Caleb's Birth Story {Part 2}

We are continuing our birth story today.  If you missed part one you can catch up on it here.

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So week 40 went on by.  I kept praying that I would still go into labor on my own.  Every night I prayed that my water would break or my contractions would intensify so much that they would be doing something and help get us admitted.  The week went by and still nothing.

Wednesday, September 3rd, I was so uncomfortable all day.  I couldn't lay down, I couldn't sit - I was miserable.  My in-laws wanted to take us out for one last dinner before Caleb joined us.  We went to Red Robin and I couldn't have been more uncomfortable.  I felt like my entire back was going to break at the bottom and sitting was not making it better.  We drove home and went to sleep one last time as husband and wife before becoming Mommy and Daddy.

I was miserable and uncomfortable all night.  Ryan told me before he went to bed to wake him if I needed anything. We had planned on leaving our house around 3:45 AM so that we could grab breakfast before our 5 AM induction.  Baby Hughes had other plans however.  At 3:00 AM I woke Ryan up and told him that we needed to leave now.  My contractions were super painful and I couldn't handle it any longer.  We got our bags in the car, brushed our teeth and were on our way to the hospital.

Side note:  I called Labor and Delivery while we were on our way because they like to know how many people are coming in.  When I told them we were coming in early they told us that we might have to wait until our scheduled induction time because they were bringing a nurse in just for us.  What???  Seriously?  I am having my baby!  I don't need to be induced!

So we get to the hospital.  They get us in a triage room and we wait for a doctor to come in and check us.  My contractions are painful at this point.  I know that this is it, we are doing it this time.  At 4:45 AM the doctor comes in and checks me.  We were dilated to 4 cm! :)  We would be having our baby on our own!  No induction!

We waited for the Labor and Delivery nurse to come get us.  After getting sick in the triage room, walking to our delivery room and getting sick one more time, my water broke!  I had just finished having a contraction, for which I was on all fours wanting to cry, when I rolled over and exclaimed, "I just peed myself.  I'm still peeing myself.  I can't stop peeing."  The nurse checked and told us that my water had broke.  It was 5:30 AM. :)

I was not handling contractions very well and begged the nurse and my husband for the epidural.  She called anesthesiology and got them to come really fast.  By the time they were ready to put in the epidural my mom had gotten there and we were all ready to have this baby.  

I got the epidural and I was the happiest little clam in the world.  It was the best relief I've ever felt!  I was hoping to not need it, but in the end I am so glad that I did.  I got checked again by the new shift doctors at 8:00 AM and we were dilated to 8 cm.  We were getting so close.  Ryan's parents had joined us by now and we were all just playing the little waiting game as Caleb made his way down into the birth canal....