On 12-4 at 38.3 weeks I was getting ready for work at 12pm. Just standing at my bathroom sink I had just washed my face and did a mask. I felt a gush of fluids. I was fairly certain it was not urine as I had just urinated a massive amount. So I sat on the toilet and put a pad on. When I wiped there was the slightest pink tinge.

I went back to getting ready. Felt a few more gushes. I checked my pad and it was pretty wet with some significant discharge.

I debated for a really long time about calling my doctors office and about whether or not I should just go into work. Especially since I wasn’t having any contractions.

Eventually I called my doctors office and they told me to head to l&d.; I texted my husband and then called into work and let them know. I texted my husband again.

Got dressed, texted my husband yet again, did my make up, finished packing bags. Finally tried calling him and it went straight to voicemail twice.

Finally at 2 I decided to drive myself to the hospital. And I called into the warehouse where he works on the way. I had to talk to an operator who had to find his supervisor who had to give him a message.

When I was about 5 minutes from the hospital he called me and said he’d meet me there.

L&D; got me checked in, had me put a gown on, urinate, and got me hooked up to the monitors.

Then my husband came.

My first nurse was pretty terrible to be honest. She told me she couldn’t tell if my water had broken from my urine which is fine and dandy. She wanted to check me with a speculum and light. So she did and said I think you’re right, I’ll let the doctor know.

About a half hour later, I put my legs and down and screamed and jumped. She left the speculum light on underneath the blankets and I burned my leg on it. I never ended up complaining about it though.

Doctor comes in and checks my cervix, only dilated 1 cm.

She then comes in the room later and says I’m being admitted, asks a bunch of questions. I tell her about my medication allergies. She then tells me than I need an iv but she’s too busy to do it now. And shell come back later.

I finally get an iv in around 4, she hooks me up to fluids. She forgets to hook my bag up to the pump and I got the whole bag in less than an hour.

I finally started getting pictocin around 6pm. Then family started showing up around 6:30. They didn’t leave until 10:30😑. I was exhausted.

Contractions finally started around midnight. So I wasn’t able to sleep. They kept turning the pictocin up every half hour. Contractions began to intensify. At 4 the doctor checked me and I had made zero progress. By 5 am I asked for something for pain. I don’t know what they gave me but it did nothing for pain but allowed me shut my eyes between contractions. By 7 am I had finally progressed to what the doctor said was a tight 1.5cm.

My new nurse brought in a birthing ball for me and offered me a popsicle since it had been since 11:30 the morning before since I had eaten anything. I talked with my husband about how I didn’t want my family in the room that day while I was painful.

Somehow by 10 I miraculously dilated to 4 and opted for the epidural. The second the medication kicked in I was out. I slept on and off through doctors and nurses coming in to check me and through them putting in a urinary catheter.

By 2 I was ready to push, the doctor made the nurses turn off the epidural so i could feel as I pushed. And I started pushing. I pushed until 3:30 and the pain was literally the worst thing I’ve ever felt in my life. And I ended up puking al over myself and had to change my gown. I started crying because I couldn’t do it any more. The doctor came in checked me and his position and said “this isn’t good”. He said he was face up and I was going to need a c section.

Everything from there seemed to happen quickly. My epidural got hooked back up and I was wheeled to the surgery suite. My body began violently shaking. Nurses were telling me to close my eyes and it would stop.

Finally at 3:58 my beautiful son was born. I cried the second I heard his cries and my husband held my hand and cried as he thanked me. He went to take pictures and I couldn’t stop crying. One of the nurse wanted to give me an injection for nerves but I declined.

Then as the doctor was finishing up he said again “this isn’t good” somehow the umbilical was tied in a knot. He then explained that it could have ended badly if I had a natural birth.

I keep questioning whether or not the doctor did he c section because I felt so weak or if he felt that I needed it. I’m glad I had it, but I don’t like feeling like it was because I couldn’t handle it.

I was put on iv antibiotics due to my water being broken for almost 28 hours before having him and he was it on close watch for infection.

The doctor said it had been years since he had seen anyone with their water broken that long before giving birth. Thankfully my son did not develop an infection but did have some mild jaundice.

Also, I still didn’t get to eat until 12-6. I went 50 hours without eating anything other than a popsicle and a jello cup.

So many things could have gone wrong had I not trusted my instincts. I’m very thankful for my son, Spencer James, born 12-5 at 3:58pm at 7lb 8 oz and 21.5in long.

Sorry for the long read