So for starters, my due date was May 5, but we welcomed our little boy April 19 💙 I was told at 16 (now 22) that I would never be able to conceive so he is truly our miracle.

I experienced fairly severe Gestational diabetes and was on insulin 4x a day along with checking my blood sugars 4x a day following 26 weeks gestation. Due to this, my doctor was set to induce me at 39 weeks, which would’ve been around April 30th.

• April 16th I went in at 6:40pm for my 37 week appointment - our doctor does late nights once a week! I was dilated to a 1-2 (described as 1 with a little wiggle room) after experiencing minor contractions the night prior thanks to nipple stimulation. {I had also been drinking red raspberry leaf tea and eating pineapple to try to avoid being induced.} My doctor swept my membranes in hopes of inducing labor.

• April 17th between 2-3pm I had a decent amount of a gush of fluid. I had been slowly losing fluid throughout the day & being a naive first time mom, was worried that my baby boy may not have enough fluid, so at around 10pm we decided to go to L&D; to check fluid levels. Now, we were under the impression it was a false alarm and we’d be sent home.

10:15PM - we arrive at the hospital

11:30PM - I’m still dilated at a 1-2, but I am indeed ruptured, so we are not leaving without our precious baby boy!

• April 18th

12:00AM - contractions are 2-3 minutes apart

12:30AM - cervix check, no progress

2:30AM - cervix check, no progress

3:15AM - started on low-dose pitocin to regulate contractions and try to dilate my cervix

5:40AM - cervix is at a full on 2cm, 50% effaced

6:30AM - my OB is here - cervix 3cm 60% effaced ; swept again

10:30AM - cervix check, 3.5cm

12:30PM - Cervix check, 4-4.5cm and 70% effaced

5:15PM - My OB checked me, as the every 2 hour cervix checks were showing no progress. This made her believe that baby may be positioned to where the water is being held above him and acting like a suction, not allowing things to progress. She used an amniohook to break my water & the pain got intense, as up to the point I’d still been experiencing contractions 2-3 minutes apart.

5:45PM - I received the epidural. They attempted once where it was placed incorrectly and only worked on my right side for pain. He placed it again and pain control was absolutely PERFECT. (To be fair I have scoliosis)

8:20PM - cervix check, 6.5-7cm and about 70% effaced.

• April 19th

12:00AM - cervix check, 9cm & 90% effaced

2:45AM - complete and began pushing

4:45AM - no progress with delivery. Baby’s head was showing signs of coning and my provider had not expected baby was making any progress. My OB called the on-call surgeon and we were going to have a cesarean.

5:15AM - we went to surgery

5:54AM - BRENTLEY LOU WAS BORN 💙💙💙

My baby boy was born at 37 weeks & 5 days at 7lbs, 7oz and 18 inches long. He had bruising on his head due to pushing and the surgeon reported that his head was correctly in the birth canal, but he had curved his body. He said I could have pushed for 2 days, and there’s no way he would’ve been able to come vaginally. I got to watch my baby being born on a camera screen and he cried right away. It was the most surreal feeling in the world. (My OB was in the OR and took photos for us)

I experienced 36+ hours of labor, 2 epidural attempts, 2 hours of pushing, and a major surgery to get my baby boy. I’m still not healed and yet I don’t mind the pain. He is the most perfect thing in this world and I can’t imagine my life without him, yet 1 week ago I couldn’t hold him in my arms.

^^ My husband getting to hold our Brentley for the first time 💗💗

^^ My first moments with my Brentley, after hours of exhausting work 💗💗

And some photos of him in his first week of life because I am SO IN LOVE.