I was 39 weeks pregnant exactly. It was 1am and I started getting period like cramps that were coming and going. After about an hour of them coming and going I decided to download and app to time them, still not really believing they were contractions. They were 15 minutes apart, then 10, then 7 and by 4am they were 5 mins apart. They weren't horrendous but I couldn't be lying down, I walked around my apartment and took a shower. I called l&d at 4am and they told me to wait 2 hours or until the contractions were 3 mins apart. At 6 they were coming in at 3mins and getting intense, I called l&D and they told me to come in. At this point I'm nearly in tears with each contraction and we arrived at the hospital at 6:30. Walking to the l&d department I felt a large trickle of water. At this point I'm crying it hurts, I'm tired and the pain is just a little overwhelming. I get shown to a room instantly and they make me lie down so they can check my cervix and monitor the baby. Lying down made the contractions soooo much worse and I was begging for an epidural. They checked my cervix and said it wasn't my water hadn't broken I just peed (they were wrong it was my waters lol) my cervix was already 5cm dilated. Yay! 20 mins later and I was getting the epidural, sitting up to get the needle relieved so much pain from the contractions (if you want to go natural avoid lying down) about 10 minutes later the nurse started screaming for a dr to come in and withi minutes the room filled 5 other people ... Baby's heart rate went down to 50 beats per minute, they started to prep for a c section, 3 minutes later and baby's heart rate went back up and was normal. Looking at the chart the nurse realized it's cuz my contractions were come in way to fast and baby couldn't handle it. She checked my cervix and within the 45 mins since my last check I had gone up to 8 cm. the nurse was going to get me medicine to slow down contractions but she was happy that the epidural had done that. They then hooked a monitor to babies head so the heat rate could be more accurate. An hour or 2 went by and the epidural was pure heaven. I was worried tho because every contraction that came we could hear the babies heart rate drop on the monitor .. Which is normal as long as it rises again after the contraction. They came check me again and I had only gone up to 8 and a half. Another 2 hours pass and they come back to check me and I'm 9 and a half! Yay I was so excited!! The midwife came in and they wanted me to do some practice pushed to see if we could move the other half of the cervix. No luck. They brought me this peanut ball thing to put in between my legs which is sposed to help remove the cervix. I was lying there talking with hubby and I felt a lot of pressure and heard the baby's heart rate dropping, I was counting the seconds and it didn't rise and all of a sudden the nurse comes running in with the Sr., the midwife and 3 other people. They started pulling me from side to side to try and get the baby's heart going again and then they decided a c section was happening! I was terrified. They started undressing me and poking and prodding me I had no idea wha was going on because I went into shock and Minutes later I was in the OR. I was trying hard not to have a panic attack. There was a lady standing behind me and I still have no idea what was happening. I remember the a ethnologist wanted to put me to sleep but I told him I would die. My husband came in and say next to him (I didn't even realize he was there) the midwife had my hand held and was asking me questions about my life to try and subtract me. Then all I remember was feeling an emptying sensation in my stomach. I heard crying and I rush of telecom flew over me! I remember briefly the baby being held up above the curtain. Then after that all I remember was the nurse out some gross pull under my tongue. (They had brought the baby over to my husband and we have pics of that but I don't remember at all) then I remember feeling very warm and falling in and out of sleep and the nurses telling me to stay awake. What felt like an hour later I was in recovery where my. Husband was with our perfect healthy little girl. I was shaking uncontrollably and I couldn't stop. I didn't know what was happening but I felt so spaced out and in panic. Turns out I got post natal pre eclampsia, my heart rate reached 160 and my blood pressure was 170/120. I had no idea! They gave me magnesium which made me really hot and all I could do was just lie there. I had no energy to do anything. I was then put on bed rest for 24 hours with magnesium and was moved to post partum the following day! I'm so glad and grateful that both me and baby, especially baby are healthy and happy but I can't help but cry every time j think of the birth. I know other women have it way worse! 

Emilia grace born August 12 and 12:36pm