Thank goodness for these kinds of forums! They can really put things into perspective when you feel like everything's going wrong, but you're just doing your best. I agree it's amazing to hear other people's stories and know you aren't alone! My story is a little bit of a doozy, so here goes...
I had always dreamed of natural childbirth, preferably at home because the idea of being in a hospital scared me more than the pain of labor itself. Well, my water broke on a Monday morning at 37 weeks right as I was getting into the shower. Contractions started soon after and were manageable at first but intensified quickly. We rushed to the hospital since we knew we might not have much time (especially because it was my second child).
Long story short - 24 hours later, I still hadn't progressed past 4cm dilated even with an internal monitor and tons of Pitocin. After two failed attempts at forceps deliveries, which were really traumatic and painful, the doctor finally said a C-section was the only option.
Hearing this after trying so hard for a natural birth was really devastating, but thankfully, everything happened so fast after that decision that I barely had time to process it - thank goodness for good anesthesia! My healthy baby boy was born weighing 6lbs 4oz - not too small considering he came early. He's almost one now and doing fantastic!
While my birth story doesn't reflect the natural childbirth I'd dreamed of, hearing others' experiences makes me feel lucky that I at least ended up with a healthy babe, despite the crazy ride. All the best to everyone else sharing their stories - here's to the wild journey of parenthood!
