(Birth Story) Castor Oil is the devil!! However....

August 2nd, 2016 (Tuesday) I gave birth to my very first baby. He measured 20.5 inches and weighed 7 lbs 5.8 ounces at 37 weeks 2 days. Here's my story... beginning July 25th until July 28th I spent countless amounts of hours researching about self induction. I was scared due to the fact that there are many cons to forcing yourself into labor also laboring early. But I decided to take the chance. Friday morning, July 29th, I decided that I would foolishly try to drink castor oil. Btw, it didn't taste as bad as everyone says it does (2 tbsp castor oil / 4 oz Mountain Dew). I began to have bowel movements around an hour later but they ended about 2 hours later. I decided to go for an hour and a half walk to possibly help kick things in gear and BOY did it work.my contractions kicked in about 10-15 minutes into my walk and they were about every 13 minutes apart. I decided to go to the hospital once they continued for a little over two hours. Before castor oil, I wasn't dialated or effaced. When I got to the L&D triage I was 1cm/50% effaced. I ended up getting sent home because I wasn't progressing. However, the painful contractions continued. Saturday, I tried everything in my power to try to stop the contractions but nothing would work. So, I decided to go to a more advanced hospital and get checked out HOPING they'd keep me and induce me even if I wouldn't progress. I ended up getting sent home again at 1cm/50% effaced. Sunday, I was absolutely drained... I hadn't had sleep since Thursday night because I had been in pain since Friday and I had ultimately regretted my decision to drink the castor oil. The contractions were still irregular but were still painful! I surprisingly made it through the day with completely losing my mind. MONDAY, the contractions became nearly unbearable... I was having a lot of mucus discharge that was pink tinged sometimes and the red tinged other times. Every contraction sent me to the restroom to pee. They were nearly regular being about every 10 minutes apart. At about 3 afternoon it got bad, I was dehydrated and overheated from the contractions that I became lightheaded and began throwing up. I immediately called my doctor who told me to come in and then I called a ride. My ride came about 20 minutes later and at that point the contractions were every 5 minutes and slightly painful. When I got to the hospital and was checked I measured 2cm/80% effaced. However that didn't convince the doctors that I needed to stay. So they gave me a muscle relaxer like the last to two visits and got my discharge paperwork together. May I include that at this time they wee in the middle of shift changes so before I left I received a new nurse. She was an older lady by the name of, Cathy. She listened to me cry and told me "I'm not letting them send you home like this... not in this condition. I don't care what those doctors say I'm keeping you here. My gut is telling me that you need to stay." She definitely argued them down and they finally agreed to let me stay. I was so happy she came in at the right time. She was like a walking angel lol. I was admitted (@11:33pm Monday) and given some medication that'd put me to sleep so I can finally get some rest. The deal was that if I had t progressed by the end of her shift (8am Tuesday) then I'd be discharged. Once the medicine got into my system I fell asleep. 4:11am I woke up to 2 very hard pushes. And I wasn't doing it! My body just randomly pushed two times very quickly. I was a little delusional on the medication so I   Told my mom, who was laying on the pull out bed, and she got up and seen that there was lots of watery blood under me. We called the nurse, Cathy, in and she checked and said I was amazingly 6cm dialated! We were so surprised that I had even dialated .. better yet we were shocked that her instincts were correct! She went and told the doctor and they all swarmed in and got everything ready! I couldn't do anything but lay in bed like a drunk lol. And I must say that the epidural is a gift from God lol. At 10:50 my doctor FINALLY arrived and it was pushing times. At 10:54am, August 2nd, I gave birth to my first born, Zion.  This was the biggest lesson I have ever learned. And that was to not self induce lol. I spent Friday-Monday miserable... contractions everyday ... back to back.. Btw, he had no health issues whatsoever. He also passed all of his health screenings with flying colors. He is the most precious part of me...