I was due with my first on the first of December. That day came and went. I passed one week over due. I was getting really nervous. The 11th rolled around I had a foley catheter after stripping my membranes didn't work. They over filled the balloon because I was dilated to a 5 but not progressing. They sent me home to labor and I had the catheter in all day and night waiting for it to fall out but it never did. I got up at 5am unable to sleep through the pain any longer. I climbed in the shower and sat under the hot water for almost 2 hours. Taking breaks to walk around the house. At 7:30 I woke up my husband and he called the midwife to ask what we could do. She said we could cut the cord and drain the balloon since it was probably too big to fall out on its own. My husband got a time to bring me in but we had to wait until 8:15 so they had time to prepare the birth room. I laid on the floor while my sweet husband packed and prepared everything. Finally we left and drove to the birth center.

When we walked in I just laid in the bed and focused on getting through contractions which we're getting stronger and stronger. They checked me and I was at an 8 and was told I'd probably be pushing in an hour. An hour passed. Then two and I still wasn't at a 10. Finally the midwife checked me and I had a small lip that wouldn't dilate back. She offered to try and push it back but when she did it was way to painful and I made her stop.

I tried every position to get the lip to leave. I bounced on a ball, got in the tub, sat on the toilet, did lunges in the shower, I even did yoga. Nothing worked and I was exhausted. At 1 or 2 they offered to call an ambulance so I could get an epidural and rest. I accepted a little begrudgingly.

My midwife asked me to try letting her move the lip again but it was still too painful. I was just trying to breathe and survive each contraction while waiting. I stopped trying to push. Then she asked if I would try a few more positions while we waited and I agreed. I got on the ball again then a birthing stool and then back in the tub. I finally felt a change. Her head dropped into the birth canal.

I pushed and pushed for 4 hours in the tub. They monitored her heart rate but suddenly they couldn't find it and when they did it was really weak. The midwife and attendant had me move back to the bed and basically dragged me as walking with a baby almost crowning is really hard.

I was placed on oxygen and pushed on the bed and was told I needed an episiotomy because she was stuck and they couldn't find her heart beat. So they cut me and she still was stuck so they cut me again. When her head was out they immediately started resesitating her while I tried to push out her shoulders.

Then suddenly she was out and placed on my chest. I ripped off the oxygen mask and just held her and tried to come to terms with it all. They brought over a little tube if oxygen for us to hold by her nose and my mom cut the cord since my husband was too squeamish.

My baby wanted to nurse immediately and latched perfectly while I was stitched up.

I found out that they never actually called an ambulance. Which irritated me a little. The baby got stuck because the cord was around her neck and shoulder. And the cord looked shredded which is why her heart rate kept dropping.

But despite all the bad, Amelia Hazel Fitch was born at 7:09pm, weighing 8.15lbs with a full head of hair and crazy blue eyes. And she's been thriving ever since.