My original due date was November 24. Being my first kiddo, I anticipated going behind my due date.

However, on 11/10 at exactly 38weeks at 11p I started to feel period like cramps. I hurt and doubled over in pain quite a bit. I woke my husband up just after midnight as they started to get increasingly more painful and I didn't know what to do (FTM). We googled "what do contractions feel like" and we were confused (it's like 1-130am). Around 2am, with these cramps not going away, we called the on call doctor. They suggested going to labor and delivery at the hospital just to be safe.

As we drove over there, I told my husband, it's probably not contractions and I'm in alot of pain still. We live about 15minutes from the hospital, but honestly, the longest drive of my life.

We get there, and sure enough I am having contractions, but they're between 3-15minutes apart. It was almost 4am. I was checked and 4cm dialated. I had been checked 2 weeks prior with my doctor and at that point I was 1cm

They told me to walk around the maternity floor for 2 hours and time contractions to see if I would dialate more. At 6am, checked again, contractions were consistently 10minutes apart and 4cm. So they send us home.

I took a quick bath, but it hurt and the pain was getting a whole lot worse. My husband called the on call, as I was screaming in pain.

We go back to the hospital around 10am. Contractions had increased to 4-6minuted apart and 5cm.

Right after being admitted I got the epidural, which was honestly AMAZING. Around 2pm, contractions had slowed down to 8-9minutes apart. So they gave me Picton.

Around 4pm, I start feeling more pain and I'm 9cm dilated. So the nurse calls my doctor and the pushing begins.

Pushing is ALOT harder than I expected. I told my OB right before she arrived I couldn't push anymore. All I remember is my OB saying I had to push really hard, she needed to come out. After almost 2hours of pushing at 5:57pm on 11/11, Eleanor arrived.

She had some difficulty breathing and they wisked her away to meet with NICU nurses and my husband. She was hooked into oxygen for 15mintues before being brought back to me. She came out sideways and her shoulder got stuck on my pelvic bone. I suffered a second degree tear that required stiches. I wouldn't change anything for the world.