A couple of you ladies had asked to share my natural birth story, so here it is! ... My baby boy was due August 10th but had decided he wanted to come early. I had originally went into premature labor on June 25th. I went into my Drs office and I was having contractions 2-3mins apart (I wasn't feeling any pain). When my dr checked my cervix I was already 4cm dilated and 80% effaced. My dr then sent me to the hospital and told me she'd meet me there cause I might have the baby. Once at the hospital they hooked me up to monitors and an IV. They gave me magnesium to slow/stop the contractions long enough to be able to give me 2 doses of steroids for my baby boys lungs. I ended up staying at the hospital from the 25th till the 28th. They sent me home and put me on modified bed rest. On the night of July 5th around 8 something I noticed that I was having contractions that were coming 2-4 minutes apart so I called my dr and was told to come into the hospital to be checked out. Once I got to the hospital they hooked me up to monitors and the dr checked my cervix. I was 5-6cm and 90% effaced. The dr told me that I would probably have my baby that night. The dr told me to rest up so I would be able to deliver. I was able to sleep for a lil bit. On July 6th (my wedding anniversary) at around 4:30am my dr checked my cervix again and I was 7-8cm 100% effaced. The baby was really low and ready to come. They waited to see if my water would break on its own but when it didn't the dr broke it for me. It was after they broke my water the pain came! My contractions were so strong they were becoming unbearable. I then asked for an epidural but as the nurse and dr prepared for it I suddenly felt the urge to push. It was too late to get the epidural. I had no choice but to do it naturally without pain meds. Apart of me kind of wanted to do it natural. Anyways, the dr and nurse rushed to get things ready for baby's arrival and then I started pushing. In all honesty, the pain was like pain I've never felt before. It was horrible lol. I was screaming. There was a point where I felt like the inside of my vagina was tearing. I thought wasn't going to be able to continue. The dr had told me to stop pushing cause she was afraid that me tensing up from the pain might cause stress to the baby but I had to keep pushing, my body was telling me to push. Despite all the pain I pushed a couple of more times and once his head was out the felt very little pain. The dr pulled the rest of his little body out and then I heard his beautiful little cry. They placed him on my chest and I began to cry like a baby lol I was so happy and so relieved. My mom cut the cord for my husband, who was on skype watching the whole thing because he is deployed. After my mom cut the cord they took my baby boy for evaluation & I pushed the placenta out. I have to say that as painful as it was to deliver naturally, I'm glad I did it. I got to feel myself pushing and I feel a sense of pride in myself. My baby boy was born at 6:30 am July 6th and weighed 5lbs 7oz. He was born at exactly 35 weeks gestation. He stayed in NICU for one day and then the rest of our stay at the hospital he stayed in my room with me. We are now both home and doing well. All thanks be to God!