again, I was in there…) calling the car dealer to ensure that our new car (to replace the one that was totaled with nine-months pregnant Mama in it) was ready to pick up on a moment’s notice because I didn’t want my baby going home in a rental car. Now you know how my mind works. Or perhaps you already knew that, ’cause I’ve pretty much got the standard-issue guy mind.
June 13th, 2008 at 8:31 am, Kait Says:
I was a senior in high school when that episode aired and I watched it with my then boyfriend who was trying to convince me to not move away to college. I had never really watched Friends before that and I remember thinking “I cannot seriously be considering putting my life on hold for this jackass.”
I broke up with him a couple weeks later. Obviously it was the right move since I’m married to someone else and he’s still a jackass.
June 13th, 2008 at 7:32 pm, Kristin Says:
Our story is the same, except I almost DID have my duo on the same day as the Gellar-Bings. I laid in my hospital bed, had friends “over” for dinner and we all four watched the final show on my 9inch hospital TV. A&M were born the next day.
June 14th, 2008 at 8:27 am, Kelley Says:
I would have done the same thing. My doc wanted to schedule Boo’s birth (I can’t do the whole birthing thing on my own) for Moo’s birthday because of his golfing trip. I ranted and raved SO MUCH he cancelled his plans and scheduled it for the next day. So they are a day apart, but much better than the same day, 7 years apart!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:07 pm, Kristabella Says:
That is hysterical! Like anyone would have ever remembered that. I love Friends, I still watch all the re-runs. But I couldn’t tell you the year, let alone the date that Monica and Chandler “had” their babies.