Birth Story

Birth. Whew.  When I reflect back on little one's story, I cannot help but smile not because I did it well, but because of all the people that played a part in walking me through what I believe is one of the toughest things I have ever done in such a relative short amount of time- give birth to my children.

This was my 6th baby.  First one went straight into the arms of Jesus in the first trimester.  We grieved his loss and wondered if I would ever have children.  At this point, I never knew how common yet how tragic miscarriages are.  Was something wrong with me?  With the second baby, I endured a long labor of 36 hours with epidural injury causing partial paralization and requiring me to undergo physical therapy to walk again correctly and heal. With the third baby, I was told our little child was sick and upon being born would need to be swept away to NICU due to kidney, lung, and heart issues.  I went through the scares and many downs from 31 weeks pregnant until he entered the world at 41 weeks with no medication or epidural after 31 hours of labor.  He came out completely healthy. A miracle occurred. I cried uncontrollably at the gift of not having to walk down a road that seemed certain. The NICU doctors walked away with no Turner baby. He was in my arms.  With the fourth baby, I finally got my dream of birthing at a birth center in the bath tub and it truly was miraculous and everything I hoped.  Labor was extremely quick and lasted only 3.5 hours from start to finish.  With the fifth baby, I again was able to birth at the birth center in the bed after 3 hours of labor but suffered from severe thromboses hemorrhoids following labor- the worst the medical team had seen landing me on bed rest for 3 weeks barely escaping surgery.

And now the 6th baby.

Sometime in the last ten weeks of pregnancy, I started dealing with an intense fear of the pain of labor.  My anxiety would keep me up at night or wake me up.  I at first bottled this fear and then began reaching out to others to pray.  Through the prayers of others, the verses others gave me, and the listening ear especially of my husband,  my fears began to surface less and less.  At the recommendation of others, I began to read positive birth stories and pray that the Lord would help prepare my mind, as natural childbirth with no medication is first and foremost mental and second of course a physical race that requires every part of the body to work. Here is the site where I read positive stories: https://juliebyers.com/birth-stories/

Labor came at first with many false alarms starting at 37 weeks and coming and going until 40 weeks 2 days when he was delivered..  With these false alarms, terror arose that I had to work through each time. Three nights before I actually went into true labor, insomnia started.  It was Wednesday around 12 that my membranes were stripped and I began contracting harder yet infrequently. I took an hour nap and by the afternoon, they had not let up.  We called the midwife and she arrived around dinner  time to set up.  There still was no pattern so she instructed us to walk or sit on the birth ball.  This was such a sweet time for my husband and I.  I depended on him in a way I had not in the prior births.  Around 11, she said everything was set up and could leave coming back as soon as a pattern arose.  I panicked at the thought and asked if I could get in the bath, calm down, and see what happens.  Almost as soon as I entered that bath, my body relaxed and I went straight into active labor.  Essential oils were diffused.  Soft wordless music was played. The midwife and her assistant stayed and I labored in the tub, birth ball, standing up, and lying down on the couch.  I went into this labor truly exhausted from the past week of not much sleep. I noticed that my legs began to give out requiring me to need help to stand, walk, etc.  In active labor, we talked- all four of us- in between contractions.  It was a sweet time.  I then got to a point where I would fall asleep in-between contractions both in active labor and transition time.  I listened to piano hymn and praise music and sang and prayed and focused as hard as possible to embrace the contractions and not fight them.  At this point I was in the bath tub and my husband right there in the tub with me.  It was such a sweet time when I reflect back.  He was so extremely selfless.  He endured back spasm and much pain helping to hold me, etc.  He pushed on my back as the baby descended, he held my hand, and sat there fully present with no words. I finally reach a 10 and eventually the urge to push came which is uncontrollable.  I delivered his head and needed assistance with his shoulder so my incredible midwife jumped in clothes and all to assist getting his shoulder out.  He was born at 5 am perfect looking like all his siblings.   It was miraculous.  As I reflect back, I smile.  God met me.  He sustained me.

Now less than 3 days out, I sit here with with all pains of recovery and a low grade fever causing aches and what the medical team thinks is due to severe exhaustion as I have no other symptoms, but yet again, I have to surrender and trust God with my baby and myself.  Covet your prayers that my body would heal and most importantly that our little one would stay healthy and somehow we'd get rest.  Thankful for my team of helpers all around.