I wanted to write down my 3rd and final birth story before I forgot.

I got a sweep on Tuesday at 38+1. Lost bloody mucus all week but honestly felt better than I had been. On Friday afternoon my son spiked a fever. I was stressed but glad that we weren’t being induced till the following Tuesday. Friday night I said “I feel like she’s trying to break my water. I bet she comes tomorrow.”

The next morning my hubby rolled out of bed at 6:30 to pee. This annoyed me because now I have to get up and pee. As I rolled over I got a mild contraction. That was definitely not out of the norm. As I stood up I felt a tiny gush. I thought pee, but the second I moved it kept going down my legs. I just called out “uhhhh honey...” and he said “your water better not have just broken!” And I said “it did!” And he told me to get on the tile lol. I ran to the bathroom and sat on the toilet and he crawled back into bed. I was like “get up and pack your bag!” And he said “can’t we go back to sleep for a bit??” I told him no, and called our moms. His was going to come over and watch our older boys.

We took our time getting ready because I was having very sporadic, very mild contractions. We got to the hospital around 9, got checked in and got iv fluids going. I was checked and was still only 2.5 cm after over 2 weeks at that. She told me to try to walk for a while, they would check me at 11 and then start pitocin if nothing happened.

Wellllll no progression... 😑 so we start pitocin. The contractions immediately started at 4 every 10 minutes and were manageable. Then my doctor said she wanted to do a foley balloon so I wasn’t in labor forever. She wasn’t there so the on call doc was supposed to do it, but got called into an emergency. At this time my contractions became pretty painful and the nurse talked me into waiting for the doctor to put in the balloon before getting my epidural. The doctor came in to insert the balloon at around 2 pm. She said I was still 2.5! 😩 She put the balloon in and inflated it. I was dying. She let go and it immediately slid out. It was so painful, but she was like, well at least you’re a 3 now? Lol. She said to call my doc and tell her it wasn’t going to be worth it. At this point my contractions are terrible and I wanted that epidural!!! He took what felt like an eternity but really wasn’t much time. I was near tears with each pitocin induced contraction. He put the epidural in and kept rambling on about he didn’t like moms to be completely numb because then they can’t push and the doctor will have to use forceps. Whatever dude. So I’m feeling way better but have a spot in the front where I can still feel each contraction. The pain was only about 1.5 or 2/10. The nurse checks me at 3:10 and I am 5 cm. Yay!

We hang out and the nurse ups the pitocin every little bit. I start to get a bit of the shakes. At 4 pm She says “let’s roll on your side and put a leg in the stirrup and I’ll up your pit again.”

Ok.

The second she ups the pit and I’m on my side, I can feel every single contraction as if I have no epidural. She pushes the button to release a bit more meds and it does nothing. She lets me roll back on my back and I’m about to cry with each contraction. She calls the anesthesiologist back in and checks me. I’m a 7! Woohoo. He said, since you still have a bit before you push, I’ll give you more medicine. He makes sure to mention again that if you’re too numb you can’t push and the doctor will have to use forceps. Whatever dude. He gives me a big ol dose and I go completely numb. Completely. I can’t move a thing. At 4:45 I was like I feel something but I don’t know what. She checks and was like, “oh you’re a 9!” She calls my doctor in, who lives about 20 minutes away. 20 minutes pass and she’s not there yet (she’s nearly 9 mos pregnant too and not moving so fast lol!) and I was like “listen, I really can feel something in my vagina.” The nurse was like “I’m not going to open your legs enough to check you! I’m just going to peek and make sure no head is coming out!” There wasn’t so she told me to keep my legs closed. My doctor rolls in at 5:15, starts getting suited up. My hubby wanted to help deliver so she told him to get gowned house too. They put my legs in the stirrups (they literally had to do it because I couldn’t move a bit) at 5:25, and I was like “it feels weird!” The doctor was like, “yeah I can see her head even though you aren’t doing anything!” Her head slid out on her own. The doctor was showing my husband what to do. She told me I may need to push for the shoulders. I leaned a bit forward to hold my legs to push and she just came all the way out in my husbands hands and he placed her on me. It was so surreal! He loved every second and I just couldn’t believe I didn’t have to do any work! Or feel a dang thing haha. She came out at 6 lbs 13 oz and 18.25 inches. A full lb and 3 inches less than both her brothers!

I went from 5 cm to the baby just sliding out in 2 hours. It was wild. I had a 2nd degree tear where I had torn/been cut the two previous times. I take been about 24 hours and I’m feeling good! The nursing cramps have been a real bitch though! Everyone is very in love with our miss Hazel Katherine.