Super long story

This is late, my son was born January 9th, 2020. Lol.

My pre labor contractions started at 9:30pm on his due date, which was January 6th. He's my first pregnancy, so I was anxious all day, waiting for it to start. The contractions were so light, I questioned whether they weren't just braxton hicks.

My family went to bed and I decided I couldn't sleep because I was uncomfortable. I should've just slept! Oh boy, I should've just slept.

Sometime around 4-5am, my contractions are strong enough and close together enough that I contacted my midwife, and I woke up my husband to let him know. My midwife wanted me to wait a little longer, and let her know when my water broke.

So we waited longer.

I honestly don't remember a lot of details anymore. It's been a while. But I know my water kept trickling most of the day and I just thought I must be peeing myself a little at a time. Lol.

So on January 7th, my midwife came to see my dilation and told me that I was getting close, but did a membrane sweep (SO painful!!) And said that the babys head was pressing on the sac at the cervix and after the sweep my water actually broke. 🤷🏻

She had other moms to see in the mean time so she left. Even though I was contracting at the right intervals to be considered in active labor, my midwife wasn't feeling rushed. She kindly sent a doula to me because I complained a lot about my pain, and my anxiety was high. I lost my plug.

On the 8th, around 12pm I was given the best breakfast burritos my husband has ever made, with castor oil in it from the midwife (who was back). I started having stronger contractions by 12:40pm. And honestly, I hadn't slept since like 7am on the 6th, so as soon as it got rough, I was passing out between contractions. There are photos from this point on that my SIL took, and I barely remember any of it.

The active labor went on like this for hours. We were trying for a water birth, that wasn't working. I went to my bed, got into different positions, and nothing was working. It was infuriating to have my midwife, doula, nurse, and other midwife keep telling me to not push through the contractions. Finally, at after 9pm, my midwife checks my cervix and says that I have a cervical lip. I was more dilated earlier. I can try to open my hips to fix it. But that we could just go to the hospital. Even though she thought I should keep trying at home. I tried for two more hours. She did water injections in my back to try to distract from the hip pain. That was excruciating. So after two more hours of little progress, I decide to have to take me to the hospital. I couldn't walk or sit. My legs wouldn't open to move. It took 15 mins to go from my upstairs apartment to the car just outside. I hugged the passenger seat facing the back, we got to the hospital, I was admitted just before midnight, and I was given an epidural.

I was given small, but increasing doses of pitocin each half hour until 3am. I got a chance to sleep!!!! And then the doctor checked my cervix and we were pushing by 3:10. My son was born at 3:26am, on January 9th.

It was exhausting.