My second pregnancy was a lot like my first, very uneventful. The doctors kept mentioning that this baby was probably going to be (huge) bigger than my first. My due date was April, 20th and I just hoped to be a little early and definitely hoped to not be a week late like I was with my Bowie. Nearing the end, I started getting really nervous about the birth. I knew that I could do it naturally but I was still scared. Knowing just how bad it was going to hurt, I was dreading it. I was also anxious about leaving Bowie, who was almost two at the time. We have never been apart for more than a couple hours and never over night.
April 17th, around 7pm, I was sitting on the couch with Will and my sister Hannah when my water broke. I was freaking out that I was going into labor at 7pm at night meaning I would be away from my daughter during bedtime. Will was racing around getting everything into the car and acting generally nervous and panicked. Called Leslee to let her know we were headed to the hospital and texted Stephanie to let her know we were going but I wasn’t in full-on labor yet.
When we got the hospital I felt really strange. I wasn’t even having strong contractions, my whole belly just felt tingly. We were checked in to triage and sat there listening to other women around us crying in pain. They checked my dilation and said I was about 4cm but they weren’t positive that my water had broken. I was was positive it had. So, we waited a really long time for my doctor to show up and see what he had to say about it. When he finally got there he said he wanted me to stay since my water broke and we would go from there. Leslee came to the hospital and they moved us up into a room. It was probably around 11pm at this point. We walked the halls laughing at some doctor passed out behind a desk. I was not having any real/worthy contractions and that was making me nervous.
After walking a lot we came back to the room and settled in a bit, I felt anxious and unable to sleep. We all watched Half Baked on tv and Leslee and Will fell asleep. Around 3am Leslee left for a few hours. I managed to sleep from about 4:30am to about 6am. Leslee came back and a new shift of nurses came on at 7am. My doctor came in and said I had to have pitocin and that eventually if nothing happened I would have to have a c-section. I was really upset. I really did NOT like his bedside manor (he was the least favorite doctor in the practice I went to) Anyway, I asked to forego the pitocin as long as possible, he seemed annoyed and scheduled it to happen at 8:30am. After he left we talked to the nurses who said they could just give me a little and hopefully that would kick my body into action. They made me feel a lot better about getting the pitocin since it wasn’t to induce labor, just to help it along. So, they hooked me up to a bag of pitocin and I felt anxious/excited that hard labor would start immediately. Wrong.
Leslee and Stephanie kept us company and gave me massages/advice on what to do. I tried to relax but it was really difficult for me to stop worrying about Bowie, who was at home with my sister and a family friend, Danielle. She was totally fine and I trusted her caretakers completely but it was just the first time I had been away from her and it made me so sad! I just wanted to hurry and be done so I could see her again.
Around 2:30 my doctor showed up again and we talked about how my contractions were not getting stronger or more regular and I was not really dilated any further. He said he would let me labor for 4 more hours then he wanted me to have an epidural to see if that progressed labor along (?) then 4 hours after that if nothing happened I would have to have a c-section because my water would be broken for 24 hours at that point. I agreed. The doctor left and I looked at the nurses and told them to just crank the pitocin. Just crank it! If that’s what it was going to take to force my labor to start and avoid a c-section then let’s just get on with it. I was so over it.
The nurses, who were so nice and really rooting for me, cranked up the pitocin. FINALLY painful contractions that were regularly coming and going every 4 or 5 minutes started up. I was so relieved. The next two hours were crazy because it got seriously painful, seriously fast. I was on the bed on my knees facing the wall for awhile and when that became too painful I sat down and Leslee tied a sheet onto the squat bar in front of me. I was screaming and crying and pleading with my husband to believe me when I said it needed to stop. My doctor came in with the nurses, they checked me a few times. I dilated really quickly and they told me I could push. In my mind I was thrilled because 1. it was almost over and 2. I thought surely my mind would do me the favor of blacking out again like it had during this part of Bowie's birth. But no, I did not black out. I pushed about 8 times and it was excruciating pain.
When he was finally out and laid on my chest I felt warm, relaxed, and completely mesmerized by our son’s face. I was filled, again, with an unbelievable amount of love and tranquil happiness. It’s truely an amazing, unmatched high that I desperately hope I can always remember.
Fielding Ignatius Galotti was born at 4:45pm April 19th. 9lb 10oz
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