Two days overdue, I went to the doctor, who told me he was going to induce me the next day. This is my first baby and I was looking forward to experiencing the first signs of labor on my own, but my doctor had a different game plan.

At the appointment that day the doctor stripped my bag of waters and he said, This may cause the water to break later tonight. All the rest of that day and through that night I was having very mild contractions. My husband and I thought I would go into labor later that night, but under doctors orders we went to the hospital at 6:00 a.m. to be induced. They started the pitocin drip at 6:15. The contractions started to get stronger and quicker together. The doctor came in at 8:00 a.m. to break my water. He did and boy did he pay for it!! There was meconium everywhere and it got all over the doctor. My husband, the incredible rock that he was remained calm as the baby's heart rate began to decel immediately.

After a while I opted for an epidural which fell out of my back 45 minutes later and the doctors didn't realize it for another 30 minutes (but I sure did!!) After two tries it was back in and the medicine ran out, because of this the epidural was ineffective. Through all of this I was on oxygen because the baby's cord was around her neck. (Everyone knew this but me). They would have taken the baby C-section, but my blood pressure was too low for surgery. The pushing urges came around 3:30 p.m.. I dilated to 9 centimeters and the nurse started me pushing at around 4:15. When the doctor arrived she was crowning and the nurses informed him I would not need an episiotomy. The doctor ask me for one big push and he used the vacuum extractor at that second because he wanted the baby out. Her heart was deceling again. She came into the world, and she was so beautiful!!!! Calista Noel was born at 4:50 p.m. at 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 20 inches. She is a month old now and the light of everyone's life.