Here is my birth story:

I woke up in labor on Saturday 4/9, two days before his due date.  I labored at home all day.  I hit active labor around 7pm and went to the hospital just after midnight.  When I arrived, I was 7 cm dilated and 100% effaced.  I was happy that I was able to labor at home for so long, and I was expecting to see my baby in a few hours!  Transition was terrible - my water broke at 4:30am when I was 9 cm dilated.  After that, the pain was more than I ever imagined.  I asked for nitrous oxide to get me through transition.

Once I started pushing, I was hopeful that it would feel productive and maybe the pain would let up!  But the pain got much, much worse - even between contractions it was as intense as transition.  In hindsight, we know he was stuck at an angle and couldn't move past my pelvic bone.  At the time, we focused on making pushing more productive.  But my contractions slowed to every 5, then every 8 minutes.  I pushed for almost 6 hours.

Finally, my midwife told me I would need pitocin to increase the frequency and strength of my contractions.  I was weak and shaking uncontrollably.  I agreed to an epidural to help me cope and pitocin to help my body push him out.

But, after another 3 hours, we made no progress. My cervix and his head were starting to swell.  We decided that I needed a C section.

I was so scared and so exhausted and I sobbed uncontrollably.  But I knew a C section was the right decision.

Less than 30 minutes later, Kavi was born crying loudly and very alert.  Hearing his cry in the OR was truly the best moment of my life.  After more than 35 hours of labor, I finally knew my boy would be okay.

It was long, hard and terrible.  But I wouldn't change it.  I am proud that I labored at home until 7 cm.  I am so glad that I tried my best to have a natural birth.  Of course I wish he had turned on his own.  I wish it had hurt less so I could have tried more positions during pushing to help him turn.  But I couldn't control those things.  I have no regrets about what I could control and the decisions that I made.

Ladies, you are STRONG and AMAZING and POWERFUL.  I had the labor I feared and I got through it.  You will get through it too.  Have faith and do your best.  At the end, you get to meet your sweet baby!