I was due with my baby boy on Monday 11/06/17, and had no sign of him coming. So the Wednesday before, I had a dr. appt and had him sweep my membranes, hoping that would start it up. He told me if he wasn’t here by Monday, he would induce me Monday night. So he swept them and I had quite a few contractions that day, and lost my plug the next, but after that, nothing. So I came in at 5 on Monday and I was at a 4, and he told me to go eat a big dinner and go to the hospital at 8. So I went and ate and went to my moms since she was right down the road. At 7 we were sitting there talking, waiting, sure it had been an hour and was time to go in, but it had only been 15 minutes, and we both agreed that hour lasted longer than my whole pregnancy. But 8 came and we got to the hospital, and got into my extremely large, uncomfortable hospital gown, and after about an hour of paper work, and being poked and prodded, they started the pitocin. Now at first, the contractions were very mild, just like they were when I contracted that Wednesday before, so I was like okay, this is okay, you know bearable. And when that pitocin hit 7, I was dying. I had horrible back labor, and my contractions were every 2-3 min apart. Now I already made the decision I didn’t want an epidural, not because of pride or anything like that, but because I wanted to test myself and see if I could. But at that point I asked for one and she told me I was at a 7, and the epidural might slow things down, so I decided against it, I figured I made it that far, what’s a little longer? About 10 minutes later I’m like this too much, so she checked me again and I was at an 8, and I got my epidural, and those who have had them know you can’t move during the procedure, and I had 3 very painful contractions during the epidural, which was brutal. But I got it, and it saved my life, and about 5 minutes later I was at a 10, and totally effaced. At this point it was about 4:30, and he was getting lower in my canal, but my doc told me to labor down, and rest. For the next 2 hours I didn’t feel shit, I was on cloud 9, just so ready to push and meet my boy, but by 6:30ish, that back labour came back with every contraction and I remember thinking I would be dead without this epidural. How bad it was with it, I couldn’t imagine without it. But by 7:15, a nurse came in and we started practice pushing, and those who know, when you push with an epidural it doesn’t feel like your pushing. It didn’t for me anyways, but my mom and boyfriend were telling me I was getting it, so I guess I was getting it. But by 7:30, the doc came in, and checked and he was about 2-3 inches from his head being exposed, so with every contraction I pushed 3 times and by 7:48 he was here. I was so upset that my doc made me labor down after those back pains came back but I get why he did it, because my delivery was so smooth and quick. I had a 2nd degree tear, but I didn’t even care, when he handed him to me, it was a feeling that’s so hard to explain, and only understood if you’ve experienced it. And now he’s finally here❤️ he was 7lbs 10.8 oz and 20 inches long. We went in for our first dr. appt. on Tuesday, and he’s already passed his birth weight at 7 11❤️ he’s strictly breastfed and he’s so good at it already, right after birth he nursed for 1 1/2 hours😭 he’s so perfect. I just wanted to share my story, because I sit here and hold him and think about it and think about how I would love to do it again. It was the best moment of my life, and I miss the whole experience. And my advice for those getting close, is one, don’t be ashamed to take that epidural because it saves lives. But also that it really is all worth it once they are here and laying on your chest. The pain really did go away, and nothing else mattered. And also even if you plan on strictly formula feeding your baby, my advice is that when you have them and they are on your chest, just try. Just try it once and if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. But me and my son are so close, he wants me and my nipple all the time I swear. It created such a bond that nobody can break, and only few can understand. Good luck to those November mommies! Not like you guys will need it, everything will be perfect once you have your bundles of joy in your arms❤️