As I went through this pregnancy, I had multiple people tell me they were praying for a shorter, easier birth. I would smile and thank them, but I was still trying to prepare myself for a long and grueling labor. After all, I’d birthed 5 babies, and none of the labors had been less than 12 hours. Most had been longer, and my last one had been one of the longest, ending up with me transferring to the hospital since things weren’t progressing. So while I too prayed for a better labor, I didn’t expect it. Oh ye of little faith…
I also knew God was good even if he didn’t answer the prayers for one. I wasn’t “owed” a better birth. I’ve been blessed to avoid so many other potential complications, so I really have no cause to complain. I did take steps to help in any way I could, though: taking the “gentle birth” tincture that a friend and my midwife recommended as a potential way to shorten labor (if it helped, it was worth the 3 times/day bitter taste!). I had a few appointments with a pelvic floor therapist recommended by my midwife. She conveniently came to my house, and gave me good stretches and exercises tailored to my needs, plus some pushing tips I found helpful. I saw a new chiropractor too, one that was willing to come to my house while I was in labor if I needed it. I wanted to be prepared if labor wouldn’t progress again, because I really didn’t want to transfer to the hospital again!
With the past babies, I had always held out hope of going a little early, resisting planning much in the final week or two, just in case. But since that never happened, we had that 40 week date as the likely time frame. So I planned co-op events even a week before due date, helping coordinate the Valentine’s exchange on Wednesday, February 12th, and bringing the main dish for small group that evening. As we were about to leave small group, I felt a contraction that was a little more intense. I thought nothing of it, though – telling my friend that often Braxton hicks would pick up in the evening, only to fizzle out when I went to bed.
But as we drove home, I kept feeling contractions. Nothing super painful, but they were more noticeable. I didn’t say anything to the kids as we got them to bed – I didn’t want them having a hard time falling asleep wondering if I was going to have the baby! And I really didn’t think it was possible for me to actually go into labor a week early! But I pulled out my sewing machine to fix the holes in my rice packs, just in case. When I found I’d lost my mucus plug, I realized this might actually be real! That was always my sign that I’d have a baby within 24 hours! But I knew for friends, sometimes that happened a week or even more prior, so I still wasn’t fully convinced. But I told Ryan that I might be going into labor. He somewhat groaned – he had scheduled two important work meetings the next day, thinking we had another week! – but he was also excited and raced to bed as quickly as possible. He knew from past experience that he needed to sleep while he still could!
I texted some friends to pray and my midwife to be on the alert – just in case – and packed a bag for me and the baby for the hospital, the other thing I hadn’t yet done. I didn’t want to transfer, but last time I hadn’t packed anything and wished I’d had, so I just wanted to be prepared. I was tired and the contractions were getting more painful. I knew I should rest, so instead of cleaning house like I kinda wanted to, I lay down around 10:30 PM.
But I couldn’t sleep. With a warm rice pack on my abdomen and on my lower back, I managed to lay in bed for an hour. By then, it was much more painful and uncomfortable, so I got up to microwave the rice packs, sit on the exercise ball, read my verse cards, and turn on my labor music. My other prayer request for friends had been that I wouldn’t go into labor at night. My previous “easiest” labor (Adam’s) had been after I went into labor in the early morning, thus getting some night sleep. The others had all started the night before, like this one, and lasted part or all of the next day, leaving me exhausted. But, here it was happening again! I prayed for strength.
Since it was night, I turned on the “Evensong” album by the Gettys, and ended up listening to it twice before switching to my normal labor playlist. All the music was encouraging, but being in labor, the “Hushabye Baby (Come Unto Me and Rest)” lyrics really stood out:
There’s no need to fret
Hush-a-by baby
Though dawn is not yet
Hush-a-by baby
The child on her chest
Hush-a-by baby
So much we can’t see
May fear flee away
That we both may sleep
Hush-a-by baby
The Lord surely keeps
Mother and child in His arms
He keeps us both in His arms”
I did not like labor, but I was excited that soon I would be cuddling my baby! I just had to endure..
I started timing contractions and found they were lasting a minute and only 2 minutes apart. I texted my midwife around 12:30 AM, telling her this was definitely real labor, and quite painful. She called and asked “do you want us to come?” I went back and forth, telling her I didn’t want her to come too early. I felt bad that every other time she came 5-10 hours before I ever got the baby out! My labors did this, hitting the intense, every-few-minutes contractions early on, and then staying there for what felt like forever. So I told her to wait.
But things continued building in intensity. I woke Ryan for support and to push on my back through the rice pack, which felt really good and saved his hands from hurting as much too! I think it was only 15 minutes after I told my midwife to wait that I called her again – “actually could you come?” She seemed to expect it, though, and said she would head our way.
She lived 45 minutes away and needed to alert and pick up her assistant. I distinctly remember it being 2 AM, and feeling a little like pushing. She hadn’t shown up yet, so I joked with Ryan – “do you think you could catch the baby?” He called the midwife to see if she was close, and she was just 10 minutes away, which was reassuring.
They arrived and checked things, and found I was fully dilated! Maybe I would have a faster labor after all! Going through the intense pain, I definitely wouldn’t call the labor “easy” by any means. But if it was faster, that would be so nice! I did some different positions, and pushed some, knowing that my water probably needed to break before baby would come. At one point I was leaning against Ryan and saw that he had on tennis shoes. I told him he might want to take them off in case my water broke. Good thing too, as it broke not long after, and splashed all over him! But yay! It was almost 3 AM now! Time to birth this baby!
But instead of feeling more like pushing, my labor slowed for a bit. I had contractions, but they weren’t as intense and didn’t come with the urge to push. I still tried as the midwives advised different positions, first laying on my back and holding my knees. I never delivered on my back, so didn’t like that position, though I tried it for a while. Without the assistance of gravity, I just didn’t feel like I could push. I was tired, but usually delivered in a squat or on hands and knees, so they set up the birthing stool next. Still, things just weren’t working. It was a little discouraging – maybe this would be another “long haul” delivery. But I didn’t lose hope. In hindsight I maybe should have just enjoyed the calm before the storm and gotten a little rest!
My nightgown was sticking to my legs, wet from the water breaking, and so I decided to go ahead and take a shower. The hot water felt really good and I tried squatting and pushing some on my own, as the contractions began building in intensity again. I moved to the toilet, and had a small bowel movement. Then, pushing began in earnest! I think I had held myself back some, as that urge to push also feels a bit like an urge to poop and though it happens plenty of time during labor, I didn’t want to do it outside of the bathroom!
I moved back into our bedroom, and kept trying different positions. It helped to push with an exhale and trying to pull my belly in a little, focusing the push down below, as the PT had cued me. But oh, it hurt! The midwives had to remind me multiple times to push into the pain, not run away from it. It’s hard to do, because everything in you wants the pain to stop, and tries to move away from the intensity. But when I pushed into it, tucked my chin and held my breath more than exhaling (as I was using a lot of my energy pushing my breath out!) then things started really happening. I tried squatting, leaning against Ryan, kneeling while leaning on the birth ball, and more. Eventually I was so tired, I did “child’s pose” on the bed in between contractions to rest, getting up on my knees when a contraction hit to push, holding Ryan’s hand on one side and my midwife’s on the other, for support.
Finally! – not as fast as I’d hoped, but still faster than other times! – the head came through that ring of fire, along with my first loud yell. I was almost done! I was expecting the hardest part to be over – after the head comes through, the body usually quickly slides out. But it took a few more pushes and the midwives yelling “push, Anna, PUSH!” as I gave it all I got! I also had to stand/lunge more as the assistant told me to be careful not to squash his head! But finally, at 4:42 AM, Peter Tyndale came all the way out, with no tearing, healthy and strong! Assessing him later, my midwife discovered that his chest was 2 inches bigger than his head, and she said he seemed to have thrown his shoulders back while coming through the birth canal, thus getting a little more stuck. But I was so so thankful that he was here, and simply amazed that I’d delivered less than 8 hours from when labor started!
I lay on the end of the bed and they brought him up to my chest, covering us with towels they’d warmed in the dryer. That always feels so good! We marveled at his newness together, as we waited for the placenta to come. He soon latched and nursed for a good long time – indicative of how good a nurser he’s turned out to be! He’s been my best nurser so far, waking on his own to eat and staying awake for both sides pretty much every time.
The midwives cleaned things up and went home to get some rest, and Ryan hurried to put away a few things so there would be no trace to the kids that a baby had been born! Thankfully, our bedroom is separated from the kids’ hallway by the living room, and they have sound machines and slept through the whole thing. I’d mostly stayed in the bedroom, so it was easy to make things look normal. Peter was in the midst of another long nursing session when 7 AM rolled around and the kids got up. Ryan invited them to go on a walk, and begun skipping around in joy, saying “guess what happened last night?” When he told them Peter had been born, they thought he was joking! Hadassah had said a few days prior that every morning when she woke up, she wondered if the baby had been born, and I’d told her it wasn’t likely to happen that way – my labors were always longer than just overnight. What a joy that it actually had happened after all!
It was sweet to have the four big kids come crowding in, eager to see and hold Peter, once I got him dressed. Then we got up Josiah. He was still half asleep and didn’t want to hold the baby, but he was pretty in awe and enjoyed petting his head, saying “he’s so softy!” We cuddled and enjoyed that newborn glow. Then Ryan got everyone breakfast. Food never tastes so good as when the baby is finally out and not taking up so much stomach space! 😉 My parents showed up soon after with flowers and to meet their 26th grandchild! What a blessing it is that even with so many, they have such joy and celebrate each one!
They took the kids back to their house for the morning and fed them lunch, so we could rest. Ryan was riding his coffee high, so he took Peter to cuddle and do a newborn photo shoot while I took a glorious 2 hour nap. I was so happy to be home and able to sleep in my own bed without interruption! After two days of clouds and rain, it was sunny and had the perfect amount of light coming through the windows for some stunning photos.
We are so thankful for our 6th child, and pray he will be as bold in his faith as his namesakes, the disciple Peter and the Bible translator, theologian and martyr, William Tyndale.
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