Baby's Birth Date: December 7, 2006
Baby's Weight: 8 pounds, 9 ounces
Baby's Height: 20.5 inches
Harrisburg, PA

"Thanksgiving came and (uncomfortably) went and so did my November 30th due date. I wasn't sure I wanted to be induced because throughout my pregnancy I had read that when a baby is ready, it will come, and so on. Well, needless to say, at the first appointment following my due date "When can I be induced?" were the first words out of my mouth!"

"My induction was scheduled for Thursday, December 7. I just knew that my water would break before then, though, and my husband and I would get to do the excited, rushed drive to the hospital. It didn't, so the morning of my induction, we arrived and the Pitocin was started at 9:15. My husband and I played cards and relaxed, watching TV and chatting for awhile. I didn't think labor was so bad after all."

"Then my water broke, and was I ever surprised! In all the reading you do when you're pregnant, nowhere does it tell you HOW MUCH amniotic fluid there is! After that, there was no more card playing. My contractions got longer and harder. I was determined to have a natural birth (minus the pitocin, obviously). I was checked at 1:00 and told that I was only about 5 centimeters."

"Then things got really hard. I tried my best to focus, but all I could think of was my Prepared Childbirth Instructor (Jule Young...awesome teacher!) saying how the 7-10 centimeter phase was the worst of all, and I wasn't even there yet, I figured."

"I finally reached my breaking point, figuring I couldn't bear the pain for another 4 hours and asked for an epidural. When the words came out of my mouth, I suddenly felt the urge to push."

"The nurse checked me and I was 10 centimeters. Once I got over the shock of actually being ready to deliver the baby, my nurse very patiently guided me through the process, and within 6 pushes, Tristan Oliver arrived. It was awesome to have him in the same room while he got weighed and checked, and then to be able to start breastfeeding right away."

"I couldn't have asked for a better childbirth experience. Dr. Krishnamurthy was great, and my nurse even stayed past the end of her shift until I delivered."

"Tristan is a healthy and active ten-month old!"