My water broke at 8:00 a

My water broke at 8:00 a.m on a Sunday and, after a very slow progression of labor, my midwives suggested I drink their signature castor oil shake to get things going. While it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, it's magic was effective and terrible at the same time. Shortly after chugging it down I was exploding from both ends and having stronger contractions. After I had been "cleansed" the contractions continued to progress and I officially entered into active labor around midnight. I labored at home until it was time to go to the birth center. We arrived at around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday and I got into the tub as soon as I could. The water made me feel amazing and my husband's labor playlist helped me get in a zone. His voice made me feel loved and my doulas neck massages helped me to feel grounded. I had no concept of time as I took on each contraction head first. My little one was "sunny side up" and the back labor was intense, but I worked through it with deep breaths and low grunts (and an occasional growl). At 8:00 a.m. it was time to push. I ended up pushing for about 8 hours, in every position I could imagine. After trying to push in the bath, in the bed, in the shower, on the ball... the labor pains in my back grew to be too intense - at one point it felt like I was being stabbed by four knives in for different spots on my lower back - and my body was too exhausted. One more exam told me that my body had made no progress and that we still had a while to go, so I waved the white towel and accepted the suggestion that we transfer to a hospital to get assistance from an epidural. The relief couldn't come soon enough and I was thankful for the opportunity to get some rest before it was time was more pushing. At 7:30 p.m. I pushed and pushed again and again. This time I just felt pressure, as the pains in my back were absent due to the support from the epidural. Another assessment confirmed that we were still stuck at 9 centimeters and that, for some reason, my sweet boy wouldn't budge. While his mommy was going through quite a bit, he remained happy the whole day and his heartbeat never showed distress. After many consultations, much discussion, and some tears, we decided that a cesarean was the best option for us. We tried everything else and we're beyond ready to meet our son. The process began late into the night and at 12:02 a.m. on Tuesday, March 21, 2017, Easton came into the world with a strong scream. That sound was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. Turns out, his umbilical cord length was short and, each time I pushed, it pulled him back up. I wonder if Easton will be into extreme adventures when he gets older. I mean, he was practically bungee jumping in the womb! I'm so incredibly proud of my birth story. Some moments flew by, while others felt like they had lasted forever. Some moments made me feel strong and empowered, while others made me feel weak and out of control. Some moments were planned and exactly how I wanted them to be, while others were anything but. I had a natural labor in a birth center, a medicated labor in the hospital, and an assisted delivery in the OR. I am a warrior momma and I can't wait to start planning for a VBAC for baby number two! Of course, I'll give it a couple of years.