Timothy's birth story is a precious one, from start to finish. Dan and I take no credit, but unashamedly give all the glory to God for the way this little man was allowed to make his entrance into this world. His beautiful, natural, peaceful birth is one that we could not have dreamed up or created... we were just blessed to be partakers in it. We had planned to have a natural, drug-free birth since the beginning, and took 12 weeks of classes in the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth, with an amazing instructor (and now, friend) here in Cookeville. We felt very prepared by the time we finished the classes, as far as knowing what to expect when we were in labor, and such. Neither of us were afraid of labor, and knew it would be hard, painful work - but it was work we were ready to do, together. And I think that mindset helped.
We had also been going to Infinity Birthing Center, in Cookeville, and had planned to give birth there. We love all of the midwives there, but just absolutely loved Crystal Bailey from the beginning. Crystal is a person that just exudes peace, wherever she goes, and the Holy Spirit is so evident in the way she speaks, moves, and touches. We knew we wanted her to be the one to help bring our baby into the world, and prayed that it would work out that way, still planning to deliver at the birth center.
Through a series of events, Crystal ended up no longer being at the birth center when I was 34 weeks pregnant with Timothy. I was surprised when, after hearing the unexpected news, Dan's first question was, "Could we do a homebirth with her?" I had never anticipated him to consider it with our first, and especially when I was only 6 weeks away from the due date. But we both felt a peace about it, and began talking to Crystal about the possibility. We thought alot about any possible risks involved, prayed about it, and just felt complete confidence that the Lord was with us in desiring this birth for our son. So we went forward... supplies were ordered, birthing pool was blown up, and we began to patiently (or, not so patiently... haha) wait for The Day to arrive.
I began having contractions during the night about 2 1/2 weeks before our due date. I would wake up in the night but go right back to sleep. On April 6 we went to Nashville for a wedding, and while driving I had my first uncomfortable contractions, but at the time I wasn't convinced that's what they were. To me they felt like period cramps accompanied with some lower back pain, and it kind of all radiated together. The next day I had more when I was with my mom. She said, "Umm, Hannah, those are contractions..." Haha... So now I knew. It was encouraging to know my body was already starting to prepare, and just made me more confident that the Lord has designed women's bodies perfectly to get ready and give birth.
On Wednesday (the 10th) I went to my weekly appointment, and they found I was 3-4 cm dilated, and 60% effaced. Yay! Those contractions had been doing their job. However, I knew that didn't mean I would have our baby that same day. We did have a few hours of pretty consistent, but mild, contractions Wednesday night and Thursday, but by Thursday night they had gone away and I slept like a rock. The weekend continued much the same, with hardly any contractions, and I felt really, really good. Almost less pregnant that I had felt a couple weeks before. I told Dan and my mom, I felt like something was backwards...
Monday the 15th I had a great day, went around town, ran errands and walked around Goodwill for quite a while. I felt so much peace about the birth of our baby that day. I had felt tense and frustrated over the weekend because of the lack of action, but Monday I just felt the Lord say, "I've got this!" over and over in my spirit. Monday night I went to Crystal's house for an awesome evening of worship, which was amazing in and of itself...the sweet spirit of that night and just being able to enjoy the presence of the Lord with others I think relaxed me even more. Before I left several of the sweet folks there prayed over Timothy and I, and spoke precious things over his little life. I just had to laugh when Crystal prayed, and said, "I just feel the Lord saying...I've got this!" Well, of course! Apparently He was telling us both what we would need to know the next day...
I went home around 10:00, and knew I was having contractions on the drive, but got home and got in bed soon after. I woke up several times in the night and would think, "Hmmm, that one was uncomfortable..." but then go right back to sleep. It wasn't until around 6:30 in the morning that I woke up and thought something was different. These contractions were actually getting my attention, and by 8:00 I didn't want to lay still through them. Dan was off that morning, so I told him as I got up, "Just fyi...I'm having some pretty consistent and stronger contractions...but it's probably just another trial run...I'm making pancakes..." Haha...
I commenced making banana pancakes, but found myself having to stop between ingredients and just relax against the counter. The contractions didn't "hurt", but I felt the need to focus on breathing through them. But then I would go right back to cooking. Dan got up a few minutes later, probably about 8:30, and he actually had to turn the pancakes while I focused on the contractions. He says he knew then that it was the real thing...but I was still in denial. At this point they were coming anywhere from 5-7 minutes apart, and as I said, they didn't really hurt at all. Just period cramp-like combined with some lower back pain and pressure. I did text Crystal, just to let her know, since they were consistent...but I still not convinced.
Things got more interesting by about 10:30... as I walked around and did housework, they went from 5-7 minutes apart, to 3-5 minutes apart. I could still talk through them up to that point, but they were definitely getting my attention. I started trying to focus on staying hydrated and eating here and there, because I was finally thinking, "Ok...this might be the day..." I let Crystal know they were getting closer together and more intense, and we kept on laboring while getting the house ready for a possibly imminent birth.
By noon or so I had started to be on my hands and knees alot during contractions, leaning on our ottoman or on the back of the couch, and rocking through them. But I was still laughing at jokes, or smiling, even during them...I just didn't want to talk. Crystal called around noon, got the update, and we decided she would come in an hour, after we had labored a little while longer just Dan and I. He was so great during this time, getting me a popsicle, water, grapes, whatever I wanted. I still felt great between contractions, so we were just talking and laughing in between, then concentrating through them, then talking again. I never felt any fear or anxiety during this time...I just remember knowing that this was what my body was supposed to do, and we were just taking one contraction at a time.
Crystal arrived around 1:00, and we just kept on keeping on, contractions holding steady at about 3 minutes apart. As they got harder she encouraged me to try different positions. I was rolling on the exercise ball for a while, which felt great. Then in a great position on the couch where Crystal and Dan rotated massaging my hands and my back...that was absolutely wonderful, because between contractions I felt like jello thanks to their massaging. It was a nice rest from holding my body up in other positions.
Around 3:00 Crystal decided it was time to check me... I had started being more vocal and moaning through the contractions, and they were definitely getting strong at this point. However, I was still smiling between them...when there was a "between". Around this time it started to feel like alot of them were coming one on top of the other. Dan could hardly walk away when I would tell him to, "Come here!" so I could lean and sway with him.
Crystal checked at 3:20, and I was 7-8 cm dilated, and 90% effaced. I just remember saying, "Praise the Lord..." Haha... I was so afraid that these hard contractions hadn't made any progress. This was it - we were going to meet our baby.The next few minutes Dan, Crystal and our wonderful nurse Ashli were pretty focused on getting the birth pool ready, and contractions were definitely getting very intense. Sometime between 3:30 and 4:00 I definitely hit transition. Contractions would hit and I would think, "I just want to go to Mom and Dad's house...or anywhere besides here..." During one contraction I just walked away from Dan, like I was going to go anywhere else... Haha...
Thankfully at 4:00 I was able to get in the tub. Contractions felt like they were coming one on top of another, but the water did help me to relax somewhat. This was probably the hardest part for me...dealing with transition type contractions, and not being able to push. I was so very ready to be able to do something to help my body and to press against all the pressure I was feeling. I felt overwhelmed during this stage, and told Dan I couldn't do it, and would just say, "No, no, no..." when I felt another contraction coming. Thankfully that part didn't last too crazy long. Around 4:20 I told Crystal I felt like I could push, and she said I could push through some contractions if I wanted to. That helped alot. And then at 4:45 she said I was complete, and so we were ready to push in ernest.
The next 3 hours were probably the hardest 3 hours of my life...but they were also the most amazing. We would make progress, then he would slide back... progress... then slide back... two steps forward, one step back. My contractions had spaced out alot, which contributed to the ground we lost between pushes. Crystal had me sit on one hip and then the other, to help him round the corner.
I can't say enough about my sweet husband during the whole process but especially this part. He was in the pool with me, and every time I pushed he would lean forward behind me, and breath with me. He was right there through the whole 3 hours, working hard along with me. Several times he would be praying out loud, or just speaking the name of Jesus, and that helped so much in bringing me back to earth when I wasn't sure I could keep going.
Around 5:30 the doppler stopped working, and we had to make a decision about whether to continue. Crystal, Dan and I all felt peace about going forward, even though she did go over the risks with us. We really felt that the Lord had said He had this birth under control, and we went forward in total faith and trust of that. Crystal prayed then, asking the Lord for our baby to come out screaming and with no cord issues...and we went back to pushing.
Around 6:30 Crystal had me reach and feel his head, the little bit that kept crowning up. That was encouraging, in the middle of feeling like this part would never end. There were several things that helped me through 2nd stage... but a few will stand out. The music we had playing was helpful... we had made a playlist of instrumental songs, and I remember thinking in the last hour or so, when the song would change, "Maybe this will be it...maybe my baby will be born during *this* song..." Also, I will never forget Crystal looking me in the eye and telling me, "You have all the strength you need to do this." Just that simple statement resonated in my spirit and I got a fresh wind... I knew I could finish this, because the Lord had given me everything I needed to finish it.
He crowned at 7:20, and Crystal gave us instructions on what to do as he came out. She was massaging around his head the whole time, to make his coming out as gentle as possible. She told me that with the next contraction I needed to give it everything I had, so his head could come out, and then one more for the shoulders. It took 3 or 4 more contractions for it to be "the one" that brought our son's head out. Crystal checked for any cord around his neck - there was none - and then one more push brought his little body out.
At 7:43PM I watched him come out and into the water in front of me. Crystal lifted him up and put him on my tummy, and every single minute of pain of the last 12 or so hours absolutely melted away. You hear people say that, and I always thought it was probably just a cliche thing to say... but for me it was true. I was tired, but my baby was here, and all I could think about was finally seeing his face.I did have a small 2nd degree tear, which Crystal did a great job stitching up. The first 24 hours of recovery were not easy, since it was just Dan, Timothy and I at home, but we made it through and by Wednesday evening I was feeling lots better. We are so thankful for a quick recovery for me so far, and a precious, precious baby who so far has such a laid-back personality and is nursing like a champ. He has just stolen our hearts, and we already can't imagine life without him.
We definitely learned alot for next time, about how Dan and I could communicate better during hard labor, and that we might need a better hot water source since filling the pool took a while (our hot water heater ran out after a while). But we could not have asked for a better birth experience. We felt prepared because of our classes, and both of us said afterwards that we never felt afraid of what was happening. The Lord was totally in control of the whole experience, and we just cannot say enough about Crystal and the peace she carries on her while she ministers to women (and their husbands) in labor. She and Ashli did such an awesome job of being prepared, and just being able to peacefully help our baby come into the world. We could not have asked for a better birth team. We are so, so very blessed.
We are praising the Lord for our precious son, and the blessing of experiencing his birth in this way. God is just so very good, and His presence and purpose has been so evident in these days. We chose his name for both of his grandfathers' middle names, to honor them and their love for the Lord, and for the meanings of the names - Timothy (valued of God, honoring to God) Earl (warrior). We believe that his name will be a declaration over his life, that he will be a warrior who is valued by and honoring to our great God - our God who is so worthy of our praise.
"The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy!" - Psalm 126:3
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