Except by the time we got home, I stopped having contractions. No big deal. I just figured they were more intense Braxton Hicks.

7/5/24 I decided I want to really get things going if possible. So we went curb walking. And wouldn't you know it, contractions started back up again... but actually stayed this time! We called my doula and had her listen to me work through some. She made it to our home at about 1pm.

We did some work with Spinning Babies and my peanut ball and prioritized resting in between. Things were going very well and progressing, albeit slowly but still progressing.

I took showers and baths and sang along to my worship music just praising Him for my sweet rainbow baby that I would get to meet soon. I was in a really good headspace and handling the contractions well.

The contractions got stronger, longer, and closer together from midnight to 5am on 7/6. I really thought I was in active labor. They just wouldn't stop.

I believe Michelle came over around 11pm or so and was able to see how things were going. Baby was doing fine and so was I. She instructed my husband to get the birth tub set up so we would be prepared for when the moment came to get in and birth this baby.

Except that moment didn't come!

By the time the sun came up around 6, my contractions slowed. Really slowed. I was contracting for about 30 seconds every 7-10 minutes. So, Michelle and Kate were working with me on natural ways to get labor established again (pumping, exercise, tinctures, etc).

I threw up the tincture almost immediately.

On top of that, I had the worst back pain on my left middle side I've ever had in my life. Nothing would help it. Michelle, Kate, my doula, and my husband were all taking turns massaging it. I used a heat pad, ice, and a TENS unit and still... nothing was helping.

I just had to know what my cervix was doing at this point because I was exhausted and in pain. So Michelle did a check and the news was not what I wanted to hear:

1.5cm and 80% effaced

After all that effort. just 1.5 measly centimeters. I lost it. I had a meltdown. I felt like a complete failure.

I mentioned transferring because I knew that I couldn't go on with the back pain I was having for who knows how long until I got to 10cm.

Kate suggested we rest a bit and try to calm down before committing to transfer so we took a little nap and I woke up fully confident in my decision to go to St Davids. It's interesting because I had tried everything in my power to avoid exactly that but alas... something wasn't right. This was now 7/6 around 1pm. I had 3 contractions on the 30 min drive there. Nothing crazy but my back was still killing me. Kate met us there and got me admitted to a room for an epidural and pitocin. Even with the epidural I needed ice and heat packs for that spot on my back! We started out on the smallest dose of pitocin to get labor going again. And that worked! I was contracting but still irregularly. I got a bit more pitocin (not sure exactly how much) and contractions became regular and strong. It was weird though because I couldn't feel them but was told they were really strong. 

Then baby had his first decel. That was really scary. A bunch of medical professionals flooded the room, gave me a shot, put me on oxygen, and told me that baby's heart rate dropped and he doesn't seem to be handling labor well. I was taken off pitocin to try to see if my body would continue contractions AND if Jackson could handle them. The contractions continued... the OB came in to check me. 

I was 3cm.

Again, not much progress. He let me know I would likely have to have a c section but he was willing to wait a bit longer. My husband and I were desperately praying that I could continue labor and baby would tolerate it and I could have a vaginal birth. We were praying for a miraculous change of events. I got checked again and was asked if I would like to break my bag of waters. Right before I got checked, my water broke and the midwife saw meconium. Things weren't looking good. I labored a bit more and was checked again by the OB. He said I was 3-4cm. This was hours later with still really no progress. Again, he informed me c section was likely. But then Jackson decelled again and that's when it was called for a c section. I didn't feel like my prayers were ignored though. Strangely enough, I felt peace. I was upset but I heard Him tell me this was the plan for baby to come into the world.

Fortunately, I already had the epidural so the spinal block was able to quickly be done. I was able to listen to my music as they did the surgery and Kate and my husband were right there with me. She was helping me do visualizations to relax and just sink into the moment.

Then I heard my little boy's first cries on 7/7 at 3:25am. Amazing!