About 34 hours post birth now so I’m writing this from our hospital bed. I went in Sunday May 26 at 38+6 to be induced after a couple weeks of elevated BP around 2000 and had Cervidil inserted around 2100 and it worked so well for me, bringing on cramping then more painful contractions. Around 0300 my water broke and it was literally like the movies except I was laying in my bed, weird pop/click feeling then a big warm gush of water! Almost immediately contractions got stronger and more painful. I labored for about 2 ish hours until getting an epidural at 0500 ish. Epidural wasn’t painful for me! The shot was a pinch then a sting but nothing unbearable that’s for sure. I progressed really well with it since I started at basically a zero and just barely soft. I got to 10 cm around 1300 that afternoon and began pushing. I pushed for 4 hours and began to run a fever and feel chills. Little guys heart rate was up to 180 consistently and my nurse and doctor agreed he was most likely stuck and he gave us the option to try forceps, vacuum or just go for a c section. By this point I was so exhausted and was feeling the contractions in a band below my breasts like a super intense side cramp from running. I couldn’t push effectively anymore and was just exhausted so I cried and said let’s just do the c section I can’t do this anymore. And thank God that was our new plan because his heart rate dropped to about 70, came out very blue and not breathing. His head was wedged sideways and with every contraction and push, his head would get smashed into my bladder and pelvis basically. His poor head was so misshapen when he came out with a big red bruised welt on the front of his forehead. His APGAR was 2 at 1 minute, but by 5 minutes was 6 then by 10 minutes was up to an 8. The on call pediatrician saved my boys life. I was so out of it my husband didn’t want to worry me so I didn’t know his condition after they brought him by my face for a photo then whisked him off to the nursery where he was for three hours while I was stitched up, moved to another room and impatiently waited in so much pain as the epidural wore off to hold and feed my boy. He was born at 1816 at 6lbs 14oz and 18.5” long. I finally got to hold him around 2100 when my husband brought him to me and told me how rough his start was but that he is thriving now and was trying to nurse on his knuckles while he was with him in there. He’s the sweetest baby already with such a calm demeanor and has a killer latch already! His head is already almost back to normal with the welt gone and just some red bruising left. My milk basically is in and drips out so he’s loving his nonstop supply of liquid gold. C section recovery is no joke either, ice packs are saving me right now 😂 but I know there was a reason I needed to me emotionally exhausted to just accept a c section, God knew it would save my boys life💙