5 days late but this little miss made her grand debut this afternoon. She sure put me through a lot of discomfort. Started early labor at 9:30 PM on August 06/2021. Just felt minor cramping and some back pain. Went to the hospital around 1 am to get checked as my first came in 10 hours and I did not want to miss my window of getting an epidural. Was only 2 cms dilated which was kind of a let down. Got sent home for the night and told to come back when I thought it had progressed enough. I knew enough from my last labor to know that if I couldn’t walk or talk through the contractions anymore, it was time to go in. All the while keeping an open mind that maybe this one could be different, and not every labor is the same. My contractions started and finished at 1-3 minutes apart. They never gradually worked up to that. Just instantly were 1-3 minutes apart from start to finish. By the time i figured we should come back to the hospital, it was 1 o’clock PM. Got hooked up to the monitor, had my cervix checked, and I was at 4 cm. They said I could stay and be admitted this time since the contractions were only 2-3 minutes apart and I wanted an epidural. They called in the anesthesiologist after speaking to the doctor and getting it okayed. At this point, my contractions are so intense that I can barely breathe. I definitely can’t walk or talk through them. They are unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I was desperate for some relief. I was burning out from exhaustion. So I get the epidural. Should take 10-15 minutes to fully set in. Nothing. No relief. It’s not working and my body is progressing faster than the epidural can keep up with despite the booster shot the nurse gave me from it. I went from 7 or 8 cms to 10 cms in 5 minutes. I instantly felt the insane pressure and NEED to push. My sweet little Mila cub was born around 3 PM on August 07/2021 at 6 pounds 8 oz and just shy of 19 inches long. Totally unmedicated (not my choice lol) but I did it. Even when I was crying and begging the nurses to make the epidural work because I didn’t think I could handle it, I did it. Our bodies are amazing. We are capable of amazing things. I have a tremendous amount of respect for what every mother goes through when giving birth. No matter your plan, no matter how your babies come into this world, we as mamas are unbeatable! Congrats to all the mamas who already have their August babes, and future congrats to those who are still expecting. You’ve all got this!