I woke up on August 28th, went to the bathroom and there was the last of my mucus plug. I knew labor wouldn't be far off so I dragged my husband to do some last minute house shopping. While shopping I started to cramp, then then contractions came. They were painful right off the bat and I kept stopping in my tracks. By the time we got home from shopping for everything it was after 4pm. The contractions were still coming about 10 minutes apart but I was already feeling pretty uncomfortable. I texted my midwife and she told me to go to L&D to be checked. We arrived at 4:30 and they hooked me up to the monitors. A couple hours pass and my midwife gets there. She checks me and I'm 2 cm dilated and 90% effaced but my contractions had stopped coming regularly. She was concerned about the babies movements so she ordered a biophysical and an NST but bothcame back normal so she sent me home. By this time it was 9pm. I was still really uncomfortable but i was glad to go home and get some rest since it was looking like he was going to be here soon. Well sleep never came! My contractions picked up again as soon as we got home but I was afraid of being sent home again so I told my husband we would wait it out. All night I tossed and turned but I toughed it out until 6am when my contractions were coming 5-6 minutes apart. I woke my husband and told him we should go back to the hospital. We packed up the car (again) and I texted my midwife to tell her we were going back. Once again I was hooked up to the monitors and a few minutes later a nurse came to check me. I was 5 cm and 100% effaced. She told me I was being admitted! We got settled in our room and I got hooked up to an IV to receive antibiotics because I tested positive for GBS. My sister in law arrived and her and my husband took turns helping me through contractions. It was about 11 am and they were coming less than 2 minutes apart now. My midwife arrived again at 3 to check me and I was at a 6. She broke my water and told me to prepare for everything to go by really fast. I was offered an epidural which I declined. The contractions were so bad by now. I was checked again at 4:30 and i was almost 9 cm. My midwife told me to let them know when it felt like I had to push. At 5 I started to feel pressure and told my husband to get the nurse. The nurse told us it probably wasn't time yet but came to check me anyway. She barely reached my cervix and then she said "I can feel his head, page Dr.Philbin!" They started prepping the room and getting me in position to push. My midwife arrived a few minutes later and I started pushing! That's when things got crazy and scary! Every time I went to push his heart rate would go way down. They started talking about needing a vacuum or a C section if his heart rate kept dropping. They made me put on the oxygen and after that his heart rate stabilized. Two big pushes later, out came my little guy! Born August 29th at 5:23 pm after 13 hours in active labor. He was 7 lbs 9 ounces and more perfect than I could have ever imagined. So proud that my body was able to deliver my baby all naturally!

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Pictured is my husband after he had cut the cord! 😍