Baby Anna. A Birth Story.

I’ve never done this before… I’ve had four babies now and have never told the story of any of their births! But I’m excited to do it this time! Especially since I have photos this time thanks to my dear dear friend, Anna Paschal. I’m not going to share anything super graphic but some weird things happen while birthing a baby so if you’re not into birth stories, feel free to skip over this one!

I have been so blessed to have four really smooth pregnancies and short labors. All three of my boys were born in our local hospital and I had really great experiences every time! I loved my doctor and our Women’s Hospital is very mother/baby friendly. However, growing up I had the privilege of witnessing my mom’s home births (being one of the oldest of eleven children) and always wanted that experience for myself! Since Jonathan was a nurse in our early days of marriage, he wasn’t super comfortable with a home birth for our first baby and the closest birth center was over an hour away. Once we found out how fast I labor, neither of us were comfortable driving that far to a center! Soon after my little Ben was born in July 2016 Magnolia Birth Center opened here in Greensboro – less than ten minutes away! When I got pregnant this time I was so excited to have another option for my birth. We did the birth center meet-and-greet as soon as we found out about this pregnancy and decided to go for it! 

I loved our experience at the birth center even before it was actually time to give birth! The office was so much less busy than my previous OB and it was easy to take all three boys to my prenatal appointments – there is a playroom for kids and normally no other patients were in the office at the same time so it was very laid back! Everything during my pregnancy was smooth and relatively easy (other than that morning sickness!) up until 34 weeks. A routine blood draw showed that my platelets were low – 125 when they’re supposed to be in the 140’s. My midwife, Daniela, explained that it just happens in some pregnancies but low platelets could cause hemorrhaging during birth and we would have to watch and make sure they stayed above 100 or I would have to deliver in the hospital. We continued to draw blood at every checkup and my platelets kept dropping. At week 36 they were at 105 and my midwife prescribed a round of steroids to bump them back up. We would continue to keep an eye on the numbers and if they stayed above the 100 mark, I would be fine to deliver at the birth center.

I’ve never gone overdue with any of my kiddos. Noah was born a couple of hours after his due date, Sam was six days early, and Benjamin surprised us all at three weeks early! I kept expecting that this girl would show up early as well! We were totally on edge the last few weeks and days leading up to my due date, wondering when things were going to get started! 

October 8th, week 39, was a day of contractions – 30 minutes apart – and I started losing mucous plug. I got so excited, feeling that labor was just around the corner! Contractions faded overnight and were completely gone when I woke up. The next few days I had mayyybe a couple of contractions each day and was so disappointed. The days of no contractions were so weird! I can see now why women lose their minds when they go overdue I tried long walks with the boys, bouncing on an exercise ball, and other natural induction techniques but sometimes you just can’t make things happen when you want to!

Hurricane Michael came through Greensboro on Thursday, October 11th, and knocked our power out in the afternoon. I kept expecting it to come back on but after a few hours word started going around that it could be days or even close to a week before power was restored to our neighborhood! I quickly went from wanting labor to start to not being so sure now! We survived Thursday night with candles, flashlights, and the battery-powered sound machine we have for the boys (praise the Lord!). Friday is our #stuttssabbath so we spent the morning gathering treats and coffee from the few places in town that still had power and hung out at Jonathan’s office at the church, which also had power. We went to my parents’ house for the rest of the day where I definitely didn’t try and take it easy… I ate Taco Bell for lunch, went on a long hike in the woods with the boys, had a dance party, and walked up my parents’ stairs sideways and two at a time (which is supposed to help open up your pelvis). Power or no power, I was ready to get things started!

Our last (phone) photo as a family of five!

I started having pretty regular painful contractions in the evening and was timing them at 6-7 minutes apart around 7:30. We got back to our power-less house around 8:30 and got the boys to bed quickly thinking tonight could be the night! We lit all our candles and watched 100 Foot Journey on the laptop while I bounced on an exercise ball. I texted our ‘team’ – midwives, birth tub manager, photographer, and mom – to have them on standby but despite my best efforts, contractions slowly spaced out and had basically stopped by the time we went to bed around 11:00.

Saturday was another day of no power with the estimate for power returning on Tuesday. So we packed up again and spent the day at my parents’. We relaxed and played all day. Looking back now I can see that it really was a gift from the Lord that our power was out so long! With no access to work stuff and unable to stay at home we really got to rest more than I normally would have. I took another hike, threw a football with Jonathan for a long time, and even took a nap, which was amazing! I was having contractions all day that started getting really strong in the late afternoon. I had to stop what I was doing and concentrate through each one. Noah was so sweet all day – trying to take care of me and offering me his hand to squeeze during contractions. Contractions steadily got more painful but not really close together until evening. Then during dinner I had a contraction that was different – I leaned over to Jonathan and said “I just remembered… I don’t want to do this”. That one intense contraction reminded me just how serious labor is and, although I was so excited to have our little girl, I knew it was going to be some really hard work to get her here!

We got home at 7:30 and at that point I was having to stop and kneel down through each contraction. Jonathan got the boys in bed and told them they would probably get to meet their sister the next morning. They were so excited! Right about that time, at 8:30pm, our power finally came back on! Praise! I took a shower that was only slightly warm since our water hadn’t heated up all the way yet, and freshened my makeup, just in case. I think that’s so funny now because I usually don’t think about things like that! Contractions were still pretty irregular – anywhere from 6-10 minutes apart- but really strong and pretty painful. Around 9:30 I texted my midwife and asked her what she thought. She called while I was in the middle of a contraction and Jonathan had to answer because I was so focused and just couldn’t speak. Daniela told me to get in a warm tub for a while and see if that helped things progress or not and then call back. I was able to get enough hot water for a tub and sat in it for about 10-15 minutes. While I was in the tub contractions started coming five minutes apart. At 10:00 I was texting my tub manager (also a friend) to keep her updated and was telling her that I just wasn’t sure if it was real! We had had a couple of ‘false alarms’ and since I had no signs other than contractions (no water breaking or anything) I just wasn’t convinced! She asked if I had any bloody show and I said no but after a visit to the bathroom had to text back “aaaaaand, I take that back…” She knows I labor fast and sent the tub to be set up at the birth center. I called the midwife back and she said it was time to go in. I hung up and called Jonathan into the room and just cried! I couldn’t believe it was really happening and was also remembering how painful the whole experience can be.

Our friend Aneliese lives just down the street and was our on-call person to come stay with the boys if I went into labor in the middle of the night. Since our power had been off, though, she was at a friend’s house a little further away! I also texted our friend and photographer, Anna, who was also staying out-of-town because of the power outage. They both headed our way while Jonathan finished packing up our stuff and I kissed all our sleeping boys. I never wanted to make a birth playlist because during my first labor with Noah I just wanted total quiet! So I didn’t want to waste time putting together music that I might not use. When the time came, though, I turned on Endless Ocean, Bottomless Sea by Jonathan & Melissa Helser and it was so calming. Aneliese arrived a little after 10:30 and, after waiting through a contraction, we hopped right in the car and left.

We made it to the birth center right before 10:40 and I asked Jonathan to pray for us before going in. He started to pray and I had another contraction and could hardly listen to what he was praying. We got into the center and met Daniela and her assistants. She took us to get my final weight and check dilation. I was 5 centimeters dilated and she told me that at the last check my platelets were back up to normal. Praise God! She asked to sweep the rest of my membranes to help keep things going, though there wasn’t much left there, then she hooked me up to the monitors to check Anna’s heart rate and my contractions. The pool was set up in the birthing suite and was filling with water. Anna arrived and started photographing while I was on the monitors… it was so nice just to have her there and I am SO thankful for these photos! We have just a few photos from the births of the boys but Jonathan took them so he was never in the picture! It’s so special to me that we have photos of these moments together. He’s been such a wonderful support and encouragement every time. He’s also SO calm which is amazingly helpful in such an intense time.

I have tested positive for Strep B with every pregnancy and have never been in labor (or at least at the hospital) long enough to get the full dose of antibiotics, which takes four hours. Daniela said it would be helpful to at least have half a dose so they put in a mobile IV of sorts. I was really glad to not be tied to a stand with a typical IV during this part! That is always the thing I hate the most! After the antibiotics were placed, I was released to go to the birthing suite and get in the tub whenever I was ready.

Trying to make it down the hallway with contractions coming every couple of minutes

We got back to the birthing suite and it was so calm and peaceful! The lights were low, everyone was quiet, and I got to do absolutely whatever I wanted to get comfortable! However, I basically just took off my clothes and got right in the tub. Ha!

The warm water felt SO good. I got to relax and talk to Jonathan and Anna in between contractions. Jonathan turned my music back on and I just rested in the water when I wasn’t contracting. Daniela and her assistants basically stayed out of the room just coming in to check every once in a while. 

I remembered from my previous births that I *loved* having apple juice from the hospital during labor. In preparation for Anna’s birth, I bought two huge bottles of apple juice from Sam’s Club and made sure to pack them in our go bag. Everyone thought it was hilarious but I was so happy to have it!

My mom came at some point and I squeezed her and Jonathan’s hands through each contraction. I am so grateful that my mom has been able to attend all of my births. She has had so much experience and clearly knows how things go! She’s so calm and just knowing that she gave birth ELEVEN times reminds me that I can do this! It’s hard but it’s natural and such a privilege and blessing that God partners with women to bring new life into the world! 

The warm water felt good on my body but I was getting so hot so they gave me cold washcloths to keep on my forehead and back. In between contractions I was dozing off a little bit… I was so tired! I remember just wanting to lay all the way down in the water! At this point I was so focused that I didn’t look at anybody or talk anymore. I was so in the zone and just working on moving my girl down!

I started feeling the urge to push through contractions and was definitely making some noise to go along with it. Daniela stepped in and asked if I was feeling pushy and I said yes. She had me push during the next few contractions and the assistants came in and fanned me and kept my washcloths cold. I held Daniela’s hand and squeezed through a few contractions and she coached me to bear down and made sure I relaxed once the contraction was over and didn’t try to keep pushing. I remember my mom saying “You’re doing great! Your little girl will be here so soon!” And I totally had a break down and cried for a few minutes thinking about my GIRL arriving soon!

I had been on my knees in the tub but Daniela had me turn to my back and sit in the water with my arms up on the sides. She wanted to check my cervix during the next contraction to see what was going on and found that there was a little anterior lip on the cervix that was holding the baby back and if she could hold it down during the next contraction, that would get Anna past and I’d be able to move forward. She did and that part did not feel nice (to put it lightly) but it got the baby down further! I stayed in that position to push more and braced my legs against the opposite side of the tub. At some point Daniela had me put my hand down and feel that Anna’s head was so close to coming out. That was so relieving! She asked Jonathan if he wanted to “catch” her (which sounds like she is about to come shooting out but really it just means holding her and lifting her up as she was born). I remember being so excited that he was going to be the one catching our baby! I pushed again and her head was just about to come out but the contraction ended. At this point I just wanted to get her out but Daniela said to just wait for it. The pressure was insane!

Another long push through the next contraction and she was crowning! Mom and Daniela kept telling me to hold my breath and bear down. I pushed as hard as I could and her head was out, I kept saying “come out, come out, come out!” and they all laughed, haha.  A little more pushing for the shoulders and Daniela told Jonathan to reach down and grab her. I saw her right there and totally just reached down and snatched her right up to my chest myself . She arrived at 12:50a.m. There was a lot of blood in the water and they clamped her cord right away and cut it. Daniela told me later that her umbilical cord tore during delivery. I haven’t asked but I’m pretty sure I did that by grabbing her up so fast. She said Anna’s cord was short but they clamped it so quick and her vitals were good so it was nothing to worry about. Praise God! Once she was on my chest I just cried and cried. It’s so hard to believe once it actually happens! It feels like a crazy dream! Anna screamed and screamed and would not stop. Jonathan took her and did some skin-to-skin while I got out of the tub and got dried off. Little Anna kept screaming and peed all over him – our boys thought that part was hilarious when we told them later! 

I got into the bed and delivered the placenta soon afterward. Daniela checked for tears (none, yay!) and they gave me a warm blanket (which is totally my favorite part of delivering a baby). Anna was still crying on the other side of the room and I thought for sure she would calm down once she was with mama. Jonathan brought her over and I laid her on my chest and she just kept crying! I noticed she was trying to put her hands in her mouth so I got her to latch on to nurse and she took to it right away! I’m going with the theory that she was so hungry because we didn’t have our 10:00 cereal since I was already in labor at that point. She was used to having that night time snack!

After I was all cleaned up, the midwife and assistants left the room for a while and we just got to take a few minutes and relax!

After a while The Labor Ladies came back to break down the tub and Daniela weighed and measured the baby. Eight pounds, one ounce and 20.75″ long. Friend/photographer Anna (the name part was confusing at this point) stayed a little longer and then headed home to her own baby. Mom waited with me while Jonathan ran to get us some food. I didn’t think I wanted Cookout at 3:00 a.m. but when he came back with it I realized I was wrong! Best burger I’ve ever had! They gave us a dock-a-tot to keep in the bed and we got to rest (although I didn’t really sleep) until 6:30 when we were released to go home! We slowly got our stuff together and left the birth center around 7:00. The boys were already awake at home and waiting for baby sister to arrive. It was so fun to bring her home and introduce her to them all!

I am so grateful to God for the way everything happened. His timing is perfect! And this baby girl… words can’t describe what a joy it is to have her on the outside now! Ben (our two-year-old) is still saying “our baby is born!” every once in a while. It’s the sweetest thing in the world watching the way they interact with her and want to take care of her. It’s so crazy that we are a family of six now!