Hi everyone 💕 I gave birth to my baby girl Ramona Jane on February 20th at 39+5 but baby and I are still in the hospital. Ramona was taken straight to NICU after delivery because she was breathing extremely fast and lacked oxygen. I'm so so tired. I was only able to hold her for 5 minutes before she was rushed away and so didn't get to see her until 6 hours later.

My pregnancy was completely healthy and stress-free from beginning to end, and the thing I was most afraid of was tearing during delivery. I never thought to worry about baby being anything but totally healthy at birth.

I started getting contractions at 2am on Wednesday morning but I didnt think they were real because they felt like gas cramps. I Googled "do contractions feel like gas cramps?" and pretty much every website said no - my belly should tighten and get hard along with pain and pressure. None of that happened with me, and when the "pains" became regular I timed them for an hour, called up our dog sitter, and went to the hospital with my husband.

My contractions were still far apart but I was too nervous to stay home and wait any longer. We got to the hospital and went to triage to be monitored for a few hours. I came in at 3cm dilated and 90% effaced at -2 station. It did not feel great when she checked my dilation the first time (it was also the first time Is ever been checked)! After an hour and a half I was at 4cm, 100% effaced and still -2 station but I was admitted at 4am!

By this time contractions were horrible. I spent all my time watching the monitor for upcoming contractions because I felt like I could see them before I could feel them and I would brace myself for each wave. That is NOT the way to go because I tensed up for each one and it made everything worse but I couldnt stop.

By 5:30 am I was dying. Each contraction had me clutching the bed huffing and puffing and swearing under my breath. Finally the amazing anesthesiologist came to me for my epidural! 💃 He was funny and nice but when he was about to poo ke me he said, "Now be REALLY still because the part of your spine I have to hit is as thin as a string of dental floss..." I was like thanks, this isn't scary enough. But he was so nice and didn't make me sit still through contractions. He waited them out for me.

When the epidural kicked in it was heaven. I felt 100% better. I was laughing and joking with my husband and my mom. I took a short nap and kept telling everyone how good I felt. I was watching the monitor show contractions but felt nothing. I loved the cool feeling of the epidural in my back also. I really can't say anything bad about it.

I am so tired that I have to sleep then pump then go to NICU to breastfeed, but Ramona was born at 2:42pm on February 20th after 11 hours of labor and 1 hour of pushing. She weighed 7#5oz and was 21 inches long with a good amount of black hair 😙! Her due date was 2/22. The labor was easy and fun and the first 40 minutes of pushing were energizing and amazing. I loved feeling her move down my body. The last 20 minutes and especially the last 5 minutes of pushing were so hard. I felt like giving up after every single contraction. I didn't think I would make it but I did and I love my sweet girl so much.

I got a second degree tear but I honestly didn't feel it. The huge pressure of pushing just overwhelmed everything else that was going on. It is like nothing else I can describe and it was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Better details in a few days.