Less scary the second time

So this is going to be kind of a short story.

My due date was February 08 2019, from the start I had a feeling I'd be early and have a January baby. Well come about the second week in January I started having contractions, nothing major so I ignored it and continued working 40 hours a week, cleaning and doing my usual routine.

Well that entire week I had contractions, some of them started to get stronger towards the end of the week, still nothing regular so I ignored them. Well come Jan 15 I'd lost some mucus plus and had been having some discomfort in my back while at work, I'd been losing my plus since I was about 19 weeks so I didn't think to much of it and waited till I was off work to go to labor and delivery just to make sure. When the nurse hooked me up to the machine to monitor any contractions she checked my cervix, I was at a 3-4. They watched me for an hour but nothing was consistent so I got sent home. Okay no big deal, I had a doctors check up the next day.

When I went it I was 90% effaced and at a full 4cm now. He told me what to look out for and said if nothing happened by week 38 (2 weeks from then) we would do a membrane sweep. So i left, set up my next appointment and went on my way.

By then I was totally done being pregnant and did everything to induce myself, raspberry tea, walking, cleaning, anything. I continued to go to work thinking nothing would happen.

On Jan 21 I was having more consistent back pains and contractions, about everything 10-15 minutes from what i timed and I had lost another good chunk of my plug and it was blood tinged so I knew then itd be any day now.

Jan 22 1130 am- I woke up needing to pee and as I stood up I felt a good amount of liquid come out, so I went pee and put on a pad, waited till about 12 to make sure it was my water (wasn't having any contractions) when I checked the pad again it was wet so I woke up my husband and said we needed to go to the hospital I think my waters broke.

So we make our way into labor and delivery, I get into a triage and gown and the nurse checks my cervix and wants to test the fluid to make sure...I'm at 5 cm now at 1230 pm and as the nurse is pulling her fingers out from me my water fully breaks, so they keep me.

We get moved into a room and I feel some contractions, more like light period cramps, so very tolerable.

About 130-2 we start 2ml of pitocin every hour. I had preclampsia my first delivery and the pitocin spiked up my blood pressure, so they started the amount of very small.

The nurses check my cervix and I'm at 6 almost 7 cm. No epidural yet.

come about 330 i feel a strong contractions and alot of pressure. So I requested the epidural, the nurses come in with the anesthesiologist and check my cervix again. I'm at an 8 . we get the epidural going and I only felt maybe another 3-4 contractions while they were putting the epidural in me. Onc that got in and working I didn't feel a thing and was 100% comfortable again.

Come about 415 the nurse comes in and asks if I'm feeling the contractions...my response "am I still having them?" She laughs and says they are about 2 minutes apart now. I didn't even feel them! She checks me one more time....I'm fully dilated and 100% effaced. Time to push.

The nurse team gets everything ready and one calls my OBGYN and he comes over. I get my feet in the stirups and immediately wanna push, my body practically was doing it on its own. 430 comes around and my OB finally gets there as I'm pushing and crowning he takes one look at me and "were definitely having a baby!" Throws on his scrubs and after a few more pushes my baby girl comes out healthy and happy at 4:41 PM weighing 6 lbs 6 oz and was 19 inches long.

My total labor and delivery was about 3.5-4 hours. No pain, only 1 second degree tear and it was a successful VBAC delivery. 2 weeks later I'm almost recovered and baby girl is as happy as ever.