This was my second baby. I was due August 31st. I had got preeclampsia with my first and tried so hard to avoid it again so I wouldn’t have to be induced a second time. My dream was to go into labor naturally on my own. But this baby got iugr and I had to visit high risk specialist who determined I’d have to be induced early yet again. Well with talking to my doctor and my husband we decided the induction date would be the 28th of August. We had registered at our hospital at the beginning of the month but the date we chose wasn’t available there so we were told we’d have to go to another hospital. On the 23rd we visited that hospital and got registered. I also had a high risk appointment before that that day, then we took a trip to Walmart and the grocery store and we went home. I had put away all the groceries and then realized I forgot all the little things I wanted to get for my first daughters special hospital bag from her unborn sister. I was also unable to get the tdap shot at my OB’s office since they were out of it so I decided I’d venture out on my own at 38 weeks and 6 days to go stop by my primary’s office for the shot, and go back to Walmart for the things I forgot and my husband also mentioned we needed gas. So I went back out to get my shot, gas and on to a second Walmart trip. All day I had contractions, but that wasn’t unusual since I’d been getting Braxton-Hicks from before 20 weeks. Once I got in line at the self pay, I felt a few gushes. I hadn’t experienced that before and hadn’t peed myself at all so I wrote my husband right away saying ‘either I just peed myself or my water just broke’ I kept feeling little gushes as I scanned and paid and walked to my car. I never drove home faster lol I got home and my underwear and pants were soaked with something that didn’t smell like pee and also brown blood. I told my husband that I think we should go to the hospital but I wanted to wait a little bit. So I put a pad on to see if anything more happened and timed contractions. I had been working on a baby blanket for her and tried so hard to finish getting it off the loom before we left while my husband continued to work on some mixes. He finished up and said let’s go before it gets any later and they just send us home. So by 10 pm we get to the hospital and I get into triage. My husband had to stay out with our daughter since they have a public triage. The nurse told me the blood was bloody show, my test for my water was negative and I was 3 cm dilated and 70 % effaced. I was 1-2cm the week prior at my doc visit. She said that just because the test was negative didn’t mean I wasn’t in labor so she kept me for another hour and had me walk the halls. She checked me again, 3-4 cm, and then I hear her calling my doc and telling her they’re keeping me. I was so anxious and excited that I was actually in labor on my own!! My husband went home to pack his bag and get food and I got transferred to a l&d room. I labored fast and hard but I enjoyed no epidural up until 7 cm when I opted for it out of the fear of the dreaded ‘ring of Fire’ and didn’t want to get it too late. When she inserted it, I felt it, felt weird nerve pains and just overall the whole epidural just felt weird and didn’t feel right. I had had the epidural with my first and my reaction this time was definitely not the same and I instantly broke down crying over it. I wasn’t happy anymore, and I didn’t feel right. Eventually the total numbness faded and I felt contractions again which made me feel a little better but my legs still felt so tingling and I couldn’t move my right leg. I didn’t feel tingling the first time I had the epidural. I think I was also overly exhausted which caused so much emotional distress over it. So maybe an hour and half later, I was ready to push, fully dilated and my water broke on the last check. My doc barely made it in time! But my contractions slowed right when she got there. Or so it felt I’m not too sure lol I think I only pushed through 2 contractions when she felt like she was slipping out on her own between contractions so I ended up pushing her out without a contraction! I felt her head pop out, which was incredible and so relieving, and I never felt with my first! I asked how long it took me to push her out and every one kinda laughed and was like ‘a minute’ lol it was so fast and easy! Aside from the epidural, it was a dream labor and delivery! I’m so thankful I went into labor on my own! It was nothing like my first!

So here is my second baby girl, Olivia Skye, born August 24th at 6:53 am, 39 weeks exactly, 5 lbs 12 oz, 18 1/2 inches.

Big sis was very excited to meet her baby sister!

Her first reaction meeting her for the first time ❤️