I get so emotional because my first labor was scary and ended in an emergency c-section.

My second was just as intense but oh how proud I was that I FINALLY delivered vaginally and on my terms.

My third- I was terrified. Would I end up with another c-section? What would birth be like? Would it be as scary as the other two?

On Tuesday I woke up at 2:30 am with contractions that seemed to be getting stronger. I was scheduled to be induced at 11 pm that night and go figure- she wanted to make her own time.

I slept on and off most of the day. My doctor had swept my membranes that Thursday prior and I was at 2 cm dilated so I had some light bleeding and had been consistently losing my plug with some minor contractions here and there.

At around 2 o’clock I woke up from a nap to a huge bright red blood clot. It was my show! And it was GO time. We hurried and got everything together, dropped the kiddos off at grandmas and arrived at the hospital.

My doctor checked me, I was 3 cm and progressing pretty well so he decided since I was going to be back there at 11 anyways, they would just keep me.

At around 5:30 they broke my water, placed internal monitors, hooked me up to pitocin and started me on an extremely low dose- holy SHIT those contractions HURT.

Finally at around 9 they got ahold of the anesthesiologist and he came to place the epidural.

This guy took an HOUR and a half to place my epidural and it only worked on half of my body for about 20 minutes. Finally, it completely kicked in and I labored until 11:30 when they decided to check me again.

9 centimeters!!! It was almost time!!! My body was doing exactly what it was supposed to.

They called my doctor and again the waiting game. I started to feel a TON of pressure. I called my nurse and there was baby’s head 😳

Hurry up doctor!!!!

Finally, after pushing three times and reclaiming birth vaginally ONCE AGAIN-

Salem Jade joined us earthside.

And I bawled.

Salem Jade

February 13th 2019

7 lbs 3 oz

18 3/4 in long