Oh Lindsey! I’m your size twin (and a photographer—I’ve messaged you on Instagram several times as I too was pregnant with my third at the same time as you). Soooo much of this resonates with me! But, I want to emphasize, it resonates with me for my FIRST baby. I was in labour for 43 hours (YOU are a rockstar!) and it was ROUGHHH. I too planned a home birth, had the tub set up etc. But after 31 hours at home, and learning he was posterior and not putting enough pressure on my cervix to move things along forced us to make the decision Ron get to the hospital. I was at 6.5 cm almost the whole time. Barely progressing. Like you I had the gamut once I arrived—epidural, pitocin etc. Then I spiked a fever (likely from long labour/exhaustion) and had to be on antibiotics. Once I was ready to push I PUSHEDDDD like my life depended on it. He had severe shoulder dystocia and yet somehow my midwife got him out. He was 9 lbs!!!! I’m 5ft nil like you. It was a lot to process after. I learned I hemorrhaged as well and healing was a total nightmare.
Less than two years later my daughter was born. 7 hours start to finish. I still didn’t get my home birth, as my very knowledgeable and loving midwife refused to allow it after what happened with my son. But still, the experience was like night and day. I DID opt for the epidural because I was terrified it was going to be the same, but I literally pushed her out less than 2.5 hours later. We were home in our living room 3 hours later. She also had mild shoulder dystocia but they knew how to handle me and it was pretty seamless.

Then number 3. Our double rainbow baby after 2 miscarriages. Again—so different. So quick. Induced this time because of my history of large babies. I realized I actually had some ptsd from my experience with my first and each time before birth I was petrified. Even with an induction it was 5.5 hours! And this was 5.25 years after my first.
This little man ended up being tiny! Born August 1st.

My point—ugh I want on and on—is that things can be very different!! First babies are a challenge!! And us little ladies sometimes have a harder time!
Your birth story makes you even more of a superhero than you already were and it’s a huge part of your life story. Way to go and thank you for sharing!!!