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I was two days past my due date when I went into work feeling like today is the day. At around 2pm that afternoon, my mucus plug popped. I put on a pad and walked around my job, barely able to sit because I finally started getting contractions every 45 minutes. (I never got Braxton hicks so this was all a new feeling for me). I clocked out at 5pm, walked to the train, and walked home. Contractions were getting more intense, and I was barely able to sit still. I ate linguine and shrimp, took a relaxing bath, and tried to sleep. Except contractions were getting down to 20 mins apart. By 1am, I started feeling sick. My body removed the pasta I ate for dinner from. I was on the couch until 3am, as contractions were worse. I called my doctor who’s shift ended in 2 hours (5am). He said to try and get down to the hospital when contraction were 7 minutes apart. So I did, and by that point, I was at the hospital by 5am. They kept me in triage because I was only 1 cm dilated. ONE? Now, in triage, I was on the floor on the bathroom, removing ALL waste from my body, from both ends. I could barely sit or stand. I was so thirsty but could barely keep water down. By 7am, they checked again and I was only 2 cm dilated. TWO!! How the hell was I going to get through with this? I was having back labor the entire time and it was worse than any hangover I’ve ever experienced.
They got me into a labor room by 8am. By this point, I could barely see straight. My vision was blurry and I was naturally getting into fetal position. I could barely speak! The entire time, I did not want to get the epidural, but when they offered, I said "SIGN ME UP." The back labor was beyond control. I couldn’t focus on my breathing. It was just too intense.
I got the epidural by 8:30am, and it calmed me down, my body shut down, and I fell right asleep. I woke up at 9:30 feeling wet. My water broke, so they changed my pad. I fell back to sleep. By 10:30am, they came back into check because was wet again, it was my bloody show this time. By this point, the epidural was wearing off and I started to feel subtle contractions and pressure in my pelvic region. But for the last time, I fell asleep again but this time feeling more uncomfortable. The nurse never came to check in on me at 11:30, and it was closer to 12 when they came back, but with my mom and aunt who came to surprise visit! The nurse came back in, and asked how I was feeling. I said that this pressure down there is getting heavy and I’m feeling the contractions pretty bad. The nurse checked, and I was fully dilated! NO ONE thought it would happen this fast. The room wasn’t even ready for the birth! The nurse nervously called the doctor - who was by this time was someone I’ve never met. As the doctor came in, my mom and aunt were leaving the room, but the doctor encouraged them to stay with my permission. At that point I didn't care who was there, just get this baby outta me!
They propped my up in a seated squat position, told me to take a deep breath, and push. I did, and the head started to show. I pushed again on the next contraction and the baby’s head popped, they made me push for a 3rd time, and the baby came out. We are now at 12:31pm. I got to hold my son instantly with the umbilical cord still attached. My husband eventually cut the cord, and our son went with the nurses to get his routine checks. I had a minor tear, so they stitched and removed my placenta. I even took the placenta home and planted it in the soil of a new tree that we planted for our son.
Our son is now turning 5 this year, and I will never forget the beautiful experience I went through. It may not have gone as natural as in my “plan” was laid out, but having gone for the epidural actually relaxed my body to take over and get the baby out without sweat.
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