I know towards the end of my pregnancy I read EVERY birth story I could get my hands on, so I thought I'd share my experience for all you mommas doing the same! My baby girl was due June 27. At that appointment, I was 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. They stripped my membranes which led to some cramping and that's about it. We scheduled induction for July 4 at 7 pm. I went in thinking they were going to put me on pitocin and get this baby out!! Well, not the case. We got there, got settled in, and they inserted cytotec, a pill used to dilate and thin the cervix. They told me to sleep! Something I was not expecting. My husband and i both slept off and on, contractions had gotten a little stronger but nothing unbearable. The doc came back at 830 am July 5 to check me, I had dilated a whole half a centimeter 😑🙄. The doctor gave us two options here. She said we could do another round of the cytotec or she could break my water and really get things going. We obviously opted for her to break my water. She broke it and she said that I immediately went from 3.5 to 4 centimeters. Things progressed fast from there and contractions got HEAVY. I had back labor and it felt like my back was going to snap in half. I walked the halls, used the birthing ball, and changed positions often when laying in bed. I was at about a 6 when I requested the iv pain med (which did nothing but make me sleepy in between contractions, the contractions were just as painful!!) a little time passed and I was begging for the epidural. Now note: my original plan was to NOT get one. My husband was super supportive but with the pain he saw me in, he was basically begging the nurses with me. My sister and friend were there and they really pushed and encouraged me to stick with my plan to not get it. The nurses checked me and I was 8.5 dilated. This gave me the push to just keep going without an epidural. If I would have still been at a 6, I would have gotten it. But I am SO GLAD that I had my sister and friend there to tell me not to. It was no time before I was telling the nurses I felt I needed to push. They checked me and I was ready! Pushed for an hour and half and baby girl was here at 334 pm on July 5. 7 pounds 7 oz 18 inches long!

I had third degree tears and I bled a lot. But she was worth every second of pain and I would do it a million times every day if it meant having her here!! Second picture is my Piper Raye at 4 weeks! Ask me any and all questions you want, I will answer the best that I can!! Good luck to all you mommas! ❤️