Thursday morning I had a membrane sweep at 38 weeks exactly. The next morning I lost my mucus plug (sorry tmi) and was having mild contractions. By 7pm they were strong but irregular. So I brushed it off.

Lay down for the night and still having them but again, irregular. 3am comes around and Penelopy wakes up and I get up to lay her back down and having contractions which I still thought were too irregular to mean anything. I honestly thought theyd eventually go away.

After she goes back to sleep my contractions become really painful but were ranging 8-15 mins apart.

I decided to call Hamilton’s L&D and they told me exactly what I suspected. To wait til 5 mins apart. So I’m just like “okay whatever.” Try to lay back down and they’re so intense I’m in tears but still about 12 mins apart.

Finally I get up to use the bathroom (6:15am or so) and as soon as I stand up and start walking they are coming back to back. (2-6 mins apart)

At that point it was agony.

Call my mom to come house sit and Trent and I leave to the hospital.

We didn’t grab any bags because I was convinced the contractions would stop and I’d be sent home. Boy was I wrong.

Halfway to the hospital I’m crying asking myself why I waited so long.

I made it to admissions and into triage where they were to monitor my contractions and wait for my dr to get there and check me.

But I couldn’t wait. 10 mins later I’m screaming and the nurse comes in and I tell her I felt pressure. She wanted to wait for the dr but I just couldn’t. So she checked me for dilation. Her words were “okay I feel your water bag, you’re ready to go” I didn’t quite fully understand what she meant but as I started screaming for an epidural, for them to put me to sleep, csection, etc she looks at me and says “no we’re not going to have time for any of that”

I lost it y’all. I mean LOST. IT.

at this point contractions were so bad I’m whaling and screaming like a baby.

My dr is waiting in the delivery room for me. She didn’t even have time to put on a gown. She was in street clothes and gloves.

She checks again and says “okay, we’re going to break your water and you’re going to start pushing” I was in denial that I was going to have to push this baby out 1600s style.

I was screaming and begging her and telling her “please I can’t. Don’t make me do this” she basically kept telling me “tough luck this is how it’s gotta be” but in a much nicer way. Lol

A few horrible awful contractions later and here comes her head, it felt like I was breaking in half. Her head comes out and I think it’s over. She says “okay heads out now just keep going” I say “no just pull her out!” She’s like “Ashley you’ve got to push now” so I do and it’s instant relief. I mean all the pain just ended. I felt so traumatized and still in denial that I just did that. But here we are. February 2,2019 with our new baby girl. 6.7 lbs 20 inches. At 7:21am

Was originally due February 14,2019