I was 12 days late which wasn't much different that the 14 days late that big brother welcomed us with. The day I went into labor I had my midwife appointment at the birth center and had been having super random contractions on and off for about 3 weeks. We were really hoping to get a surprise early baby, but as my midwife put it so accurately, "My babies like my uterus!" They had finished my movement and ultrasound checkup when I started to go into early labor. This labor was very different from what I had experienced the first time around. It started off with having massive food aversion towards my fave pregnancy food...DEL TACO and subtly moved on into full blown menstrual like cramps. Seriously you're glad when you get pregnant because then you don't have to deal with periods and then all of a sudden you've got random painful cramping similar to the worst part of the month to start off labor..what a horrible way to get the party started. As I mentioned everything about this labor was completely opposite to our first one. It was during the early afternoon and not in the wee hours of the morning. Almost all the rooms at the birth center had already taken up residency so I didn't have my pick to which room I wanted to give birth in. My labor didn't start with my water breaking and as a matter of fact, didn't break until almost 11 hours later by a hospital Doctor. I "needed" to be transferred to the hospital because of a supposed low grade fever and non progressive labor, which made for absolutely no chance of a water birth. I was not only terrified of giving birth in a hospital but also extremely bummed, but having my wonderful Husband right there to remind me that it was best for baby and to trust God in the midst of doubt and confusion.
A close friend and work colleague of my Husband's actually showed up to the hospital and pretty much acted as my Doula which was wonderful and also gave allowance for Joshua to rest during labor.
After the birth was all said and done, Joshua and I were pretty turned off by how the birthing center handled my situation and then just handed me off to the hospital staff and kind of just washed their hands of the events. The supposed fever went right back down to normal once they administered fluids and gave me tylenol. SERIOUSLY??? The birth center didn't even bother to check my charts to see that once I had started labor, they needed to give me antibiotics, during contractions I had to remind them. We were thoroughly disappointed seeing as we gave birth there before.
Once we arrived at the hospital 11 hours after my initial midwife appointment, we received outstanding care. The nurse was not only attentive but she sneaked all of us food and large glasses of water, when you are only supposed to chew on ice chips. HA yeah right...during labor with a starving mother who hadn't eaten in almost 15 hours!?! Cray cray people. So labor was still pretty slow and after babes finally decided to descend and assume the position, I gave them the okay to brake my water. There was SO MUCH fluid it literally just kept pouring out and through future contractions was still very much present. I probably lost about 7-10lbs of water immediately! Pretty soon after my water broke, I entered the next fun stage called hard labor. It was truly more intense because I wasn't laboring in a birthing tub, just quickly switching positions from lying in the bed and using my arms to push on the bed railing as counter pressure to "slow dancing" and buckling under the pain. Birthing balls also suck BTW. I just wanted the comfort of water and for some reason just couldn't find ease in other time tested, tried and true labor positions.
So after about an hour of steady progression, I instantly had the sensation to push and was very vocal about it. All of a sudden a handful of nurses slowly made their way in and were watching the show. I asked the ridiculous question if I could push because my first labor involved me feeling the need to push when i was only dilated at a 7, which is the worst feeling mentally and physically of having to force yourself for hours to not push until your fully dilated. All the nurses said, "Yes, you can push!" and of course I wanted to cry beautiful, happy tears that I was about to meet my new baby.
Within 4-5 pushes and 15 minutes after I said I needed to push, out comes my amazing, beautiful handsome boy!!!! Moses Levi Gielow was born on January 29 at 5:07am 8lbs 14oz. Tears filled the room and I squealed about having another boy! Boys are really so much fun and I couldn't wait for big brother to meet him!
I'll leave out the minute details of forced overnight stay and our f***ing $65 past due parking ticket late by just a few hours that we received WHILE I WAS GIVING BIRTH. I'm still pissed about it. But Whatever I got a beautiful little blessing and couldn't wait to leave the room. So below are of course some of the lovely photos of this blessed event!
