I was 6 days past my due date when I had Chelsea Brooke. I woke up cramping at around 2:30 am. I started getting my hopes up that labor was starting so I couldn't sleep. By 4 am my contractions were irregular but were really hurting so I woke DH up. I was crying because I was scared of the pain to come. We decided since my last labor was so short that we should head to the hospital right away. I really wanted the epidural. When we got to the hospital (around 5 am) I was checked and I was 4 cm dialated. I started begging for the drugs right away. It was taking the anesthesiologist too long so I asked for some meds in my iv to take the edge off the contractions. The meds made me loopy but didn't really help with the pain. Then I got my epi. I was like a new person. So happy and tired so I slept. It only took me 1 hour to get to 9.5 cm. So I thought Chelsea would be here by 8 am. I then woke up in pain. The epi was only working on one side. They pain wasn't the worst but I was afraid it would get worse so I lied and said I needed the epi fixed. The anesthesiologist (a different one, thank God) took out the epi and redid it and I was in heaven. I slept more and they checked me a few hours later and I was still 9.5 cm. They told me to tell them when I needed to push. Around 9:30 am I was finally 10 cm but I still didn't feel the need to push so the doctor decided to let me rest. About 1 hour later I felt pressure but I didn't tell anyone. I wanted the baby to come down most of the way on her own. Around 11:05 am the nurse came in and said it was time to do some practice pushes to see if I was ready. I started bawling and shaking because I was so afraid of the pain to come. I pushed for about 2 minutes and the baby crowned (I could feel the pressure but was pain free). The nurse called for the doctors and told me to wait. I told her the baby was coming and I kept pushing. I was suppose to have 2 doctors in the room. The only one that made it was still learning. She was so nervous. She was shaking. Chelsea Brooke came right out pain free for me!!! I got to watch her come out and they placed her on my belly. It was an amazing birth. The birth I had dreamed of. Chelsea Brooke was born at 11:16 am on October 11, 2007. She weighed 9 lbs. 3.7 ozs. Even though she was almost a week late she was only 18.5 inches long. My shortest baby!