I went into labor first thing in the morning on my due date. Contractions started 20 min apart, an hour later, 10-15 min apart, another hour later, 2-5 min apart and stayed that way all day. I stayed at home to feel things out before deciding to go get checked. I wanted to make sure this was it. Contractions stayed consistent so around 2pm I called my ob office and described everything and they told me to go get checked at triage. I called my husband who came straight home and when we got there, I was at 2cm 80% effaced We waited to see if I would progress before they admitted me and an hour later, I went to 3cm 80% effaced. They started getting things ready to bring me upstairs so my husband went home to drop the dogs off at the sitter and get my mom. By the time I was upstairs, I was at 4cm 90% effaced. Contractions started getting more painful so I requested the epidural and got that around 7pm. Best decision ever!!! I went to 6cm and stayed there for awhile. I wasn't progressing after a couple hours, so they decided to break my water right then. A couple times throughout the night, his heart rate dropped due to my position and contractions and I had to be flipped on all fours and put on oxygen to get his rate back up. I could still feel a little of the contractions but they were just a little uncomfortable. I'm so glad I couldn't feel then full on. I labored all night until around 5am when I fully dialated finally. They were going to put me on pitocin if I didn't progress on my own but thankfully I did. At about 6am, I felt so much pressure it was painful. I knew it was close to pushing and his head was right there. The nurse called the doc in and said I was ready to push and she ok'd it and after a couple practice pushes, we started the pushing process. His heart rate dropped again while I was pushing and we tried to flip me over again and put back on oxygen but this time it didn't improve. Minutes went by through all this and the doc wasn't having it anymore and called like 10 other nurses in and then I started to get really scared for my baby. She said she'd have to use a vacuum and if that didn't work, forceps and then c section as last resort. They told me to push as hard as I could and I did. She had to cut me to fit his head through. That felt so weird. Thank God I was mostly numb. The vacuum worked thank God and I felt his head come through, then she told me to stop for a moment due to the cord being right under his neck but loosely thank God again. After she fixed it, I pushed one more time and then his body slipped out right after. He cried immediately and I laid eyes on him for the first time. I bawled tears of joy and they placed him on me and I just kept crying as I held him. My husband cried as he cut the umbilical cord. I was so thankful to God for getting him out safely. Had a few scary moments there but he came out perfectly healthy. He just has a boo boo on his head from the heart rate monitor they put on it since I was having complications. What an experience!! I'll never forget it. My baby boy is perfect and my little miracle. My rainbow baby. Born June 24th at 6:35am, 8 pounds 5 oz 20 inches long of pure perfection💙👶🏻 I love him SO MUCH!!! I can't image my life w/out him.