Warning, this will be long and graphic.

My baby girl is 5 months old and sleeping in today so I finally have time to give this a go.

Let’s start with the day before I went into labor, I was extremely uncomfortable! I had cramps like crazy but nothing unbearable or more than a menstrual cramp. I had done a lot of walking that day as my sister in law had her senior night and the family walked her across the football field, but I did a lot more walking than that.

That night my SO and I decided to engage in a little fun if you know what I mean, I remember joking with him how it could kickstart labor(he to this day thinks I seduced him on purpose to get the ball rolling, I didn’t lol.)

The day I went into labor I woke up to an upset stomach and vomited grape juice all over my bathroom sink(tmi) but I believe that was another sign.

We went to the mall that afternoon and did a couple laps around the mall just shopping for more clothes for me, I had 5 more weeks and wanted some more maternity clothes for the winter and fall weather.

We got home and I needed to lay down so I put on the Halloween baking show that’s on Hulu and my SO pondered his brain on what we wanted to pick up for dinner. I was laying there watching all the gorey delicious desserts when I felt a trickle down my behind, I was laying on my side. Just thinking it was pregnancy discharge I stood up to head to the bathroom, that’s when the water works started. It was soooo much fluid I sat on the toilet for a while hoping it would stop so I could get changed and head to the hospital, it was clear and never ended.

I threw on some boy shorts and my boyfriends gym shorts hoping it would be a bit more water resistant compared to my leggings.

We called his parents to come pick us up, frantic that we didn’t have a hospital bag we just threw a charger, change of clothes for me and our wallets into a reusable grocery and headed out with me wrapped in 3 beach towels lol

We get to my hospital that’s 40 mins away, since I said my water was broken I got to go straight to labor and delivery. Because I was still leaking so much all over the place they believed that my water was broken and didn’t bother to test the fluid. I was put in a room in labor and delivery with 3 other patients in there. Some in false labor were sent home, I on the other hand was sent to my own room. It was about 8 almost 9 at this point and my water had broke at 7pm. We got to my room and I was very comfortable, I didn’t have contractions, and If i was I wasn’t feeling them at that point. I called my mom once I was admitted so it was my partner, my mom, my mother in law and father in law all in the room with me. I remember complaining how hungry I was, I didn’t eat dinner lol.

I asked for food but all the nurse could offer me was clear ice chips, I’m assuming as a precaution Incase I needed surgery/c section.

I was hooked up to a monitor, it was taking my HR, BP, monitoring my contractions and daughters HR as well.

I remember having to constantly pee, but because my waters ruptured the risk of infection was too high and I had to pee in a bed pan (I used to be a CNA so I felt bad ringing them button every time I needed to pee, those ice chips went straight through me lol.) but this is when my father in law took it as his time to just wait in the lobby.

But this is where the nurse explained I would likely get pitocin drip, a antibiotic because I was never tested for strep, steroid shots for my daughter lungs etc. she then explained to me the pain scale, which I’m already familiar with. She said 1 was feeling no pain which was my current pain level and 10 feeling unbearable pain and screaming like another labor mother in the ward. It was my first so her screaming scared me. I remember laughing, reassuring my nurse and saying oh I won’t be like her, don’t worry(jokes on me.)

The doc came in at nearly 11pm and recommended the pitocin, and antibiotic. She explained how I wasn’t able to get epidural because I didn’t stop my blood thinners(lovenox) early enough which I already figured, I was 35 weeks. She also said she didn’t recommend the steroid shots for my daughter as they’d likely do more harm than good at that point. The nurse returns with all that. I’m IV connected and receiving the pitocin, an antibiotic straight from hell(it burned soooo bad.) and low and behold a steroid shot, just one. Even though we were

Told it’d do more harm than good. The nurse heard us complaining and had the doctor come in and explain that she meant all 3 shots would do more harm than good and I needed the one I was getting. I’m not a doctor, I don’t argue with them lol 🤷🏽‍♀️

The pitocin starts kicking in and so I start getting uncomfortable. Pain was at a 5, 6 if you add in that burning antibiotic 😭 I was whining, tossing and turning. My in laws decided to leave as my contractions were still sporadic just WAY MORE PAINFUL. Around 5am I’m crying, screaming, begging and pleading for it all to end. The doctor finally checks me and I’m only 7 centimeters dilated. A epidural was offered to me(but wait you said I can’t have it?) oh that’s right she said. I’m sorry. FML.

I’m screaming and hollering. My SO is watching my contractions and timing how far apart they are for how long. My mom is squeezing my hand... my nurse is trying to calm me down. Another woman comes in and offers me some wedges that are supposed to help dilate you, I guess equivalent to the workout ball. I’m on those wedges writhing in pain. I’m sure I ended up louder than the woman down the hall.

Epidural was continuously offered to me, but being the strong willed woman I am(jk I just knew how bad the results could be if a i took it) i keep declining it. It’s around 7am maybe 8 and I’m checked once more and I’m like at 9 but get this, one side of my cervix was drooping. So I had a little lip of cervix i needed to catch up and dilate to 9. Boy was I whining and crying. I just wanted to push. At maybe 8:15ish I’m finally at a 10, they’re massaging that lump so it’ll go up and it finally does. They allow me to start pushing. I’m pushing with my contractions, my family all watching the screen saying push, when they see the contraction but trust me I feel it.

I’m pushing and pushing with the nurses with all my might. I finally have to pause for the doctor to come in. He comes in, dozens of other staff are in there too. For my preemie baby, for me as well so my partner gets overwhelmed and lost somewhere in the crowd. Her head starts crowning and my MIL urges my partner to come closer, he does. He normally is a very beautiful brown tone but today this man was pale. The doctor has to make a incision/cut because my babies shoulders couldn’t come out. She kept popping in and out. Finally after the cut I started pushing with all my heart and might and I’m able to get her out. My man is offered to cut the umbilical cord but he looks like he is going to pass out any second my mom does it instead. He stays next to my head running my face. My daughter is handed to the nurses there for her in the room, I didn’t hear any crying so I started to worry. Is the baby okay, my MIL asked. Yes she is perfect, she makes a little noise. She is weighed, her height is taken 5lbs 14oz 19 inches, she is then placed on my chest where she poops meconium on my hand(such a welcoming present ♥️). She is perfect. We do skin to skin for a hour before she is taken again to be cleaned off, swaddled, antibiotics are put in her eyes and she is given back to me. During the time she was on my chest they delivered my placenta and stitched me up but I didn’t feel a thing then. I was too busy admiring my daughter.

9:57am on October 27th 2019, that was the best day of my life.

I remember seeing my placenta in a container before I got wheeled to a different room. It looked like raw carne asada, there was blood all over the room, which explains why my queasy man was so close to just passing out the whole time lol, until he held our daughter and the color came back to him.

Now I’m 5 months into motherhood, my daughter has 1 little tooth, she eats baby food, wears 3-6 month clothing and the kicker I’m expecting a baby boy in September. (I don’t recommend getting pregnant so close to delivery, but my partner and I are extremely happy and blessed, even though it was very unintentional.) I only stayed in the hospital 2 days, my daughter went home with me but returned 2 days later to the NICU for jaundice. She was only gone 14 hours but it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but she is so happy and healthy now.

This pregnancy around I’m on shots to prevent preterm labor and my OB (a new amazing and fabulous lady) has a plan to start me on heparin earlier so I can get my EPIDURAL. Lol ♥️

Ley at birth

My sweet Ley at 5 months 🤍🤍