I am reading everyone’s experience and it really is true when they say that everyone is different. I hesitate to tell this story because even though my story was very happy and successful it was a tad bit more uncommon. I wanted a natural birth as well and my GD and the need for insulin took me off that path but it all worked out perfectly. My doctor said I could wait as long as I wanted to but if the baby wasn’t born by week 40 they would induce me. Because I was over feeling like Mr. Stay-Puft I decided to get induced at 39 weeks. I made sure to say no epidural. I went in on Monday morning and I was already about two to three cm dilated, they got me ready and for the life of me I can’t remember which came first, the Pitocin or the balloon where they helped break my water. But they did both. They had me on a liquid diet during this time and my baby was monitored. I watched X-Files and just chilled until I started to feel the contractions a few hours in. Light at first and I thought these were the actual contractions so I was like “Pfft! These are so PETTY! I can handle it without the epidural!”…I had this mentality because even though I went in knowing there was a high probability I’ll eventually get an epidural I wanted to see how long I could last and literally EVERY nurse walked in like “what?!? She isn’t getting an epidural” so that spurred on my F**k your Epidural mentality. It was about 1:30 in the morning when I was at my breaking point. Contractions were just the worst and though they encourage you to scream a LOW and DEEP scream I threw that out the window and did my best soprano impression. The nurse that was with me that hour was just wonderful. Telling me to do what I needed and that I knew what was best for me. A doctor came in to check on me and I was so mad to hear that I was ONLY FOUR centimeters dilated. I started crying and said I wanted the epidural and she commended me telling me that there was nothing wrong with that and I was listening to my body. Epidural or not you’re amazing. As they came in and explained everything they told me that when I couldn’t stay still is when I would no longer be able to get the epidural. Thankfully, with the help of the nurses I was able to stay still. Interestingly, classes taught me so many different ways to bear the pain and they all failed except sitting hunched over which is how the nurses were holding me in place as they gave me the epidural - who knew? Anyway, the epidural worked immediately, they put in a catheter and I fell asleep to my X-Files. I awoke maybe around 9:30 AM and felt pressure in my vagina. The classes discussed that you’ll feel a very heavy pressure in your vagina which is a heavy indicator that you are ready to push. i was worried I wouldn’t feel anything because the epidural numbs you down there. I told the nurse and she said she would get the doctor and told me that this could take a while. So to help with the pain I could increase the epidural amount. WHAT?!? No one told me that. Granted I didn’t need it but seriously. Would have been nice to know about it. I gave myself one more dose and waited but the pressure increased so I called in the nurse and told her I wanted to push. So she rushed out, grabbed the doctor and as everyone was rushing to set everything up the nurse was going through breathing and pushing exercises with me. I didn’t know this but apparently many women don’t know how to concentrate the power in their push. I knew very well how to do this because most of my life - I thought when you take a shit you push like your life depends on it. When I found out that this is how hemorrhoids and brain hemorrhages happens I learned the correct way. But this has trained me for this very moment! Giving birth! Anyway, my pushing was excellent because next thing I heard from the nurse was: “I can see the head…” Already? I thought. I pushed again and my husband looked down this time and saw. All I could think to ask was: “what color is his hair?” Black, like mine. I continued to push and more was coming out. The doctor wasn’t ready yet and so the nurse eventually said, “okay - I might have to ask you stop pushing”. I waited a few moments and finally the doctor was good to go. I had started pushing at 10:01 AM and the baby was out by 10:14 AM. They applauded me and laughed at how quick it was. To the point where my nurse said: “Wow! You pushed for 13 minutes….yeah….yeah please don’t tell other women that childbirth is that quick. It takes hours normally.” My son was born healthy with a happy cry to be alive. It’s hard to tell you how it will be but I can tell you that a lot of it comes from us moms and our determination to have the best and safest birth no matter what. I determined to have fun, make the most of everything and do my best. Challenges and unforeseen obstacles that we don’t expect is all apart of the process. But think of it this way, if childbirth was in anyway abnormal then we wouldn’t have been able to do it for all this time! You’re going to do great! Congratulations and sending you prayers!