Monday the 15th I had a doctor's appointment and the doctor asked if I wanted to go ahead and schedule my induction for that week. I had assumed that they would make me wait at least until a week after my due date to be induced, so I was surprised when he said he could try to get me scheduled for Wednesday the 17th. I said that sounded great, but the nurse came back and said the hospital was all booked for Wednesday and we left with instructions to be at the hospital on Thursday the 18th at 4:30 am.
I woke up at 1:30 am the very next morning with a dull but increasing pain in my back and abdomen. Everyone had told me that when I started feeling contractions I would be sure of what they were, and they were right. Immediately I grabbed my phone and started timing the contractions with an app I had previously downloaded. If I remember correctly, these contractions were about twelve minutes apart and were totally bearable. I relaxed myself as much as I could and slept in between them until they started getting more intense. Around three I just had to get up and move, so I filled the tub with a few inches of water and sat there through a few contractions and tried to relax. Wes stirred a little when I got back in bed and I told him what was up. I continued to time the contractions until about 5:30 when they reached five minutes apart and lasted 45 to 60 seconds. I woke up Wes, called our parents, and we headed out the door.
When we got to the hospital the nurse checked my dilation in triage and told me I was at a 4.5. At the doctor's appointment the previous day he said I was almost a four, so I felt relief that I had progressed. As ridiculous as it sounds, I was so scared they were going to send me home and that I would be one of those "first time moms" who came too early (which, of course, would have totally not been a big deal, just disappointing). The nurse said she thought the doctor would let me stay but he would be coming to check me out himself soon. About an hour later he came by and told me he would probably let me stay. He then checked my dilation and to his and the nurse's surprise and my glee he told me I had progressed- in an hour- to a seven. They were in utter disbelief but I wasn't surprised. I told them I had been praying all through my pregnancy that God would give me a fast labor if it was His will.
The next few hours are a blur to me. They brought me back to my labor and delivery room, and the nurse told me I could walk around the floor for an hour if I wanted. Wes and I started walking, but after a few rounds I just wanted to get in another position. We went back to the room and I laid down and eventually turned over to my side. The nurse kept checking me, but I hadn't progressed much more. Finally I reached an eight and the doctor came to break my water. After this, my contractions got even more intense and I had the strong urge to push. This was seriously the hardest part of labor- feeling like I needed to push but being told by the nurse that I couldn't. I sent poor Wes to tell the nurse I needed to push probably five times. Each time she would come in, check me, and say I was close but not yet. During this time my back was hurting so much with each contraction I had Wes push up against it with all of his strength. This helped a little, but I was still miserable. Finally, the nurse felt enough pity on me to tell me that although I was still just shy of being a full 10, I could go ahead and push. Pushing was hard, but I felt so much relief at the same time because I was finally able to do what my body was telling me. They tell me I pushed for a little over an hour, but looking back it seems like it was only a few minutes. Finally the doctor came in and she soon was here. She was born on June 16, 2015 at exactly 3:00 pm. When they placed her on my belly and I looked up at Wes and said "she looks like you!" and then "can we have another one?". Needless to say, we are both smitten by our little girl and although the pain was more than I could have handled without the strength of God, I would do it all over again just to be able to know her.
