At 41 +2 I was 1 cm dilated and -1 station. So I tried a foley bulb induction. A Foley catheter is put inside your cervix and filled with saline. That was Saturday morning, I have good contractions 5 minutes apart until my body pushed the foley out at about 1 pm, then everything stopped. I assumed it at least got me to a 2 or 3. I had contractions on and off the next two days. By Tuesday I was 41+5 and finally fed up with trying all of the old wives tales. I tried literally everything. They were setting an induction for Friday at a hospital and I was desperate to avoid that, I'd be 42+1. My midwife suggested castor oil so I decided to try it. I mixed 2 oz with root beer and tried to get it down with a straw. But 5 hours later and nothing. So instead of mixing it, I took 1 oz straight while holding my nose. I took it at 3 and by 3:30 I was on the toilet with diarrhea and cramping. I was getting short 30 second contractions close together. My midwife said they were castor oil cramps and to call back if they got stronger. By 6 they were the same but consistent. We waited 1 more hour then left for the birthing center around 7 pm because they were staying consistent. We got to the birthing center and was dilated to 4 cm but the midwife said I had some scar tissue she tried to break up during a contraction and got me to a 5. I had a leep procedure on my cervix to remove precancerous cells that caused some scarring on my cervix. She wanted us to walk an hour but we never left the birthing center. We met with my doula and got through some contractions outside that were getting worse. They got my room ready and I got into the contemporary room. I used the toilet and the tub. Around midnight I think, I was checked again and I was only 7 cm. My doula was great to keep me from getting discouraged and using low tones and keeping my husband, Kyle calm. She took over when Kyle would get nervous from seeing me in pain. But she showed him how to push on my hips or back. I got back in the tub and by 2 am I was getting pretty upset and making jokes about pain medicine or not having anymore kids. The contractions didn't seem to let up in between and it was a constant cramp that wouldn't go away. I started to feel some pushing sensations but not much. I tried to feel for her head myself but she was still far up. The midwife had me get on the toilet. I was asking for pain medicine to take the edge off. She checked me while on the toilet and said I was fully effaced but she felt a small lip of cervix left. Which is why I assume her head wasn't coming down. She had me push on the toilet while she pushed the lip back. Talk about painful. She said to get on the bed and if I wasn't fully dilated she'd give me something for pain. I was 10 cm when I made it to the bed and she helped me push. I was surprised my body wasn't trying to on it's on but once she had me try to push her fingers out I finally realized what to do. She was still pretty high up. I pushed on my back on the bed for an hour. She was having a hard time getting under my public bone but she was facing the right way towards my back. She finally came at 3:29 am. They kept asking if I wanted to feel her head but it made me nervous knowing something that big was coming out. I definitely broke some blood vessels in my face and felt a little traumatized from the pain. But I didn't tear and the pain was pretty bearable after. My tailbone is definitely sore. But all in all about 8 hours of active labor and 1 hour of pushing. They said I was pretty fast. Cathy Gordon is the founder of the birthing center and I was so glad I got her. The other midwife that was there transferred to the hospital with another woman that was laboring there because she had been there over 24 hours. They only have 3 birthing suites and one midwife on call and one nurse. So they called in Cathy for me. It's just so awesome they know what to do there. I really enjoyed it and my husband is really happy with them.  We went home around 12 hours after she was born. So far not too sore, even went to thanksgiving. Now, the dreaded nipple soreness! Eleanor Rose born 11/23 at 3:29 am. She was 6 lbs 12 oz and 19 3/4 inches long.