Cosette "Cosi Bear" Penny, born on 7/26 @ 2:02am at 39 weeks 5 days, 8lbs 1oz and 20.5". (FTM)

Baby dropped a week ago, was having Braxton hicks, pelvic pressure, hip pain and menstrual cramping for a week or more. Had my 39 week appointment on Thursday, received my first cervical check, 1cm 50% effaced. Saturday night started losing some of my mucus plug, Sunday had blood tinged mucus, Monday lost more mucus in the morning. Was hoping this was a sign something was about to start.

My husband took the day off of work Monday I woke up feeling fine and was bummed and told him there was no need for him to even take the day off. Then 12:50 pm rolls around and I get my first contraction, felt it in my back, lower abdomen and stomach. They were coming 5-6 minutes apart. I thought usually you work up to them getting so close so I had a hard time believing they were real. After about 2 1/2 hours of them coming 3-6 minutes apart lasting 45secs-1min I went into L&D at 3:45pm. Was checked out and was still only 1cm.

Went back home to labor and they were coming 2-4 mins and lasting 1min to 3 mins. It was beginning to become unbearable. We went back to L&D and arrived at 9pm. They checked me, only 2.5cm and 80% effaced. I was so bummed and in so much pain. I wanted to stay. The nurse disappeared and I continued to labor bent over the bed while my husband squeezed my hips during contractions. At 9:50pm my water broke. So they had to admit me.

They brought me to a delivery room at around 10:30pm. At this point the contractions were so bad I was convulsing and begging for an epidural but I had to wait for a c-section to be done. Nurse checked me, I was 3-4cm, and I finally got my epidural at 11:30pm, took about an hour to fully kick in.

At around 1:30am baby's heartbeat dropped for a tiny bit, nurse wanted to check to make sure everything was okay and decided to check me. I was 10cm and baby was crowning. I couldn't believe I went from 3-4cm to 10cm in 2 hours. I started pushing at 1:45am and she was born at 2:02am. I tore a lot and even tore my inner right labia in half horizontally, my OB had never seen anything like it before. Yikes.

But omg the epidural was most amazing thing ever!! I don't know how you ladies do natural, you are superheroes! I am completely traumatized from the laboring I did without one and I don't think I will ever give birth again. Lol seriously! One and done.