I had learned to grin and bear during migraines caused by dehydration or extreme nausea with no actual upchuck. Herbal tea with honey had become a routine or I would merely take baths in essential oils, then lie in the dark attempting to force myself asleep. However, during my last trimester, I received a pain that scared me to no end. The abdominal pain had come back but with a vengeance. Because my husband and I were abroad and it was late at night, I wasn’t completely sold on going to the hospital. The baby hadn’t been doing anything abnormal, but the pain was worse than any period cramp I had ever experienced in the past. I told my husband I would just lay in the fetal position until it stopped. Afterward, I could hear him listening to a video about medicinal cannabis use during pregnancy. He came in the room and offered me to smoke. I told him, “No”. We continued listening to the video together and he made me another offer. He told me he could blow me a “shotgun.” A shotgun is when someone inhales the smoke from whatever apparatus (in our case my husband’s “peace pipe”/bong) and blows the smoke directly into your mouth. The impact of a shotgun is less fiery than inhaling the smoke directly. I obliged because the pain began to grow excruciating and I was tired of my husband’s by-the-way-did-you-know’s regarding medical marijuana. Within minutes I was completely absolved of my abdominal pain. My husband began to ask me how I felt and laughs till this day by recollecting my quizzical response of “I don’t remember.” I don’t remember that response but certainly do remember the pain coming to a halt and having a fantastic sleep throughout the night. The night my contractions began, I thought I was experiencing Braxton Hicks because my due date wasn’t for another week. I ran myself a hot shower and began to sit and allow the water to run down my belly. As the hours began to pass, the pain began to intensify. I knew that I was in active labor. Because we were having a home birth, I wasn’t opting for an epidural or medicine of any kind. I also wanted to have access to food or drink, if I chose. But, I never ate or drank anything.
