Esther is my fourth child. Her birth was my first natural birth. It took place at home with her daddy, my husband, catching. My first was born in the Navy hospital in a very outdated setting. I labored in one room, delivered in another, and recovered in a third. Even though it was a normal (for a medical setting) birth, I only got to give my baby a quick hug before they whisked her off to the nursery and it was a couple of hours before I got to hold an nurse her. It was a generally irritating experience. My second and third children were born in a more friendly hospital setting with one room for LDR. I was able to hold and nurse them immediately after birth. All of three of these births were induced/augmented with pitocin: 1 ~ because my water broke and labor didn't progress fast enough for the doctors (I know better now); 2 ~ because the resident convinced me to plan an induction (I know better now); and 3 ~ I discovered after the fact that pitocin had been added to my IV without my knowledge or consent. I was ticked, to say the least! I used nubain for the pain with all three births.

During this time, I began meeting women who delivered their babies at home. At first I thought the idea was crazy and dangerous. Just before I became pregnant with Esther, I read
Born in Zion by Carol Balizet. The book teaches that we should trust God for the birth process which He designed. That really started me thinking.

I found out I was pregnant, just before Valentine's Day, 1997 and estimated my due date to be October 6. By then, I was comfortable considering homebirth as an option. Rich agreed. I felt God leading us to an unassisted homebirth ~ no midwife attending ~ but Rich wanted a midwife. At the time of my pregnancy, there was only one midwife who did home deliveries in my area and one other who would come in to the area to do a delivery if necessary. For various reasons, both of these women were unacceptable. We kept looking and found a local woman whose ministry it is to teach fathers and prepare families for daddy-delivery births. Rich was comfortable with her. We met with her a couple of times during the pregnancy for instruction, limited check-ups, and fellowship. She was to attend the birth as an assistant to Rich, offering advice where needed and sit with Mina who wanted to see the birth. As I said, I didn't believe God wanted anyone else present for the birth, but I agreed to this option in submission to Rich. I knew God would work out the details.

During the pregnancy, I did my own prenatal care along with a friend who was pregnant at the same time. We did the basics: blood pressure, urine analysis, and fundal height, trusting the rest to God. I did not want any internal exams, bloodwork, or ultrasound, so there really was nothing more a medical professional could do for me than I was doing for myself. I watched my diet and ate a lot of whole grains including whole wheat breads and brown rice.

Rich and I continued to read and research birth in general and homebirth in particular. We discovered that for a healthy mother expecting a healthy baby the outcome is generally better for homebirths than hospital births. The interventions that are common in hospitals, even in "normal" births, can create complications that just don't occur at home. Rich was surprised by this information. I was not. I figured if God designed it to work, it would work barring any unforeseen circumstances. Sadly, in hospital births, they tend to create unforseen circumstances.

As September wound down, I began to prepare for the birth, gathering my supplies and such. At the same time, Rich realized he would need to look for a new job. For a while, it looked like we might have to pack up and move any time, or at the very least, Rich would have to be out of town for interviews. I was not terribly pleased with the prospect of moving or Rich being gone during the labor and delivery. With things getting tense and uncertain, I decided to take some herbs to help bring labor on. The week of the 6th, I felt confident that the baby was ready and begain taking a combination of blue and black cohosh a couple of times a day.

On Friday, October 10, I awoke in the wee hours of the morning with contractions. They were strong, but not painful, and about 15 minutes apart. I was unable to sleep, so I soaked in the tub and quietly sang praise songs. By daylight the contractions were getting stronger and closer together. We called our friends for prayers and our assistant to let her know that I was in labor. Shortly, my family was awake. Jonah, my second child, woke up with an upset stomach. My husband tried to keep it from me, knowing it would upset me, but I heard Mina talking about it. Rich was right. Children vomiting is one thing I have trouble dealing with, so when I heard that Jonah wasn't feeling well, I stressed a bit. The stress interfered with the labor. The contractions practically stopped. They were few and far between, quite irregular, and not very strong.

9:30AM

My labor assistant arrived and took my blood pressure. It was up a bit, but not dangerous. Jonah began throwing up and this continued to cause me stress. Our assistant recommended I lay down on my left side and rest a while. I did. I had a light lunch and drank plenty of fluids.

1-2PM

Labor picked up again, pretty much where it left off, early afternoon. Jonah was still sick and Rich was taking care of him as well as me. He did a great job! The labor was going smoothly, so I didn't need that much attention yet.

5PM

I realized things were beginning to pick up. Birth was not coming immediately, but not far off. We called Marcie, who was supposed to come by and help with the children during the intense parts of labor and the birth. She dropped by around 7PM to see how things were going. I was calm, walking around, and talking normally between contractions, so she wasn't convinced I was nearing the end of labor. While she was here, Mina realized she hadn't seen our kitten in a couple of days. She got very upset. This caused another break in my labor. Marcie decided to go home and get her children to bed. As she was leaving, I had one really intense and painful contaction. She and Mina (how sweet) helped me through it while Rich tended to Jonah, then she left.

8PM

Lily came to me to be nursed to sleep as usual. I figured the stimulation to my nipples would be good for the labor, but I was unable to get comfortable with the contractions coming so stronly. I felt terrible about it, but I sent her to bed without "boob time." We sent Mina to bed, also, and tried to reach our assistant to let her know that the baby was close. She was involved in an emergency at work, so Rich left a message to call us. I continued to labor and could not get comfortable. I tried hands and knees, sitting and lying down. This only lasted 3 or 4 contractions before Rich convinced me that I should remain upright so gravity would work for me. It was more comfortable anyway. Rich called Marcie to come and take care of Jonah as I now needed him to concentrate on me.

9:30PM

Marcie arrived, but was still skeptical about how close the birth was. She could tell my contractions were stronger and closer together, but I was still talking pleasantly and completely in control between them. To her, this meant I had a long time to go.

Now I had lost track of time. While Rich went to check on Jonah, I had a very intense contraction and called for Marcie. She was great! I tried the birthing chair, but that didn't work. I had Marcie support me in a squat for contractions. That worked great. I ended up sitting, leaning against her between contractions. She'd help me in to a squat for each contraction. I was still very much in control and in charge between contractions telling Marcie and Rich what I wanted and what was going on. I think Marcie believed she was in for a long night.

10:30-10:45PM

Some women talk about whether or not they have the "urge to push." I don't even know what that means. My body, all of sudden started to push on it's own, which I learned in my studies is called the ???? reflex. It's pretty cool because no one was checking me for dialation (that's the way I wanted it), so I didn't have to guess about whether or not my cervix was ready. I just followed my bodies cues and began pushing. Rich was concerned and warned me not to push too early. It told him my body wans't giving me a choice ~ this in the middle of a contraction.

11:10PM

The baby's head was born, with the water still intact. Rich broke the bag as we read in a book that we should (we learned later this wasn't necessary) at the same time I realized I was unable to stall the contraction and warned Rich, "The baby is coming out NOW."

11:13PM

Rich caught our little bundle and announced, "We have a girl," as he unwapped the umbilical cord which had been twisted around her neck not once, but twice. Apparently it was a long cord because it didn't interfere with the birth or her breathing. He placed her on my stomach. I positioned her to nurse while I waited for the placenta. Marcie woke up Mina to see the baby. She hadn't been able to actually see the birth because the assistant hadn't made it in time. I found out later Jonah was in the hallway outside the bedroom when Esther was born. To this day I don't know how much of the birth he actually saw.

The baby was not interested in the breast. The cord had stopped pulsing, so Rich cut the cord. He held our little girl (who did not yet have a name) and walked around the room. He was astonished at how alert she was and commented when she looked right into his eyes. The placenta delivered in a minute or two. Marcie dressed the baby, Rich cleaned up, and I showered. Then I climbed into bed with the baby where she nursed very well. Marcie took some video and went home. Rich called our parents and friends. Then he went back out to take care of Jonah while the baby and I went to sleep.

When the Lord sees fit to bless us with another child, I will definitely choose another natural homebirth. Whether or not I would choose to go unassisted again, I don't know. I'll follow the leading of the Lord, but I know He wanted that for Esther's birth and I'm glad I listened. I couldn't have asked for a better birth.

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