Super long birth story with pictures at the end.

So it's 6pm and I'm cooking all the sudden I feel something wet in my pants. Did I pee myself? Wouldn't be the first time. Went to the bathroom to pee and finish dinner. Then there's an even bigger gush. Did my water just break? Nooo. That doesn't happen to first time mom's. So I put a pad on, cause that's what everyone said to do if you weren't sure. I kept the pad on while I ate dinner and nothing. Its dry. Okay. I probably just peed a little, BUT, I've also heard that the baby's head can plug it, so I drank some orange juice to get some movement going.

 Then I decided to take a shower, just in case we were going to the hospital. I just had a feeling. So I get out of the shower, dry off, and then water starts running down my leg. Okay, I know I dried off, so that's not from the shower. Called the doctor who told me to head to labor and delivery. 

So we took our time, because I wasn't in any pain, no contractions, I figured we would be sent home. Stopped and got gas, stopped to grab a snack and some drinks and basically just mosied to the hospital. 

I get to the hospital and they have me change into a gown so they can do the swab to see if it amnotic fluid. At that point as soon as I get my underwear off, I'm pouring water. The nurse didn't even bother with a swab, just looked at me and said "okay. Let's get you into a room"

It's probably close to 10pm when we get in a room and they get me hooked up to all the monitors. I'm having a few contractions, but they're not regular. I'm 4cm dialated. The doctor gives me 6 hours to go into active labor or they're starting pitocin. 

I know I should be sleeping, but that wasn't happening, baby girl kept kicking the monitor off (totally par for course) so we had to do an internal monitor. Well, that got knocked off too, so we had to do that super fun process again. 

Finally it's 4am, I'm 5cm, but contractions aren't picking up, so we start pitocin. Around 8am they're strong enough that I ask for a little IV pain meds. Well, they won't give you the IV pain meds past 7cm. I was 6. So I get the meds and that definitely takes the edge off for a while. At 10am the contractions are right on top of each other, one wasn't fully finished before the next one was starting. I had wanted a natural birth. I tried the birthing ball and pressure points, nothing was offering any relief. It was all back labor. So I asked for the epidural. I was 8cm at that point. Let me just say I have no regrets with getting the epidural. It was done perfectly where I could still feel everything it just didn't hurt. 

At 12:45 it was push time. The nurses told me I was making amazing progress, but not to be dicouraged because some first time mom's can push up to 3 hours. 

So I start pushing, they were amazed at the progress I was making, baby girl was decending very rapidly. The doctor walks in the room mid-push and all the sudden the nurses are yelling "don't push! Don't push!" 

Doctor gets gloved and gowned and let's me push again, 3 pushes later baby girl is out. I pushed for an hour and 10 mins.

We got to do delayed cord clamping and skin to skin while she sewed up a couple of small first degree tears and then Dad got to cut the cord. 

The cord was wrapped around baby girls neck and leg, but wasn't tight and I heard her cry as soon as she was out. 

Melody Elvira was born at 1:50pm 8lbs 3oz 21in long with a 13 3/4cm head circumference.