Better late than never!

Babe is 2 weeks old now, here’s our story 🥰

I was due 11/26/21 and when Monday 11/29 rolled around, I was ready to try something legit to start labor. Mind you, I had already tried acupuncture, nipple stimulation, sex, EPO, walking, etc. Anyway, we decided to try an herbal induction protocol given to us by a friend who’s midwives created it. It was basically a concoction of black cohosh, ginger, cotton root, motherwort, and castor oil that you drink every 30-60 mins along with alternating hot showers/baths, walks, and nip stimulation. I stayed up all night drinking that stuff, and finally started having contractions Tuesday 11/30 @4:30a. I felt a couple small trickles of fluid at 8:30a & 9a, and went to my OB later in the AM and they found that my water did break, my contractions were pretty mild. By 12p, we were told to go to the hospital. Once we got there at 2p, my contractions STOPPED. They gave us some time for them to start back on their own, but by 7p I asked if we could start induction with cytotec. My contractions resumed the next day, 12/1, but they weren’t regular. The doc checked me for the first time at 12:30p and I was 3cm 60% and he broke a forebag of water. After that, it was ON. Contractions were finally legit and I labored for 12 hours without medication. By 1am 12/2, though, I was stuck at 9cm 90% and uncontrollably shaking in between contractions. It was so painful and I was so tense, I just couldn’t relax. I was hoping to go unmedicated, but went with the epidural and I don’t regret it one bit. I was finally able to relax and get some sleep. Only trouble is my contractions stopped AGAIN! So they started pitocin and it took quite a long time for them to return and for me to get to 10cm. I woke up and was checked one last time at 8:30a and I finally reached 10cm and it was time to push! It took 1.5hrs of pushing and since I couldn’t feel anything with the epidural it was strange. What finally brought her was I asked if I could lean up against the bed in a sort of squatting position, that was the only position I could actually feel pressure and when was the most optimal time to push. She was born 3 contractions later on 12/2 at 10:09a 💜 7lb 15.9oz, 19 3/4in long and just perfect. I feel really fortunate to be at the hospital we chose, they let me have the time to give birth vaginally even though my water had been broken for >48 hours. They never once threatened a c-section.

We are beyond blessed, I hope this story helps someone! Good luck mamas