We’ve been home one week and I thought I’d share my story. At 38w2d I took a day trip to my alma mater for an alumni celebrated basketball game. The two hour drive went fine, but I did feel a little crampy. However, with all the pelvic pain I’d been feeling for a few weeks, I left it at that.

Fast forward to 9pm. I’ve been home for about 2 hours and am laying in bed when I feel and hear a *pop*. Naturally I look around confused as to what it was. As soon as I sit up, I know that my water broke. I run to the bathroom to pee and clean up, at which point I lose my mucus plug. I realize things are happening and kind of fast, so I jump in the shower to calm my nerves.

I contacted the doctor on call who indicated it sounds very much like my water broke and to come to the hospital now. I had to explain that my SO wasn’t home and I had to wait before we headed in. I then call my SO, who doesn’t answer (he’s at a Friendsgiving an hour away) and I text him to please call me and come home. He gets home around 10:30 and we make our way to the hospital.

I check in at 11:30, get checked and am at 3cm, but after the check there’s tons of blood (from what they believed was my low lying placenta) and I was admitted. I labored in the tub for about 2 hours before I asked for an epidural. I had been awake since 5am the morning before and thought the epidural would give me a little rest.

I got the epidural, which initially only took to one side, but started working by about 4:30am. I was checked and was a 5. The nurse decided to “spin the baby,” essentially stretching some of my ligaments allowing for the baby to deliver. Within an hour I went to 8cm! At this time the epidural also stopped working so they had to administer additional medications. At just after 10am I said I think I need to push, the doctor came in and checked me, I was 10cm and said to do a practice push. I did one push at which point everyone told me to stop so the doctor could suit up. Once she was ready, I pushed for 17 minutes and my little Holden Paul was born at 10:23am, weighing 6lbs 15oz and was 19 3/4inches long.

He is a dream and I am so in love!