My precious baby boy arrived into this world on Sunday, 8/26/18 at 1:46am. I was induced at 39 weeks exactly due to gestational diabetes with insulin use.

The day before induction I went into the hospital to have an outpatient procedure of having the foley balloon inserted to start dilation, I was only a fingertip dilated when I arrived to have it inserted and for some reason the doctor struggled to place the balloon in me. The procedure was supposed to take 10 minutes, but it took my doctor 45 minutes and five attempts, it was extremely painful. By the time I left to go home for the evening I was at 1cm dilated and cramping intensely.

We arrived at the hospital the next morning to start induction at 6am on Friday, 8/24/18. I had been up all night pretty much on all fours in pain from the balloon placement. We checked into L&D and they checked my cervix, I was only at 1.5cm so they decided to remove the balloon by draining it and pulling it out. They gave me a pill they referred to as a “miso pill” to try speeding up dilation and monitored my progress on NST. We waited in a triage room for 5 hours since all the labor suites were full!

At 11am they finally moved us to a labor suite, and checked my cervix again - no progress, they decided to insert and even bigger foley balloon into my cervix to try and get me dilated fast and simultaneously started me on pitocin! I think the insertion of the second balloon was one of the most painful parts of the process. I believe around 8pm the balloon was finally loose enough for them to pull out of me (ouch!). At this point I was only at 3cm and 50% effaced, so they continued the pitocin through the night.

The next morning 8:30am on Saturday 8/25/18 my water broke, but I was only dilated to 5cm. They continued pitocin and at this point I got the epidural because I could not handle the pain and I was extremely exhausted.

They let me labor all day until around midnight on Saturday 8/25/18, they checked me bc I had pressure to push and I was 9cm 90% effaced and baby’s head was coming down but they noticed his head was “molding” and could be a sign that he wasn’t going to fit through my pelvis but they still let me labor for another hour just to see if I would progress. I developed a fever suddenly and infection from my water being broken for too long with no delivery made, after an extra hour I only got to 9.5cm and still only 90% thinned and baby needed out so the doctor called for emergency csection.

I was terrified as they wheeled me to the OR, and just praying to God for a healthy baby. Once they started I could feel A LOT of pressure and some pain. Since baby’s head was already half way stuck in my pelvis, one nurse had to go from my vagina and push baby’s head back up while two doctors tried removing him through the incision in my lower tummy. I was screaming at one point from the pressure. But once they got him out and I heard his sweet cry the first time, I forgot all the pain and was instantly in tears.

Precious baby was finally born Sunday 8/26/18 at 1:46am, weighing 7lb 14oz and 20 inch long 💙

We were in the hospital for 5 days, but finally home since yesterday and are so thankful our son is healthy and I’m recovering well.

Andrew Steven was worth every hour of pain 💙