The Birth of Fulton Ambrose Costello
Sunday, January 14, 2024
5:54pm
8 pounds 7.8 ounces
20.75 inches long
Trinity Terrace Park, Bettendorf
Sunday, January 14, 2024 I woke up at 5am. I had been sleeping good most nights until this point, and quickly realized I was having minor contractions. I got up, went to the bathroom and grabbed my phone, and then laid back down and started timing them; 3 mins apart. After 2 hours of this I got up and wanted to see if things would progress if I walked around. They continued about every 3 mins, not really worsening. At 8am I woke up Jeremiah and told him what was going on. Our church had been canceled because the priest that was filling in for our priest couldn’t make the trip on this Sunday as it was -15 degrees plus a wind chill and we had gotten 24+ inches of snow in the last few days. Many roads were still impassable and travel was not advised anywhere. We had been snowed in basically for 7 days by this point and I had been very worried that labor would start during the night of one of the big snowfalls. Jeremiah had been especially nervous and spent countless hours over the past week shoveling and reshoveling, cleaning off cars, rearranging the driveway and repeatedly showering. He was nervous.
I kept walking around the house and the kids were all waking up. Amelia was peppering me with questions, as she had the past several days: ‘Mom, will the baby be born today?’ ‘Are you feeling miserable today?’ ‘Are you having contractions?’ ‘Why hasn’t the baby just come out already?’ My due date was January 20th and we had scheduled an induction for January 18th, although I wasn’t very happy about that idea. I prefer if labor just starts on it’s own. Our midwife Kim, who has delivered all 5 of the girls, kept telling me it would be soon, and she would try her hardest to make it. She also repeatedly said, ‘I hope I make it there in time….’
The contractions remained about 3 mins apart and were maybe getting a little stronger. Jeremiah lined up Aunt Hannah to come over and we left for the hospital around 8:45am. It took us a little over an hour and a half to make the usual 35-40 minute drive. The roads were scary and at times the roads were barely one lane cleared and the snow was as tall as our Expedition in spots!
We entered through the ER entrance since it was a weekend and got checked in. Contractions were still mild but very regular. The check in lady was annoying and it took forever, but the ER nurse gave Jeremiah a fist bump when we said it was our 7th delivery. A labor and delivery nurse finally appeared and escorted us up to triage where they hooked me up to the monitor. Baby looked great, but no contractions were showing up on the strip and I wasn’t feeling much of them anymore. They checked me and I was 4cm and 80% effaced. I had been 3.5cm a few days before so not much change. They finally let me walk around after a few hours and my contractions basically stopped. Annoying. That’s not how it usually goes for me. We chatted with Jenna, a nurse that we had gotten to know when Mary was born at the same hospital. I was complaining to her that my labors normally take 3 hours and this was not what I had in mind, all this stalling and false labor nonsense. She agreed that all labors are different, but then said ‘But I could totally see you showing up and delivering in 30 mins’. After consulting the attending doctor, they told me to go home, that it had been false labor and my cervix was not dilating anymore than it already had. The nurse told me she was ‘very nervous sending me home’. I agreed. My past labors were quick and getting to the hospital had been an event in itself. They told me to come right back if things changed or if my water broke. So, we left.
We got a Culver’s burger on the way home because by now it was past lunchtime. I was annoyed. I was tired of playing the waiting game and I could barely move and had been dealing with alot of pelvic pain and pressure and off and on contractions for the entire week. And, as soon as we got in the car, my contractions resumed, and actually felt stronger now. Of course. We drove home and the kids looked sorely disappointed at me. They had been playing games with Hannah and were having a good old time. I went upstairs with the younger girls and laid down for a nap. When I woke up I still was having irregular painful contractions in the front of my lower abdomen. I was confused and annoyed because I felt like if I went back into the hospital they’d just send me home again, and these did not feel like active labor contractions.
Contractions continued and I talked to my sister in law Alissa who is a former L&D nurse. She suggested trying some Spinning Babies moves and pumping for 10 mins to encourage labor and good fetal position. She thought my symptoms sounded like prodromal (false) labor. I did both. While I was pumping Jeremiah checked in and told me he was going to run to the school for a short time and would be back soon. Fine. I kept pumping. After that I was in more pain, all low in my abdomen and all in the front, not like real labor. I did a little research and it did line up with prodromal labor, but it was getting unbearable. Kateri wanted me to play a card game, so I did it on hands and knees and I couldn’t concentrate enough to find the hidden pictures on the cards. The pain was ramping up and irregular. I was so confused. After a few more minutes of this I sent the SOS text to my husband ‘Come back’. When he didn’t reply within a minute ‘Please’. Then I called him. He came home right away. He had to change his clothes and I tried to wait patiently. Hannah was still at the house so she agreed to stay again. Around 5:00pm I walked out to the car and had to brace myself on the door. I suddenly felt very very strong contractions and pressure and the urge to squat. I started crying and saying I was so scared, it hurt so bad and I couldn’t do it. Jeremiah yelled at me to get in the car and that we weren’t going to have the baby in the driveway! We had to go!!!
Jeremiah took off like a bat out of hell, which was pleasant because our driveway and alley are very rough with all the snow. I tried to stay calm and breathe and relax through contractions but it was INTENSE. Riding in a car in active labor isn’t my favorite. I started moaning with each one and gripping whatever I could find, usually one of Jeremiah’s arms, and they kept getting worse. I remember thinking that if I still had a few hours of labor to endure that I wouldn’t make it through. The contractions were about 2 minutes apart. Jeremiah drove safely but very quickly to the hospital; he looked like a racecar driver, in his true element.
We arrived at the hospital parking lot at 5:45pm. I got out right away and headed in but had to stop right outside of the door when the contraction was so bad I couldn’t move. I started crying and moaning. A lady walking in asked if we needed a wheelchair and Jeremiah replied that no, we were delivering a baby and we needed to GO! We walked into the ER entrance again and the same lady as the morning was there at the desk. She insisted I needed to check in, I showed her my hospital band from that same morning and kept moving towards L&D. Jeremiah yelled at the lady that we didn’t need to check in, we needed to GO! I made it through the double doors and there just happened to be a L&D nurse (they wear blue scrubs) standing there with a wheelchair! She was apparently coming down to pickup another mama but she recognized I was in active labor and told me to get in. After a brief comment by the L&D nurse to the ER desk lady we were off. I heard some people in the background saying ‘You got this mama!’ I wasn’t so sure. I was in so much pain and now I had to sit down again!?
The L&D nurse’s name was Monica and she asked me calmly what number of baby this was. I yelled out ‘SEVEN!!!!’ between moans and cries. She then started jogging/running and pushing me down the hall. I heard her radio to the other nurses, ‘I’m going to need a room and a cart…..Sarah’s back and she’s going to deliver!’
They got me into the labor wing and the nurses were running all over getting ready for me. They wheeled me right into the SAME room where I had delivered Gabriel 14 years earlier! Upon realizing that I started crying more. I saw Jenna, the nurse we had chatted with in the morning and she looked concerned.
I got out of the wheelchair and Jeremiah and another nurse took off my shoes and pants. I climbed onto the table on my hands and knees, as I have delivered 4 other kids this way and prefer it. After a quick check from nurse Monica she declared I was complete with a bulging bag. I couldn’t believe it! I was 4cm and not progressing a few hours ago and now I was 10cm? She confirmed I was complete and my bag of waters was intact. She stated we were going to keep it that way as long as possible. With the next contraction my water broke like a water balloon, soaking me, the bed, several nurses and Jeremiah. The nurses were now telling me not to push because the doctor wasn’t there yet (our midwife was unavailable today) and they didn’t want me to deliver on hands and knees. I reiterated that I wanted to deliver on my hands and knees and that my husband could deliver the baby, he had 5 other times. I looked at Jeremiah over my shoulder and said ‘Be ready’.
With the next contraction I pushed and pushed because I wanted this to be over and I didn’t care what they were telling me to do. I felt the baby’s head come out. They all yelled at me to roll over! I rolled onto my side and pushed the rest of the baby out; 5:54pm, literally 9 minutes after we got to the hospital!!! Talk about cutting it close!!!
Jeremiah put the baby on my chest as he started crying and we looked and it was a BOY!!!!!!! After 5 girls in a row we got another BOY! I was so happy. There were so many people in the room, but no doctor. After a few minutes the doctor came strolling in, smiling at me and shaking his head. Jeremiah made some comments letting him know that we didn’t wait around for him. He said he was out doing errands with his wife and tried to make it. He said he didn’t want to let me go this morning but had to. Apparently his wife was waiting in the car out in the parking lot.
I got 3 stitches (first time for that) and a shot in the thigh of pitocin. On the 3rd try they got my IV in (AFTER babe was born) and I got more pitocin. I didn’t lose a lot of blood but my risk for hemorrhage was high so I agreed. I still couldn’t believe I had made it through to the other side, and so quickly!
Baby boy latched right away and did great with nursing, then weighed in at 8lbs 7.8 ounces; our biggest baby second to Ruth who was 8lbs 9 oz. Aunt Mel was the first to visit and hold him.
We named Fulton Ambrose Costello the next day after all 6 of his siblings came to visit and we all together agreed on a name. They were all smitten with him. He is perfect and doing well. All 7 of our kids have been born on their own day of the week, without any on the same day, which I think is so cool! (Gabriel-Thursday, Lucy-Tuesday, Amelia-Monday, Ruth-Friday, Kateri-Wednesday, Mary- Saturday, Fulton-Sunday) We left the hospital at 24 hours and headed home on still terrible roads and in very cold air. We are so lucky and blessed to have our baby boy! And I am SO GLAD I am through labor and delivery!
Fulton- after Venerable Bishop Fulton J Sheen. Long time radio and television personality, author and priest.
Ambrose- After Saint Ambrose of Milan. Doctor of the Church. Patron saint of beekeepers and Jeremiah and I are both graduates of St. Ambrose University.