William David came 8 days early and it was almost a complete surprise!!

I’ve been obsessed with birth stories and now it’s my turn to help others by sharing my own. ☺️ at least I’ll try! I’m still trying to remember it all!

I was due on Feb 8th but I had a feeling he was going to come early.

I had an OB appt on Tuesday, Jan 30. I had my cervix checked and the doc said I was still closed and it was high behind the baby’s head. I figured by then that he’s come on time since I wasn’t at all dilated. Fine. Well the rest of the dY I was in a lot of hip pAin, front and back. Like he had moved lower and was just sitting in my pelvis. I worked all day, made dinner and settled in for the night.

I woke up suddenly at 12:30-1:00 am In a lot of pain and a bad urge to poop. My husband says my tone of voice was different. I didn’t ask for his help, I told him I needed the bathroom immediately. I was having contractions but I didn’t know it yet. I just felt this painful urge to poop that wouldn’t go away. I finally made it back to bed and started counting. 30-40 second contractions every 2 mins. My husband asked to go back to sleep. I said yes because I thought it was fake. Any minute they would stop and I could go back to sleep, but they didn’t! A few minutes later I told my husband to get dressed and move the bags to his car. Once my hour is up we’re going. They weren’t slowing down and they hurt more than anything I’ve ever felt before.

We got to the hospital at 2:30 and this is where I lost track of time until 5:00. I came into the hospital dilated to a 4 and the nurse kept telling my husband were having a baby today! But I couldn’t believe it! It was my first baby! Isn’t labor supposed to build up to this?! Well the contractions kept getting stronger but they were still only a minute or so long and I realized that I NEEDED ALL THE DRUGS. I couldn’t catch my breath and I couldn’t focus. I laid on my side and clutched to the railing like my life depended on it and all I could hear was my nurse’s voice and my forced breathing. My back hurt so much that I kept rubbing and scratching at it until they gave me a heat press which helped a little. They were waiting for the doc to arrive and they gave me a shot of fentanyl “to take the edge off” because I was third in like for an epidural. THIRD?! Jesus H Christ, I couldn’t wait that long!! The fentanyl wasn’t enough. It did take the edge off but I could still feel the contractions with an increased urge to push that I couldn’t always ignore. At some point the baby’s heart rate dropped from 150 to 90 something and I started to scramble for the call button. The doctor arrived, half asleep it looked like and checked. My water hadn’t broken and it was stressing the baby. My husband said he could see it and it was like a water balloon. The doc popped it and said that was it, then told me to wait for the next on call dr to arrive at 6 (wtf? I should be mad but I’m not because I liked the other doctor more :D)

Then I got the epidural and let me tell you ladies, it’s the greatest thing. For me, getting it was hard because I did NOT want to sit up. The position sucked for me because it hurt my hips and contractions. But I focused on my breathing (just the sound of it) and it barely hurt at all. I only wish it could have acted faster. Once it kicked in though was the greatest feeling ever. I could finally open my eyes and talk, except that it gave me the shakes and I couldn’t rest.

The next dr arrived at 6:30 and told me I was finally ready to push. He went and got more nurses “to celebrate the birthday!” and got everything ready to go. I pushed in absolutely no pain for almost an hour and William David was born at 7:18 am!!

I’m still in shock that it happened as fast as it did and I could not have imagined a better birth thanks largely to the epidural allowing me to focus.

I just can’t believe it!!