The Birth Story of Adam Timothy

Birth. It’s never easy. I hesitate to even apply the adjective “easier” to it, because it still came with so much pain! But by God’s grace, the birth of Adam Timothy Wolfe was “easier” than my others. Was it the weekly chiropractor visits for months leading up to it? The dates I ate *almost* every day from 36 weeks on? The raspberry leaf capsules I took each morning from 32 weeks on? While all of that may have helped, I am thanking God, who controls all things. And He used His people to pray. From friends praying for me during the birth to Facebook friends and even random strangers at the thrift store telling me they would pray that I’d have a better, faster birth, God answered.

The day started at 2:45 AM on Saturday, August 8^th. I woke to use the bathroom and felt cramping. Were those contractions, or did I just need to go really bad? I had a bowel movement – weird for middle of the night! – and yes, that was the mucus plug! Things were finally actually happening!

Later when the pains were hitting hard I questioned why on earth I had been so EAGER to go into labor. But at 40 weeks and 3 days, I was the latest I’d ever been and beyond ready to just go ahead and have that baby. I’ve always been someone who prefers to be early, and is embarrassed to be late. Motherhood has humbled me as these days I seem to more often be late than not, but I still feel irritated every time to never go early into labor. As if it were something I could control. 😉 Usually I hit the due date and things start happening. So to have another day, and another day go by… God showed me once again that “there is a time to be born” and He is in control, not me. Though I was trying quite a few of the natural remedies to see if anything could help labor along! Eggplant parmesan, pineapple, 2 ½ mile walks around our lake… And while I had Braxton hicks contractions all day and harder ones at night, my body seemed determined to keep this baby in.

So, despite the early hour. I was excited! And instead of going into labor at 9 PM and getting barely any sleep (as with my previous 3), I had gotten almost 5 hours of sleep and was feeling ready. But, knowing it still might be a while, I did lay down and try to sleep. Finding that evasive as my mind whirled and the contractions, though very mild, were consistent, I moved to the living room so my tossing wouldn’t wake Ryan. I knew he would be excited too, but also a bit disappointed that I was going into labor on Saturday, the one day he preferred nothing happen as it’s his off caffeine, catch up on sleep day. But babies don’t take orders!

I ate some oatmeal (in case food didn’t seem appealing later on), caught up on my Bible reading plan, and messaged a friend in China. It’s nice having a friend on a 12 hour time zone difference when you want someone to talk to and pray for you in the middle of the night. 😊 Jess encouraged me to seek the Lord and trust Him no matter how long things took. As the morning dawned, I texted a few friends and family and asked them to pray for perseverance and strength, “as based on past labors we may be in for the long haul, all day or even into the night.” Though everyone was praying for a shorter labor, I knew to set my expectations low, otherwise I would be disappointed and might use my energy too quickly.

I lay on the couch again from 5-6 AM, then because things were not too intense – though I could tell they were real contractions, just light ones – I went for a walk. Not all the way around the lake, but a good 40 minute one to see if it would encourage progress. As I walked home I texted my parents to ask if they could get the kids after breakfast.

The girls were super excited when I told them I was in labor, as they’d been asking me every day for over a week when Adam would come. They busily packed their own bags with clothes and toothbrushes and special toys in case they’d be at the grandparents’ house overnight while I got Owen’s things ready and Ryan made breakfast. And then they were off, and we had a lot we wanted to do before birth, but first both Ryan and I collapsed on the bed for 45 minutes. Having been through three long labors, we knew we needed to do all we could to conserve strength!

When I didn’t feel like laying down anymore, I texted my midwife to see if she had any suggestions for getting labor going more, since it had been 6 hours of regular but light contractions. She suggested a few things which I did while Ryan mowed the lawn. By 10 am the contractions did feel a little harder! I even got chilled inside in the a/c and went to the backyard for some sunshine for a while. Hormones were definitely doing something. I realized I might not have much more time to get things done, so attacked my chores: dishes, bathrooms, getting the guest room ready. I even was able to eat two muffins and a burrito for lunch. Not being up all night meant food actually still sounded good. And I had more liquid chlorophyll, something I’d been doing for a few weeks due to some low platelet counts.

Ryan also ate an early lunch, and got ready for his normal Saturday nap. But things started picking up rather quickly around noon. I went from telling him “take your nap early” to “you’re not going to have a long nap” to “I’m afraid you’re not going to get ANY nap” over the course of 30 minutes. I’d been wearing my belly band which helped with some of the building pressure in my back and abdomen, and had started heating the rice pack to stick in it for the back pain. Soon even that wasn’t enough, so instead of napping Ryan quickly deconstructed his work desk in our bedroom to make room for baby’s bed, and started massaging my back, gulping coffee in the minute or two breaks between contractions.

I called my midwife to tell her it was time to head our way around 12:30 PM. Things had gotten to the point where I couldn’t move or hardly talk through contractions, and they were happening every 2-3 minutes. With the past labors, this pattern would continue for 8+ more hours, and I really didn’t want to call the midwife too early just to have her hang out all day with nothing happening. But I knew that were I going to the hospital birth, I would definitely be leaving for the hospital then, so figured I should ask her to come. And at that point I was very glad SHE was the one in the car, and not ME. Sitting down was quite painful!

She lives almost an hour away, so by the time 1:30 PM rolled around and she showed up, I was anxiously watching the clock and hoping she would arrive. Things were very intense. Each contraction had me leaning on the counter while Ryan kneaded my back with all his might. Often I held the warm rice pack on my belly as the pain wrapped all the way around. The music playlist I’d made played encouragingly in the background, and the verse cards I’ve used with each of my labors were in front of me. Each time I feel a closeness to Christ as I endure labor pains, knowing “that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18) Labor pains are a result of the fall, and cause me to long for heaven more. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor 4:16) I am so thankful for God’s Word and the comfort it brings.

When the midwives arrived – I was blessed to have three at my birth, as my main midwife has a few friends and trainees she works with – they could tell I was pretty far along. They took my blood pressure and listened to baby’s heartbeat, but never once suggested I needed to get checked for dilation. At that point lying on my back in bed sounded like the worst thing in the world, so I was once again very thankful for their laid back, non-invasive approach. They are happy to check dilation if I request it, but don’t push it. I focused on breathing and meditating on Scripture during contractions, while also trying to find ways to ease the numb feeling in my right leg. Baby must have been pushing down on a nerve or something, as it was uncomfortable not being able to fully support my weight on both legs. But kneeling or sitting just felt worse.

I moved to the bathroom and tried to empty my bladder, but just couldn’t. I didn’t want to move far by then, so I labored next to my bathroom counter and even started feeling a bit like pushing. I squatted, and felt an explosive burst. My water had broken! Ryan and I looked at each other in disbelief. It was only 2:30 PM, but since my water never broke until I was in the pushing stage, suddenly it became real. We WERE going to have a baby that afternoon. Wow! I had hoped and prayed for a day time labor and delivery, and God was answering!

I was encouraged and ready to have our son! But the pain. Oh the pain. It doesn’t get easier the more children you have. If anything, I know what to expect, and have a harder time pushing into MORE pain, knowing what that ring of fire entails. And my back and abdomen just hurt so much. I tried many different positions. Standing, squatting, hands and knees, sitting on the toilet, leaning forward, leaning back. For a while my midwife, who is a pretty petite woman, braced herself against the birthing ball while I half reclined against her, with my full weight on her. I was amazed she could hold me, but it felt good for a bit and let me rest a little, so I wasn’t going to move! The other midwives kept giving me sips of a refuel drink to keep up my energy, and Ryan continued to be amazing, using his strong hands to give my back relief. Though little by little I realized I didn’t need back pressure as much… It was hurting more in front now. Was baby close to delivery?

It felt like the pushing stage lasted forever, but in reality, it was only about an hour. I felt like I couldn’t fully engage down there, and a bulging varicose vein made pushing a bit uncomfortable too. They suggested sitting on the toilet again, but I didn’t last long. I stood, and then crouched, and gave a really good push complete with guttural yell. My midwife said she saw the head coming! At this point the playlist I’d made on YouTube had run out and it had just gone on to similar songs, so I didn’t recognize the one playing, but heard the words “it is finished, it is completed” and determined that I would push through the pain, I wouldn’t be afraid of the ring of fire… It was time to be done. I had been holding back a little feeling like I needed to have a bowel movement but couldn’t, so let go of inhibitions, and pushed with all I had. And by God’s grace, Adam’s head was delivered! It hurt intensely, but it meant I was almost done! I even heard a midwife say “hear him cry!” as he gave a little whimper. But then the contraction ended and I paused. But not for long. Suddenly all three midwives and Ryan were yelling “push, Anna, push! Get this baby out!” and I leaned forward and pushed and pushed with all I had, yelling through it. Over and over until, relief! His body slipped mostly out. I was on hands and knees and could see him hanging there and the last push to deliver him fully was easy compared to the others. My baby was here! And it was only 3:35 PM!

They then told me the reason for their yelling: Adam’s hnad had been delivered with one of his hands, causing a tight squeeze that caused him to start turning purple in the break between contractions. One of them helped ease him out a little with the next push, and he soon cried and started pinking up just fine, especially after coughing up a little mucus. While the end was a bit scary (I’d been through yelling midwives twice before, with the girls both having shoulder dystocia), we were praising God for such a quick labor and delivery, compared to past experiences. And as we’ve watched our little one this past week, we see him with that hand tucked next to his chin quite a bit, so evidently how he was delivered is how he is comfortable!

The midwives got me situated, laying on our bathroom floor – the exact spot I’d delivered Owen two years prior! It’s amazing how pain ceases when you hold your newborn baby. But also how quickly the body changes… I went from sweating and feeling so hot to shivering, but the midwives quickly covered me with towels warmed in the dryer, which felt so good. Ryan and I basked in the beauty of this fresh gift from God, admiring Adam’s every feature. He pretty quickly latched on and nursed for a good long while too, while the cord was still attached.

Not too long after, the placenta came. Previously it had taken a while and I’d had to change positions, so it was nice to just have it slide out while I continued laying down. After about 45 minutes I was ready for a shower, so Ryan got skin-to-skin time with Adam while I washed all the blood and goo off. Birth is messy! But the midwives had everything cleaned up in no time. They got me situated in bed, inspected a slight tear – but so small I barely felt it and it didn’t need stitches – and we got another hour cuddling our baby and eating some food the midwives prepared. We were amazed at how much energy we had too. Day time labors are so much easier to handle than night ones!

Adam nursed some more while Ryan and I watched him in awe, and then was weighed and measured. 10 lbs even, 22 inches long, and every measurement from head to chest was exclaimed over – he is a big child! While I have tried to figure out how to have smaller babies, being careful to not overdo sweets, etc, with this as my third 10 pounder, I’ve resigned myself to it. If ever I have an “early” baby maybe they’ll be smaller, but since I can’t seem to go into labor early… Well, we enjoy our newborns who quickly fit 3 month old clothes!

One of the meanings of Adam is “to make” and Timothy is “honoring God.” Whatever he makes in his life, be it with his hands, his words or his imagination, we pray He honors God through it. And we pray that in all things, He looks to Christ, the Second Adam, who came to redeem us from sin’s curse and be our Savior.

We rejoice in this amazing, precious gift from God.