I've posted my birth story before, but wanted to repost with more detail. I'm now almost 4 months postpartum with this handsome baby boy. But thinking back to the day he was born, I'm still suprised at what me and my little man went through to get him into this world.

At 3:30 am on April 2nd, I woke up with small contractions and got up to pee. I'd been having contractions the past few days so I didn't think anything of it, until I went to wipe myself and saw a ton of bloody mucus on the tissue. I immediately got shaky and scared, but reminded myself it was only my mucus plug. It could be days before things progressed. That is until I got up to walk back to bed and my first real painful contraction sent my curled over to the floor. I hadn't felt them like this before. I woke my husband and told him what happened and he panicked, and without skipping a beat, ran to the bathroom and got in the shower (what lol). "What do I do? And what are you doing??" I had to ask him through the shower curtain. "Call the hospital, let them know we'll be there soon!" He responded. I hadn't even thought about that but called them and they told me to time my contractions, and since they still seemed pretty far apart to take my time getting ready, make sure my bags were well packed and eat a good meal before coming in. So we did this, we took a long time to prepare ourselves, get the car seat base into the car correctly, have breakfast, fix the house up. All along, I'm stopping every 5 minutes to crouch over in pain. Around 6:30 am I called my mom and let her know we were leaving for the hospital (guys, I swear no ambulance could ever have anything on that woman, she almost beat us there).

Upon arrival they checked my cervix and told me I was still only 80% effaced and 2cm dilated. Bummer. But had me walk around the hospital in circles for hours to try to make progress. I was exhausted, and the pain was only increasing. By 11:00 am I was only 4cm dilated so my doctor decided to give me pitocin and break my water to speed up the contractions. Oh buddy, if I thought they hurt before, I had no idea what I was getting into. I could barely stand now, the contractions were 30 seconds apart, as soon as one ended the next began. I cried while my mom and husband held my hands. I finally opted for a small shot of pain reliever which did absolutely nothing but make me feel drunk.

Now, at 4pm, they come and check my progress, only 5cm dilated. Ohmygosh. How frustrating. All along the doctors kept pushing me to get the epidural and finally at 4:30 I gave in.

So. Much. Relief. For the next 2 hours I sat, nearly pain free, watching the contractions register on the screen but feeling almost nothing. But suddenly, I saw what I feared most. My baby reacted, and his heart rate dropped significantly. I began to cry and beg him to stay strong, it wouldn't be much longer. I asked the doctor to check me, I was getting freaked out. It was 7 pm now and she told me I was only 7cm dilated. After laboring this whole time. She told me I could wait and see how I looked in an hour or so or go ahead and opt for a C-section.

"I don't care how you do it. Get my baby out of me." Was my response. So I told my family I loved them and the wheeled me to the operation room. They transferred me to the table and the last thing I remember is the doctor telling me "you won't feel the sharpness of my scalpel, but you'll feel the pressure" and with this, I fainted. Next thing I know, I hear my baby screaming. I was unconscious for the whole thing!

It turns out, his umbilical cord was so short, he physically could not come out of me. I could have laid there all night and never would've progressed further. But that didn't matter anymore. My baby was out at 8:10 pm, April 2nd, and in my arms by 9 pm. He is so healthy and such a happy baby. I would go through it again and again just to have him with me.

Fabio Raul Ortiz, my world, my love, my life.

geritol

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