For about two months before labor, I was dilated 4cm. The pain every day was just terrible. I felt how I dilated every centimeter. But contractions weren’t consistent enough to keep me or induce me. Which is fine; the longer she stayed in my belly: the better. 

Come February 25th 11pm. Contractions start. Still not consistent...I take Tylenol. Try to sleep. Wake up at 12:55am with contractions. Still not consistent. Up again at 2am, then 4am, finally 5:44am. I can’t take anymore pain. I get ready. Get my four kids ready. My husband and I drop off our two oldest off at school. And the two smallest with my parents. 

And off to the hospital we go. (2/26/19)8:15am. We get there, check in. Nurse checks me. Finally 6cm. So they decide to keep me because contractions are finally consistent. They’re thinking I’m dilating by the hour. But come two hours. I’m still at a 6. About 4 hours pass and they decide to start me on Pitocin. Small dose every 30 minutes. Still not dilating. Contractions are there but not dilating at all. Come 9:35PM!!!NIGHT! 13 hrs!!! The dr finally comes in and says you’ve been here all day with contractions but not dilating. I’m going to pop your bag. And hopefully within the next hour or two. You’ll have a baby. 

So she does just that. At 9:35 pops my water. And says there’s a bit of meconium. Not much so it’s ok...I know it really isn’t cause with my first the same thing happened and was at NICU for an hour for her breathing. 

The nurse checks me at 938pm and I literally dilated to 9.5cm. Within minutes!!! She was like oh my goodness, We thought it’d take an hour! 

She calls the dr right back in. My husband and sister are around and encouraging me to push. I’m pushing as best I can. But not good enough. The final push, baby comes out...but I hear no crying after the baby is placed on me...my husband gets serious, my sister almost starts crying and my baby is blue/purple/black...at this point. I don’t know what’s going on, the dr starts asking me weird questions. And I start freaking out. My baby wasn’t breathing!

No one told me she had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck! 

She had too much meconium in her lungs she wasn’t breathing. The RT worked on her for about 30 minutes. 

My baby finally gained some color. She started to cry slowly. She was ok...

she came back...she’s alive and well .

Shes very loved at home with her three sisters and brother. 

Valentina Patricia ❤️