Around 40 weeks pregnant I started looking into new ways to bring on labor. I began insterting epo, drinking raspberry leaf tea and castor oil. I was scheduled for induction at this point for 8/18. I drank castor oil and later that night thought I was having contractions but they stopped. The next day I took another dose of castor oil, nothing happened all day and I went to bed. I got up to pee around 5-6am that morning and as I was walking back to bed I felt kinda a squirt of wetness, I've been wearing panty liners due to mass amounts of mucus coming out for the last week or so after my last membrane strip. So I checked and just saw a little bit of fluid and even thought, what If that's my water? And quickly dismissed that thought cuz I can't tell you how many times I thought that maybe my water was leaking or something. I did think well if it is my water I'll find out and laid back down for bed. Well around 7am I woke up to the strong pain of a contraction, and yup, laying in a huge wet spot from my water breaking! Now, I need you to know how badly I wanted to go into labor on my own (meaning no induction, who really doesn't want to go into labor on your own? Lol ) but I wanted nothing more but to surprise the hell out of my husband with a phone call saying it's time! Or in my particular situation wake up and yell "Danny! My water broke!" We both wanted that so bad, it's my husbands first baby, and it's been 12 years since I had my first. So this was all about the experience for my hubby. So my husband flies out of bed, never sent him move so fast in my life and says "are you serious? F*** yeah!!! I'm sooo freaking excited!" So we start scrambling around we didn't have much preparing to do to leave for the hospital since we had our truck loaded with our bags for weeks already. I was texting my family, while frantically walking in circles wih more water gushing out by the minute I decided a pair of pajama shorts and a towel would have to do. I started to cry I was so excited and overwhelmed. So we finally get to the hospital and my water is just gushing I have it dropping down my legs. But they get me in and I'm dilated to an 8! They rush me into the delivery room and then we found ourselves just waiting. They tried to have me lay in different positions to get the rest of the cervix to dilate and as soon as I laid on my left side the baby's heart rate declined all the way to zero. A swarm or nurses and doctors came in had me change positions in which luckily the baby's heart rate when back up. But I can't begin to describe the fear, I was hysterical sobbing uncontrollably. The doctor said the cord was wrapped up around his neck and if we experience another decline like that we might have to do a c section. I was so upset, but I really didn't care either cuz I wanted my baby out safely and I would do whatever it takes. They couldn't do pitocin to progress my dilation due to the baby's heart rate, so we were kinda stuck wih that being the only option. So after signing the c section waiver they said they wanted to try an infusion that replaces some of that water into the uterus that would hopefully lift some of the cord up off around his neck. But there was only like a 10% chance of that working. So I was really irritated that instead of just getting my baby out, they were making us wait longer. Especially that there were two more declines in  my baby's heart rate again when having me move positions again. Well miraculously, he infusion worked! And by the time they checked me again I was dilated to a 10! My husband was jumping for joy at this point and I was having anxiety about pushing. The thought just started to make me nervous. Especially with everything going on with the baby. Well the doctor wanted me to labor down for one more hour just to be sure we were good and ready. Well the doctor came in and had me push one time just to see if I could do it or not, that I don't understand she was asking if I thought I could do it, and I was like yeah!! Why wouldn't I? Well the first push was more successful then I think she thought it would be so they got the doctors and nurses ready, got my feet in the stirrups, grabbed my husbands hand and waited for those contractions, which of course right when it was time to push, it took forever for a contraction to come, but I pushed once and the doctor was like great! Let's keep going. 2 more pushes and some quick doctors to pull the cord off his little neck and shoulder my beautiful baby boy was finally in my arms. I was sobbing like a baby as I looked down on this precious life we created. Truly. I feeling more incredible then the minute you lay eyes on your baby for the first time. All that laboring was 12 hours total. And through the fear and gut wrenching pain I would do it all over again in an instant