(Pictured: Shelby Lynn and her newborn, Aubrie Nicole)

It sort of all started when I went in for my 38 week check up. I was still measuring small (33 weeks) and had been for several weeks now. My doctor, Dr. Gilmore (who I highly recommend), decided that I should get an ultrasound to check on the baby and find out what could be the reason for the small measurements. The next morning, at 8am, my boyfriend and I went to Halifax Hospital for the ultrasound, where we were met by my mom who was just getting off work.

They measured low amniotic fluid, so they decided that I should be induced. Their first step was the cervadil, a cervical softener that was to be in place for 12 hours, given to me at 3pm. I started having contractions around 6 or 7pm and my nurse showed me how to see them on the monitor, which was neat to watch (even as they got more painful). The cervadil came out at 3am and at 7am, they administered the Pitocin (starting at 8mL/hr and increasing the dosage every 20 minutes), which is supposed to bring on or strengthen labor contractions.

At 10:20am, the doctor on call from the office I went to, Dr. DeSilva came and broke my water. This was very uncomfortable (my birth plan did not include any pain medicine). I got very shaky after this was done. As the contractions increased in strength and the pain continued to increase, it became harder and harder for me to relax. My boyfriend and I used the birthing ball a lot – me sitting on it leaning over onto the bed and my boyfriend pushed on my lower back, relieving some of the pressure from the contractions.

Around 11:30am, I used the restroom and the entire process, from getting out of bed all the way until I was getting back into bed, was painful and difficult. My nurse asked me if I had any different thoughts on the epidural since the anesthesiologist was on that floor at the time. I talked to my boyfriend and my mother, and chose to go ahead and get the epidural so that I could relax and make things smoother for us all.

The epidural, as well as a catheter, was placed with no complications. They gave me a button for an extra dose to use if the dosage administered was not enough. I never used the button. By 12:10am I was finally able to relax – and SLEEP (which I had done maybe 1-2 hours of since I was admitted at 9am the morning before). At this point I was dilated 4cm and 80% effaced. Around 3:30pm I woke up and felt like the baby was going to fall out if I did not hold her in. The nurse told me to relax and not hold it. She checked me anyways after checking the monitors. I was 9cm dilated so she called the doctor!

At 4:19pm, my beautiful girl Aubrie Nicole was born! She was 6lbs 13oz, 19 ¾ inches long and THE most beautiful thing that I have ever seen. Overall, my experience was wonderful. The nurses were so nice, I got to watch my contractions on the monitor, and the whole time I had my significant other by my side and my mom close by! I couldn’t have asked for a better support team – a vital part of labor in my opinion. They (including the nurses) helped me each step of the way. My life will never be the same and I could not be happier about that!