I had to be at the hospital Sunday, 6/5/16 at 6am to be induced. It took the nurses over an hour to get an IV in my arm. I had to be stuck 4 times until they finally got a good vein. One time the IV liquid leaked out into my skin and caused swelling and a huge bruise, so it was kind of a crappy start to the day.

They started me on pitocin around 8:30 am. I had already started cramping from the medicine they'd given me earlier to soften my cervix, but the pitocin was a whole different game. I knew the contractions would hurt, but I wasn't expecting them to be as bad as they were. It started in my back and tailbone and radiated into my lower belly. I can't describe the pain other than period cramps times a million. They didn't really have much of a break in between either. 

The nurse ended up offering me pain meds through my IV, which helped during my first dose and made me sleep for about an hour, but then the contractions got bad enough that it didn't help. 

By 2pm, I was only 2cm dilated and had stopped progressing. I was in so much pain that I just wanted to tap out and I was shaking uncontrollably. My nurse recommended that I get the epidural because if I could relax, she thought I would dilate more. I was paranoid that it would wear off because that's what I've always heard, but she assured me that it wouldn't.

I got the epidural and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't even feel it go in. I was actually still waiting for the anesthesiologist to stick it in when he was already done. It completely took the pain of the contractions away and I went from a 2 to a 4 within an hour. Also, the cervix checks had been hell before because the nurse was literally sticking her hand in me and it would make the contractions worse, and after the epidural I couldn't feel that either.

So the rest of my labor I just sat there and waited.

Around 10pm I started feeling a LOT of pressure like I had to go poop. It freaked me out because it was painful and the epidural wasn't blocking it. By 11pm I couldn't take it anymore and got the nurses to check me and they said I was ready to push. I started pushing with my boyfriend and stepmom on either side of me, holding my legs. They actually at one point told me to stop pushing so my doctor could get there. I couldn't stop pushing! 

The whole pushing part is kind of a haze because they let the epidural wear off enough that I could feel when I needed to push. It was painful and exhausting and I just let my body take over. I felt like it was never going to end, but I just breathed and let my mind blank out. I felt his head come out and his shoulders and after that the really painful stuff was over. I didn't know at the time but he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice. His heart rate had dropped right as he was coming out so my doctor vacuumed him out. He was okay though and turned pink right after.

They sat him on my chest and I looked over at my boyfriend crying his eyes out in happiness and it was all worth it. Best moment of my life. 

Julian was born at 12:07am, weighing 7lbs14oz and 21 inches long. He has a full head of hair and is the most beautiful thing we could have ever made. We love him so much!