My July baby born in August. I was induced July 31, due to being past due. I was 41 weeks and 2 days on date of induction. I was only 1cm dilated and I was given cytotec at about 11am, on the 31st. I was then told I would be checked in 6 hours. Around 6:30 I was given another does of cytotec. I wasn't having bad contractions or in any kind of pain at all. I thought - dear lord I'm going to be here for days!! At 11:40pm the doctor came in and decided they would insert the cervidil into my cervix to ripen my cervix more bc I was only 2 cm. Once that was inserted (around midnight) and by 12:30 I had terrible contraction pains that were constant. Doctor said that he ordered me morphine if needed it sleep. I thought ‘Oh I won’t need that. I somehow managed to call the nurse through the excruciating pain and asked for the morphine. She came in about 10 mins later and I was in relief in matter of minutes. I was also hooked up to an IV. I slept through the night and by the morning I was checked again around 9:30 and I was 4 cm almost 5. I was advised to eat something bc I was going to labor and deliver! Yay!! (once I was admitted I was on a clear liquid diet - awful).

I ate and was in labor and delivery by 10:45 on August 1st. How long until I deliver this baby, is all I kept thinking. I was told I could have the epidural whenever I wanted it. I was given pitocin and an IV and there I sat, again waiting for contractions to start. It took awhile to actually feel pain from the pitocin. The nurse suggested to my doctor that they break my water to get things moving. Around 4pm, they broke my water. My contractions went from tolerable to omg I need an epidural now. By 4:30 I asked for the epidural and I was given it by 4:45. I was so relieved and so much happier. I was in and out of sleep for the next several hours. I was also given the 'peanut' to help position the baby and help me dilate more. I was moved from side to side throughout the next several hours. Around 1am, Wednesday Aug 2nd the doctor came in and checked me - I was 10 cm!!! Woo hoo. Doctor said that she would come back in an hour to start pushing. Doctor suggested being moved to an upright position to get baby positioned. My nurse was delivering another baby so we waited for her unless I felt a strong urge to push - shit I couldn't feel anything! So around 2:40am the doctor and nurse came in and it was time to push. Pushed for an hour and Brayden Charles was born at 3:46am.

Unfortunately happiness led to fear when his cord was around his neck and he was placed on my chest but he was purple! The nurse took him away to 'shaken' him up. All of a sudden 15 nurses run into the room to help baby Brayden breathe. Finally we heard a cry. But immediately he was taken to the NICU and my hubby followed.

Once I was stitched up (3rd degree tear) and cleaned up, off we went to see Brayden. He was breathing good and wasn't even on oxygen, he just needed help breathing. He was returned to us by 7pm that night.

All in all, the experience of delivery was bearable and nothing like I expected. However the induction process was long and tiring. The epidural was a blessing, and thankfully I only felt ‘Labor pains’ for under 30 mins. I didn’t feel anything while pushing or the tear!