Graduation on New Years Eve! 37w6d vaginal with epidural positive experience!

Hi everyone!! Little one came unexpectedly and we are so happy to meet her finally!!

The very first signs of labor started around 35 weeks. I began to have Braxton Hicks contractions and cramps daily along with diarrhea and fatigue.

I got consistent contractions for hours straight at around 37 weeks every night.

I had my 37 week appointment at 37w2d and I was still 1cm dialated, not effaced, and cervix was very posterior although she was head down and very low just like my 36 week appointment.

37w4d I felt like I had the flu for approximately 4hrs of my morning: muscle pain/ weakness, fatigue (slept half the day couldn't keep my eyes open), scratchy throat, sweats (no fever). That night I had contractions like I had been having but they were a bit not consistent averaging 10 min apart and 2 long. They tapered off in the middle of the night.

36w5d, I woke up feeling sick again so I made a doctor's appointment. I got tested for Strep, flu, and COVID and all were negative. I got contractions starting at around 3pm by 5pm they were 3-5 minutes apart and increasing in intensity. *Que The Office scene "This is happening!! Everyone stay f***ing calm!!"* We went to the hospital and they said I was 2cm dialated. After watching me and the baby for over an hour they checked and nothing had changed so they sent me home.

That night I labored ALL night long. I slept from 10P-12A fitfully and then took 5 min naps between contractions the rest of the night. By noon the contractions were so intense we went to the hospital again. They said I was 2-3cm dialated still but 70% effaced and posterior. After watching me and the baby for over an hour they checked and said nothing had changed. The on call doctor recommended we go home again. With long and intense consistent contractions, I couldn't help but just sob while they told me. The nurse offered morphine and kept me to watch the baby and make sure she was OK with the meds. The doctor then came in to give me the "you're not quite 38 weeks, baby is still cooking, no cervical change" speel. I cried more. She decided to check me herself and was surprised to find I was fully 3cm dialated and 80% effaced! That was enough to get us admitted.

At this point (being admitted) it was around 330PM, 24 hours into nonstop contractions when maybe 3hrs of sleep over the down of 48hrs. The morphine helped a bit but I was still crying in pain. They gave me IV antibiotics for Strep B and liquids to prep for the epidural which I got at 6PM.

The epidural made me feel warm and tingly all over and then suddenly I felt anxious and jittery and like I needed to vomit. EMy hubby hand fed me ice chips and put a wet cloth on my forehead 🥰. My BP was dangerously low at like 90/50 and they ended up giving me epinephrine 3 or 4 times before it went back to normal. Finally I felt relief and the rest of the labor was amazingly easy with NO pain! We took that time to call our 5yr old and let her know her baby sister was on the way!! Right after the epidural they popped my water and checked my cervix which was then dialated to 4.5cm, 80% effaced, and mid instead of posterior. They decided to put my on pitocin to ensure progression as my water was broken.

At 845PM I felt some strong pressure and told the nurse. She checked me and I was at 8.5cm!! By 9:45 I was at 10 and it was time to push. I pushed for 15 minutes.. FIFTEEN!! She was not completely anterior so she kept popping up and going back in. Finally she crowned. I hardly even felt it! We saw her hair! Next push and her whole head was out! It was so fast! She was born at 10:07PM on New Years eve! They put her on my chest immediately and I mistook the umbilical cord for a penis which was funny. She weighed 6lbs14oz, was 19.5 inches long, and latched immediately just a few minutes after being born!