Hi everyone,

I finally get to tell my birth story.

This is a long post, so sorry in advance.

I’m addressing my post to all those mommas who like me are scared of labor, pain, needles etc.

On August 23rd I had to go to the hospital around 9:00 am to get induced due to my diagnosis of Cholestasis and GD. I was originally supposed to be induced with Cervidil but the doctor on call that day suggested I should get a Foley ballon instead. The insertion was very painful, partly because I could no calm myself down and every time the doc touched me I would Involuntarily close my legs and tense up. After a few tries he finally got it in but I started bleeding, so he had to clean up which just made the experience more uncomfortable for me. I went back home that day, my day just went by normally. The ballon dropped around 7:00 pm that night. I was told to go back to the hospital following morning around 8:00 am. Friday August 24th comes and I got to the hospital early morning like I was told just to find out that the birthing unit was full, and only two women were allowed to be on Pitocin at the same time so I would have to wait for a nurse for a little bit. I ended up getting hooked up to the IV around 6:00 pm. I need to stress here that I HATE needles, I’m petrified of them, so in order for me to get the IV I had to use gas, close my eyes and try to go to my happy place while the nurse tried to put it in. Of course first try didn’t work, so I ended up getting poked again which hurt like hell, and I guess it was the gas that made me feel super overwhelmed because when I came back to my senses I was in full shock, crying, shaking.. the whole package. It took me a while to calm myself down. After that I started getting pitocin that went from 4 doses to all the way up to 30. I wasn’t feeling much pain or many contractions to be honest, I was happy chatting with the nurse, everything was fun and games until the epidural time came. The doc came in, checked my cervix and said I was only 4 cms dilated. But she broke my water anyways to help things get moving, all this was around 11:00 pm. When the anesthesiologist showed up I didn’t really need the epi, but the girl in the room next door did, and it was already past 11:00 pm so if I was to ask for it around 1 or 2 am Later that morning most likely I wasn’t going to get anything as she would not come back at that time just for me. So I went and agreed to get it done. Let me please tell you this doc was amazing, but the problem was I do have scoliosis, so to locate the right spot given my spine’s curvature was not easy at ALL! She tried for an hour, poked me several times, to finally find what she thought was a good spot. I was relived it was finally in and it was time for medicine to kick in as the contractions had picked up considerably after that long process. My happiness was short lived when we found out the epidural was not working, as I was feeling everything!! The tubbing was not placed in the right spot, once again thanks to the position that my spine was in. So, I was there, half crying, half in denial, that after all that ordeal I was going to go with no epidural. The contractions were soo bad by then, I was using gas every time I got one. The anesthesiologist was so amazing though that she was the one that insisted I should give it another go. I said no a few times just because I didn’t want to suffer yet again for another hour just to get the same results, but I was in so much pain that I ended up agreeing to getting poked yet again ( me!! Who hates needles). By the love of God the second time around it was only two more pokes and the tubbing was in on the right spot because I stopped feeling contractions, were my legs were located etc. I was finally able to get some sleep, only an hour but that felt good. By the time I woke up I wasn’t feeling any contractions, but a burning/weird sensation on my left cheek. It kind of intensified but it was under control so the doc was not going to come check on me as my contractions were still 3 minutes apart. I did feel like going to pee, and they wouldn’t allow me to get out of bed on my own so the doc came to insert a catheter to empty my bladder, again things going in me, me not relaxing wasn’t helping but she got it done and said she was going to check my cervix now that she was already there. Well... just to everyone’s surprise I was fully dilated and ready to push!! I could not believe she was saying that. It was a little before 8:00 am and I started doing some trial pushes as the nurse called them, but after the third push I was crowning already. My poor husband had just stepped out to get a shower before we found out I was fully dilated just to come out and find a few nurses encouraging me and a head full of hair coming out of you know where. He almost fainted right then and then. The doc on call was not there yet, so the nurse turns the Pitocin off and I stopped feeling the burning sensation that was my cue to push ( at that point I was still not feeling actual contractions) I was pushing some times while no contractions was going on so I was wasting my energy and effort. When the doc finally got there at around 8:40 am they started the Pitocin again and then I was able to push some more. I felt everything when he was coming down, I felt when the doc put his finger in to “help” me get him out, and God almighty was that painful! I felt I was I breaking! The last 5 minutes, when I had to push the hardest I thought I was never getting out of that bed, I felt everything and again I thought I was splitting in half, but the second he was out, pain, and pressure were gone, I was shaking like a leaf, crying like a baby and with a beautiful baby boy in my chest. Julian Rodriguez was born on August 25th at 9:00 am.

To anyone who made it this far thank you so much for reading my story, and know that if I chicken like me, who hates needles, gets sedated for dental cleanings, and doesn’t do good with Pap exams could do it, you ladies can do it too!! Having your baby in your arms and admiring him every second after they’re born makes everything ok. I never thought I would say this, but it is the absolute truth. Good luck everyone!!