This may be long so stay with me here. I just really wanted to tell my story and wondered if anyone went through something similar. The birth of my son definitely did not go as planned. I found out I was anemic, I started to swell extremely bad and at my doctors appointments I kept getting high blood pressure readings. I had to do the 24 hour urine test to check for protein in the urine( a sign of preeclampsia). Luckily I passed the urine test and it looked like I would be in the clear, until one day at my regular doctors appointment they told me that I would be having my son within the week. My blood pressure was high again and I had one too many high blood pressure readings for me to safely stay pregnant and that's when they diagnosed me with gestational hypertension. They told me my induction date was June 23rd 2019 at 10pm. I wasnt due till July 11th so that meant my son would be born at 37 weeks. I was freaking out!! I wanted to go into labor on my own, I was worried about my son being 3 weeks early and with this being my first baby I had no idea what to expect. My induction started at 10pm because they wanted to insert a balloon into my cervix overnight and hopefully by morning it would have helped me dilate a bit. Let me tell you that balloon hurt like hell once it was inserted I was in so much pain. I cried all night long and the pain meds they gave me through my IV to take the edge off only made me drowsy. I still felt everything. The next morning when it was time for the balloon to come out the doctor said I was at 3cm. We still had a ways to go. They then started me on pitocin to get some contractions going and they were no joke!! After a couple of hours I was wanting an epidural. Well my blood pressure was so high they did not want to give me the full dose of the epidural so I still felt everything. I was in agony. The hours went by and I had only made it to 5cm. It was now monday June 24th at around 3pm when they talked to me about breaking my water. I went through with it hoping it would cause more contractions and for me to dilate. Several hours afterward and things were not looking good. I was only at 6cm, I went several hours without dilating at all and with every contraction my sons heartrate started to slow. My worst fear was about to happen. I was going to have to have a C section. It was a failed induction and my son was in distress so things happened pretty quick after that. I was whisked away into the OR feeling nervous, scared and sick causing me to vomit while on the operating table. Almost 24 hours of labor and a C section my son was born on his daddy's birthday weighing what his mommy did when she was born!!

Elijah Jack Steele

born: June 24th 2019

8:54pm EST

5 pounds 15 ounces