Really successful vaginal delivery by induction after waters broke 3 days before due date

Really successful vaginal delivery by induction after waters broke 3 days before due date. I was really hoping to avoid both the epidural and pitocin but ended up with them both and it was fine. Was allowed 6 hrs after waters broke to go into labour naturally and then they started pitocin when I didn't. They upped levels from 1 to 8 in 1 unit increments every half hour, and although contractions started off manageable using breathing, effleurage etc (they felt like bad period cramps to me, but also felt them in different ways, like pain and pressure in hips, shooting pressure up and around rib cage and spine- things I had experienced for a few weeks and not realised were contractions - you don't always "just know") after an hour on pitocin at 8 the pain was excruciating and so hard to get through, so I have in and got epidural- definitely a good idea as I had another 4.5 hours of contractions. As I had basic epi I could still feel contractions but the edge was taken off, much duller cramps, but during transition contractions still needed to be breathed through (I sang along to mumford and sons- highly recommend!). Baby's heart rate was going down between contractions so they pumped up fluids into uterus, put in internal monitors and had me wear an oxygen mask whole time. Everyone was so calm though that I was never afraid anything was wrong and she was completely fine.