At 40+3 I drank the midwives cocktail on Thursday night at 10pm and by 1am I was having early labor contractions but thankfully was able to sleep until 7am.

By 9 o’clock I told my doula I saw some bloody show along with intense rectal pressure and contractions were picking up and she told me to notify my midwife who said that’s normal but if things progress at 5-1-1 to call her. My doula, Quanesha Young, said to head to triage and get a cervical check. So we did, arriving at 10am. I was between 4-5cm (Monday I was only 2cm and had a membrane sweep). We would have loved to labor at home, but the pressure was too much for me to get back into the car and mentally I was already tuning at my environment.

So we decided to stay and get something to eat and walk the parking garage for an hour and a half to see if I would progress which I did when we got back to triage at noon I was between 5-6 cm but my bag of water was bulging. We stayed and got our tub room and I labored in the shower and on a birth ball for about an hour before getting in the tub. I did vomit my entire Cobb salad at this point and my stomach was growling when baby was crowning😅.

By the time I got into the tub I was at 7 cm and twenty minutes later my water broke in the water. Jalen said I told everyone that I felt something pop, completely oblivious at that point 😂 I almost jumped out the water 😭.

Jalen was super supportive in giving me water between each contraction/push phase and reminding me to relax my face and shoulders. The pressure was even more intense after my water broke. I then pushed for about 45 minutes before she was out. It was so quick and even with that I wouldn’t change a thing. I had a first-degree tear but nothing that needed stitches and baby girl had a short cord with a strong couple of screams.