On August 1st, I received a phone call from my OB. I had been in the day before for blood work because my palms and the soles of my feet randomly started itching the day prior. turns out, I had Choleostasis, and the best treatment, considering I was technically full-term, was to deliver early. So, they gave me about 15 hours notice, and my husband and I had to rush to get ready to be induced at 6am on August 2nd. We got to the hospital just before 6am, and they got me all set up, then placed Cervadil at 8:20am, as I wasn't dialated or effaced AT ALL. I then got to walk around and have a snack before they checked me at 12:20pm. I was then at a 1cm and 80% effaced, so they placed the Foley Bulb and started Pitocin. The Foley Bulb caused me SO MUCH pain. It felt like continuous, violent cramping until it stretched me to 3cm after about 45 minutes and fell out. From there, labor basically stopped because my contractions needed to catch up with the manual dilation of my cervix. I was at a 4cm at 6:00pm, and one very high level of pitocin, so I then got an epidural, which saved my life! I was able to relax and nap a bit, and then I was at 5cm around midnight when they broke my water. my LO was sunny side up, so they had me switching positions every 30 minutes from midnight to 8am. She was able to flip back around 5am. And that was when I finally hit 8cm. I then got the violent shakes, and basically shook all the way through until after she was delivered. They checked me again at 7:45am and I was at 9.5cm. They went and did rounds and I felt the urge to push REALLY bad until they came back at 9am and said it was go time! I officially started pushing at 9:10am. I found what my doctor called "the sweet spot" and she was crowing within 5 minutes! Then they had me stop so they could suit up and get everyone in the room (including a NICU team since she was 3 weeks early). Then, they took the bed apart and had me do small pushes, and her head was out in less than a minute. From there, my body took over and her

shoulders came out with no intentional pushing. She was born at 9:39am on August 3rd. I had one small first degree tear and a single stitch. She is perfect and is the light of our lives. Madelyn Grace, 7lbs 10oz, 20.5 inches. Mommy and Daddy couldn't love her more. 💜