Emery's Birth Story

My eyes popped open and I looked at the clock, 3:12 am.  My back was hurting and my abdomen was tight.  I told myself, "It's too early to be in labor, I'm tired and going back to sleep".  I fell asleep with the song, In Christ Alone in my head.

I had prayed my way out of labor earlier in the emergency room.  I wasn't there for myself, but for my little Myra.  She was the sickest I've ever seen her.  I rushed her to the e.r. with a temperature of 104.5 and rapid breathing.  The doctor told us she had RSV.  I was 41 weeks pregnant and very thankful that God kept Emery in there a little longer.  Contractions started while I was holding Myra during a breathing treatment.  I prayed that God would hold them off a little longer, Myra needed me right now.  We left the hospital around 9:00 that night, stopped, and got a bite to eat.  Dax had already taken Alayna home and put her to bed.  He and I talked for a couple hours or so; about how crazy the day was, how thankful we were that Myra was okay, and how we couldn't wait to meet our sweet baby.  Little did we know we wouldn't be waiting very long....

Sleep finally found me around midnight.  When I woke up, I knew, that less then three and a half hours of sleep would not get me through labor.  Myra's labor was long and hard, 48 hours.  Contractions came again ten minutes later.  I moved onto my hands and knees, attempting to flip her over.  My midwife told me that she was posterior.  No surprise, posterior babies and back labor runs in my family.  The contractions weren't so bad, I decided to just stay laying down on the next one in an attempt to rest through it.  I paid for my arrogance!  It was then that I knew, this was real labor.  Go Time.

Immediately, I prayed, "It's just us, Father.  You are all I need and I'm complete in you.  Thank you for Dax and my midwives.  But right now I just want to be here with you".  I learned many things from the labor and delivery of Myra.  The biggest lesson, I was not in control.  I had to depend on Jesus to sustain me and help me.  Natural labor will teach you that!

Psalms 54:4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. 

Eventually Dax woke up from all the movement in bed.  I didn't want to disturb him, he was in for a long day as well.  Together, we prayed and worked through the contractions as they came.  He is an amazing husband and birth partner.  After every contraction he would encourage me, "You are the strongest woman I know.  You're doing great! You are absolutely beautiful right now!  Keep going, I'm proud of you".  He has always been my greatest supporter.  The way he loves and encourages during labor is amazing.  He is the best man I've ever known.  Not just because because of this day, but because of everyday.

We called my doula, Terri, to tell her that I was in labor and handling the contractions well.  No rush, we said, just whenever.  This was around 6:30 am.  Until the end, there's not much to tell.  In between contractions, I talked, drank lots of water, and played fetch with my dog.  The last thirty minutes, however, went by very quickly.  

When Emery did flip over, all the pain went from my back into the front.  That's when I realized that we were farther along then I thought.  I asked Dax to turn on Kings Kaleidoscope, a band I love.  The next three contractions were painful.  God is good, and when I couldn't say it myself, He sang the song that had He sang to me in the beginning.  In Christ Alone was playing.  Two more contractions.  I told Dax to call Terri, I was going and getting into the shower to help with the pain.  Once in the bathroom, though, I went into transition.  The contractions were so strong that I was forced onto the tips of my toes and was hunching over.  I knew that it was almost over and we were having this baby in our home.  My shaky voice Dax to tell him, then my water broke.  He came in and I yelled for him to go, get our neighbor (she's a nurse).  Before he was out of our house my body started pushing.  They both came back quickly.  She called 911.  

And then just a few feet from where she was created, she was born, into her daddy's arms.

Looking back I hear that song in my head and I can't help but think how good and loving God is.  He is Abba, Father.  My hope was in Christ alone, not doctors, midwives, or a husband (although those things are good, thank God we have them).  He alone is firm and solid when I wasn't.  I wanted to give up, but in Him I was strong.  My prayer over and over was, "Please save my baby.  Protect her, let her breathe, let her be okay!".  But even in the chaos, there was peace.  In fact, it was an extremely peaceful birth.  I was afraid for my child.  But I had overwhelming peace, knowing that God's will is perfect.  Even when things go bad, He is still good.  Here is the song that God sang to me over and over, to give me strength and to teach me.

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

Some weird things that happened (besides the obvious) :
I separated all of my towels (something I never do) and washed them. They were all in the dryer ready to go.

I begged my husband for a home birth but he said no! 2 weeks before she was born he told me he wished we were doing a home birth.  Neither one of us wanted to go to the hospital.  But this was unplanned, promise! 

The 911 operator kept telling my neighbor to make me lie down and breathe through the contractions.  I don't think she ever understood that the baby was born before we called, haha!

She was walking out the door when Dax told her to run to our house. 30 seconds later and we would have missed her.

None of the kids woke up during the whole thing, even while the ambulance was picking me up.

I yelled at the paramedic that I WAS going to take a shower.  He wasn't happy.
My cousin had a planned c section scheduled that day.  Our babies were born 20 minutes apart on the same day and we had hospital rooms right next to each other.
My sister and my aunt both had babies in the car because their labor was so short!
I told my grandmother several times that I felt like this was going to be a very different birth than Myra's.  And joked around that I wasn't having my baby in a car, I'd rather just push her out in the bathroom.


**I want to say, that while we're thankful for the beauty of this story, it was risky.  There are many things that could have gone very, very wrong.  A planned unassisted home birth is dangerous and irresponsible.  Please, take care of yourself and your baby. **