My husband was fabulous during this process. If I didn't have him, I would not have gotten through the back labor and delivery.

I woke up in the middle of the night at around 4 a.m. and I had small annoying contractions. They were not painful at all. I woke up and told my husband so he wouldn't freak out when I went from no contractions at all to intense pain. After that I went back to sleep, but Peter couldn't sleep because he was too tired. Instead, he held me in his arms and just lay there.

I woke up at about 7:30 a.m. Then I decided to wake up for the day. The contractions were getting a little more annoying, but not yet painful. Peter made me breakfast while I reassured him that I was OK. I then got bored and decided to wash baby clothes because I hoped the baby would be here very soon. We knew we were having a little girl. I walked around the house and got ready for our little Ava. Obviously, if you haven't figured out, her name is Ava.

Hours went by and the contractions were seven minutes apart and getting slightly uncomfortable. Peter asked me if I needed to go to the hospital, but I knew that they would just send me home. My water hadn't even broken!

I watched television, went on the computer and talked with Peter about our little bundle of joy being here soon. Three hours went by, and I was in a great deal of pain. Peter felt guilty because there was nothing he could do to take the pain away. I curled up in the warm water in the bathtub and cried sometimes; other times Peter just held me and stroked my hair and told me I could get through this.

When I was curled up into his strong arms, I felt a gush of water and he looked at me, his face white. I knew it was just my water had broken, but he thought that the baby was coming now. I calmed him down and we then decided to get into the car and drive to the hospital. The pain was so intense and I wanted Peter to be with me in the back of the car. We called our midwife (who was going to be at the hospital and promised to be there to just reassure and help Peter; I didn't want her because I wanted Peter to do everything).

We got to the hospital and Amy went off to talk to the doctors about what I wanted. Peter and I walked up to the desk, and they told me to fill out some paperwork. Just then I had a major contraction. I curled into Peter and screamed while he stroked my hair and told me it was almost over. The nurse at the counter decided to skip on the paperwork for a while.

In case you haven't figured out, my pain threshold is extremely tiny. Also, I was petrified of labor and delivery, but I knew what I wanted.

We got to our birth room and Peter handled it well. I screamed and bawled and people stared, but he just curled me into his arms and I grabbed onto his shirt and his hair or whatever I could get my hands on. He just reassured me and didn't pay any attention to the people in the hallways.

The nurses came in and told me I needed to be checked. I closed my legs as tightly as possible and told them nobody was touching me besides my husband. This is when everyone else realized I was on the brink. The nurses got very frustrated (they were awful nurses). Peter looked into my eyes and stroked my hair and kissed me. He told me that I needed to be checked so we could be sure the baby and I were healthy. He took this very well and didn't get frustrated. He talked to me in a calm voice, which was necessary since I was crying and not so calm.

The nurses told me to get an epidural, because I would not be able to handle the pain. They told Peter to get me to take the epidural so I would be in peace. My husband stood by me loyally and asked me what I wanted. What did I say? Like h*** anyone is sticking a huge needle into my back unless it jeopardized my baby's health. Tthe nurses checked me (much to my displeasure) and told me that I was 10 centimeters dilated. They told me to push down and out my butt, like I was wicked constipated. For some reason my midwife wasn't there, so I just listened to Peter like planned.

I pushed and pushed and nothing felt like it was happening. The nurses yelled at me and told me I wasn't pushing. I screamed back, "OF course I am pushing! You can't see that?!" This is when the nurses thought I should try purple pushing. I had read about that and there was no way. Peter knew that too. When the nurses started to count I did nothing. They yelled and told my husband to tell me to push. He would never disrespect my wish when it came to this.

Since I wouldn't purple push, we decided to jump into the tub. Peter walked me over, while he held me while I bent over during contractions. I really had an urge to push in the hallway, but the nurses yelled at me to hurry up, while Peter whispered to me not to listen to them if I didn't want to, and that I could make it to the tub.

We got in the tub and I pushed and pushed and pushed. Even though the nurses were against it, Peter came into the tub and I lay my head onto his chest. I would push and he told me I could do it and I was going to be a mommy soon. I was crowning and a burning sensation was down in my privates area. I pushed for an hour, screaming out that it hurt, and actually, the baby's head slipped backwards. When the nurses told me that, I cried and cried. I wanted the pain to be gone. Everyone said that the pain went away when you pushed, but this hurt so much more. I felt like my body was ripping in two.

The nurses told me I was getting too relaxed and I needed to go into the bed. I was like Hello! Who could be relaxed now?! But I was too tired to argue and I just wanted the pain gone.

We went through the whole walking back to the room process, and I climbed into bed, Peter at my side. Technically, I didn't even climb into bed. I was so tired, and Peter saw that, so he swept me up and gently laid me onto my back, giving me a kiss afterward.

The nurses wanted me to use the stirrups but I was not thrilled with using them. They were so uncomfortable! Peter grabbed one leg, and a mean nurse grabbed my other leg and pulled it to my ear. Her hands were gruff. Peter had a more gentle grip and held me much more comfortably. The nurses pulled up my head while I pushed and screamed to keep me going. I was crowning again when they told me the pain was just going to get worse. At this point, I curled up into a ball and cried. I screamed at everyone that I could no longer do this anymore. The nurses stood shocked and did not know how to handle the situation. One nurse grabbed me and tried to pull me back onto my back.

At this point, Peter hopped onto the bed and curled up around me. He brushed my hair around my ear and whispered to me. He whispered into my ear that I was the strongest person that he knew, and if anybody could get this baby out it was me. He bewildered me by whispering thank you, for doing this for him, that I did not need to put myself through this agony for him. I then whispered back in a tiny voice that I wasn't doing anything for him, that he was doing everything for me.

I uncurled my legs, and the nurses stood in the back of the room, bewildered. They all came up and again instructed me how to push. I was in between Peter's legs and he was holding my legs, whispering into my ear and kissing my neck. With every scream he whispered more reassuring words. He told me he loved me many times.

When I could feel the head was almost out, I pushed so hard my face was shaking. The baby's head popped out of me and I screamed so loudly the nurses flinched. My vaginal muscles were wide open with my baby in there. I cried because it hurt so badly.

The nurses told me I could do it, but that did not do much for me. I turned around to look at Peter, and his brown eyes were big and wide, and he told me I was so strong and I almost had the baby here. He told me I could do it. With those words I took one huge push and my face turned white and I screamed the loudest yet.

In two seconds I was holding Ava on my chest, and Peter thanked me again. After that, I realized how ridiculous I had acted, and apologized. They told me sometimes in that much pain, people do wild things. I think I fit into that category. Peter said I acted fine, but I remember everything clearly. I didn't ever forget the pain, but holding my baby in my arms was so worth it. I would do it again for this reward.