Congrats! What a beautiful happy baby!! Thank you for sharing your story!

Thanks ladies! I'm not completely beating myself up but I have a huge gut feeling that all this led to my post pre-eclampsia, in which I was re-hospitalized for. Am 11 days pp and starting to feel normal, minus the headaches

Your story is similar to mine with my 1st. Water broke, insane contractions without enough dilation, stalled labor w epi. With my 2nd I got the all natural birth I wanted and I was much further dilated before the much intense pain started so I think there is something to the water breaking making it more painful.

It sounds like you really needed the rest the epi gave you - which sounds reasonable after that long! And how much of that was with no food & a pushy doctor?! I think you did great, even if it wasn't what you'd hoped for.

Thanks for sharing!

What a crazy delivery! I hope you know that all of these things could have happened regardless of the epi so don't beat yourself up thinking about that. Enjoy that beautiful baby!!

Sorry! Here's the rest...Nurse turned it on to a 1. This time it made me have contractions that were regular and strong enough, or so the nurse thought. That last "lip" kept holding on!! The nurse tried massaging it, stretching it, holding it where it was supposed to go, it just kind of kept going back. Around 12pm, I still hadn't had her but we started practice pushing to see if that would help change my cervix. Still no luck. Doc came in, took the reins and we started pushing to try to get her out...he was not pleased w/ the strength of my contractions so he turned pitocin up. By this time my water was broke 21hrs + and he started talking c-section if this did not happen soon. I was determined to avoid that after all I went thru to get where I was. I pushed for about an hour, including some of the stretching cervix/pushing. At some point baby Caisi pooped in utero, so they had to get her out ASAP as risk of infection was increased from the ruptured membranes alone. She was stuck or not descending quick enough for the docs liking ended up w/ a vacuum attempt x3, two different sized forceps w/ numerous attempts, along w/ an episiotomy and 3rd degree tearing! Caisi was whisked away immediately and I did not see her for about 40min, once cleared and stable they brought her to me for skin to skin. I was still being stitched up, so this was nice and distracting!

I wanted an ALL natural birth and that is far from what I got! I don't want to scare any of you ladies w/ this story but wanted to share my experience. I prepared myself for what I wanted prior to delivery but was willing to adapt as necessary. Adapt is what I had to do. I am a bit disappointed but happy that baby was ok!! Me on the other hand, is a whole another story of itself! Will post later.

If you made it to the end, thanks for reading.

And yes I feel my labor stalled because of the epi but I literally was unable to deal w/ the pain and back labor any longer. They think my contractions were so intense because my water was broke for so long but who knows.

Always makes me wonder if it all changed because of the epi! Regardless she's beautiful and congrats!! What a day!

I can't read it all!