So i was 19 when i had my first son (young i know, but i wouldnt trade it for the world) and i went into labor exactly 1 week late. It was december 5th 2012 and i had an appointment scheduled for that day around noon my fiance had to work and so he dropped me off at my moms house so that she could drive me to my appointment. I had been in pain since three am but it wasnt terrible pain, but when i got to my moms house she had me call the doctor to see if i should come in early and they told me no it dosent sound like ur having contractions just come in at your normal time. So i did....and that was the fastest appointment ever they sent me right over to the hospital (which was right across the street) i was only 3 centimeters dilated they induced me. I thought i was going to be strong and not get an.epidural to proove a point to my sister and almost he whole day had passed and i was still only at 4 centimeters so my sister came in and she said u have to get it ur in way too much pain so i went ahead and got the epidural which i was terrified about because the idea of a needle going into my back scared the hell out of me but honestly i didnt even feel it and then like maybe an hour later i felt pain again but it waa different this time, i felt the need to push they came and checked and the nurse who checked me told the dr i was full which i heard as 4 so i thought i was still 4 cm dilated and i was like uuggghhh. But then shes like ok ya ready to push? And i was like woah what. Lol. So anyways she has my partner holding one leg up while she holds the other and im.pushing...she told me.only push during a contraction for now and at some point when it reallly started to hurt i said can i push and she says are you having a contraction and i said no so she said no...i started lying just so i could push, shame on me. Then i heard my partner say "oh gross, youre pooping u realize that right" and im like what no...and i started apologizing to everyone. Its one of those things you really cant control youre pushing, it happens its natural nothing to embarassed over. I was going thru ice chips like crazy btw...so from that point on i.honestly dont remember a whole lot cuz i kept.passing out in.between pushes...but at some point the room filled with people i kind of remember in the dr and then a person behind the dr yelling "COME ON CRYSTAL YOU CAN DO THIS!!!PUSH!!!" then i remember two nurses arguing over wether or not there was mec and they ended up having the neonatal team there to clean out my babys mouth and nose before they let him cry cuz apparently his first bowel movement was in my belly gross. Lol. Anyways like i saod i kept passing out and i was so tired of pushing and my throat hurt so bad from screaming but the drs and my partner said hes right there crystal hes crowning just one more push for us. I didnt believe them. They had been saying how close i was and stuff for so long i did not believe them, i was in pain and so exhausted and so i said "can i....can i feel?" and they said yes, so i put my hand down and i felt my babys head. His head full of hair and he really was right there ready to come out and honestly that gave me just enough strength to give that final push an out he came. They whisked him away to clean out his mouth and nose and when they did he let out a cry and i just started crying my eyes out i was so happy i mean it was the greatest feeling in the world. The drs had me give one more push to push out the placenta which was super easy barely had to push at all, then they stitched me up. And i can honestly tell you that the minute the baby come out its the BIGGEST relief you will ever feel because the pain is just gone. He was born at 9:05 that night 7 pounds 2 ounces 21 inches long.

Shortly after the nurse made me get up to use the restroom when i sat down i couldnt really pee but i wiped to clean myself off down there and i was still numb and when i felt i was like whooooaaahhh what is that...the swelling and stuff i mean it was just huuugge. Tmi i know.

Fast forward to the next day, ive had several drinks since i gave birth and my bladder is ready to explode but i am so.swollen that i cant pee i literally begged for a catheter and when the nurse cathed me the amount of pee she got out of mybladder was insane.....like Riddiculously insane. She said if i didnt pee before it was time to go up to the mother and baby unit that i would have to get a cath put in to stay there for a while...i didnt want that. The nurse later came in with peppermint oil one of her colleagues said it worked to help u pee...so she filled the bathroom with the scent of the peppermint oil and it really freakin worked. Idk how but it did. After that i found to totally empty my bladder that putting my hands on the floor, bending, helped alot. Just a tip for anyone else. I didnt ask for any type of medication after i gave birth i didnt need it all i needed was ice for my swollen lady parts which they had these pads that got filled wih ice it was amazing. And big tip for first time moms, take home lots of the disposable underwear they are amazing for while u recover. Anyways im.preggo with baby number 2 now and super excited. :)