6 days early

Went to my weekly doctor appointment Tuesday, when checked by the doctor I was 1.5cm dilated. I went to the school I work at for mass as it was a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church. During mass I started feeling cramping thinking nothing of it. On Wednesday I was visiting my mom and running errands around town I was feeling a few small cramps and thought it was just because I was out moving so much one week before my due date. Wednesday evening when I returned home I told my husband I didn't feel well as was going to bed early. I started timing what I now knew were contractions. All throughout the night I timed them and they were consistently 10 minutes apart starting around 3 am. I told my husband I would wait until 8 to call the doctor to ask if we should go get checkedunless they got worse. We arrived at the birthing center around 9:30am. Got checked it, doctor came in to check me and found out I was 5cm! I was shocked I labored all night reaching that far. Continued labor with the thought I might want an epidural but I would wait until they really started getting stronger. Doctor broke my water around 6pm. Next time I got checked around 8pm I was 8cm. Husband mother and my sister all were amazed that I hadn't asked for the epidural yet. Around 9:45pm nurse called the doctor to come in as I was getting close to pushing. I felt the urge to push nurses told me I could thinking it would be a while.  Doctor arrived just as the baby was crowning. She got in place and after 18 minutes of pushing baby Madilyn was here! November 3, 2016 10:29pm, 5lbs 14oz 19 7/8 inches of pure perfection! All natural delivery never did ask for the epidural. Surprised myself with that!