Finally it's my turn to tell my story and I apologize in advance for how long it is.

On Friday August 25 I drove down to New York, I live in Pennsylvania, with my husband for my doctors appointment. (Quick back story: we recently moved to Pennsylvania from New York in July. I'm not comfortable with the ob/Gyns there so I decided to stick with my doctor in New York). I was 39 weeks 4 days, pregnancy was becoming more annoying by the minute and I felt like I would be pregnant for a few more years. I planned on asking my doctor about performing a membrane sweep since I was due in a few more days anyway and if anything was to happen I'd already be in New York.

Well I I got to my doctors office at 2 and went in for the usual NST test around 3. Everything was going as it usually does. They weigh me, check my blood pressure, give me a lollipop, hook me up to the machine and tell me to click the little button whenever I feel baby move. During the NST I started having a contraction that felt like a mild period pain. When doctor came in she commented about the contraction and then immediately told me to go onto my left side. Baby's heart rate was dropping. My doctor kept me on my left side and monitored the heart rate for about 5 minutes. If his heart rate kept on dipping I was going to be sent to the hospital for further monitoring.

5 minutes passed and all though there was no huge dip in his heart rate, it was still dipping at a concerning rate. My husband was at work so I called him telling him we needed to go to the hospital now! He shows up around 4 and we make our way to the hospital. Of course there's traffic so we reach the hospital around 5/6 pm. At this point we're both hungry so while I check in at labor and delivery hubby goes and by us some food.

Now the L&D; unit is packed it seems like all the babies decided they wanted to come out. Of course people in actual labor go before us, completely understandable, and we end up getting a room in triage around 7:30. Again I'm hooked up to the monitors and again baby heart rate drops. At this point my husband and I are freaking out because it dropped all the way down to 80. I was put on my left side and it started to stabilize but then again there were dips. When the on duty doctor walked in he informed me that he spoke to my ob/Gyn and they decided to induce me. I was only 1cm dilated and baby's head was high so they were going to start off the induction by placing something up there to help dilate the cervix and hopefully baby's head will come down.

At 12 midnight they finally transfer me from triage to a labor and delivery room. Again I'm put on monitors and I'm told that they're just waiting on the okay from my doctor to start the induction. 2 am rolls around and they come in and tell me to lay on my left side again. They hook me up to the IV and give me an oxygen mask. Baby heart rate is dropping low again and if it doesn't become steady they're giving me a c-section. At this point I'm crying. I don't want a c-section I want to be able to hold my baby right away, I want to do delayed clamping of the cord and I'm absolutely afraid of the epidural.

It's now 3am and my doctor shows up and tells me that I'll be having the c-section in about 20 min. By this point I'm done crying I'll do whatever it takes to get my baby here safe.... but I'm also terrified and can't stop shaking. I make my family pray with me to help ease my nerves. They get me onto the bed and roll me to the surgery room. They make my husband sit down on one of the chairs outside the room and start rolling me in.

As I'm halfway through the door the anesthesiologist stops everything and ask when was the last time I ate. At this point I can't remember everything seemed to be happening so fast. I know for sure I ate a sandwich at 5/6 when my husband and I got to the hospital and I know I ate pretzels when I left triage but at the moment I couldn't remember what time they was so they had to check the records. The on duty doctor then runs to contact my doctor. He comes back and tells me we can continue.

The roll me into the room while my husband is still waiting outside. As I sit on the table one of the many doctors in there tells me that they usually will not do a c-section if a patient has had anything to eat less than 8 hours ago because the risk of vomit going into the lungs and causing death is high. This is when I found out I ate about 3 hours ago but they had to risk it because baby needed to get out now. At this point I'm like oh fuck and shaking like crazy. Then they start getting the epidural ready. MORE SHAKES! I'm squeezing one of the doctors hands. I'm told to stay still! I SHUT MY EYES AND SQUEEZE SOME MORE! I'm told I'm going to feel something in one of my legs and not to move. ELECTRIC SHOCK! I jump. OH FUCK! Another shock, another jump, another oh fuck, I can't feel my legs. Am I paralyzed? No you did good.

Everything else is a bit of a blur I remember my husband coming in, me feeling like I need to throw up so swallowing non stop so that I don't die, telling my husband I love him and to make sure he doesn't leave the babies side. My husband asking me what's the yellow stuff, me answering that it's probably pee, him saying it's a lot then I heard crying. I look to my husband and he looks back at me eyes red and full of tears. Then the nurse brings baby to the weighing table... 5lbs3oz! Dads holding baby and I'm yelling for pictures and crying.

While they were stitching me back up I was just staring at my beautiful baby boy. Never have I felt a love so strong for anyone. This is the little one who made these 9 months a nightmare, who caused me to not be able to keep anything down for 2 months, who kicks me in my ribs and punches me in the bladder, who gives me migraines and swollen feet, who I would gladly repeat it all for.

Sage Yoshiya was born at 3:47 am on August 26 weighing 5lbs3oz with a length of 18 3/4"