Home Birth Story: Grace Tabitha

I promised to post the story of Grace’s birth and now, three months later, here it is!

When my due date on March 10^th came and went without any signs of things happening I was rather disappointed. On the 8^th I had four contractions thirteen minutes apart, but they did not return and so we waited. The Braxton Hicks were getting stronger and more frequent but that was it. We visited our chiropractor who found that my pelvis was pinched and something in my hips was out of line, so he did an adjustment on me and sent us home to walk. We had walked for about a mile with me doing some squats now and then, when suddenly I felt her drop. I was so excited and walked home waddling and looking much more pregnant then when we had left home, it was amazing. We were so thankful to the Lord that I had not started labor before that, since our chiropractor said that if I had it would have been a very difficult labor. We waited some more, hoping, but still nothing. At my appointment with my midwife she said that I was dilated to two centimeters but no effacement. I began to do everything I could to go into labor as one week over due came and went. I loved being pregnant but I was so very ready to be done with that part. I really had to turn to the Lord for strength to keep going and waiting, it was very hard to be patient but that was what the Lord wanted to teach us. People were telling me that I would probably go into labor on Saturday the 19^th because it was a full moon, I was doubtful but wishful as well. : ) So when on that night I began having contractions, first 15 minutes apart and eventually down to 5 minutes apart for several hours, I was very hopeful. My Mom was on the phone with me talking as I walked around and around my kitchen and living room trying to keep things going as my husband slept so he could be rested. They were not hard contractions but enough to stop me in my tracks as I breathed through them, often times squatting, while my Mom helped me time them. Then they petered out and stopped. So I went to bed, disappointed, but still hopeful that things would happen soon. The next morning I began walking again and by late morning the contractions started again. I was thrilled! My sister Bonnie was very excited that I might be having my baby on her birthday. Patrick was excited now too and as the contractions continued without letting up for five hours he had me call the midwife to let her know what was going on. She decided to come see how things were going. By the time she got there they were starting to peter out again and I was still only dilated to two. She gave me some castor oil to take along with blue cohosh with instruction on dosage and she went home. That evening I did have some more contraction that were harder than they had been, but they did not last through the night. 

Several more days went by and I went to see the chiropractor again since my midwife had told us that yes, the baby had dropped but not enough. Another adjustment, some more walking and she dropped lower. We went to see my midwife again the same day and she gave me more herbs to help start labor and told me to take more castor oil. So I began taking all those things, drank cups of parsley tea, walked, squatted and waited. On Thursday the 24^th I began having more contractions, but by this time I was more or less ignoring them other than doing some squats. I did not want to get my hopes up again. Then about three in the afternoon I realized “hey, these are getting really hard!” I could not ignore them anymore and in fact they were increasing in strength very quickly and I had to really concentrate on breathing through them. I looked at my husband and said with a smile “I think this is the real thing!” We decided to take a nap just in case, so we would be rested. He slept, but I sure didn’t! There was no sleeping through those contractions as they increased in strength. I got up and walked around for as long as I could and when I could stand it no longer, I climbed into bed to try to relax like the Bradley Method teaches. I was not smiling anymore. Patrick then called our midwife who said she would be there in a couple of hours. My sweet husband spent those hours and many more hours into the night heating up water in the stove to pour into the birthing pool since the water coming out of our hot water tank was discolored for some reason. He traveled back and forth from the kitchen to the bedroom carrying pot after pot of boiling water. While he waited for it to boil he would spend time coaching me through the contractions, which by this time I desperately needed his help. He also sent texts out to friends and family letting them know what was going on and asking for prayer. I finally asked him to ask the midwife to please hurry.. she did and was soon hovering over me and giving me herbs to help me relax and to get the contractions to increase. She had Patrick fill up the tub with hot water so I could get in there while I waited for the pool to get warm enough. Oh how good that water felt! It gave me the strength I needed to get through the contractions since before getting in I was beginning to feel a little panicky. 

 I took this of my husband as I labored in the tub, the love in his eyes says it all.

As I soaked in the tub I heard my midwife moaning in the living room, soon Patrick came in telling me that she had the flu! I felt so sorry for her, it had to be hard to be in a strange home helping at a birth and feeling that awful. I began to pray for her and the Lord put in my mind to tell Patrick to give her a teaspoon of Diatomaceous Earth in water. I had heard that it could help with a flu but never tried it myself. Patty(our midwife) took it and within thirty minutes was up feeling much better and a couple of hours later she had no flu symptoms at all! Praise the Lord!

All night long the contractions continued. When I was not in the pool my dear husband would rub my back through every contraction. We would sleep in between them, (at least he would, I tried to and I think that I did a little) and then I would wake him up pleading for help. I was so very thankful for him and felt bad that he could not sleep as he was exhausted, so I tried to get though them alone, but most of the time I could not. I could get through the front labor pain, but the back pain was so intense I could not bear it without his fist pressed into my back rubbing in a circular motion. When I was able to get into the tub, oh what a relief it was! I could float around into whatever position I needed and the warmth of the water on my back was so helpful, it was still not easy but more manageable. After a couple of times in and out of the pool my contractions slowed down a little so I began walking again to keep things going, the break was not for long and they soon picked up again with gusto. I don’t know the times when things happened, the hours that went by all blurred as I tried to just get through the next contraction. Patrick put on some soothing instrumental hymn cds that his mother had given us, they were very calming and comforting. I was dilating very slowly and as the morning and day (May 25th) progressed my midwife found that the warm water was causing me to swell, so I could not get back in. That was a huge disappointment! She also began to use ice to bring down the swelling which was very uncomfortable. As night fell I was getting closer to full dilatation. 

I think it was around 11:00 p.m. on my second night of labor when I finally reached full dilatation and transitioned into the pushing stage. It was a relief to be able to do something. At some point Patty broke my bag of water and I remember her saying that it looked like our baby’s birth date would be the 25^th. Then a problem developed. Part of my cervix was hung up on my baby’s head and when I pushed, it would tighten up not allowing her to move down through. So Patty told me to stop pushing with the contractions but rather in between them, while she held the cervix back. Oh that was hard. She would then have me relax through them for large spaces of time, then come back and try it again. There was little to no progress for hours and I began to fear we might have to have a c-section. Which I did not want. As I lay there is complete misery, (Patrick still rubbing my back!) everything seemed dark and I really did not know how I could make it any longer. I asked the Lord “Why does it have to be this hard, many women have shorter labors.” He showed me that although I had been praying throughout, I was trying to do it myself, not consciously, but I was not fully relying on the Lord for help. By His grace I truly cast myself upon the Lord and told Him that I could not do it without Him. I pleaded with Him to help me and remembered the agony that Jesus bore for me, in my place on the cross and I thought, cannot I bear this for my child? But my strength was gone, it was then that I either imagined or saw Jesus reaching out His hand to me. I grabbed onto His hand and did not let go.

Soon Patty came in to check again and suddenly progress was being made! My baby had gone past the point where she was stuck and now things were moving quickly. I could push! Oh how strong the urge to push became… and ruthless! There was hardly any time to rest and I was exhausted. Patty began preparing things for the baby and then concentrated on talking me through each push. Soon they could see the head and Patty kept telling me to push harder, but I was so tired! Patrick then took a picture of my baby’s head, which gave me the boost I needed to give it all I had. Patrick got more and more excited as more of her head showed and kept showing me pictures which really worked to keep me motivated. My midwife had to snip a little and finally my baby’s head was out! Patrick showed me a picture of her scrunched up little face and in two more pushes which took everything left in me, she was out at 5:37 a.m. on March 26^th! Praise the Lord!

 Joy!!!

 The first thing that struck me was that my baby is a girl! All throughout the pregnancy we thought that it probably was a boy, so we were amazed to see our little girl. She was pink and screaming and as Patty laid her on my chest she began to suck her fist, so I decided to try nursing her right away and sure enough she latched on and wanted both sides! I was so thankful that she could get that good colostrum in her little body. We left the umbilical cord attached for about 45 minutes until in stopped pulsating then Patrick cut it. He was then able to hold his little girl for the first time! I cannot describe the joy it was to see our baby in her Daddy’s arms and the amazed look on my husband’s face! The Lord is so good! It took a while to get the placenta out but once it was finally out, oh it was such a relief! Patty took Grace to bathe and weigh her while I rested. She weighed in at 8lbs. 3oz. and was 19 ½ inches long. Patty could not get over her color, how pink she was (and still is :).  She told me that I could not get up until much later that day since I had lost about five to six cups of blood and anything over four is considered a hemorrhage. 

 Bonding :)

 First bath

 My parents were already packed and ready to travel down from Wisconsin to stay with us for a while, so they soon began their 14 hour drive. Patrick’s family came to meet the new arrival, bearing presents and food. My sister-in-love Leah stayed for the night to help us, which was a great blessing. I would almost faint standing up from lack of blood, so they both would support me whenever I had to get up. A friend brought over all kinds of good iron building foods which I began to eat and slowly the color came back into my cheeks after several days. My parents arrived on Sunday and stayed for over a week. It was such a HUGE blessing having them there! My Mom took care of meals, housework, laundry, etc., babysat Grace so that I could sleep and just blessed us tremendously. My Dad helped Patrick out with numerous projects and fixed a drawer in my kitchen that had to be completely rebuilt! They did not leave until I was able to pick Grace up and carry her around the house. Before that time I would get dizzy and begin to topple over. I am so thankful to the Lord for their love and kindness to us!

 

Happy Grandpa

 Happy Nana

 During the time of my darkest moments, especially in the second night of labor, I did not realize just how many people were praying for me. It blows me away to think how many people slept very little that night as the Lord burdened their hearts to pray! My parents were in agony, crying before the Lord as they waited for more news and none came hour after hour. Patrick sent out several texts, but the last they received before the happy call about the birth was that the baby was stuck. It makes me cry now to think of their prayers. Oh how thankful I am that the Lord had so many people praying and that He answered their prayers in a mighty way! I did not have the strength, but He gave it to me, I could not go on, but he lifted me up and set me on a Rock, Jesus my Savior! Thank you Lord Jesus! All glory goes to my Lord!

 Foot stamping

 Grace amazed us by holding her head up off of our shoulders from day 1, strong little girl!

 Very happy Mommy :)

 Our precious little girl, such a gift from God.

My sister-in-love Olivia crocheted this hat for Grace.

Now my little girl is three months old! It is hard to believe, she is growing so very quickly!

 

A woman when she is in travail has sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.
(John 16:21)