Felicity Anne's Birth Story - Our Fourth VBA4C

Lifting Felicity out of the water, just seconds after birth

Felicity's birth story started off very different from Liberty's birth story. Because Liberty was 13 days late, I was fully expecting to be pregnant at my 41 week check-up. When I left the midwife's house after my 40 week check, I told her I'd see her next Thursday. Kent and I made a trip a Sam's. I have to say that walking around Sam's for an hour a few days past my due date was not as enjoyable as it sounds. :) We left Sam's and went to eat. Madisyn had arranged for her and the other kids to stay with Unc and Aunt Amanda while we had a night out.

Friday was a normal day except that we kept smelling something in the house. We finally determined that Ty had stepped in manure when feeding the animals. Unfortunately, he didn't realize it and tracked the nastiness all through the house. By the time I realized what had happened it was too late in the day to clean it up. On Saturday, I woke up and set to work . I vacuumed most of the house (we have no carpet) and then mopped over 2,000 square feet.  After the Sam's workout on Thursday night and the mopping workout Saturday, I went to bed exhausted on Saturday night.

Kent capturing her first moments and checking out her beautiful face

Saturday night I was incredibly thirsty and drank about 60 oz of water before bed. I knew at the time that I would be up a lot during the night but my thirst was very strong. I finally fell asleep around 1 am. I woke up needing a trip to the restroom not long after that. I laid back down only to wake up again at 3:30. I was leaking something and I wasn't sure if I had drank too much and didn't make it to the bathroom in time or if I was leaking amniotic fluid. The midwife had given me some nitrazine paper that tests for amniotic fluid. The problem was that it was still outside in the car. I threw on a pair of shoes and Kent's sweatshirt and headed for the car. When I got to the door; I had a really rough pain. I stood at the door for a minute until it passed and then went outside. I found the paper and when I got back inside, I had another pain. I tested the fluid and it was negative. I decided that I had just over done it the last few days and laid back down. The pains continued. I was moaning through them and woke Kent up. I started timing my pains and realized they were 5 minutes apart and lasting at least 45 seconds.

I was sure that I wasn't in "real" labor. The contractions were very low and only on the front of my stomach. I thought the pain was caused by the symphysis pubic dysfunction I have during pregnancy being aggravated by the mopping I did earlier in the day. Also causing doubt was that contractions from my past births were felt across my entire stomach and in my back. I had been having contractions most nights from the 35 week mark on.  They would usually last a few hours and then I could go back to sleep. Kent kept asking if I needed to call the midwife and I kept asking for more time. Around 4:30, he decided that I was in labor despite the fact that I was still denying it. LOL Interesting enough, he always seems to know when my labor is "real" and not just more prodromal labor. He called the midwife and started filling the birth pool.

Daddy holding Felicity for the first time

After he called the midwife and had the pool filling, he left our room to turn on the outside lights and the lights in the kitchen. He discovered Griffin asleep on the couch. Kent scooped Griffin up and carried him back to his room. Griffin sleeps on the top bunk and Kent laid him in bed. He quickly discovered why Griffin was on the couch. He had gotten sick in the night and left his bed for the cleanliness of the couch. After cleaning Griffin up, Kent returned him to the couch and tossed the sheets in the washer.

By this time, my contractions were lasting over a minute and were terribly painful. They were coming every 2-3 minutes. Around 15 minutes later, I was still having fluid issues so I checked it with the paper again. This time it instantly turned black. I don't know if I had a slow leak earlier in the night and I had cleaned enough of it up that I couldn't test it or if I had a leak that occurred later. Around 4:50 am, I had a major leak and there was no doubt that my water had officially broken. The contractions became much worse.

The midwife getting a workout weighing our 10 pound plus baby

Let me take a minute to extol the virtues of a birth pool. We have an inflatable "kiddie" pool that is 60 inches across. The sides are inflated as well as the bottom. The softness  of the sides and bottom make the pool much more comfortable than a bath tub. It has enough give that I can push on it during a contraction and not be up against something hard. It is also firm enough to not collapse when I do this. We have a deep jacuzzi tub and it pales in comparison to the pool. The pool also allows more movement. The last few weeks of pregnancy I have trouble moving from my side to back or from sitting to standing; these problems are greatly alleviated in water. I was able to turn from side to side and even move to a hands and knees position in the water. The ability to move helps move the baby down the birth canal and also helps with pain management.

The pool wasn't completely full but I climbed in anyway.  The hot water heater in our bathroom had been emptied, but thankfully Kent had water heating on the stove. When I got in the pool my contractions were much more bearable that I was afraid I had slowed my labor. I didn't tell Kent because I didn't want him to tell me I needed to get out of the pool. I had already told him that I didn't think I could do this again (it was a way too late at this point to change my mind about having a baby LOL). I think that I basically started labor on Sunday morning in transition. I honestly don't know how women handle labor without hot water. The difference between being in the pool versus “on land" is unbelievable. It still hurts; hurts pretty badly, but it is so much better.

I knew that Griffin was on the couch and I really didn't want him to be a spectator to his sister's birth. I don't think I'm a loud birther but I'm not quiet either. Thankfully, the boy never even moved. He slept until Kent woke all the kids up to tell them that Felicity had arrived.

Holding Felicity after getting a shower and getting her dressed

Around 5:35 I told Kent that something was happening. He asked to check and I told him no. I was still in denial that I was really having a baby right then. A minute or so later I told him that her head was coming out. I had to give in and let him look. He told me that her head was just crowning. In my extremely involved in labor state, I was using as few words as possible and meant that she was crowning when I told him her head was coming out. A few seconds later her head was out, followed by one shoulder and then the next. At 5:43 am, Felicity Anne was born. As Kent was handing her to me, the midwife walked through our bedroom door. She said that when she opened the back door she heard me holler and knew that the baby was here.  She declared every thing to be OK and when the cord stopped pulsing, she cut it. I delivered the placenta in the pool (again I highly recommend lots and lots of hot water for "birthin' babies"). After the placenta was delivered, I hopped in the shower to quickly rinse off. I wanted a new gown and to lay down in my own bed. Laying in my bed is one of the greatest benefits to a homebirth.

Felicity was covered in vernix and despite weighing 10 lbs 2 oz, she didn't seem to actually be post date (she was born at 40 weeks, 4 days). She was 21 1/2 inches long. Felicity nursed well and was incredibly alert. She set a couple of new records for us. She is our largest baby by 10 ounces and she was my fastest "labor day" labor at just over 2 hours. Kent and the midwife drained the pool and rinsed it out. They changed the sheets on the bed, brought me a snack, started a load of dirty towels, and straightened up the bedroom. We waited until around 8 am to wake the kids up and then the midwife took our first family picture as a family of 10. Kent fixed breakfast and when the midwife was confident that I would actually stay in bed and had eaten a proper amount, she headed home. She came back Sunday evening to give Felicity and myself a quick check-up.

One of my favorite pictures. Our first photo as a family of 10.

Once again, the Lord granted most of my desires when it came to Felicity's birth. I prayed for her birth to happen in the night so that child care wouldn't be an issue. I wanted everything to be dark and quiet. I prayed that Kent would be home and I wouldn't have to labor while waiting for him to arrive. I also prayed that the baby would come when it was a convenient time for the midwife. I didn't want to leave her searching for a sitter for her children or interrupt her visits with clients. I had even had a discussion with some of my friends that my perfect birth would be just Kent and I with the midwife appearing just as the baby was born so she could declare that everything was OK. The Lord was gracious and granted me all of these things. The only things I didn't get was a small baby and an early delivery, though 4 days late seemed early after Liberty being a 42 weeker!

I know that homebirth is not for everyone. Kent is very supportive of homebirthing. I honestly couldn't do it without his involvement and support. When we met with the first midwife we used before our first homebirth, she asked us how we would handle an undesirable outcome. We responded that we completely believe in the sovereignty of God. If something "bad" is going to happen during a birth, it will happen whether we are at home or in the hospital. Sometimes that's a difficult thing to remember but I never could have had a baby at home if I didn't believe that fully. That said, if I had any true risk factors or problems develop in labor; we would head straight for the hospital (like we were attempting to do when Mary Claire was born). I also believe in a woman's ability to give birth the way her body was designed by God. Complications can arise and affect this, however, for most women their bodies will do what they need to do, when they need to do it.

Introducing . . . .

Miss. Felicity Anne

Felicity made her appearance Sunday, January 5th at 5:42 am in another God-orchestrated, perfect birth. She weighed 10 lbs 2 oz and was 21 1/2 inches long.  

We're absolutely smitten!

A "Normal" Homebirth, Liberty Kate's Birth Story

I guess since our newest little one should be arriving soon, it's way

past time to share Liberty's birth story.

After Mary Claire arriving three weeks early I was convinced that Liberty would follow in her big sister's footsteps. Let me just say now that this was the worst plan ever! The last few weeks of pregnancy are pretty miserable and being convinced that your baby is coming early makes them even worse.

 Liberty just a few seconds after birth

I had four cesarean sections before I had my first natural birth so I'm always considered a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) which makes me higher risk. People get very nervous when any pregnant momma goes past their "due date" but even more so when she's had cesareans before. Liberty did an excellent job of making sure that everyone got extremely nervous. :-)

Madisyn heard me and thought she would come see if I was noisy because the baby was here

A due date is just a guess. Anything between 38 and 42 weeks is considered normal. It's not abnormal to deliver after 42 weeks. As part of the care with a midwife, I would be required to visit an OB if I passed 42 weeks. This visit for a non-VBAC patient would be to assess the baby and mother and make sure that neither is experiencing distress. At this time, induction could be discussed and a plan of action implemented. As a VBAC patient, chemical/medical induction is not an option for me as pitocin can increase the chance of uterine rupture. In our area most hospitals do not allow a trial of labor for a patient with a previous cesarean. If I visit an OB, I would be heavily pressured and possibly threatened into a cesarean section.

In this case, the early bird cuts the cord. Daddy let Madisyn have the honors.

After each cesarean section my recovery time was longer than the previous section. With 7 children, I really wanted to avoid a recovery that was any longer than necessary. I also had an allergic reaction to several medications during Ben's cesarean and we're concerned that another exposure to those meds would result in an even stronger reaction. When I visited my midwife at 41 + weeks she gave me a herbal tincture to help encourage labor. I had been having contractions that were regular but they would last a few hours (almost always in the middle of the night) and then taper off. The hope was that the tincture would help the contractions to continue.

My little chunky baby. Liberty is our largest (and I hope she keeps that record) baby. She weighed 9 lbs. 8 oz.

I now had a deadline. If I did not had Liberty by Friday, I would need to visit the OB. Tressia suggested I plan to use the tincture one day and if it didn't assist with labor to take a day off and try again. I wanted to avoid any interventions but felt the tincture would help me to avoid a section. I used the tincture all day with no results. I have to say - it tastes terrible!

 While I changed into dry clothes, Tressia started on Liberty's assessment.

I took the next day off.  On Tuesday, I awoke with contractions. I took the tincture every thirty minutes as suggested. Imagine my disappointment when the contractions stopped! That afternoon I laid down for a nap. I was quite excited when I awoke from nap with more consistent contractions. I started taking the tincture again and a couple of hours later the contractions stopped. I'm fairly certain that tears were shed at this point!

Big sister also go to assist with dressing Liberty for the first time.

Around 11 pm, I went to bed. At 2 am I woke up with more contractions. They were getting pretty intense so I took a hot shower. Around 3 am I was making so much noise that Kent couldn't even try to sleep. He wanted to call Tressia and I told him that the contractions would stop in a few hours and I really didn't want to wake her up. He let me continue to labor for another 30 or so minutes. The contractions were only about 3 minutes apart so he made the call.

Proud Papa

During this time, he filled the birth pool and set out supplies. I climbed in the pool. I can't express how much water assists with labor pain. Our birth pool is the best "baby" investment we ever made! Tressia arrived around 4:30. She prepared her supplies and timed a few contractions. She also checked the baby's heartbeat. At this time, my water had not broken (which was part of the reason I was convinced the contractions would stop). She asked if she could check dilation and Liberty's position. I said that would be fine after the next contraction. Seconds later my water broke and I had a urge to push.

 Griffin was the first boy to hold Liberty. He loves babies almost as much as Madisyn.

After a couple of more contractions and just as many pushes, Liberty Kate was born at 5:14 am. I got a little loud on the last few contractions and Madisyn woke up. She came in when Liberty was less than 2 minutes old. She even got to cut the cord!

 Of course, everyone had a turn checking out their newest sister.

It took three tries but I finally got the home water birth I had planned with Henry. Isn't the saying "We make plans and God laughs"? God definitely had other plans for my two previous homebirths but he gave me  the desires of my heart on my third. We didn't have to call anyone to come get or watch the kids. Everyone was asleep so it was quiet. She was born in the wee hours of the morning so it was nice and dark. All the things that I learned during my last births that make labor a little more enjoyable for me (if there is such a thing!).

My sweet little Libby Kate. She is still one of our most laid back kiddos.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for our next little one's birth. When I look back at all of my births I can see how he orchestrated so many details and the things that I was worried about never came to pass. I do have to admit that I sure pray I learned enough patience waiting for Liberty and I won't have to experience that part again! :-)

Mary Claire's Birth Story, our Breech Birth After 4 Cesareans

I'm not really sure how an entire month has passed since our newest blessing was born. I hope that anyone reading this will see the many incredible ways the Lord protected her and I; and orchestrated every aspect of her delivery.

{My last side view before picture.}

This is a bit long but I want to be able to look back when I'm 90 and remember it all. The short version is - I had a breech baby in the garage. The longer version follows - you might want to grab a cup of coffee {or maybe a pot}, a comfortable chair and clear your agenda for the next hour or two. ;-)

{Mommy and Mary Claire inside the house, nice and warm.}

As I've mentioned before, despite being the mother of six, I've only had one natural birth and experienced true labor twice before. I had a 22 hour labor with Madisyn {my first} that ended in a cesarean section that I now believe could have been prevented. I had no labor with Ty {baby #2}. With Griffin and Ben {#3 and 4}, I had a few contractions and was whisked to the operating room for a cesarean "before I ruptured". I was induced with Mallory {our stillborn} but had very few contractions before she was delivered. My labor with Henry was 3.5 hours from water breaking to holding a perfect little man. He was born so fast that he beat the midwives here!

{Mary Claire just a few minutes old.}

Now that I have experienced two natural births I have learned a few things about my body. Apparently, I have prodromal labor {labor that doesn't cause dilation and/or lead to delivery} that can last for hours beginning several weeks before actual delivery. I now believe that my "labor" with Griffin and Ben was probably prodromal labor and they might have remained in utero for as much as a few more weeks if left alone to come at their God-given natural time.

{Daddy weighing Mary Claire with Lynda and Penny watching.}

My labor with Mary Claire was no different. The prodromal labor began around 35 weeks. We were concerned for awhile that she might even come earlier than what is considered safe. A week before she was born the prodromal labor began again. Because I had such a fast delivery with Henry, we called my midwife, Lynda. When she and Dee arrived I was somewhat dilated but Mary Claire was still very high. After a few hours the contractions stopped and they went back home. After Henry's birth our policy is to not take any labor for granted as time is at a premium.

{Lynda giving Mary Claire a very thorough exam.}

Throughout my pregnancy I suffered from extremely painful pelvic issues. Relaxin is a hormone that causes a pregnant woman's joints and muscles to relax so that a baby can pass out of her body more easily. In my case, the Relaxin worked so well that I had trouble walking. I was visiting a chiropractor {almost 2 hours away} every other day by the time she was born. The chiropractor didn't "fix" me but I was able to get out of bed, which sadly, was an improvement. At this point, Lynda encouraged us to have an ultrasound to check the integrity of my cesarean scar to make sure that it wasn't the root of the pelvic issue and prodromal labor.

{Mary Claire after a quick bath on birth night.}

We made an appointment with the ultrasound clinic on December 6 {two days before birth}. We took all the kids with us this time. The younger boys were really curious as to why we wouldn't just bring the baby home. In their minds, if we were going to take her out to get pictures, couldn't we just leave her out and take her home? LOL Once the technician got started, they quickly realized that Mary Claire wasn't coming out for her photo shoot. ;-) The ultrasound showed a perfect little girl estimated to weigh about 7 lbs. She was head down but had her arm up over her head. In a previous prenatal exam what we believed was an elbow was felt below her head and during an internal exam an arm and fingers were felt. She moved them when poked. I was concerned that she seemed to like her arm(s) over her head and worried some how that would affect delivery.

{Footprinting for the pretty birth certificate.}

During the two following days, I barely left the couch. I was just generally achy all over and my pelvic pain was at an all time high. Walking was extremely painful so I moved as little as possible. My due date was not until December 23 but I prayed frequently that the Lord would allow an earlier delivery as that is the only "cure" for the Relaxin caused pelvic problems I was having. When Kent came home on Tuesday he walked into a mini emergency. Madisyn had been helping to prepare supper and burnt her arm and side trying to drain boiling water. {Despite our constant pleas for her to not ever move pots and pans from the stove.} I was trying to help her soothe her injury, the boys were overly worked up and there was a terrible mess of steaming green beans and very hot puddles of water all over the kitchen floor. Unfortunately for him, his welcome home on Wednesday wasn't any calmer.

{Mary Claire and Mommy both feeling clean.}

As he walked in the door on Wednesday {December 8}, I attempted to get off the couch. Anyone who has ever been pregnant understands how difficult that can be. As I sat up, I felt a pop. Kent was still setting his computer and keys down when I said, "My water just broke". I felt terrible, because Kent looked like he had had a very very long day at work. He just said, "Are you serious?". I think my quick shuffle to the bathroom confirmed that I was indeed serious. I immediately called Lynda. At this point I hadn't had a single contraction, just the general aches I had felt all day.

{Griffin and Mary Claire the night of her birth.}

About 10 minutes {6:30} after my water broke, I had my first contraction. My contractions continued to occur about every 5 minutes and lasted approximately one minute. I had a birth pool set up in our bedroom and Kent filled it with the first batch of hot water. Because Mary Claire had been high the previous week, we decided it would be best to stay out of the pool until the midwife arrived. I didn't want anything to stall my labor. At some point, my sons decided to "help" and turned the water to the birth pool back on. Unfortunately, the hot water tank was already drained so it filled with cold water. "Fortunately", Kent discovered their "help" just before the pool overflowed and turned the water off.

{Ty and Mary Claire.}

By 8:45 I felt a little "pushy" but I didn't feel the same pressure I felt with Henry. My contractions were much closer and were coming every 2 -3 minutes. They were also lasting longer and I had several where the end of one was the start of the next. Lynda had not arrived {she was two hours away and had to finish gathering supplies and an assistant} and I told Kent that I really felt like I should get in the pool to keep from pushing. Again, the pressure wasn't the same as with Henry. I was concerned that her arm was in the way and throwing things off and I didn't want to deliver before Lynda arrived {like we did with Henry}. The pool had enabled me to relax through contractions in the past and I was hoping it might slow things down enough to give Lynda plenty of time to arrive. Remember the "help" from my boys? Kent began removing water so that we could add hot water. The water was only slightly warm when I crawled in around 9:00 p.m.

{A very proud big sister, Madisyn, who was extremely helpful during the birth.}

The "pushy" sensation was eased a little by the water and I was able to relax somewhat. I was really surprised at how much calmer I was when compared to Henry's delivery. I suppose I knew what to expect this time. I wasn't as bothered by light and sound. In fact, we opted to let the kids stay at home; so we had a full house. Lynda and her assistant, Penny, arrived around 9:15. Mary Claire's heartrate was 140. Lynda conducted an internal exam and felt what she believed to be an arm; which was consistent with the ultrasound. However, behind the arm was very soft and not the top of Mary Claire's head; which was not consistent with the ultrasound. Lynda consulted with another midwife via phone and together they felt we should transport to the hospital. At this point, it was believed that Mary Claire was presenting a nuchal arm but her head was coming face first. Because we didn't know if she was anterior or posterior we needed to head to the hospital for her safety.

{Daddy and Mary Claire.}

Kent called his mom and asked her to come to the house to be with the kids. She was about 15 minutes away and left immediately. Lynda, Penny and Kent began gathering supplies. Kent prepared a bag for me and found dry clothes for me to put on. I didn't want to get out of the pool until we were ready to leave. I knew that the contractions would be much harder when no longer in the water and the urge to push would be much stronger. The last thing I wanted to do was deliver on the way to the hospital in my van! I only "flipped out" for a few moments. I knew that once I walked in the hospital I would be sent straight to the operating room. No matter what position Mary Claire was in upon arrival, a momma with a mispositioned baby with a history of 4 previous cesarean sections would have a repeat section.

{Mommy, Mary Claire, Lynda and Penny.}

While we waited for Nana to arrive, we decided to allow Kent's dad to take us to the hospital instead. This would allow Kent to focus his attention on me. My father-in-law's truck had emergency flashers/strobe lights and police radio. With his ability to contact the local police in the areas we would be driving through he could save us time during our drive. He's also known for being a bit of a speed demon. He actually arrived before my mother-in-law despite leaving after her. I had a slight break in contractions so I quickly got out of the pool and changed shirts. I wrapped a heavy robe around me and a towel around my waist.

{Ben and Mary Claire the next morning.}

As we were heading out the door, I felt something. In fact, that's what I called out. "Something just came out!" The pressure did not feel like my delivery with Henry. The "something" that came out did not feel like a head, though I wasn't entirely sure what might feel that size. Lynda raced around and pulled the towel back just as the second FOOT popped out. We were shocked! Forty-eight hours earlier Mary Claire had been head down. Ben (baby #4) kept turning from head down to breech but I knew each time he did. I felt nothing like that with Mary Claire. This was a complete and total shocking suprise to everyone!

{Mary Claire the morning after birth.}

Her feet appeared while I was standing in the doorway of the garage, with the storm door propped open and me leaning against the wall. The only thing we could do was deliver her there. When Lynda examined me I asked if everything was OK. I was expecting her arm to come first and was concerned what complications that could cause. Lynda replied "Everything is fine, she's just kicking." I remember thinking that was a strange statement?. It wasn't until I looked down and saw her little feet, that I realized she was breech! Lynda told me to allow Mary Claire's body to deliver naturally and not to force it. It seemed like forever and a split second all at the same time, while we waited for the next contraction. Penny encouraged me to squat during the next contraction and Mary Claire was delivered so that only her head remained. Once we were waiting for her head to be delivered Lynda encouraged me to push. Once she was completely delivered she was dried with a towel and handed to me for skin to skin contact. It was around 30 degrees in the garage at the time of her delivery. Once the placenta delivered, Mary Claire was sent in the house. I laid down in the door way so my bleeding could be accessed. My blood loss seemed a little heavy and because of the heightened drama with the delivery I was given a shot of pitocin. Upon further examination it was determined the the blood loss was completely normal and the pitocin was probably un-neccessary but not detremental either.

{Two days old.}

Mary Claire had APGAR scores of 9 and 9. She only required a little vigorous rubbing after birth. Considering she went from an environment of around 98 degrees to 30 degrees, I would be a little stunned as well. I'm sure it took her breath away at first. After a few minutes I was returned to the house and Mary Claire nursed well. I had no tearing or complications from delivery. Her official time of birth was 9:53 pm. Another 3.5 hour labor/delivery. Her delivery was very different from Henry's. She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and was 19 3/4 inches long. I don't know if the differences in delivery were due to her being breech, weighing almost 2 lbs less, squatting during delivery vs being in a semi-reclined position, etc. I never reached the typical "I can't do this" part of transition. Everything happened so fast after Lynda arrived that I honestly didn't have time to feel that way. When examining her placenta we discovered two perfect knots tied in her cord. The entire cord was very curly. It reminded me of the cord on an old rotary telephone. Apparently, she twisted and turned a lot during my pregnancy without my knowledge.

{Ready for our first family photo - 3 days.}

Once I showered and grandparents and sister/brothers had a turn holding her, the midwives headed back home. Kent and I sat and marvelled at how obvious God's hand was in every aspect of her delivery. God is always working and involved in our lives but there are times when his presence is so obvious that even a blind man can see it. Not only did I deliver a baby after four previous cesarean sections, but the Lord timed her delivery so perfectly that I didn't have another surgery. If the boys hadn't filled the pool with cold water, if we had not waited for my father-in-law to arrive, if I hadn't gotten in the pool when I did, she could have been born before the midwives arrived and we would have been in complete shock over seeing feet. Or she could have been born in the truck on the side of the road. We did everything we could to get "help" but the Lord allowed her to be born at home - safely in the garage {where cleanup is easy ;-) }. He protected her. He wasn't surprised by the knots in her cord or her feet first appearance. He arranged for all the right people to be here at just the right time!

{Four days old.}

I loved Henry's delivery because it was just Kent and I. I'm a pretty private person. I would have never purposely planned to have a baby outside, in December with my mother-in-law, daughter and a midwife assistant I had met 30 minutes earlier in attendance. My father-in-law and two of my sons weren't 10 feet away - not exactly private. ;-) Yet, the Lord saw fit to orchestrate it that way and I wouldn't change a thing. I don't believe our births have been lucky. I wasn't lucky to have a home VBA4C or a home breech birth. I was blessed beyond measure. I hope one day Mary Claire will look back and the verse in Jeremiah "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you" will mean even more to her. Before she was born the Lord saw fit to protect her. May we always be aware of the ways the Lord reveals himself to us. Blessed be the name of the Lord!

{Our first family picture as a family of 8.}

*******WARNING******

Cord picture follows. I've had several requests to see the cord with two knots and curls. Scroll down to see.

Henry's Birth or Our Unassisted Home Water Birth After 4 Cesareans

To really tell the story of Henry's birth I have to back up, way back to when I was pregnant for the first time.

(My last before picture taken at 40 weeks.)

When Kent and I first married we were informed that responsible married people used some form of birth control and that the "pill" was the best option. About a month before our wedding I went to the dr and got my prescription. We were already viewed as "crazy teens" because we were tying the knot a few months before our 19th birthday (we're 5 days apart). The first month I was on the pill, I gained 10 pounds. I also had terrible headaches. I went back to the doctor and got a prescription for a lower dose. I was never informed of any risks by the doctor, only given a pamphlet and told that "most of the stuff in there rarely happens".

(Henry immediately after birth.)

Fast forward 2 years and while still taking the pill, I conceived. Just a few short weeks after sharing our news with the world, I miscarried. I was 8 weeks and went to a local OB. This doctor has his own ultrasound equipment. What was to be the first pictures of our child showed a baby that had already passed. Based on his size he had only been dead a few days. I remember spending the next several days crying. I didn't want a D&C. I prayed that God would spare our child and this was somehow a mistake. We both did not want any procedure that would remove a child that God could heal or revive. After two days I began to physically miscarry and we had no idea what to expect. I called the OB's office and was advised to go to the hospital. I remember after being discharged (I had a D&C). Kent suggested we rent a movie to take our minds off our terrible day. We watched the Disney version of The Jungle Book that night. I didn't want to laugh or cry or really be entertained. I just wanted something to pass the time.

(Kent calling everyone with the new of Henry's arrival)

After that loss we studied the information supplied with my prescription that "responsible" people took and decided that even if it might have possibly played any role in our child's death, I would never take them again. My headaches improved but it took 6 months to conceive again much to our dismay.

In April of 2001 our first child, Madisyn, joined us. Because of our (mostly my) lack of knowledge she was delivered via cesarean section. I read lots of pregnancy books and surfed tons of websites but I didn't read anything that didn't suggest that a woman was insane to have a baby without an epidural.

The morning of April 23rd I woke up and felt "damp". I thought I was leaking fluid and had a few mild contractions so we headed to the hospital. We had to wait until the admissions office opened to check in. I was 11 days from my due date. I was barely dilated but having contractions that showed up on the monitor so I was told I could stay and have a baby today. What pregnant momma wouldn't jump at that opportunity?!? I now realize that I set myself up for failure. I wasn't in pain so I should have gone home. I got an epidural so I wouldn't become one of those loud, rude pregnant women in front of all my guests. I think at one time we had over 15 people waiting.

(Alert little guy.)

The problem with an epidural is you can't move. I sat in the hospital bed for 20 hours. I was fully dilated and though I was feeling plenty of pain (and did become the loud, rude pregnant woman), I wasn't able to push Madisyn out. She was stuck. It turned out she was posterior. My doctor had suggested to us several weeks before that we schedule a section but we declined. Now I had been in labor for 22 hours, hadn't had anything to eat or drink the entire time, and had a room full of people waiting to meet our daughter. The section route was offered again and we were told that if I delivered Madisyn it was possible that her shoulder could be broken. Notice the important words Possible and Could. Unfortunately, at that time I only heard broken and agreed to a section. What momma wants to think of her newborn with a broken bone? I would have let them cut me from head to toe to prevent that.

(Kent surprised at Henry's weight.)

My recovery after Madisyn wasn't too bad. I had friend that had her first child 5 weeks later and this poor lady could barely walk because she tore so badly. I was told by several people that they knew people who had cesarean and vaginal deliveries and the cesareans were much easier. So when baby #2 came along I agreed to a repeat section because I could have a uterine rupture and both me and my baby would die. I remember being prepped for surgery and thinking "This is a mistake". I didn't listen to my inner voice and who can feel regret when you are holding a perfect little bundle in your arms.

(Henry getting checked out by our midwives, Lynda and Dee.)

4 years from my first delivery I had baby #3. #1 and #2 were 9 lbs 6.5 oz and 8 lb 10 oz so I prayed for a smaller baby this time. Kent and I discussed not going to the hospital until I was in labor. By this time I had heard of people having vaginal deliveries after cesareans but I stopped all thoughts of having one when my doctor told me that his wife had 4 sections. If the OB would have his wife deliver this way - it must be better, right?


Between baby #3 and baby #4 we had another loss. This time it was a beautifully, perfectly formed little girl named Mallory Rae who went to be with the Lord at 20 weeks. We had previously found out she was a girl and I returned four weeks later for a regular check-up when we discovered there was no heartbeat. Devastated doesn't even begin to describe the pain I felt. We had experienced an early miscarriage before but this time we were out of the "danger zone" of the first trimester. I had seen her moving on the screen just a few weeks before. I was induced the next day and after spending the entire day in the hospital I finally felt a few contractions. Mallory was delivered about an hour after labor began. Anyone who believes a baby is not really a baby until birth should see what we saw. She was so perfect. Nothing about her little body showed any sign of damage or deformity. I can still see her perfect little hands that I would never feel grasp mine.


A few months later, I conceived and had my fourth cesarean. Kent and I discussed multiple times just not going in for a section but we were weak. We had no support and just felt we couldn't do it on our own. Besides, we had three perfect children and cesareans were so safe......right?


A year after baby #4, I suffered another early miscarriage. I had been for my first check-up at 12 weeks where we found no heartbeat. Having seen the screen without the flashing heart twice before, I knew immediately that we now had 3 children sitting at the feet of Jesus. Even knowing that I will meet them one day in heaven, a mother still mourns for the person she will never know. This time we handled the complete miscarriage at home. I think that was a turning point in our thinking. If we could handle a miscarriage at home alone despite all the risks, then maybe with help we could have a birth at home.

(Getting footprinted.)

In the time since we had stopped using the pill, I joined an e-mail group on Quiverfull.com . One day I was reading and I saw a woman who had listed in her signature that she was planning a Vaginal Birth After 4 Cesareans. I wasn't pregnant but I e-mailed her for more information. We exchanged a few e-mails and I shared her story with Kent. We decided when the time came we would search out other options and would consider traveling to her doctor in Texas if necessary.

Just two months after our 3rd loss, I was expecting again. I think I was five weeks pregnant when I started calling the list of midwives I had found. The first (and last) person I talked to was Lynda. I loved everything I read on her website. She was a Christian, which was extremely important to us, but I also felt at ease talking to her. She agreed to be our midwife and we began to develop a relationship through my prenatal visits. We took a Bradley childbirth class and were amazed to learn that after 4 term deliveries we were clueless when it came to natural birth. I can't recommend a childbirth class enough. Even if someone wants a hospital birth, knowing what the options are and how a woman's body works during delivery is so worth the time and money investment. I can assure you that what we learned in our childbirth class changed our lives and the lives of our children. They won't be as uneducated as we were.

(Kent checking out a cleaned up Henry.)

My first two children were born 10 days before their due dates and the next two were born about 3 weeks early. I was convinced that baby #5 would be early as well. I had gone into labor 3 times and expected a repeat of the early trend. When I was 37 weeks I had contractions that kept me up all night. They were strong. I sat in the bathtub until 2 am when Kent encouraged me to try to lay down. I eventually fell asleep. The next day I called Lynda and filled her in on the previous nights happenings. She came over and did an exam and found me 1-2 cm dilated. She and her assistant thought we would have a baby within a week. Unfortunately, all I got that week was a virus or infection. My former OB delivered scheduled sections 10 days before their due date. When that 10 day mark came and went I was really doubting my decision. Thankfully, Kent never did. The next two weeks were very difficult. I was being called and asked constantly if "anything" was happening. I felt like I was the huge white elephant in the room and I wanted to ignore it. I would cry after being told I needed to walk or rest or whatever else someone felt would bring on labor. I was tired, sore and DONE.


On May 26th, I changed my attitude. I'm still not sure what happened but I told Kent that morning that I was willing to go to 42 weeks before seeking "help". The recovery after 4 sections didn't compare to the first and I didn't want to think about what the recovery after 5 would be like. I had determined that this baby was content to stay in as long as possible.

Madisyn had been taking piano lessons and we decided that with a new baby coming we would take the summer off. Her last lesson was to be on May 26th and Kent had promised to go to one with her. Since this was the last lesson, off they went. They left around 2:30 and I put the boys down for naps. I wanted to nap myself and Ben was already asleep. I laid down around 3:00 and kept hollering at Ty and Griffin to be quiet. I would almost drift off and then I would hear a noise from their room.

At 3:30 I was in a half asleep state and felt a "pop". I really can't describe the feeling but I immediately felt wet. I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I don't think I had moved that fast in months! I managed to not get any fluid on the bed and called Kent. The first time I called I didn't get answer. I was a little concerned but waited a minute (ok maybe it was 5 seconds) and called again. He answered in a very hushed voice as Madisyn was in the middle of her lesson. I told him my water broke and that I had one contraction. He asked me if I was sure :) and I assured him this was the real deal. He needed to pick up a few supplies from Walmart and would head home as soon as possible.

(One more picture with Lynda and Dee before he fell asleep.)

I called Lynda and told her the news. I think she was as excited as I was. I had a few contractions about 5 minutes apart but I hadn't been officially timing them. She wanted me to keep track of the length and let her know what the real stats were. I gathered supplies (pen, paper, etc) but I couldn't find a watch with a second hand. I remembered a techie guy from our childbirth class had told us about ContractionMaster.com . I finally got the computer connected to the internet and started timing contractions. Lynda called back and wanted me to check the baby's heartbeat every thirty minutes. I managed to check it at 4 and again at 4:30. By this time the contractions were less than 3 minutes apart and Kent still wasn't home!

At 5:00 my knight in a shining pick-up truck arrived. He came in the house, checked on me and let the boys up from nap. He had Madisyn do some light housework and put away their Walmart purchases. We checked the heartbeat again and he talked to Lynda when she called again. Kent let me believe that she was well on her way. He left our room to go help Madisyn and I called him back. I was getting no break between the contractions.

I started out in our jacuzzi tub but planned to move into an inflatable tub in our room when real labor arrived. He suggested I get in the birthing tub but I was unwilling to wait for him to get the hoses to fill it up so I climbed in the regular tub. The plan was that I would get some relief while he filled up the softer tub. The thing is, once I got in I couldn't get out. We don't have a clock in our bathroom so I don't know what time different things happened. Our plan was to call someone to get the kids and let family know that something was happening after Lynda confirmed that we were really going to have a baby. I had had too many hours of Braxton Hicks to have a living room full of people and no baby. :) I did call my sister because she is 2 hours away. My in-laws were out of town so Robin was going to be our back up for the kids if my brother-in-law Kirk couldn't make it.

Sometime after I got in the tub Kent asked if I wanted someone to get the kids. I quickly said yes. I couldn't believe how sensitive I was to noise and lights. The kids were being really good and making little to no noise but it seemed like a crowd was beyond our bedroom door. The water in the tub was leaking out and I couldn't stand for the faucet to be turned on. I didn't want Kent to leave my side to go get the hoses for the other tub. I had selected some classical music hymn cds to listen to while in labor. Kent turned on the music and I nearly jumped out of the tub. I wanted it dark and quiet.

Kirk came and picked up the kids and I remember feeling like he had no business in my house. It really bothered me that he was there, which is strange as I have a great relationship with him. I didn't want anyone there. At this point the contractions had been non-stop for about an hour and I was really doubting my ability to have a baby and my decision to not have a repeat section. I knew that when I hit transition I would further doubt that I could do it. I didn't think I could possibly be there yet. I had hoped for a "short" 10 hour labor but planned for longer. Lynda wasn't there yet so I couldn't possibly be in transition. I also knew that transition was the "hard" part. I thought I was about 5 cm dilated so I was dreading what was coming. I was absolutely miserable.

At some point I switched ends of the tub. One end is deeper than the other and I was running out of water. (We removed bath tub drains a few years ago when we heard of a little boy who was Griffin's age at the time, drowning in the tub. Now we just stuff a wash cloth in the drain when we use the tub - which, when I'm not pregnant is extremely rare.) Again, Kent offered to add more water but it almost seemed that the faucet was inside my head. The sound of running water and the pain of the contractions was more than I could take. This entire time Kent was awesome. He never acted even excited. LOL He was very calm and reassuring. He talked with Lynda and her assistant several times. I know at one point he talked to them and let me think they were between Parkin and Wynne. (about 30 minutes away) He just said they weren't really sure exactly where they were so I said "oh, like Parkin or something?". He didn't correct me. After the birth, he confessed that at that time they hadn't even crossed the Mississippi River. ( hour and half away) He knew that if I knew they weren't going to make it, I would have completely flipped out. My present state of flipping out was all he wanted to deal with. ;)

I realized that the contractions seemed to be letting up and I had an urge to push. Kent called Lynda again and they said that if I felt the need to push to go ahead. I'm not sure how often they called after this point but it was pretty regularly. I remember screaming through several of my pushing contractions. It wasn't that those particular contractions hurt more than the previous or the next but I needed to let off "steam". I felt as though I could explode at any moment. Lynda phoned during one of those screams and said that if I was doing that the baby was coming now. A few minutes later Kent got a concerned look on his face and asked if he could turn on the light. I said no. He told me he really needed to check on something and I could close my eyes (which were closed most of the time anyway). When he turned the light he looked relieved and said "Stacy, I see hair. I was afraid it was blood but it's hair." I told him he was wrong as I was still in denial that I was having a baby now! He told me to reach down and feel. I couldn't believe it! I felt a little head with hair! As the baby was crowning I felt a burning sensation. Between the next contraction Kent helped me to sit up as I had been on my back. I think I lasted sitting through one contraction and fell to my side. I honestly could not move.

At some point Robin arrived and asked if everything was ok. Kent told her it was and she sat in the living room. I honestly forgot she was even there!

When Kent saw that I was about to deliver he kicked his boots off and jumped in the tub. Lynda had given him a few pointers. He scooped the baby up and placed him on my chest. I asked "Is it a boy or a girl?". Kent responded that we had a boy. I asked him if he was sure. LOL He said yes he was sure. I was sure that Madisyn was going to get a little sister this time. Wasn't I surprised!

Lynda told Kent not to worry about cutting the cord, that she would take care of all of that when she arrived. Kent told Robin she could come in and he got me warm wet towels to cover up with as all the water was gone at this point. Walter Henry Witcher was born at 7:07 pm. He was very alert and was looking around but he didn't cry. I was concerned about the lack of crying. Again Kent was extremely calm and said "Stacy, if he's looking around like that - he's fine." I couldn't argue with that. When Robin came in (and started taking pictures ;) ) I remember saying over and over, I did it, I had a baby, I had a baby and he came out like he was supposed to. It was all so surreal. Just 30 minutes earlier I had told Kent that this would be our last child and now I was talking about how I couldn't wait to do it again!

Lynda arrived about 20 minutes after Henry was born. At that time they cut the cord and helped me out of the tub. Robin got to hold Henry while I was moved to the bed and I think she thoroughly enjoyed herself. :) As soon as he was born, Robin called my parents and Kent called his. I nursed Henry and then Robin got to hold him again while Lynda checked me out. I had a small tear and some bruising but otherwise was in fantastic shape. Henry looked so small to us. Kent, Robin and I had all guessed that he would weigh around 7 lbs. We were quite shocked when Kent held the scale and it registered 9 lbs 2 oz. The grandparents and siblings arrived and we had a good time having everyone guess his weight. No one was even close!

(Checking out my perfect little man.)

Henry was awake and alert for at least 3 hours after his birth. I never had to work to get him to nurse. With our other kids I would take their clothes off, change their diaper, or even get out a wet washcloth to wake them up enough to nurse. Not Henry! He seemed to come out with everything figured out. He set himself up on a nursing every 3 hours schedule. He has been our easiest baby and I couldn't be prouder.

(My sweet little boy.)

I have a lot of regrets about not seeking a home birth with our other children but I know that those experiences made me who I am now. I felt that this was my last chance. If I didn't do it now, all hope of a future natural delivery would be gone. I honestly could not have done it first of all, without God and secondly without my husband. Even when I doubted myself and my decisions, he didn't. He supported me through it all. He gave up two months of Saturdays to attend a class and never faltered when he realized that he was delivering our child. All the things I had been concerned about (what to wear during labor, having others around during labor, etc) never even happened much less caused any problems. I can't express how wonderful it was for Henry's birth to be attended by his parents only. It's a moment we will treasure forever.