Well I was always reading everyone else’s labor story and now I think I’m ready to share mine.

Halloween I got checked into the hospital to be induced. I checked in at 6pm. Being a FTM, I was completely nervous. I was 41 weeks pregnant. Anyways. We checked in. They gave me dinner. We hung our for a bit. Then they gave me medicine vaginally to thin my cervix. Around 9pm I started to have contractions and I was sitting at 2 centimeters. The contractions kept coming but weren’t bad. 8 am rolled around and the contractions were getting stronger. I got checked and I was at a 5. But something weird kept happening. About every hour for 15 minutes, my babies heart rate would drop REALLY bad. It went from 150-160 to 40 within seconds. This happened 4 times. I’m I tried to get an epidural and couldn’t because my sons heart rate dropped as they were giving it to me. At this point I’m freaking out. The doctor doesn’t know whats going on. Why this is happening. She said the cord could be arounds his neck but she doesnt know. So we wait to see if it happens again. Noon rolls around and if happens again. Baby is moving down the birth canal but his heart rate is dropping and it’s not stopping. I then start getting prepped for an emergency c section. My mind is racing and I’m freaking out. I’m crying. My boyfriend is crying. His mom is crying. We’re all a mess. My boyfriend calls my parents and they head over, along with my siblings.

I’m in the OR room and they start giving me medicine to numb me. Well it doesn’t work. I feel the doctor cutting me. So they give me more medicine. Things are going good. Baby is born. And then my breathing starts slowing down. I’m having a bad side affect to the medicine. They put me in oxygen. My boyfriend and baby get sent to another room to get cleaned l, weighted, etc. and I get rushed to another room. I spent 3 hours in a recovery room before I got to see or hold my baby for the first time.

I got back Into my room and my whole family was there. And I finally got to see my baby.

His cord was too short. He was trying to make his way to the birthing canal and the cord would stretch and he wouldn’t get enough oxygen and was suffocating. My doctor said if I had him vaginally he would have suffocated to death. So glad and thankful my doctor decided to do an emergency c section.

After 17 hours of labor. Many scares. An epidural that failed (that I didn’t plan on having) and an emergency c section (that I also didn’t plan on having, I planned on going all natural). My son was born 11/01/17 (originally due 10/24) at 1:51pm. 8lbs 7oz. 21 inches long.

Labor doesn’t go as planned. Things happen. But that doesn’t you failed. I cried and was so scared to cave and get an epidural. But if you can’t do it, take the epidural. It doesn’t make you less of a mom or a failure. If you get a c section. It’s okay. Recovery isn’t fun. But your baby’s health & safety are all that matters and in the end, it’ll be okay. My labor didn’t go as planned at all. And that’s okay. Cause I got my baby boy safe out of me. And that’s all that matters.

Everyone meet Dylan Joseph White. 💚💙