I couldn’t be more proud to announce that my son was born on 1/12/2016 – as you may have guessed from my absence on social media and my blog. Tommy weighed in at 8 lb 14 oz and 22 inches long.
I’m excited to share with you my full birth story later this week and will have new posts for you all week featuring a prenatal workout that I did up until two days before I went into labor, some amazing recipes from fabulous bloggers and more.
Here is the short version of my birth story:
I began having contractions Tuesday morning at 5 am but was scheduled for an induction. We went in at 8:30 am to learn that I was 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I was given one dose of Cytotec as part of the induction and went from 1 cm to 5 cm dilated in just 4 hours – which is extremely fast for a 1st time mom. I begged for the epidural by 3 pm. It was smooth sailing after that. I was not given Pitocin as my labor progressed on it’s own. By 7pm, I was already at 9 cm. We took our time because babies heart rate looked good and since he was expected to be large, the more time to stretch the better. The epidural was also amazing. I pushed for 90 minutes and Tommy was born at 10:46pm. Those late-pregnancy workouts really helped!
Nick and I enjoyed the past week away from work, with friends and family and getting to know our bundle of joy. We couldn’t be more in love even if he thinks you’re supposed to sleep during the day.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram for updates but like Nick, LittleFit will mostly be a guest star on this blog rather than a main character. Here are a few pictures until I share the birth story.
I want to post my full birth story because I think there is stigma against not having a “natural” childbirth especially in my “industry”. I didn’t want an induction and I know I’m going to get nasty comments about taking Cyctotec on here but I delivered at MGH – literally the #1 ranked hospital in the United States. I’m pretty sure I trust my son’s life with the knowledge of MGH than a birth center. I didn’t know if I wanted an epidural but in the end, I have a healthy boy to hold in my arms and I want to share my story in full.
Congratulations Momma!! He’s perfect. I hope you’re feeling good.
congrats! he’s so cute.
Congrats, he’s perfect! I’m due next Friday and frankly am counting on an epidural the second I walk in the door, I have no interest in feeling any unnecessary pain, so I’m hoping mine works well! Enjoy your time with him, don’t feel pressured to blog any more than you feel up to!
Congratulations Sarah! My son was also born on January 12th, at 9:31am. He decided to show up a couple of weeks early!
PS, our birth stories are somewhat similar! My water broke Sunday the 10th, so I had to go in to the hospital after 24 hours to get induced and chose cytotec instead of pitocin which caused me to dilate to 7cm in 4 hours! I had really bad back labor though and also ended up begging for the epidural at that point. However you give birth, it’s most important to focus on having the healthy baby! Congratulations!
Congratulations! I’m so excited for you. You did the right thing. You did what was best for you and your son, that’s all you can do. It will be hard but ignore any negativity. Trust In yourself, you’re already a great mom.
Congratulations! He’s beautiful!!
Congrats!! He is beautiful!! Hope you are feeling well. Such an amazing miracle! ❤️ Enjoy your time with him!
You did great! Well done… Don’t worry about comments you have a lot to worry about now, and is the best experience ever!!!
No matter what, you and Tommy are safe and healthy. Congratulations!
Congratulations! I was scheduled for an induction on Wednesday the 13th, but went into labor around 9 pm on the 11th. So our little guys share their birthday! He came out with pretty much the same stats at 8 lbs, 13 oz and 22 inches! Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about your birth story though. In my head, I swore I was never going to get an epidural.. But when it came down to actual labor last week, I didn’t even hesitate when the pain was too strong! And I still have a healthy and happy baby at the end! Congratulations again and enjoy these short-lived cuddly newborn days!
Sarah— I must be very naive, and oblivious, I just don’t understand how others could judge someone for their birth process. My birth story is just about literally the SAME as yours! It sounds like we both pushed for the same amount of time too! I think there is NOTHING wrong with taking medication to help the process. It is all about being safe, as mothers and our babies. God Bless you and your son! I also had a boy in July. Best of luck!!!!
Congratulations! He is beautiful! 🙂
Congrats! Medicine exists for a reason, all that matters is you have a healthy baby boy!
Congrats Sarah and Nick! Tommy looks absolutely perfect.
So happy for you Sarah! He’s delicious! Congratulations 🙂
CONGRATS SARAH!!!! That is amazing.
Congratulations on becoming a mommy! He’s a beautiful little boy!
congrats sarah :* you are such a beautiful mommy ! tommy looks so sweet <3
Welcome to the sisterhood of motherhood! Can’t wait to meet the little man! The days will seem long but the years will go fast, so absorb as much as you can -xoxo
Congratulations to you and your family!
Congratulations, Sarah! He’s adorable!
This is so refreshing. Thank you for being brave enough to share your experience and your beautiful boy with the world. You will be an inspiration to moms everywhere. People like you are helping to finally break all of the “mom shaming” that has gotten so out of control. Congratulations. Enjoy that baby! 🙂
I had to deal with a few critics of my own when I gave birth to my daughter (I ended up having a C-section under full sedation). Here’s what I told whoever tried to tell me that I had a “bad” delivery (you know, with the fake compassionate half-smile…) : I came here (at the hospital) to have a baby and I will walk out of here with a beautiful baby, so TOTAL SUCCESS as far as I’m concerned. Your body, your baby, your call… and by the way: total success for you too!
Congratulations to you all!
If anyone gives any condemnation on how you deliver, that’s their concern -- not yours. You had a healthy baby & you are both safe -- you did a perfect job regardless of how things played out in YOUR story -- & its just that YOUR story. Be proud of the strong momma you are to get your baby here safely for you both.
Cant wait to hear the whole story!
he’s adorable! love the name Tommy also! I am expecting a little girl in March so I will be looking forward to hearing all the details of your experience in the next post! Congrats!
Sarah, I had an epidural and it’s disgusting how a lot of health/fitness/mommy bloggers will make you feel terrible about yourself about it. I know about a bazillion people who’ve used epidurals and I’m sure I teach about everyone of their children in my classroom, and honestly, they’re perfectly fine and healthy. Proud your baby is here and happy and healthy! Postpartum was hard for me, so here’s some mama love to get you through any baby blues you might be experiencing. 🙂
It shouldn’t matter how your child entered the world, just as long as they’re healthy. I honestly think you can never fully prepare for birth (especially as a first time mum) as you don’t know what you expect. Whether you were drug free or had every drug going, I’m proud of you. You carried and nourished your child until he was ready to be born. You then laboured and gave birth. Every mother is amazing -- all natural, or with pain relief, vaginal or section births…. we all have our own stories and no one should be judged or feel like they’re being judged on their decisions. Congratulations Sarah and Nick! Tommy is beautiful. May he have a long, happy and healthy life!
Congrats- I was creeping on Instagram and saw you delivered last week! I hate when bloggers share a personal experience so others can relate and people make unnecessary comments- something as amazing as having a healthy baby should only have happy comments and love <3
Congratulations on your new arrival, he is indeed very cute. Today I went for my first scan and was told I’ve lost my baby -- my second miscarriage, almost to the day of the last one. Seeing your FB post today about the safe arrival of your little one is a welcome happy story on a sad day. Reading your blog sporadically over the last few months has helped me realise I need to be kinder to myself and not waste time comparing my situation to others as everyone is different. I don’t understand the need some people have to vocalise their judgemental views on decisions others make about their life, their baby and their future. If someone had asked me even a couple of years ago about my thoughts on pregnancy and child birth I have to admit I would have worried about weight gain (having been almost 7 stone over weight in the past), possibly been insistent on a natural labour and worried about what others think of my decisions at every stage. First time around I worried, was it that 10k run?, was that shower a bit too hot? was it that time I drank wine before I knew I was pregnant? Now I know getting and staying pregnant has so much to do with luck, staying fit, healthy and listening to your body is important but only accounts for some of the story. I hope one day to carry a baby full term and if I get there I certainly won’t be worrying about which is the most socially acceptable management of the labour. Please continue to write your open and honest blogs, and shame on those who feel the need to spend time reading them just to find something to disagree with. Good luck with everything.
Thanks for sharing! I love reading birth stories of all sorts. I think it helps everyone. There are just so many different ways to get that baby out of mama and into the world, as long as it happens safely that’s all that matters. 🙂 congratulations!
Congratulations to your family and you. No one can judge YOUR BIRTH experience -- it’s yours and none of them are the same. In the end we want a healthy baby to love and if you have that -- then you did everything right since births can get treacherous. I also had cytotec and read the reviews and panicked, called my obstetrician and she had to calm me down. In the end everything was ok, the epidural was my BEST FRIEND and our son was born happy, healthy and heavy. LOL. Congrats again.
I chose to be induced 6 days before my sons projected due date. I caved with the epidural by 8cm. I just couldn’t handle it anymore. My son was born within 8.5 hours from start to finish. I pushed for just 20-30 min. He’s my first child. He’s about to turn 2.5 years on the 25th of January.
I’m proud of you. Women can be downright bullies when it comes to birth and what they think is best. It’s absolutely ridiculous! God or his protective arms around you and your son and you guys are doing great!! The epidural wasn’t just for you, it was also for Nick. That helped the birthing process and he was able to cope much better rather than without an epidural and you screaming and being incredibly crabby because you are hot and in an incredibly amount of pain.
May the lord bless and keep you!
Bless your 3 peas in a pod!
Congrats! Im sorry you feel you have to defend your self before you even started this entry. You sound like you were in control of your choices of interventions, and everything went as smooth as possible (as smooth as labor can be!) Control and being a part of the decision making in what happenes to your body and what impacts your baby is very empowering. Not all women get to keep their voice heard. Your last paragraph bothered me. You talk about the judgement you expect from the natural birth community, and then you state that you trust your babys life in a hospital over a birth center. As it must be the superior choice. It is a choice. You had interventons at your choice, of course you should be in a hospital. It sounds like without the interventions you could of had just as successful birth at a birth center, as there were no mention of complacations. Your putting down one option over the other. Dont take the defence on your birth story. Dont rationalize your choices, you dont need to. Own it, love it, if your birth made you happy. I had a natural hospital birth and loved it. You had a medical birth and loved it. To the women who had a c section and loved it, I am happy for you. To the women who had a homebirth and loved it, im happy for you. And to the women who did not have the birth they had hoped for, we love you, and the sisterhood of motherhood is here for you.
Congratulations! You reach so many with your blog so you too have the opportunity to not compare one over the other, but just to share yours. Already you were negative in your statements writing “. . . than a birth center” some choose hospital, doula, midwife, doctor. . . . You don’t want someone to judge you for something you did /didn’t do- don’t do the very same thing!
Congratulations! What a handsome baby boy! Snuggle that sweetie!
Congrats! The end result of a healthy baby is all that matters! Anyone who says different can go on their merry way.
Congrats! Have some trust and confidence in yourself as a mother. As a blogger which you chose to do you’re putting your life out there for people to read about. This is your career and your choice. Some will love and some will hate it 🙂 But have faith. Is he named after Tom Brady?
Haha no. I joke around that he is but he is not. It was the only boys name Nick and I both liked. We have had it for a long time
Congratulations! LittleFit is just adorable!!