At 9:00pm Thursday, I felt the first contraction. My immediate thought- oh here we go again, another Braxton Hicks. This made sense to me, even though I was in my 39th week because I over-exerted myself by shopping all day (probably [most definitely] the most exercise I had done the entire pregnancy).

Contractions continued periodically. By 11:00pm, it was clear that the contractions were the real deal. I started using the contraction timer tool on the Baby Center App, cognizant of my doctor’s advice that I should not go to the hospital until I was 5:1:1– i.e. a contraction every five minutes, lasting approximately one minute each, happening for approximately one hour.

Even though our baby bags had been packed for weeks, when it was ‘go time’, my fiance’, Keron, decided he needed to add some more items. I laugh every time I remember his facial expression as he paced the floor, when he realized that it really was time.

At 2:47am, I was 4cm dilated. As a first-timer, I was convinced that I would be 10cm dilated in no time. I was wrong, very wrong.

After being brought into the delivery room, I requested an IV- (you need to have at least 30 minutes of IV fluid before the epidural and I thought I would be having the baby very quickly because I was already 4cm- joke was on me). This mama-to-be did not plan on being brave. I knew from the day I found out that I was pregnant that I was going to ask for an epidural. I am afraid of pain.

Fast forward to 12:00pm- I was still 4cm dilated. To my surprise however, I was managing the contractions extremely well. Doing the breathing exercises I learned from YouTube and squeezing Keron’s hand during each contraction actually worked until 2:00pm. By this point, it had been 16 hours of contractions and they brought tears to my eyes. I threw up. Each contraction felt as if I was being run over by a truck. EPIDURAL PLEASE.

Within 15 minutes- no more pain, no more pain! I became very relaxed as I s l o w l y dilated while watching my guilty pleasure [Judge Judy] and eating the only allowable menu item- ice. At 4:00pm when my water broke, the nurse informed that the baby pooped inside me, therefore medical personnel from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) would have to be present for delivery. As if I wasn’t already nervous, I was now scared. Why did my baby poop inside me? What did this mean? Is everything going to be okay?

I was in and out of sleep until the hour before delivery, which I call, ‘the period in which I lost my mind’. I got an epidural so why am I feeling pain and pressure in my butt!?!?!?! In the entire nine months of pregnancy- why didn’t anybody tell me about this ?!?!?! It was the worst feeling. Bring back the contractions, I preferred them. I was uncomfortable. I wanted to disappear. I moved from side to side. I got frustrated. I started telling everyone in the room that I could not do it. I demanded to see the doctor. I cried.

My doctor, with the biggest smile, entered the delivery room at about 10:25pm and cheerfully asked whether I was ready to have a a baby. It was finally time to push! Keron held my right leg, my aunt held my left leg, whilst my dad rubbed my head. [My dad left Florida at 2:00pm, drove 8 hours, arriving in the delivery room at 10:15pm, right in time to witness the birth of his first grandchild].Two or three pushes later, at 10:34pm, baby Kruze was placed on my chest. I couldn’t believe he was out. The butt pressure disappeared.

As my son was placed on me, 25.5 hours after the first contraction, I have the forever memory of repeating, “Hi Kruze, Hi Pumpkin”.

I am so grateful for the support of my family and friends throughout pregnancy, labour and delivery. Thank you for reading my birth story. Want to know more? Read my pregnancy story here.

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