I am 28 years old and was pregnant with my first baby. The pregnancy was wonderful with no morning sickness. I didn't gain any weight and was doing yoga and light jogging till the very end of it. I was preparing for birth using the Bradley method, and my husband was going to be my coach.

I was one day overdue (first day of 41st week), and my doctor sent me to check my amniotic fluid. The non-stress test looked fine, and the biophysical profile looked great, but the AFI was 5.2, so they called my doctor. He told them on the phone to keep me in the hospital and said I had to be induced that night. I wasn't ready – my cervix was still very posterior with no signs of dilation.

He wanted to apply a gel to soften the cervix and continue with Pitocin. >From the beginning of my pregnancy, I knew that I wanted a natural birth, and the idea of induced labor didn't look very appealing. My doctor started pressing and pulled out the dead baby card, saying that I could not jeopardize my baby's health because of my stupid childbirth preferences. I was actually horrified, but somewhere deep inside I knew that my baby was doing fine and just not ready to come out. I signed an Against Medical Advice paper in the hospital just under the terrible warning stillborn and left the hospital. It wasn't easy.

On my way home, I started doubting my decision and spent the terrible night thinking. The next day I was in the hospital repeating the test and the amniotic fluid index (AFI) was 6.95! The nurse suggested that if I consumed a lot of fluids that it might go up, and it did! My doctor couldn't argue with that number and let me go for a day. But the next day, I had to do this test again. And the AFI was almost 11!

I was close to 42 weeks and still had a very posterior cervix and no progress at all. My doctor started pressing the buttons, saying I was VERY overdue and we needed to get the baby out. I had tried everything – sex, walking, black cohosh and castor oil – and nothing worked. I knew that induced labor wasn't for me. I did great research and found out that Pitocin contractions could be very intense. I found out that there was almost no way I could manage them on my own, and I would probably be begging for the epidural. This can lead to vacuum or forceps My husband and I decided that if nothing had happened by Friday that I would have the Cesarean section on Saturday. Friday was Valentine's Day, and the hospital was booked, since everyone wanted their baby that day. I was a nervous wreck, tired of all the testing and pressure and was ready to give up. The C-section had already started looking like the best way out.

On Thursday night (February 13), I started experiencing the back pain but didn't pay attention to it. It wasn't painful at all. On Friday morning, I lost my mucus plug and realized that this was it. The back pain was coming in very irregular intervals, and I rushed to my doctor's office to check if I was making any progress, so maybe we wouldn't need a C-section the next day.

After the checkup, my doctor said that I was a fingertip dilated, but my cervix was still very unfavorable. He insisted on C-section the next day, but I begged him to give me this weekend. I realized he was leaving town for a weekend and didn't want to leave the overdue patient! He let me go, but I was scheduled for a Saturday testing for my AFI level.

My backache was still not painful and regular, and I started doubting if I was in labor. I was so ready for contractions! I had been waiting for such a long time! That night, I started feeling uncomfortable but slept through the whole night, waking up for each contraction and falling asleep again. In the morning, I got a phone call from the hospital reminding me about my AFI check, and I told them I was in labor. They insisted that I come over to check and promised they would let me go home. It was very stupid of me to believe them.

I arrived. They said I was at 4 centimeters and 100 percent effaced and that they could not let me go. My contractions weren't painful, and I was so much better off home! I had no choice and got admitted. From the beginning, I said I didn't want an IV and fetal monitor. How could I be so naïve? Hospital rules are hospital rules, but we negotiated for only 10 minutes and I had monitoring and a helper block instead of an IV. I could walk, but it was not the same as at home.

I kept drinking and walking, and my contractions were somewhat painful, but I was so happy I was in labor without any inducing! After two hours, I was 6 centimeters, and they called the doctor. As I mentioned, my doctor was out of town, and the doctor I had never seen before arrived around 2 p.m. He confirmed my 6 centimeters and said I should have a baby by 6 p.m. I was very excited about my progress and kept walking around with the help of my husband, who coached me through contractions.

I rejected the offer for drugs and an epidural and hoped that the next checkup would show 8 centimeters. Hospital beds are not the greatest place to relax, and I actually started feeling tired. Two hours later, the checkup showed that I was still at 6 centimeters. I was SO disappointed! That two hours of pain was for nothing! My uterus just was tired, and contractions weren't strong and regular.

The word Pitocin was in the air, and I was close to giving up. After two more hours of walking, I was at 7 centimeters and obviously was not having a baby by 6 p.m.! The word C-section came out of the doctor's mouth, and it didn't sound very cheerful. Thank God my nurse brought in a woman, the Bradley instructor, who just was in the hospital by accident. She really cheered me up, saying I was close to 8 centimeters and all I needed was a good, hot bath. By the way, while she was checking on me, my waters broke. It was clean with no meconium.

The baby was doing great, and I went took a hot shower, and it was a relief! After I got out of the shower, I wanted to push, but the doctor checked me and said I was still only 8 centimeters and dropped the word SPD. It means baby is too large to come through my bones! I am 6 feet tall, and I knew my baby was no more than 8 pounds! He said if I did not make a progress in one hour he would have to perform the C-section! I was desperate! But God sent me another angel to help.

A nurse came and started coaching me. She put me on the right position on the bed and was holding my hand. Contractions were quite painful at that point, but she kept me in on my side and helped me to breathe through each contraction. She checked me and said I was 9 centimeters, and I should avoid the C-section. She asked the doctor to give me Pitocin, so it would help me to dilate that last centimeter.

They tried to put in an IV, but I had the urge to push. I started pushing in spite of my doctor's warning not to. I just knew that I could do it, and they had no choice but to modify the bed and to prepare to catch the baby. I pushed for about 15 minutes and remembered saying No episiotomy please, to the doctor. He said OK, and I had my baby at 9:40 p.m. with a little tear. Pushing was hard, but it was actually a relief! My baby girl, Evangelina, was born weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

I know I couldn't have done it without my husband and the wonderful nurse.