My first baby ended in a csection due to low heart rate after pushing for 4 hours. I had my heart set on getting a vbac this pregnancy. My obgyn was all for it but the one hospital where I live was vbac tolerant, not vbac friendly. So I had to have a csection scheduled for February 7th at 5am. Since I was 38 weeks I was doing everything possible to induce labor but it seemed hopeless. January 31st i wasnt even a fingertip dilated. February 5th I finally came to terms with the fact that baby would not be coming and I'd get a csection. I did the miles circuit, bounced on my ball and had sex in hopes something would happen. I go to bed and wake up 2 hours later at 1am from a contraction and nausea. They were definitely more intense than my braxton hicks so I started timing them. 9 minutes, 7 minutes, 5 minutes and then I finally decided to go in. We check into triage and I'm 5.5 centimeters dilated. I'm in labor! So they check me in. I ride out my contractions for 6 hours and around 4am I asked for the anesthesiologist to come. It takes him 30-40 minutes to get here and in that time my contractions got so.much.worse. I couldn't handle them anymore. I was crying and screaming. Begging for the epidural. When he finally arrived I started to get the urge to push but the nurses kept telling me I couldn't because my cervix was still blocking the way. I couldn't breathe through them and the urge to push hurt so much. It took the anesthesiologist over an hour to get my epidural on and working. I don't know why it took so long but it was torture. When he finally got it in I could still feel my contractions but they were bearable and the urge to push was gone. So with the epidural I try to get some rest and I get this terrible pinch in my left leg. Everytime I have a contraction it gets worse. We call the anesthesiologist back in to fix it because it feels like it was wearing off. He gives me another dose of something and it helps a little but the pain is still there. The nurse tells me she thinks it's because I'm ready to push. So I rest for 20 minutes and then decide I'm ready to start pushing. I pushed for exactly 1 hour, got a third degree tear and tore my labia 🥲 but baby is born at 920am, 7lbs 11oz and 19 inches long. On his due date February 6th, one day before my planned csection! Even if it was extremely painful I'm so proud of myself for doing it.