A jump ahead to the end of her pregnancy in this chapter. I wish I could do that in real life. I'm currently 12 weeks with my number three, and wish I didn't have such a long wait ahead of me to get my baby into my arms. Hope you enjoy.
The final weeks of pregnancy had been so uncomfortable making Galina grow more irritable and impatient with each passing day. This winter was harsh and the snow was heavy. Keeping the walkway and steps up to their home clear was a difficult job for a woman in her final trimester of pregnancy. She'd gotten so big that the large coat she had bought to get her through the season no longer zipped up and she was too practical to buy another one this late in the game. She bundled up in layer upon layer to compensate and took the two boys out to play nearly everyday anyway. Galina got in as many steps as she could in a day, hoping to persuade her little guy to come out a little earlier than his set due date, but to no avail.
As punctual as his brothers before him, Vasily was not to be persuaded to vacate his comfortable accommodations any sooner than he had to. Vasily waited until two hours past his due date to begin showing signs that today was going to be the day. Vasily. Galina had been calling him that ever since she had discovered she was expecting a boy, and though early on Dmitri had expressed mild dislike for the name, he had come around. His disappointment in not finally gaining his more desired daughter had caused him to detach even more greatly from this final pregnancy. Galina went through its duration quite alone and when labour finally commenced, she was alone for that too.
The cat, Myshka, seemed to know at once that something exciting was about to happen. She trotted around the apartment after her mistress, who was feeling on too much of an adrenaline high to go back to bed. Galina's early pains were mild. Just mild aching in her back and a squeezing sensation that caused her to stop what she was doing during the contraction, but weren't enough to really distress her. She paced through the house instead, keeping the lights off so as to not wake any of its sleeping occupants. Galina finished packing her hospital bag, made herself a cup of tea, and flicked on the television to pass some more time.
The contractions were about five minutes apart, but irregular, and since they weren't agonizing to her yet, Galina knew that she still had a long way to go. She'd laboured for forty-four hours with Yuri, and at twenty hours Maxim had seemed like a dream. Galina had been hoping this third birth would go much quicker. However, she lay on the couch with the tv playing all night. When the sun began to rise and the house began to come alive, the pains had begun to increase in frequency and time, but Galina still wasn't feeling any urgency to go to the hospital just yet. She prefered to stay home for as long as she could.
She felt the familiar tightening wrap around her core, squeezing and stretching as pain shot up her spine and down her thighs. Galina's hands balled into fists as she clenched her eyelids firmly shut and gritted her teeth to ride the contraction waves out. This one felt longer to her than the previous ones and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead as she waited for the pains to pass.
"Mama? You okay, Mama?" a little voice called out suddenly in the otherwise silent living room. During the heat of her contraction Galina hadn't heard anybody come in.
"Mhmm," Galina managed to get out, nodding her head quickly while keeping her eyes closed. The tightness began to relinquish its hold on her and she let out a deep breath. She opened her eyes to see Maxim standing only a few feet away from her. He was clutching his blankie in one hand and wearing a serious look of concern on his chubby little face.
"Mama's okay, darling," she assured him, forcing herself to smile. She reached her hand back to wipe off her sweaty brow. "I'm just getting ready to have your baby brother. My body's doing what it's supposed to do."
"We're having the baby today?" Yuri called out excitedly, skipping out of his bedroom and over to the couch where his mother currently lay curled up in the fetal position.
"I think so," Galina told him warmly. "Maybe the baby will be here by the time you get home from school."
"I still have to go to school?" Yuri exclaimed.
"Yes," Galina replied with a stern look. Her little boy had begun kindergarten in September and for the most part enjoyed it, though he sometimes got jealous that Maxim still stayed home with their mother all day when he could not.
Suddenly she felt the familiar tightening that warned of another iminent contraction, which was surprising as she'd just finished one. Galina dug her nails into the palms of her hands, as she became irritated by her attentive audience. Both boys had come closer to her side out of interest and concern. Yuri had begun patting his mother's leg comfortingly through her nightgown but the touch was irritating to her when she was in full throttles of another contraction. She clenched her teeth together to bear it and then pulled her leg away when the pains finally began to let up.
"Can you go make yourself and Maxim some breakfast, honey?" Galina asked him, struggling to catch her breath.
"What do I make?" Yuri asked sweetly.
"I don't know," Galina sighed impatiently. "Go find some yogurt and some berries in the fridge, alright?" She shooed them both away from her with her hand and then used it to brace herself up into a sitting position with difficulty.
She knew that things were beginning to quicken. She was starting to feel more frantic than excited. The last few contractions had been increasingly painful and were coming close together, one after another. Galina almost didn't want to stand up in case it prompted another one before she had recovered from the last. However, doing nothing seemed to trigger them just the same. S
She experienced what felt like an electric shock race through her body which made her gasp loudly and then actually slide off of the couch so that she could take this contraction on her knees this time on the floor. Her body bent over the coffee table and she pressed her forehead down against the wood finishing which felt blessidy cool. "Mmmmmmmmm," she whimpered, trying not to make too much noise that would frighten her children in the next room. She tried to press her lips together tightly, but in the effort she accidentally bit down on her tongue which brought tears to her eyes.
As soon as this contraction was through, Galina wasted no more time idying when she knew that she had to get going. "Dmitri!" she called anxiously, waddling into the bedroom hurriedly. Her husband was still lying in bed with the covers over his head. He had slept through all of Galina's quiet labouring in the night and hadn't even risen at the sounds the children were making in the kitchen now.
"Get up!" Galina snapped at him. "The baby is coming!"
"What?" Dmitri opened his eyes and looked up at his wife, who was standing in front of him in her faded nightgown. "Right now?"
"Well not this exact second, but yes, soon," Galina told him. "I need you to go downstairs and get me a taxi. Okay?" Without another word, she turned around and pulled her nightgown up over her head. She walked over to the closet and glanced questioningly in at the options available for her. It was cold outside and it had been snowing hard since yesterday. Galina grabbed a navy blue sweater of Dmitri's and then slipped on her heavy grey skirt. She didn't bother to put a bra on, but had to sit down on the bed to slip on her socks and boots.
Like a jolt, sitting down triggered a sharp twisting contraction that made her cry out. She managed to slip on her final boot before it peaked. She could feel her thighs throbbing, sense the baby pushing lower as her whole body seemed to shift more to the ground.
"You sure you don't want me to go with you this time?" Dmitri offered, as he pulled on a pair of jeans over his boxers. "I will if you want me to…"
"No," Galina gasped, wincing as her entire body contorted in agony and she sprang up to her feet. "I don't want you to. DON'T TOUCH ME!" she cried, tears sliding down her cheeks as she leapt away from the arm that had attempted to wrap around her back. She needed space. She couldn't breathe in here and she couldn't go anywhere until this contraction stopped and no end seemed it sight. Until it finally eased up, after nearly two minutes.
"I'll get the taxi for you," Dmitri said, once Galina had stopped moaning and was standing in the center of the room trying to calm her breathing. "Don't try to walk outside yourself until I get back. The steps might be slippery." He hurried out of the room and out of the apartment.
Galina rested her hands on her lower back which was throbbing. She walked slowly out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where her boys were eating the yogurt and berries she had suggested to them. They looked worried.
"It hurts to have a baby," Galina told them honestly, concentrating on her breaths so she wouldn't panic. "But nothing is wrong. You don't have to be scared. I'm going to go have the baby and tonight after supper you guys can come meet him, alright?"
They nodded their heads at her, looking only slightly more at ease. "Papa is going to stay with you," she told them, kissing them both ever so briefly on the head. She could feel the warnings of another contraction spewing within her, so she hurried away from them and towards the door. Grabbing her coat she slipped her arms into it and then picked up her purse and the suitcase she had packed in the middle of the night. Although Dmitri had told her not to, she opened the door and stepped out onto the snow covered landing. The world was still quiet right now. Most people hadn't left for work yet. Galina's bare hands gripped around the medal rails, currently unaware of the freezing burn as she moaned through another contraction. She hadn't wanted her sons to listen if she had another one inside the apartment. They were getting worse and she couldn't stay quiet through them.
"Taxi is waiting," Dmitri called, jogging up the steps with his hand held out for her. Galina accepted it this time, leaning on him as he assisted her down the unshoveled stairs.
"Call your mother and ask her to meet me, will you?" Galina panted.
"I will," Dmitri nodded. "I wish I could go with you but I guess someone needs to take care of the kids."
"You wouldn't be much use to me anyway," Galina replied. Dmitri had been present in the hospital for Yuri's birth, but had spent nearly the entire time breathing into a paper bag out in the hallway while she pushed with the assistance of her medical team. For their next son's birth, Galina's mother-in-law had gone with her for support which was supposed to be the plan again this time-if she made it. Galina was realizing now that she had probably put off calling her a little too long. Her mother-in-law's prone to panicking had unnerved Galina during her last labour and she had wanted to endure it without interference this final time for as long as possible.
Dmitri opened the door and helped settle her inside with her suitcase at her feet. The driver didn't speak a word to her, although he watched her carefully in the rearview mirror as Dmitri lightly kissed her forehead and then shut the door. He needed to get back upstairs to be with Yuri and Maxim. It was a short ride to the hospital anyway, just a few minutes around the corner during which the cab had slid out on the slushy roads nearly twice. Galina sat through two excruciating contractions before they reached the hospital Emergency room doors and she realized in desperation that she had forgotten to call and tell them she was on her way. With nobody coming out to meet her and the driver not offering to move, Galina opened the door and climbed out of the cab alone.
Dmitri had already paid the man, so she didn't say a word as she slammed the door of his car closed and then staggered through the parking lot slush in her boots and open coat that was impossible to zip up. The waiting room was thankfully nearly empty at this time, Galina rummaged through her purse for her identification and hospital registration papers that she had already filled out.
"Okay, so why are you here?" the nurse asked boredly, not looking up at her.
"A baby is about to fall from between my legs if I don't sit down soon," Galina snapped, tucking a strand of damp red hair behind her ear.
"Do you need a wheelchair or are you okay to walk?" the nurse asked.
"I'll walk," Galina replied. "Can I go up now?"
"Go ahead," the nurse nodded. "I'll call and tell them that you're on your way."
It had probably been a mistake not to accept the wheelchair at this stage of the game, Galina reckoned. However, her eagerness to get away from the nurse had caused her to stubbornly refuse any offer of help. She had no idea how far dilated she was but just knew from experience that she was getting near the end. The baby had now descended so much that she felt like she was walking with him between her legs. Galina pushed the button for the elevator and then leaned her back up against the wall in relief as she waited. She suddenly felt quite alone and though she knew she was capable of handling this herself, as she had been forced to before, she began to sincerely hope that her mother-in-law would get there in time. She was beginning to regret waiting until the last minute to call her and knew it unlikely that her mother-in-law would spring out of bed and rush immediately out the door just for her.
When she reached the maternity ward they were waiting for her and she was promptly led to a room and given a hospital gown to change into. She stripped her old clothes off and slipped on the hospital gown, just before the doctor entered the room to check her dilation. No stranger to the game, Galina crawled onto the bed and clenched her teeth together so she wouldn't cry out as she was made to lie on her back, the most agonizing position for any labouring woman to possibly be in.
Eight centimeters dilated. The doctor wanted to break her waters and she agreed. She brought her fist to her mouth to bite down on. The process wasn't painful but felt strange and she'd never liked it. The immediate contraction to follow was the hardest yet, with no waters anymore to kind of cushion the blows. Galina felt like she was being ripped in half, at least she knew the pain was of the productive kind and soon she would be finished.
They tried to get her to stay lying down, but Galina ignored all their words as she climbed off the bed and bent over to relieve the pressure on her back. Rocking with the pain, she grunted and groaned while closing her eyes to block out the other people and movement in the room. She took no comfort from anyone's presence. This was something she had to get through on her own.
She was nearly there. Entirely in the zone and so focused on what she needed to do, she alternated between completely silent, wild eyed, moments of waiting and then the loud groans that rocked her body and were taking her the rest of the way. Her baby was so close. She concentrated on that image, concocted in her mind. Pictured Yuri and Maxim at home who she had endured this pain for also, and had always decided immediately after their births that it was worth it. The sight of her babies sweet faces had always been enough to make her forget the agony of bringing them into the world, and it would be the same again this time. She was strong enough to get through this, she was nearly there now. Even though she felt like giving up there was nowhere to run to. She had to keep going forward, and it was a relief to finally crawl up on the bed and demand they examine her. She needed to push. It was time to push.
The doctor returned and checked her, confirming what she'd already known. The nurses put her legs in the stirrups and Galina used her hands and arms to brace herself as she bared down with everything she had. She worked as hard as she possibly could, sinking back into the pillow when it was time for a brief rest. She wiped her sweaty face off with her hand as best she could because no towel was available and then was ready to push again. The room was loud with praise, but Galina felt like it was all coming from the back of a deep tunnel and was almost entirely indifferent to it.
Galina took a huge deep breath and brought her chin down to her chest as she gave one final push, her strongest yet. Although she could feel her body exhausting she kept pushing, persevering because she could tell that it was working and would probably be it if she just kept going. She didn't stop until she heard the beautiful newborn cries as her son was born. With that, Galina sank back in the bed and held her arms out eagerly. The baby was placed into them at once and his mother immediately brought him up to her chest with experienced ease. It was the most natural of things, and Galina felt at once like she had known him her entire life.
"Hello, Vasily," Galina whispered to the baby softly. His dark brown eyes were peering up at her curiously and he had stopped crying as soon as he was handed to his mother. He knew who he belonged to.
The medical staff in the room were just minor irritations at the moment. The doctor delivered the placenta and the nurses cleaned her up while Galina stared back into her son's eyes and ignored everyone else. Vasily began thrusting his tongue out of his mouth, moving his head to the side as he searched instinctively for his mother's breast. Galina reached behind her neck to untie the top of her gown and pulled it down one shoulder. With graceful hands she guided her baby to latch for the first time.
Vasily nursed, his eyes still fixated on her face like he was memorizing her. He'd gotten to know her over the past nine months, and now he knew what his mother looked like. Galina stroked the baby's cheek and smiled back down at him. It was the sort of moment one remembers forever.
"Mrs. Reznikov, is there anybody you would like us to call for you?" a nurse asked, gently placing her hand on Galina's arm to get her attention.
"Hmm?" Galina blinked, her eyes still focused on Vasily.
"Is there anyone we should call?" the nurse repeated.
"Oh..yes," Galina said softly. "Would you call my husband? Tell him the baby is here and we're both well. He can come see him later with our other boys tonight."
"Do you want to tell him yourself?" the nurse replied. "I can bring you a phone in here."
"No, not right now," Galina replied. She didn't want anything to interrupt this moment. She didn't want to share Vasily with anyone else right now. He was perfectly content, cradled in her arms while he nursed and that was all he needed. This evening would be soon enough.
"Oh, will you tell him to let his mother know she doesn't have to bother coming?" Galina asked, suddenly remembering. "She was supposed to be here for the birth but she didn't make it."
"Alright," the nurse replied. "I'll let your husband know." She left the room to make the call at the nurse's station, while Galina resumed stroking Vasily's cheek gently. She brought her hand up to caress his head and down the length of his back, which was hidden under a blanket someone had covered them with.
She leaned over to kiss his little head. He had quite a lot of hair, black wispy locks which surprised her. Yuri and Maxim had both been born nearly bald, and when it had grown in it had been fair strawberry blonde. Vasily was much darker. He looked like his father.
"I love you so much," Galina whispered, running a gentle finger over the place where his eyebrows would be. "I will never leave you. I'm your mama."