I was due on March 30, 1999. On Monday, March 22nd, I went for a doctor's appointment and was told to stop working because my swelling (ankles and feet) was getting worse, and they were concerned about my blood pressure. That Wednesday, when I woke up, my whole body felt achy. As the day progressed, I started a fever. I was concerned that I was getting the flu. By that night, I was so achy, especially in my back, that I could not rest comfortably, and I got up to take a warm bath at 1:00 a.m.. After my bath, I used the bathroom, and realized that I was bleeding some. Concerned, I paged my doctor, and me and my husband, Shawn, waited anxiously for a call back. The doctor on call called us back, and told me to come into the hospital to be checked. I called my parents to meet us, and we headed to the hospital.

At this time, I still did not think I was in labor. The ache was constant. However, on the ride to the hospital, I started to realize that the aching in my back seemed to come and go. But since I wasn't having contractions that I could feel in my stomach, I was still doubtful that I was in labor.

When I got to the hospital, around 3:00 a.m., they hooked me up and I saw that I was indeed having contractions. I could feel them more, too, but they weren't very intense, and they were not in my stomach. I told my doctor about my flu-like symptoms, and he said that some women have that in the early stages of labor (which I had never heard of). When he checked me I was 3 to 4 centimeters dilated and 100 percent effaced! He also said the baby was very low. He said that they would admit me, and give me an enema. After that, I could have an epidural if I wanted it. The enema seemed to speed things along. I decided to go ahead with the epidural while I could. The epidural took away all my pain, and I could no longer feel the contractions.

By 10:00 a.m., I was 100 percent dilated and it was time to start pushing. They kept re-dosing my epidural, but the pressure and pain in my pelvic area was terrible. The epidural seemed to only give a few minutes of relief before the intense pains started again. Shawn watched as the baby was crowning. By 12:00 noon, I had been pushing for 2 hours, and was getting very frustrated. I wasn't sure if I could keep on. I was exhausted. The doctor used suction to turn the baby, who was still facing partly sideways, and by 12:24, my beautiful baby girl was here. Shawn ended up cutting the cord, even though he had said all along that he would not want to do that. My mom was also in the delivery room with us. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, but the most rewarding. Shelby Morgan was born on March 25, 1999, weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and was 20 1/2 inches long. She was 5 days early.