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1/2 birth story (little bit of rambling but i wanted to remember every thing so i wrote it all!!)

my baby girl was born at 37 weeks(due 1/22). late in the evening on January 1 my husband, nick and I went over to play cornhole (beanbag game that weirdo southerners play)with our friend. after sitting around and hanging out the two of them convinced me to play one game which i had initially refused to do. as I was playing I felt a wetness between my legs and I went to the bathroom to check to see if I had accidentally peed but a clear fluid was coming out. I went outside and told them that I think my water just broke. we went home and I woke up my mother-in-law and told her what was going on. I took a shower, packed up the rest of my stuff for the hospital and we set off. at about 1230am (1/2) we stopped at Walgreens on our way to the hospital so we could get some snacks for Nick and a magazine then when we initially arrived at the hospital I stalled because I was scared they would make me stay in bed so we didn't go in yet we waited in the parking lot. we decided to go to another's nearby Walgreens so that I could get a few more things I needed before delivery and since I wasn't having contractions, I thought that walking around the store would help get things moving along but once we were there I realized I had lost my ID so we went back to the first Walgreens which was about 6 miles away and could not find it then we went back to the hospital and I found it in the parking lot thank goodness. we went back to the store so I could walk around as planned😆 it was quite an adventure so far. I ended up driving myself to the hospital which I had volunteered to do so because Nick had already done so much driving. we went into the emergency room and I explained the situation I was 37 weeks pregnant and I had fluid leaking. I filled out some paperwork then I was brought up to labor and delivery and put in a room where they checked my cervix and hooked me up to monitors for contractions and for baby. The first nurse I dealt with there was rude and pushy and tried to convince/guilt me to accept pitocin to induce contractions because I was only 1 cm dilated. because my water had broken they would not let me leave however I was firm about refusing to accept IV fluid or the pitocin. when I was moved into my own labor room I asked if I could get up and walk and after about 10 minutes the nurse came back and said the doctor approved so Nick and I walked up and down the small hallway in labor and delivery for about four hours. I also asked Nick to play with my nipples which helped move things along! my contractions came slowly but surely and by the time I went back into bed I was about 4 cm. by 6am my mother-in-law had shown up to help out (I had asked her months before to be present on birthday because my family is across the country😢). the nurses (not the salty first nurse) were supportive and wonderful and helped me to realize I needed to breathe better because I kept holding my breath from the pain. Nick encouraged me to breathe and held me tightly as we laid together in the hospital bed. I discussed pain medication options with the doctor and decided to accept narcotic IV meds so that I could rest and relax and allow my cervix to dilate the rest of the way. I hadn't really been dilating any further because I wasn't relaxing. after the pain meds, I floated in and out of it but I felt every contraction. I kept focusing on breathing in and out and breathing to my baby it was about 930 when I came out of the floating feeling I was 7 cm dilated. I kept breathing and trying to stay relaxed but contractions were hurting like a b. I was laughing and joking around with the nurses and with Nick and his mom between contractions and even snapped a few selfies😅 a lot of people that had come in and out of the room had expressed to me how cool it was to see a natural childbirth because most women that came in to this particular hospital got an epidural and the pitocin if recommended. I felt really supported and like I could do anything. the contractions got quicker and closer together and very painful and I kept breathing but I started struggling to not hold my breath. soon I was dilated the rest of the way, my doctor had been at another hospital to do a procedure and was on her way back I felt the urge to push I couldn't stop the feeling that I needed to push so I begged the nurse to let me push and she said just wait a minute the doctor will be here soon. once my doctor had arrived, I told them I didn't want to be on my back so they told me I could lay on my side and they needed me to hold my leg up to my chest and to push very hard. after one round of 3 pushes, I asked if I could try to push on my knees and my doctor was hesitant but let me try it. after 3 pushes on my knees I realized that this was not going to work so I got back on my side Nick whispered into my ear that I can do this and encouraged me with sweet nothings and kisses on the forehead. after pushing for about 25 minutes my daughter was born at 10:32am January 2. they placed her on me for a few minutes and waited for the cord to stop pulsing before Nick cut it. a few minutes later I had to deliver the placenta. the doctor slipped it out and let me take a picture of it! and then I asked if we could take a selfie and we did. I couldn't stop smiling and crying, I couldn't believe my daughter was here! she weighed 4 pounds and 9 ounces. once she was born, the pain was almost immediately gone, I had a small tear so I had to get stitches but it only took a few minutes and the happiness and joy I felt was immensely overwhelming. two days later we were home and now I'm a mom and I love it. we had checked into the hospital around 1am and my daughter was born 9 1/2 hours later and that was the best day ever.