Woke up at 3am with cramps. I figured I just hadn't gone to the bathroom in awhile. Then the pain moved to my back ( nothing crazy I just knew this was one of the signs) called the nurse and she told me to come on in. I got to the hospital, and they checked to see how dilated I was. I was a 3 and at 80%.(this info wasn't knew, I heard this at my Dr's appt a couple days before) they told me to walk around for an hour and then they would recheck. My husband and I did so. I was tracking the contractions. 4,5,6 mins apart. They checked me again, nothing changed. They call my ob and she told them to go ahead and break my water.( I was getting induced Monday so it was close enough and happening on its own) they broke my water ( feels like a pap sounds worse than what it is) my contractions were getting worse but not as bad as I thought they would be ( first child) they would came really hard (they are no joke) but only lasted a 1min ( longest min ever) but was fine in between, felt normal. I kept holding off on the epidural due to it not being that bad. When they came it was but they only lasted a min. Finally the nurse told me that I should get it while I could still sit still. Even that wasn't as bad as I was told. You feel pressure that's it. With the contractions you've had this feels like nothing. After that you feel nothing just sit and wait. They kept checking me and it wasn't getting anywhere fast. Finally my ob got to the hospital and told me that I was at a 7 and I believe 90%. ( this was at 10pm something) told me if I feel like I need to poop to call her in, it's time. No joke she left the room and I felt like I needed to fart ( unsure if this was what she was talking about) so I waited the 30mins she told me that she would come back and check on me. Sure enough it was go time. The poop feeling is on/ off feeling. When it's on that's when you push. Pushing sucks. Again it's not as bad as I thought it would be but to me it felt like the Dr was holding open my vagina. I was really pushing as hard as I could. The more push the faster it goes. Pushed for 20 mins and my baby girl was ready to meet the world. After that the recovery is up to how your body is. Somethings went back to normal others took some time.