I had a membrane sweep in the morning at 41 weeks and 4 days. We then scheduled an induction for the next day in the evening. However, I noticed cramps coming and going right after the sweep. As the morning wore on, I noticed the cramps were coming every 5-10 minutes and were lasting 30-60 seconds. The cramps stayed this way 8am to 2:30pm. Around 2:30pm they seemed to get a little stronger and every so often they were accompanied by backaches. After sitting for awhile, I stood up around 3:30pm and felt a small gush of fluid. I wasn't certain that my water broke. The midwife had said that the bag was bulging and I would be able to tell when my water broke. So, I assumed it wasn't my water (no smell but slightly yellow). Within the next 15 minutes there were two more releases of fluids and increased cramps and backache. I am group b strep positive so I called the midwife to see if I should come in. They weren't convinced I was in labor but told me to come in to be checked in the next two hours, just in case. I didn't have any more fluid release but was convinced I was having contractions. The cramps and backache was coming every 6 minutes and lasting a minute. However, I wasn't in pain, just felt like I needed to pee during every contraction because of the pressure. My husband convinced me that it was time to go to the hospital (I didn't want to make the trip for false labor). We made our way to the holistic birth center that I choose for water birthing but was over an hour away. I listened to my hypnobirthing tracks and logged the contractions. The contractions started coming every 3-5 minutes but still only 45-60 seconds and not too painful (a few painful ones but mostly building tightness and pressure). We checked into the hospital around 6:30pm. The midwife check my cervix around 7pm. She confirmed that my water broke but I was only 80% effaced and 3cm. She reminded me that first time moms take 12-18 hours to deliver and to stay relaxed. The maternity nurses continued to monitor and ask questions while I sat strapped in bed. There was a long frustrating process of multiple blood pressure machines not working and needing four nurses and an hour to have my blood drawn and a line for antibiotics put in (I apparently have tiny and complicated blood vessels).  During this time the contractions got painful and I had to use breathing techniques to make it through. By 9pm the contractions started to seem content and pretty painful. I was finally able to get off the monitor and walk around. That seemed to make the contractions come quicker and stronger but allowed me to move for some comfort. I leaned over lots of chairs and tried to do deep slow breathes. The nurse darkened the room, brought in lavender, placed calming lights around the room, and offered me a birth ball. I closed my eyes and focused on making it through one contraction at a time. I did throw up and get light headed but I could feel these things coming and prepare for them. I tried to sit on the birth all but found any sitting too painful. Somewhere around 10pm I started doubting that I could make it through a natural childbirth if this was going to last for another 12 hours. So, I asked to get in the shower to try to calm down. After just a few minutes in the shower I felt like I had to push. The nurse came back and finally got me back in bed (the last place I wanted to be) and said I was fully dialated but the vaginal lip (or whatever that is) was still there. She called the midwife and had another nurse check me. The second nurse said that I was ready to go and to call the midwife again. The midwife arrived and convinced me to birth my baby in bed. There was time for a water birth or even getting up and knelling. So, after 30-40 minutes of pushing (and not breathing my baby out like I expected), my son was born at 11:30pm on June 1st. He was born so quickly that he didn't get his second round of antibiotics for group b strep and I didn't get the water birth experience. However, we are both happy, healthy, and are recoving quickly. I had a second degree rip and 10-11 stitches. Getting the stitches was as painful as pushing. They have also been the slowest part of my recovery. Ice, padcicles, and the peri bottle have been helpful.