Walkin' On Sunshine: Preparing for a Little One Link Up

Today, I'm linking up once again with Kaitlyn over at Wifessionals for her mini series. This week's topic is Birth Stories (The good, bad, and ugly) / Birth Plans (yes? no?) I'm probably not a good person to talk to about my birth story because it was sooooo easy. But, why wouldn't it be? I got pregnant easily (SURPRISE!), I was never sick, I didn't have any complications, and Tinley was perfectly healthy. I was so fortunate. And blessed. I really had no idea what to expect during the whole labor process, but I wasn't nervous.

At 39 weeks, I was induced. We live in Ohio, and our families are in WV, TX, and NC, so we wanted to be able to tell our parents an exact date to come. So, we had to plan ahead. I went in for a check-up a few days before, and my doctor (who I absolutely loved!) said we would be able to be induced, and that there was no point in waiting another week. She was already about 7 pounds, and ready to come out. I was 2 cm dilated. So, we gave our families the green light and they all came up. We knew Tinley would be born on the 24th. So, Justin and I packed our bags (read about that here), and headed to the hospital around 10 pm Monday night, January 23, 2012, after stuffing our faces at Outback (I HIGHLY recommend doing this!). My friend Carrie, who volunteers at the front desk checked us in, and walked us up to our room. Then, the nurse on duty came in, gave me a gown, and I changed and got in bed. It was so routine. So calm. I got hooked up to the machines and she started monitoring my progress. I was already having small contractions, so they didn't give me and pitocin. I was in no pain at all. I think Justin was more nervous than I was.

The rooms were very nice and extremely spacious

Relaxing the night before Tinley's arrival

The nurse monitored my progress throughout the night and told us to try to get some sleep. Our doctor was coming in around 7 am to check me and see where we were at. So, we did just that, but we didn't get much sleep. Between the screams of other patients (one lady down the hall was screaming bloody murder! We later found out she didn't arrive in time for her epidural!), and the nurse coming in to check my blood pressure or adjust me, it makes for a very sleepless night. Not to mention the fact that we would be parents tomorrow... nerves and excitement filled the room too!

Dr. Visci arrived bright and early and checked me. I was still about the same, I believe 3 cm. So, they gave me some pitocin to kick start things. He came in a few hours later and broke my water, and that's when things really started happening. I went through about an hour of really hard contractions (this was definitely the worst part) before getting the epidural. I was around 4 cm at this point. Ladies, trust me, you want the epidural. I know, I know. I am terrified of needles. I have no tattoos, and I thought I was going to pass out the first time I got my blood drawn, but trust me, you want this needle in you. The pain from the contractions was so strong that I didn't even notice the foot-long needle going into my spine. And it kicked in instantly. Aghhhhhhh. Relief. From there, it was smooth sailing. The epidural really sped things up, and before I knew it, Dr. Visci was coming in, checking me, and saying "Oh my gosh, you're fully diliated! It's time to push!" My first reaction was "I'm not ready yet!" But after 9 months of planning, it was time. Ready or not. So, I pushed for about an hour (honestly, it seemed like 10 minutes!), while watching Jersey Shore on TV and making jokes with Dr. Visci and the nurses, and before we knew it, Miss Tinley Nicole Slater had arrived! It was 1:56 pm on January 24, 2012 and, our lives as we knew them had just changed forever. But, for the better of course. :o)