I was 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant when I got the call that my doctor was only going to be able to deliver my baby if they did it that evening because they wouldn't let me go past 41 weeks (they called me that morning and woke me up). I was hesitant at first, but after thinking it over for an hour, I decided to go ahead and do it. I was so nervous, I had diarrhea all day and made myself sick trying to eat. After going through that all day, we arrived at the hospital at 7pm and had to wait till 8:40pm to get a room. We get in the room where everything was waiting for us. Even blankets and chair beds because it was cold. I had my mom, husband, and mother in law with me. I get on my gown and get my IV and they started the pitocin. I was having weak contractions for the past 3 weeks prior. About an hour after the pitocin the contractions got stronger but still didn't hurt too bad. I went a few hours doing that and at about 1am the monitors starting going off. My baby's heart rate was decreasing and three nurses ran into the room and put on an oxygen mask, turned me on my side, and turned off the pitocin. Once his heart rate came back up they said they'd keep me off pitocin and try cerdavil in the morning, but I wasn't allowed to move or eat or drink water. He did fine for that time and I had the cerdavil inserted by a midwife at 8am. I had to keep it on till 8pm still without eating, drinking, or getting up to go to the bathroom. I was still getting contractions but not strong ones. I got through the day painfully, I was starving and super thirsty and peed all over myself multiple times because I had to use a bed pan and the nurse put it on wrong. Then after the cerdavil was taken out I was at 1 and a half cm. They finally allowed me to eat a sandwich and apple juice and drink a little water. (Best meal of my life) Then they had me walk around for an hour and take a shower. After this I had to go back to bed. His heart rate dropped again so I was back on bed rest without eating or drinking. But they kept me on pitocin. By this time my contractions were getting bad, and I felt them in my back. I suffered through the night, couldn't sleep at all. By the morning my contractions were super close together and super painful. I was measured at only 3cm and the nurse said it might be a good idea if I got an epidural which I previously didn't want to do, but I gave in, it's not like I was allowed to move or eat or drink anyways. They sent my family out and prepped me for it. My nurse was super sweet and helped hold me down during contractions and when my back started spasming. The epidural didn't hurt really, just felt like a cold poke inside of the spine. After they started the epidural, I couldn't feel a thing from the waist down, but I had the shakes and nausea super bad. I hardly felt them put in my catheder. I was finally able to sleep and when I woke up it was time to break my water as I was at 4cm. After that things went by fast, I slept through most of the time and after having a few naps I woke up to get measured at 8 cm. At this time the nurse told me to start pushing. It didn't hurt just felt pressure. My doctor told me that the cord was wrapped around his neck and that I needed to hurry. This is why his heart rate dropped multiple times. After 40 min of pushing as hard as I could and 2 cuts to my vagina, my baby Joey was finally born at 4pm on September 19th, 5 days after my birthday and his due date. (20.5 in and 7 lbs 5 oz) After I gave birth I was finally allowed to eat, not that I wanted to at that point. And I was moved to postpartum, which is a whole other story in itself. So ultimately I'm glad that I got that induction because I wouldn't have known that the cord was around his neck and I potentially could've lost my baby if it didn't go exactly how it did. If I decide to have another in a few years, I probably won't get an induction unless it's absolutely necessary though and I'll try to do it medication free.

After the epidural

During my skin to skin

In postpartum photo shoot

Baby Joey at one month