My "painless" med free labor and fast delivery. (LONG)

Seemed I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions and false labor forever. It had actually been for about a month or more. I was getting to the point where I didn't know what labor was like anymore and I was afraid I might not know when to go in. Tuesday morning I woke up and started my day. I had spoken with my midwife on the phone and she said that she wanted me to come in for an NST (I was almost a week overdue). She said that we would schedule an appointment for Thursday to have another NST and possibly schedule an induction.  I played with DS and around 11 and shortly after realized I lost part of my mucus plug. I hoped that this was a sign that things were going to happen. I had noticed that my contractions had been all morning and continued throughout the day, which usually they were very spaced out and would come and go. I continued throughout the day trying to put together a list of things to try to get labor going without having to be induced since that was something I was desperately trying to avoid. At around 6pm my mom came over to watch DS and I went into Labor and delivery for my NST. Everything looked normal and I was having regular contractions that were 7 minutes apart. Some of them were strong enough down low that I didn't notice the tightening up above.

We headed home feeling just the same as we did at the last two NSTs (that nothing was happening) but I couldn't shake this nagging feeling that my contractions were not the same as before. After my mom went home I realized that my contractions were getting a little stronger and I had continued to lose more pieces of my mucus plug. I sent my mom a text and warned her that we might be coming over later but that I was hoping to not jinx things.

We went to bed at 10pm and before going to sleep I told DH that I didn't think we would be staying all night. I told him I would try to sleep and see what happened. I was able to sleep until 12:30am and then I couldn't sleep through them anymore. They weren't painful but were nagging me enough to keep me awake. I sent my mom another text and went and sat in the tub to try and time things. My contractions were 4 minutes apart while I was in the tub, 1 minute apart if I was walking and 3 when I went to lie down. I told DH that I couldn't sleep and that we would need to go drop DS off soon. I was just waiting for them to become painful.

At 2-2:30 I realized that if I really wanted to wait until I couldn't breathe through my contractions that I would have to still last long enough to wake DS up, get him ready, drop him off at my parents and still somehow drive to the hospital all while being in a lot of pain (from what I remember with my labor with my son). It was then I decided we should drop my son off now and make our decisions from my parents? house. We got things ready and took him over. My husband put him in bed there and we sat and talked to my parents for a bit. My mom knew it was getting close when on my way to the bathroom I had to stop and lean against the wall for a bit. We started timing them and realized they were 2 1/2 apart and so I reluctantly called my midwife (She had been sick with the stomach flu the day before and I was afraid to wake her). When she answered she told me to go in right away.

When we arrived at the hospital we contacted those who wouldn?t mind me texting them in the middle of the night and got my doula to head over. Here is where things start getting a little more interesting but to be honest is quite a blur. They checked me and I was 5cm. I was shocked. When I was in labor with my son I was at 5 cm for an hour and then I hit transition so I was worried it was going to come at any time. After they got me my hep lock and did my NST I was able to go sit in the tub. I did for a little over an hour before heading back to the room. My contractions stayed at about 2 1/2 minutes but they kept getting stronger. The interesting part was I was able to tell everyone to be quiet while I was having one and could make them mentally painless by focusing on her coming down the birth canal and relaxing my body. They stayed "painless" until I was at 9cm.

I labored in bed a bit and then asked to be checked. I was 8cm. My midwife said she could see during my next contraction if she could stretch it a bit farther and she got me to 9 (I was almost there myself). At this point it was suggested I take a shower to try and get the baby to move down in a different position. When I stood the contraction was so bad even leaning on DH didn't make the pain go away and I couldn't relax my body. After the contraction was over I got right back into bed and got comfortable. I turned on the ipad and listened to DS?s "nuh-night" music. The midwife and nurses kept telling me all day I was the calmest women they had ever seen in labor and that I was doing wonderful. I just couldn't believe I was at 9cm and that the baby was going to be here soon. Where was transition? The midwife suggested I try walking one more time.

As I stood up I could feel a contraction come over me and I knew I wouldn't be able to manage it on my feet. I leaned on DH and as the contraction hit its peak I could feel her head coming down and said "I am pushing, I am pushing" while I hung over DH?s shoulders. When the contraction ended I threw myself back into bed knowing that another one would be the end of me if I was not able to relax myself. I was lying on my side as I felt one coming and I lifted my leg and began to push. All of a sudden I felt and saw a giant gush of water spray across the bed. I heard one of the nurses saying "...her water just broke...? (I later told DH that I was surprised no one was down at the end of the bed to get sprayed but he said "um, there was..." haha awesome The poor nurse was probably traumatized).

At this point the nurses surrounded me and my midwife was supporting me as my body did all the work.

At every contraction I grabbed DH's hand with one hand and his shirt with the other and pushed uncontrollably with my throat (loud frog like groan). My midwife warned me that this would hurt my throat later but I couldn't control it (and she was right). With every contraction my legs involuntarily squeezed shut as if to try and stop what was happening to me. My midwife warned that doing this would cause me to tear and that I needed to focus and keep my legs open as I pushed. It hurt so bad when I pushed and I was afraid that my insides were going to escape in a giant bowel movement if I didn't close my legs, so I couldn't stop myself. Finally one of the nurses grabbed my leg and pulled it open and told me right to my face ?K listen to me, you cannot do that! You need to let her come out. You are going to hurt yourself". With that I pushed with all I had and her head came out. The next contraction came very quick and I pushed her body out. I was pushing for only 8 minutes Total!

The midwife immediately put her on my belly. I grabbed her and tried to pull her up but I could feel that the cord was not long enough so I cuddled her from my belly.

The nurse rubbed her and I said I could do it so I finished wiping her off and petting her. She cried but not as much as I had imagined. She seemed either very calm or very shocked by what had just happened to her. The midwife kept feeling the cord waiting for it to stop pulsing and then let my husband cut it. Once she was up on my chest I was able to cuddle her skin to skin for as long as I wanted. This feeling of love was instant. The moment the midwife placed her on my belly I wanted to kiss her and love her. After just a short bit she started rooting for her hands and I nursed her. She nursed like she had done it before. There was no pain just the softness of her.

I was able to deliver the placenta pretty quickly after nursing Leylie. I was given some Pitocin because I was bleeding a lot (after my blood work came back it turned out I had very low iron and my blood loss was pretty high). I had only a small tear though. After quite a while (and several texts from everyone asking) I passed her up to get weighed and measured. She was 8lb 6oz and 20 inches long. I could not believe how chunky she was/is. She is perfect. She is a very easy going baby if her needs are met she is happy. I am so thrilled with how easy my labor was and how quick my delivery was. My recovery has been great so far and I am enjoying spending this time with our family all together.