My Labor Story

Everyone's story is different, unique, and perfect in their own way. Here's my story!

Summary: I was going to get induced on my due date, the morning of 5/15, but I got contractions the night before on 5/14. Finally, a healthy baby born Thursday night!

God's timing has been on point with this whole pregnancy ;) 

-We conceived Colette on our first try

-I didn't need to get induced

God answers prayers:

-painless as possible labor [minus the pushing for me]

‎Induce?

My due date was 5/15. I started dilating early and quickly before that. My OB thought I was going to go early, maybe 5/10 or 5/11. I was progressing for 2 weeks. Then a week before my due date, I slowed down around 5/8. ‎He now thinks the baby will be born 5/12-5/15. My OB is going on vacation 5/16 so he gave me the option to induce the night of 5/14. I trust, feel comfortable, and wanted him to deliver me very much so I was thinking of getting induced VS having a stranger deliver me. That's just how I felt.  

I met with my OB on 5/13 to discuss everything. ‎I was at low risk for c section and complications with inducing. I would be 40 weeks which is not dangerous to induce. I was 3cm dilated. He said I would 99.9% give birth by the weekend anyways. I did feel my ob's confidence and trusted his words. My husband and I felt good about my decision to go in to get induced the morning of my due date, 5/15. 

I was alllllll ready and finished every single thing around 10pm on 5/14, the night before I would go to the hospital to get induced. And naturally, I started contractions. Yes - without pitocin which is wonderful!

Contractions

I started having mini contractions around 8pm or so on 5/14. My stomach, my thighs, and once in a while my lower back would get extra tight (tighter than Braxton Hicks contractions) and I would feel "electricity-like" feelings in those areas sporadically for a short period of time (maybe 20 seconds or so??).

I started getting contractions maybe around 10:30pm. I wasn't sure if they were real contractions or not because they were very mild in the beginning and not for too long. I didn't think I was having actual contractions.

About 30 minutes or so after, they became more frequent and my husband started to time them with this awesome app on his phone. It's so useful and easy! It records how long the contraction is and how far apart - all for you with an average. The contractions started lasting for 20 seconds.

I really wanted a restful night so I wouldn't be exhausted to push. I was able to sleep a little! As I laid for bed is around when the contractions ‎really began.

Around midnight, I was averaging very mild contractions for an average of 50 seconds long every 7 minutes. So that means I would have cramp like contractions lasting about 50 seconds and then a break for about 7 minutes. The contractions don't feel like electricity or have strong feelings of tightness, but just feels more like cramps now. And with time, the contractions slowly got stronger from very mild to mild - so just up a notch. Still do able!‎ But I felt a little increase in the cramp-like pain.

Well at least now I don't think I'll need to get pitocin and induce!!! Yaaaaay! Pitocin was something my husband and I wanted to avoid.

Now my contractions are 1 minute long and consistent at every 6/7 minutes. I'm sleeping in between contractions. I loose track of how often my 1 minute contractions occur from 1am-‎3am.

Around 3:30am, contractions stretched out to 60-90 seconds each. And about 6-7 mins apart.

Around 5am, the contractions started to feel painful. Do able, but painful. About 90 seconds long every 6/7 mins. Still sleeping in between, but less now. 

‎I slept until 730am and then got ready.‎ Since I was up and about, contractions sped up like crazy! When I left for the hospital, I was contracting 60-90 seconds every 3 minutes. It started to get painful, but I was still ok hanging in there! I think my contractions were not as strong in general; not necessarily because I have a huge high pain threshold.

Hospital

I get to the hospital around 9:30am on Thursday, 5/15 and I was 6cm (an above average amount). Pain was still ok, but I wanted to get the epidural at 7cm. I got the epidural at 7cm around 10:30am or so. I was chillin'. No pain. I did have feeling in my legs and could move them which is what I wanted. Just want to say that I love the catheter, lol. I wished for that all throughout my pregnancy, lol. 

So the baby went to 9cm quickly. I was 9cm at 1:30pm. You push at 10cm. Then she stalled for oh so long. They broke my water around 5:30pm. It didn't hurt at all. I'm getting bored at this point. And VERY hungry, lol. Sick of being in bed all day. After they broke my water, the pressure increased a lot which is what you want. This means the baby is going down lower and getting ready to come out. It is getting close to push. The pain is low because I have the epidural. So high pressure and low pain, but doing ok. And anxious to meet the baby. :]

The baby was at 9cm for so long that if something didn't happen, an intervention and pitocin would have happened.They check me and around 7pmish+, I am finally at 10cm!! At 7:40pm, I start to push. Pushing out a baby for me was insane. I will spare you details. Baby was born on Thursday, 5/15 at 8:09 pm!! Healthy and happy family!

The love, amazement, ETC. is indescribable!!! And it only grows. <3