I had my last scheduled appointment 12/6. My doctor told me to schedule one last appointment and if our boy wasn’t here by then we would schedule an induction. My EDD was 12/9 and I was devastated. I had been told the entire pregnancy I would likely have him before my due date and that 12/6 was the apt to schedule induction. I was 2.5 cm dilated 80% effaced. That night I had some contractions but I figured it was from the check so no big deal.

I woke up at 1:30 am feeling like I was having a period cramp, then it went away. I tried falling asleep, that didn’t work because another one came soon after. I got out my contraction timer and started timing. I was 12 to 7 minutes apart. As this is my second child I knew it may be a while before his grand entrance and in between contractions I just tried to convince myself they were just cramps not real contractions. By 2:30 am I had enough laying in bed tossing and turning trying to breath through the contractions and I went out to the living room so I wouldn’t wake my husband with my heavy breathing or “ow”s every couple of minutes. I rolled on my exercise ball and ate some fruit snacks while timing contractions and drinking ice water. By 3 am I was having contractions between 3-5 minutes. I texted my mom and told her to come over to watch my 4 year old and woke my husband to let him know we’re having our son soon and to get dressed as my mom would be at the house in an hour and 20 minutes.

We took showers, I did dishes, I moved laundry from the washer to the dryer. My mom gets to our house and we make sure she has everything she needs. I text my boss and the daycare letting them know what’s happening and we leave the house around 5:30. We get to a gas station where I have to pee and my husband gets a breakfast burrito then head to the hospital.

We arrive at 6 am on the birthing center floor. The main entrance is closed so we go through the ER entrance and they insist on wheeling me up to the second floor. So they put me in a check in room on the birthing floor and Check to find im 3cm and 80%effaced and I feel a bit defeated but my contractions are consistently 2-3 minutes apart and strong enough that they admit me.

At 7 they check me and I’m 4cm and 90% effaced and the baby’s heart rate didn’t like my contractions so they quickly set me on my side. They administered my epidural and I could finally breath. A doctor comes in with a small posse of nurses and students and has a student Check me I was still at a 4 at 10 am. They break my water. I began throwing up, a nurse comes in at 11 and checks me and I am at an 8. She tells me she will be back in an hour to check me. I begin throwing up more and the nurse comes in at 12:30 and checks... I’m at a 10 with a bit of a lip so they will Check in at 1.

At 1:14 the team came in with all their gear and said to start pushing. I had About 5-6 contractions and my little boy was out at 1:38pm. It was so much quicker than I expected. I cut my own cord and held my son skin to skin for about an hour. Then they measured him after he ate. We feel so blessed to have him in our arms finally.