Labor was NOT what I imagined.

38 weeks 4 days, Thursday 3/22.

I was having minor contractions throughout the day. I figured I’d have time to clean up around the house. Got some cleaning done, by 6PM, I couldn’t move. My contractions were AWFUL. 6 minutes apart. We headed to the hospital around 1AM. Got sent home because I was only 1cm dilated. I got some pain medication and sleep medication to ease me through the pain.

Morning of 3/23, I slept from 4AM, to 3PM! Of course, napping in between contractions.

6PM, contractions were 5 minutes apart but I didn’t want to hear out until I couldn’t take it. 8PM comes around, my water ruptured, but didn’t fully break. Just enough for me to get in the car and want to get this baby out of me! We waited it out, 10:30PM I’m back in L&D.; They check, definitely my water breaking with contractions every 2-3 minutes. I get checked in, and I’m in full on tears from the pain. I decided to go for the epidural at 3AM, I was 3cm dilated. 5AM comes around and I’m 5cm dilated. I had fallen asleep and was woken up by what seemed like 20 nurses. Monitors are beeping, I’m being moved from one side to another, and they tell me they have to break my water because I wasn’t progressing. They break my water, wait 30 minutes and nothing. Baby’s heartbeat had been dropping for the past hour after every contraction. My blood pressure was also dropping and my medication simply wasn’t working.

It’s 6AM and I’m told I need an emergency c section. Of course I cried my eyes out. Had uncontrollable shaking, I was being held down by nurses to calm me down. 38 minutes later baby girl was born. Perfect, healthy and with some strong lungs! Surgery went great, not what I intended for my FIRST BABY. But WOW I can’t help but stare at her and forget what I just went through. My due date was April 1st and she made an early appearance. March 24th, 6lbs 10oz! Melanie has arrived! 💕👑🎀