Milo's Birth Story

My doctor called Friday morning when I was on the way home from my umpteenth attempt at walking myself into labor. She said that she had a room ready for me if I wanted to go in then. I was still scared about being induced but very ready to meet my boy (and so done with being pregnant) so Dave and I hightailed it to the hospital.

When I arrived at the hospital, it was 11 a.m. From my previous post, you know that I was already pretty progressed--sitting at 5 cm, 90% effaced, and -1 station and contracting. I got an epidural around 2 o'clock (which didn't fully take on my left side, boo) and started the Pitocin around 3 to help move me along. Having all of those medications administered at once made me feel a little strange and lightheaded so I took a brief nap and, thankfully, woke up feeling better. At 4:30, I was checked and had only changed to 5.5 cm so my water was broken.

That was a magical, magical event.

Nearly an hour later, I began to feel intense pain and the incredible urge to push. My nurse checked me and said I was fully dilated and effaced. She barely had time to call for a set up and the doctors before I started to push. Thankfully, Dave had just returned from eating dinner in the cafeteria. 3 back-to-back pushes and 30 seconds later my boy was here!

I'm still amazed at the quickness of it all since Moses tested the limits of my pushing ability and my doctor's time allowance. I always envied those women who "pushed for only 20 minutes." Little Milo must have known my delivery desires and did me one better--3 pushes! He wasn't messing around! I do have a second degree tear but other than that, I'm doing fine and feeling much better physically this time around.

Milo arrived so quickly that my doctor wasn't able to make it there for the delivery, but strangely enough, a childhood friend of Dave's delivered Milo.

Milo's doing well and has received a clean bill of health from all the professional pokers and prodders who've visited. I'm breastfeeding again and am thrilled he's got a great latch--if only he wasn't always nodded off to sleep at each meal!

Moses met Milo for the first time yesterday! He didn't really notice Milo and was more interested in the room's furniture (with buttons!) than his new brother. I don't think he realized that Milo is going home with us and that he's a permanent fixture in the family.


It's so nice to finally have Milo here with us and we look forward to getting home and being a foursome!

Meet Milo

The Exodus

On November 28th, our little boy arrived after 14 hours of labor. Although 3 weeks early, he weighed in at an impressive 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 20 inches long, with the standard-issue fingers and toes.



He surprised Dave and me by declaring his imminent arrival shortly after an episode of "Heroes" on 11/27. Once at the hospital, I didn't shy away from the epidural, and I am thankful for that glorious invention—--however, I will say the actual administration of the narcotic needs some improvement. Numb from the waist down, I spent the majority of the early-morning labor watching "The X-Files" and "Saved by the Bell" reruns—--pain free (although viewing those nineties' styles was difficult to stomach) . When the actual "push" time came, the pain wasn't for the faint of heart but completely worth the reward. At 11:20 a.m., twelve hours after my water broke, Moses Toliver Ring was born.


“Hello, my little cone head” was the first tender sentence I said to my offspring as Dr. Hurt lay him across my stomach and I glimpsed his misshapen, journey-worn head. Dave had the honor of cutting the gristly umbilical cord and watching his first moments as nurses examined his newly-minted form.


Dave and I were taken instantly with his sweet visage and are forever wound around those tiny fingers. It’s amazing how quickly one can go from “me” to “you” without a second thought.



-Lindsey