So I'm finally getting around to writing this! I loved reading birth stories while I was pregnant so hoping this helps someone! I was 39 weeks with my first baby. I wasn't expecting to go anytime before 40 weeks as everyone in my family had gone late with their babies. On Wednesday I had a Dr appointment. I was having random contractions and was 2 cm and 50% thinned out. I had been drinking raspberry tea Wednesday to Friday about three cups a day. Friday around 5:30 pm I went to the bathroom and realized I lost my mucus plug. hot a little excited but I know it isn't an indicator of labor. Had another cup of raspberry tea and bounced on my exercise ball for maybe 30 minutes. I was having random back pain maybe every twenty minutes. I went to bed around 9. I'd wake up every half hour and the back pain was getting more intense. My husband works second shift so I was waiting for him to get home. Around 12am they were pretty internet and about every four minutes. I fell asleep for about an hour and when I got up they were regular at every three minutes. He got home from work at that time and I told him it was time to go. We called my mom and his mom to let them know. We got to the hospital around 2:30am. The back labor was intense. The nurse checked me and I was 80% thinned and still only at 2cm. I felt horrible and realized I couldn't do it without an epidural. It was all back labor. Around 6am she checked me and I was at 3.5 cm. Still feeling defeated. She called for an epidural. It took him about an hour to get there. He attempted it and missed the first time. He then had me lay on my side. He placed it again and it only numbed my right side. We waited ten minutes and he took it out to do it again. I then felt intense leaking as I was laying on my side. The nurse checked and my water had broken! And I was at 6cm! He placed the epidural again and instant relief. The whole procedure took almost 2 hours. My mom and husband were left back in the room then. My mother in law arrived within 30 min. About an hour after the epidural the doctor came to check me. I was at 8cm. He said he'd be back in an hour. Around 11 he came back, I was at 9 but my water had regenerated. He broke it again and said we'd soon be having a baby and to call when I felt pressure. Around 12pm the pressure was intense with every contraction. The nurse came in and I was at 19 cm sand ready to push. We did a couple practice pushes with the nurse and after maybe 5 minutes she called the doctor in. He came in and we did three pages with each contraction. Holy pressure. I was crying that I couldn't do it. The pressure was so intense! I then watched him get scissors for an episiotomy. I cried saying "please don't cut me!" He did and about to pushes later my 7 lb 7 oz baby boy was here. And cue lots of ugly crying from me. The recovery was more painful than I expected but so wo uprth it!!