Chapter 13: Cranky V

“In my ninth month of pregnancy my baby wedged his foot between my ribs and managed to crack my rib cage, which meant that lying prone was out of the question, so from then on I had to sleep sitting straight up. I was probably a little delirious when, a week past my due date, I convinced Dr. Sherry Ross to induce me. After four epidurals, my boy came tearing out, literally—his name was supposed to be Hudson, but, roughed up as he was, with only one eye open, my husband suggested he seemed more like a “Jack.” Believe me, the pushing part of giving birth was a piece of cake compared to the recovery, which took almost a year. From the moment I felt that memorable stitch pop, a day or so after Jack’s grand entrance into the world, I had to deal with a very cranky V. I will spare you the gory details of my recovery, other than to say that during it I became pregnant with my second child, Ava!

Since my pregnancies, my relationship with Dr. Sherry Ross has made me a doctor appointment convert. I actually look forward to my yearly visits—which are more like pilgrimages because I live on the opposite side of town and have to navigate hours of horrendous Los Angeles traffic. What’s ironic is that reading this chapter of Dr. Sherry Ross’ book made me realize that it doesn’t make sense not to check in with a doctor when something is troubling. I mean, come on—and I say this to myself as well—there’s no need to tough it out on your own when dealing with something as important as your V and your health in general.”

—Amy Acker Actress