My baby was born last night at 710pm. She was 8lbs 1oz (bigger than what I was expecting but my doctor was extremely close at estimating). I did it without any pain medication, it was my first time and I did tear 2nd degree. I was contracting fine without any serious pain but then I hit 8cm and I kinda slowed down, so they broke my water and shit got real fast. They wanted to break it as soon as I arrived since I was 5cm but I wanted to try to take it slow and naturally first and went from a 5 to an 8 in 5 hours (those labor tubs help alot use them if you got em!). I didn't like my doctor honestly he was impatient and too pushy for me. He's not the one I had throughout the whole pregnancy. Anyway I could do the contractions again it's pushing her out of the tiny tiny wee wee hole and that ring of fire that really sucked. I pushed for about 45min. We tried to take it slow because I said I wanted to try my best not to tear, and it was when he told me not to push that I tore, because I fought my body as best as I could but I'm pretty sure it pushed anyway, like when you can't help but gag if you need to throw up. One thing I want every woman to listen to is her instinct, my baby wasn't latching right away and the nurse was trying to force her head and nose into my boob to latch and she didn't like it and neither did i. So I laid her on my chest for a little while to try and get her calm then when I felt she was ready I gave her a boob and within a few minutes she latched perfectly. First time mom's give yourself some credit cause you know more than you think. Anyway she's here, my vagina is swollen huge, and she's a goofy lookin smurf right now but I'm falling in love. And don't worry if you don't instantly love them, it comes. And she loves her dad, she calms down just about every time he holds her. Good luck ladies, and if I were to do it again I'd get the epidural just to not feel the actual pain of her coming out of the hole, the contractions werent so bad!.