Rachel is about to give birth, but the labor is frustratingly long and she gets put in a semi-private room where she meets a variety of expecting couples. Monica and Chandler discuss having a baby. Phoebe meets a cute guy with a broken leg and Joey helps her know him better by using his Dr. Drake Ramoray character.
Tropes:
- Bavarian Fire Drill: Joey uses his "Dr. Drake Ramoray" character twice to help Phoebe know who the cute guy with the broken leg was:
- First when he poses as a long-time doctor of the guy to the receptionist in order to find where the latter's room was. He almost breaks character when he asks for the guy's name.
- Second when Phoebe has this idea of Joey again disguising himself as a doctor in order for the guy to reveal him personal information. Joey (who tells the guy he's his new doctor) finds out that his name is Clifford Burnett (or "Cliff"), that he was born on November 16, 1968 and that he's a widower. Joey also asks him a bunch of weird, personal information, which he dutifuly answers, even if under protest. This one comes to bite her in the back during the next episode.
- Contrived Coincidence: The last couple to share Rachel's room in the episode is none other than Janice and her never-before-seen husband. Who would have thought Rachel and Janice would pop in the same day.
- Did Not See That Coming: Monica decides to mess with Chandler by telling him she wants to have a baby, only to be shocked when Chandler reveals he's been thinking about it himself and he thinks they're ready.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: The second couple to share Rachel's room is a very vitriolic one, with the woman constantly calling the man a "sick bastard". When Ross gets angry at the man for peeking at Rachel from behind the curtain, the woman shouts at Ross not to talk to her husband like that.
- Instant Birth: Just Add Labor!: Averted by Rachel whose labor takes almost an entire day. Played straight by the four other women who share her room in that time, all of whom move much faster. The third woman barely makes it through the door before her doctor takes her away again.Rachel: (to the orderly) If you bring me one more woman and she has her baby before me I'm going to sue you! Not this hospital, I'm going to sue you!
- I Have No Son!: Played for laughs when Rachel gets mad at Ross for leaving her alone with an obnoxious couple and yells at him "My child has no father!" It doesn't last long.
- Making Love in All the Wrong Places: Monica and Chandler decide to try conceiving right there in the hospital and try to find a free room. Their attempts are predictably halted by various people interrupting them.
- Percussive Maintenance: Phoebe finds Joey shaking a vending machine and assumes it ate his money. Subverted as Joey is actually trying to get something for free.
- Screaming Birth: Averted by one of the women that shares Rachel's room who reacts to her contractions by humming gently even as she nears the end of her labor.
- Too Much Information: Ross nicknames the first couple to share the labor suite "The Disgustingtons" because they're far too open about sharing the details of how their labor is progressing.
- Unit Confusion: When Rachel is told she's dilated 3 centimeters, she overestimates the width and spreads her hands about 3 inches. Ross, who was a science major and therefore knows the metric system pretty well, corrects her with a more accurate measurement.Rachel: Ugh, stupid metric system.
