So, my OB is located 3 1/2 hours away from my tiny rural town. I had been having contractions off and on for five weeks and had a false labor run at 36 weeks in the middle of the night already. Needless to say, it was a little nerve wracking being so far away for my third pregnancy after having a super quick progression with my second baby (granted, that was 8 years prior) and definitely had fleeting thoughts of my husband delivering our daughter on the side of the desolate highway with intermittent cell service. lol

Fast forward to my 38 week appointment (I was 37+6)... my husband and I get checked in and the nurse gets my vitals. My blood pressure ended up being 146/98 so she tried the other arm... 148/106. Well, then. Doctor comes in to check me and I'm at a 2 1/2. Based on my bp, being so far away from him to keep an eye on it, and my ongoing contractions he sent me over to L&D; for monitoring and probable induction. My husband instantly went white... then red. I was thinking it is probably his bp they should be worried about at that point...

We check in to L&D; and I get hooked up. My initial bp was high but lowered soon after and was a beautiful 110/60 average ongoing. However, I was having regular contractions that I wasn't feeling. My doctor came and checked me again about 1 1/2-2 hours later and I was maybe a 3 but my cervix had been favorable for weeks. He consulted with the neonatologist I saw in the beginning of my pregnancy (due to medication I had been taking) and they decided I should indeed be admitted for induction. YAY, baby time!

Because they were starting pitocin they offered me an epidural right away and I jumped at the opportunity. My last induction birth at a local hospital ended up being sans pain relief due to the aforementioned quick progression which led to the nurses delivering my baby because the doctor couldn't get there in time, so the sooner the better for pain relief in my eyes! This all started about 6pm (I had been up since 530am already due to having to travel to my appointment in the first place) and we hung out for awhile. I was checked by the nursing staff around 11pm and was a 4. They upped the pitocin while we waited for my doctor to come in for rounds and my husband and I giddily listened to the periodic birth celebrations ringing through the halls. I was still a 4 when my doctor came in around 130am and he broke my water, which everyone commented on being a literal flood. He said, "No wonder she wasn't in any rush! She had a lot of cushion in there." lol I took a restless nap and woke to pressure pain around 3am. The nurse checked me and I was at a 7. I had a nice extra boost to my epidural (my anesthesiologist was a saint) and started feeling pressure pain again around 415am. I was a 9 1/2 and the nurse said I'd be able to push around it so we did some practice pushes and she came right down. My doctor came in and we did a series of pushes through 5 contractions. He had to work to turn her because she was coming sideways with her face to my right leg but as soon as he did she slid right out. So, at 459am on 08/17 our sweet Reese was born at 7lbs 14oz and 21in long. She's been such a good baby and we are so blessed!

Good luck to all the upcoming Mommas out there! It'll be your turn soon! ❤️