My husband and I have had a hard time with pregnancies. Our first and second pregnancies both went to heaven sooner than we had hoped. Then on December 31st we found out our world was going to change again. This was our rainbow baby!

I had a doctors visit with my OBGYN on Monday at 37 weeks

and she did a cervex check on me. I was measuring 2cm and about 50% effaced. She was pretty sure I wouldn’t go into labor this week, but baby girl had other plans for sure! Early the next morning I woke up to contractions roughly 5 minutes apart. I thought they were painful since they woke me up from dead sleep. I woke my husband up telling him that I think something was happening and we should go get checked out. We get to the hospital at 3am on Tuesday and they confirmed that my contractions were happening, but I wasn’t dilating and the effacement wasn’t changing enough for them to admit me. I was given a shot for pain management and sent back home. All day on Tuesday I felt those same contractions. Tried to eat and sleep as much as I could. Tuesday night they started to really ramp up in pain but not in timing. Early yesterday morning I made the call and we went back into the hospital. We arrived at 2:30am and were admitted by 4am. I had dilated to 4cm and was 90% effaced! It was baby time! I immediately got the epidural, which was an amazing blessing. Instant relief!!! To those who are scared of epidurals, don’t be! I felt a slight pinch from the numbing shot, but everything else was so easy. The relief was so needed too. My body relaxed, and I was able to save up my energy for the big event. By 9:30am, I was fully dilated but they didn’t want me to start pushing just yet. My OBGYN showed up and we started pushing at 10am exactly. At 10:17am, Piper was here! She weighed in at 6lbs 7.5 oz and measured 20 inches long!

Right after the last push:

After her bath:

Trying to get her to sleep on the first night:

So here’s my advice to others:

1. Listen to your doctors, nurses, midwives, and doulas. They have so much wisdom and can help you out. There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially if you are a first timer.

2. Pay attention to your body. I knew I wasn’t going to make it to my due date (September 10th). There was something in my gut that was telling me to prepare sooner. I didn’t lose my mucous plug or break my water until I was already at the hospital in labor. I also didn’t have the diarrhea clean out that so many other women have before they go into labor.

3. Do your kegels religiously every day!

4. Just accept that this process will hurt, regardless of what painkillers you take, hypno-birthing books you read and your pain tolerance. I found that once I accepted that this was going to be a painful experience, it made things so much more bearable. Remember that pain is simply a message to your brain. It’s nothing more than chemistry trying to control you. You can control it. I chose to do it with an epidural and some pain pills afterwards, but there is no singularly “right” way to give birth. Most of us tear and that really is the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my lady bits.

5. Be ready for PP self care. It is so easy to just want to take care of your new baby and forget about yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from the nurses, pediatricians, and other doctors that you interact with. They are not inconvenienced by helping you one bit! That’s what they are there for! If you need to rest, it’s totally okay to have the nurse take baby to the nursery for a few hours. If you need more painkillers, ask for them! Don’t try to suffer through it. Your baby will thank you when they are crying for comfort all night and you’re able to carry them.

Good luck and baby dust to all the others out there!