Saturday July 21st was like any other day. I woke up still pregnant and thanked God for our blessings and for knowing the perfect time for our baby to be born. I was 41 weeks and 5 days pregnant. I still felt patient waiting, just eager to meet my baby. We headed to a birthday party I was sure I wouldn’t be able to attend as I’d be caring for a newborn. (Jokes on me). When we got home I got Jegan down for a nap and thought I’d join him. We got up and I still didn’t know today would be THE day! I even had my mother in law take a picture that I posted to Facebook with the caption “For all those wondering yes I am still pregnant & yes I’m surprised too. 🤣 I feel physically great thankfully which makes the wait easier. I know the Lord is using this time to speak to me & teach me so I’m gladly waiting on His perfect timing with great anticipation! Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes! Not much longer now. 🙏🏼 “
Little did I know our baby would be born only hours later! As the day went on I noticed some lower pressure and contractions that felt different than the Braxton Hicks I had been having for weeks. I didn’t think too much of it until I was walking up the stairs and noticed I seemed to be getting more of them and they were really low. At around 5:30pm I asked Jegan if he’d go on a walk with me. I wanted to see how frequently they were coming and if I could walk through them or not. I realized they were coming about 5 minutes apart, but not lasting more than 30 seconds. Most of them I could still walk & talk through, but occasionally I’d get a stronger one id have to stop for until it passed. I prayed to God that this would be IT and that labor would continue progressing!
I was ready to meet my baby! I text my midwife and told her how I was feeling and I’d let her know if the contractions continued. I also informed my mama since she was coming to hang with Jegan and I for birth, but at this point I still wasn’t 100% that it was go time! Around 6:30pm we had dinner and I had a few contractions, but they still weren’t lasting very long. During dinner it hit me that this is real & I started to get excited! I went downstairs to shower and prepare, put a movie on for Jegan and sat on my birth ball and hung out with him. I called my mom and told her she’s welcome to head our way when she can, but she has time to pick up air mattress. I text my midwife at 7:49 and said “ Still about 5 mins apart sitting on ball. They aren’t lasting a min yet. Probably 30 seconds. Strong and low. Just praying God will tell me when it’s time to tell you to come (or he will tell you 😂).” She asked me if I would like to talk on the phone and asked if I could still talk through them. I called her even though I thought it was way to early. During our phone call I had a few contractions and she asked if I wanted her to come or wait a while.
I said I didn’t think she needed to come yet and again told her I’m praying God will tell me when because I honestly prayed for so much during my pregnancy and knew this birth would be different than my first. Right after I said that my water broke! I started laughing. It was such a warm, weird sensation! She said “Ok I’ll be on my way!” God is so good like that! If He didn’t give us that confirmation the midwife would never have made it in time. After that I text my mom and told her my water broke and that I was glad she was on her way! Something in me knew this was gonna go fast now! If it was going to be anything like my first birth, the water breaking really sped things up! I went upstairs to put my shorts in the dryer and told my in laws my water broke and this is the real deal, but not to freak out because I’m fine! Ha ha I went back downstairs and continued laboring on the ball and with each contraction more water warm would gush out. My mom arrived a little after 8pm and by this time the contractions were coming more frequently and I no longer wanted to talk through them. Granted I was in ZERO pain this entire time. The contractions were just getting stronger which required my attention.
Anytime I felt fear or pain rise up I rebuked it in the name of Jesus and it would leave. I put on my headphones for a bit and listened to my birth scriptures and affirmations from the Christian Hypnobirthing App. My midwife arrived around 8:30pm in a police car because her car had broken down 7 mins from the house, which has never happened to her before! The police men were nice enough to drop her off and she made it only 30 mins max before baby came! When she arrived we were all talking and laughing. I kept joking that with every contraction I was either losing more water or peeing myself. At this point my body started shaking and with each contraction I sat down on the toilet to feel more steady. I asked my mom to run the bath to see if I could calm my body down.
I was 100% fully present during this time and calm, but my body was shaking. I realized oh my gosh is this transition?! I remember it so strongly with my first being the time I felt a bit panicky and like I couldn’t do it anymore. This time I could still feel that rush of adrenaline, but I was totally calm, smiling and at peace. Once the bath was ready I got it. I asked my midwife if she thought I was getting in too early. She said if labor stalls no big deal you can just get out. Once in the bath, Jegan came in and never left my side. He knew if mommy was in the water we were going to have a baby soon! Jegan was truly my little doula/stand in for daddy. He gave me kisses, kept me present, and would repeat everything I was saying as I talked to my body & Jesus.
He one time looked up and shouted “Jesus can you help us?” My Mom and I both laughed and said “He is!!!” It was so surreal. Gods presence was truly there. Worship music was playing and I was just worshiping and thanking God for about 10 minutes when I started feeling pushing sensations. I literally said out loud “body it’s not time to push!!” I just couldn’t believe it was time. With the next contraction I told my mom go get Melanie, my midwife because my body is wanting to push! Melanie was upstairs drying herself off because it was pouring rain out. Melanie came down and I said to her “Why is my body already pushing?!” She in all her wisdom said “Your body knows what it’s doing, just relax your bottom”. My mom FaceTimed Luke in and he had PERFECT service, which never happens. Thank you God!
The contractions came and I relaxed through them. They were super intense, but not painful. I could feel everything but without pain. The photographer walked in as I was pushing and I looked up to her and said “ My baby is coming!” I reached down and felt a head full of hair! It was unlike anything I’ve experienced before. I just kept saying “I can feel my baby’s head!!!” He then wiggled inside me, which was the coolest thing. The merging of two worlds about to become one! This was IT!!! With the next contraction my baby boy slid right out!
I grabbed him and brought him to my chest and exclaimed “It’s a BOY!” I couldn’t believe it! Another precious boy! He let out a big scream which continued for quite a while! I couldn’t believe how fast & heavenly the whole experience was! My hubby was so proud of me and all I could think was that was ALL GOD! He is so good! We stayed in the bath for a while until the placenta was birthed, which took longer than pushing the baby out. LOL. From the time I got in the bath until the time Samson was born was only around 15 minutes.
The entire experience was truly Supernatural. God met me in my pregnancy and birth and showed me how beautiful and peaceful it can be. When I was pregnant God told me that this birth was going to be a “gift” and it truly was! I had no idea what that gift would look like but I was ready to accept it with open arms. The verse He gave me for birth was “Give thanks to the Lord because His faithfulness endures forever.” That’s exactly what I did the entire labor and He is beyond faithful. My circumstances weren’t ideal with my hubby being gone, but I knew God would be there and all would still be wonderful. Just how wonderful I could have never imagined! I’m still in awe of Gods goodness and will be forever. My active labor was less than an hour and from those first contractions on our walk it was 3.5 hours. 🙏🏼
By Alex Sweeney, California, USA
Images by Function And Flourish Photography
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