Ok :) so my birthing story for my second child is much less interesting than my first. With my first child, I was in labor for 26 hours and I pushed for two hours. I ended up with an episodemy that required twelve stitches. My second went much easier. At my last appointment before having my daughter I was 37 weeks and 3 days. They told me my blood pressure was getting to the point that it was making them nervous and they wanted me to come in twice a week to be monitored. I had been to the ER twice previous to this discussion for observation and had completed a 24 hour urine to find out I didn't have preeclampsia but my levels were elevated. On July 8th I woke up, miserable, and having pretty bad back pains. We had a pretty busy day ahead of us, so I shrugged it off and went on. I wasn't technically due until July 24th but I had been measuring ahead. I just didn't think it was going to be any time soon. Fast forward through cleaning the house, grocery shopping and taking my oldest swimming it was time for us to go to a cook out at our friend's house. I felt absolutely miserable the whole time and started having contractions while we were there. However I thought they were once again Braxton hicks and nothing would come of them. They stopped after they had gotten 3-4 minute apart for about two hours. When it came time to leave, they started again but this time they were different. I told my husband to drive to my in laws just In case this was it.

At 11pm the contractions still hadn't stopped and I called my doctor. However, before he could call back we made the decision to go to the hospital because my contractions were more intense. Our oldest stayed with my in laws and we drove the hour drive to the hospital. I was in severe pain when I arrived. A very panicked RN rushed me to labor and delivery, and they started observation. I had dilated to a 3 and thinned out. However my blood pressure became the main concern. It was 219/110 and I have never had a history of high blood pressure except during his pregnancy. Needless to say I was admitted and scheduled to be induced in be morning.

It was about 3 am when we were admitted and by the time we had signed all the paperwork, showered, and got ready for bed it was 6am. My husband and I were delirious and I couldn't quit laughing which made the monitor do crazy things and frustrated the nurses. I started pitocin at 8am and our whole family was at the hospital by 10am.

The nurse over my care was phenomenal and kept coming to check on me. She cut the pitocin up every 30 minutes or so, and I asking if my water would break or if they would break it. She kept thinking it wouldn't break on its own and that I would have a long labor. Not more than an hour later at 11am, my water broke while I was of course laughing from my delirium at a joke that wasn't that terribly funny. At that point I was dilated to a six and she cut up the pitocin again. I really wanted a natural birth, but not an hour after my water had broken, pain was waking me up from my cat naps. I got the epidural when I was dilated to a seven, but it didn't take on my right side. I could feel a large part of my labor.

However, at 4:30 something felt different in my pubic area. It felt like it was ripping apart and that I needed to push. I called the nurse and she didn't believe that I was ready to push yet. She checked me and said, ok we are going to do a test push on this next contractions! When the contraction hit, she told me to stop pushing and hit the call button. In moments five people were in my room getting the bed ready and the doctor came in. After that it was game time. I pushed three more times, and my beautiful baby girl was born at 4:45. She was 6lbs and 13 oz and 19.5 inc long. They told me that she was about 36 weeks gestation based on her appearance. I'm so blessed that her lungs were healthy and that she didn't require any time in the NICU. She has been such a blessing to our lives, and I'm so thankful for my experience!