I ended up waking my husband around 3 AM when I noticed they weren't going away. Around 4 AM We agreed it was time to call the doctor. The doctor said it sounded like I was in early labor, but to give it an hour to see if the contractions continued or would come to an end. They only got more intense and closer together, so we decided to head to the hospital at 5 AM. We decided it was better to be safe and if we got sent home, it wasn't the end of the world.
When we arrived, It turned out I was already 6 cm dilated! The pain got even worse and the nitrous oxide gas was not working (not sure what happened here, but we weren't confident that the nurse actually had it working right), so I requested pain relief through an IV, but that didn't work either. I broke down and wanted an epidural, but by the time the epidural was ready, I only had 5 more minutes to wait for the midwife to arrive, so I chose to skip it at that point. I am actually glad that they took so long because I originally didn't want an epidural and caved due to the pain.
When the midwife arrived, I was ready to push and 10 minutes later, our baby girl entered the world! I only suffered a 2nd-degree tear.
I had a really fast labor, which was unexpected, especially since this was our first child. She also was a week early, which most first born are late! My midwife almost didn't make it in time, but so glad she did!
Our Doula also wrote this lovely birth story for us:
"It began around ten o’clock at night on Friday, December 23, 2016. Mom began having mild contractions. She thought these were nothing to worry about, and after relaxing for awhile, she decided to go to bed. Mom never suspected that she would soon meet her sweet baby girl.
Around 2am, Mom awoke from her sleep and realized that these contractions were becoming more frequent and stronger. After a few hours, Mom and Dad agreed that it was time to call the midwife. The midwife suggested that they head to the hospital to get checked on progress. Was this labor?
With bags already packed, Mom and Dad headed out the door, hoping they would soon return home cradling their beloved baby girl. When they arrived at the hospital around 5am, they were surprised to hear that baby would be coming very soon! When the nurse checked Mom, she was already 6 cm dilated. Mom had completed her first stage of labor already—mostly while she had been sleeping!
Mom and Dad prepared themselves for the final leg of the race to meet their early Christmas gift. Dad encouraged Mom as contractions grew stronger, almost unbearable. But Mom was a warrior and endured the pain for another three hours until the time came for her to push baby out.
About eight o’clock in the morning, Mom’s water broke and she began pushing their little girl out into the world. Mom was determined to meet her quickly, and within ten minutes, Elsa entered the world. She measured a healthy 6 lbs 12 oz and stretched to 19.25 inches. Overcome with joy, Mom and Dad embraced Elsa wholeheartedly and began their new journey as a family together!"
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