My first daughter was over a month early. In the middle of the night, my water broke. Before the sun started to rise, I was admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, I had to wait for some time before I was induced. However, in about 36 hours, my daughter was finally born. Three and a half years later, I experienced a very similar situation with the birth of my son.
Being Early
Since I had been early with my daughter, I knew there was a higher chance of having a second premature baby. The day before I gave birth, I experienced bloody show. It’s not a pretty term but can be a sign that a woman will go into labor. Sure enough, about an hour or two after going to bed, my water broke. Since I already had a similar experience, I wasn’t too nervous. However, soon the amniotic fluid was gushing. After calling my parents to come stay with my daughter, we hopped into the car and made our way to the hospital. Although I knew I couldn’t “run out” of amniotic fluid, I was still nervous.
Waiting
Soon enough, I was wearing a familiar, unattractive hospital gown and waiting for the doctor to come examine me. I was having some small contractions and hoped my labor would go more quickly than with my daughter. However, although I was dilating, I had to have some Pitocin to speed things up.
I admire women who can go through child birth without any pain relievers. I had had an epidural with my first and had planned to try to go natural with my second. As the contractions became stronger I decided to ask for an epidural. It definitely helped me make it through the home stretch.
Same Time, Same Place
As the one-o-clock hour passed, my husband and I realized that our daughter was born at 1:25 in the afternoon. We thought it would be interesting if both kids were born at the exact same time. This gave me a goal to shoot for. The goal worked. At 1:26, our son was born in the same hospital as our daughter. He was a beautiful, six pound baby.
Comparing the Two Births
Some people have very different birthing experiences with their children. However, with me, the second birth was a case of déjà vu. Both kids were born about a month early. During both instances my water broke. Both kids were born at almost the same time in the afternoon. Finally, both were close in weight and appearance.
Déjà vu is often a dreamlike experience. However, after being home for several weeks with my newborn, everything is very real. The middle of the night feedings, dirty diapers and tiny smiles are all part of my reality.
Isn’t life beautiful?
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