THE PREGNANCY:
Joy’s birth story begins during pregnancy. The Lord has had our family in a state of total dependence to Him for our everyday needs. That means that this time I didn’t know where help would come from for the birth. Tricia, our last Providential help too was gone to Ohio and all other midwives would charge about $5,000 and we had no insurance to have a hospital birth either. But we wouldn’t have a hospital birth anyway. This prayer for help during the birth would not have been so concerning if I had easy previous birth experiences. But, breaking the “bag of waters” had been a need and when to do that and how to do it with my super thick membranes and who would do it had me all concerned. Thus, during the pregnancy almost everyday, I turned to the Lord with a deep cry from my heart because I knew He was stretching my faith to believe Him blindly on this birth, not knowing what would happen at all. All I had was my worrisome past experience but also His faithfulness in providing in the last couple of weeks before Noah was born. I decided to TRUST in His faithfulness again. He drew me so close to Him during our communion every morning. Reading and meditating through the Psalms on trusting Him was life changing. My faith was strengthened; I didn’t doubt He would come through somehow.
Physically, around the 5th month, I began to experience low back right side sciatica or pain. I asked the Lord if I He would heal me or send me to a chiropractor for this. The very next week, at church, my good friend Andrea decides to send me to her chiropractor, a very good one too, for as many visits as I need to. It turns out that he tells me, “your pelvic bone is twisted. That is why your babies get stuck. Your problem is fixable and it will be different this time.” Well, I was so hopeful. I knew the Lord had sent me to him. The rest of the pregnancy was still the same, as far the nerves pinching, discomfort, sometimes not able to walk. So I didn’t know how much the adjustments and exercises would help, but I kept faithfully at them.
In May, I had a dream that Jo caught my baby in the water. Her and Jose were the only ones at the birth. The incredible thing about this dream was that the baby came so quick that I didn’t even feel it. With my eyes closed, I was still trying to push when Jo tells me to stop pushing because baby had been born. Her name was Liberty Joy. I woke up and felt, not that this dream would come true but that the Lord was reassuring me to trust, everything would be fine.
Finally, the Lord provided a midwife, a sister in the Lord, who was willing to help. She greatly reduced her fee for us and our church decided to cover that whole fee for us. I had also asked Jo for help and she graciously accepted. But she would be very busy the whole week prior and the due date because she was teaching and would probably not be able to make it.
THE BIRTH:
This time contraction began about 3 weeks before as some spotting and low back pain that would stay on my back for some time. I believe my cervix had begun to dilate. As a result, I was slow and had greater discomfort getting around
On Sat. July 28, the due date, I began with contractions, but these felt the same as the rest I had been feeling, so I wasn’t sure they were birth contractions. They continued mild through the day and by midnight I knew baby was coming soon. Jose prepared the birth pool, called Jo and Melissa and Dorothy. Dorothy would not be able to make it, our Doula. Melissa thought I still had hours to go, since I had told her I labor long and Jo decided to come right away even though she had had a heavy week and very long day.
I started to bake a birthday cake at midnight through contractions when Jo arrived. After we rested for about an hour or less. Jose really wanted to get as much sleep as possible. But I couldn’t stay in bed any longer, so I jumped in the pool and felt much better. Jo joined us and we chatted for the next 3 hours or so. I stayed in the pool the whole time managing the breathing through the contractions. I noticed when my breathing started to change. Jose called Melissa to better make her way over here but by that time she was caught up with another birthing mama who two weeks late. A couple more transitional contractions and I felt my first pushing contraction. I went to the bathroom to empty bladder and anything else I didn’t want in the pool. While in the toilet a couple more pushing contractions came. On the first push, THE BAG BROKE!!! I couldn’t believe it! A miracle! The Lord knew I had so much desired to have that feeling. I quickly made my way to the pull because I knew what was coming. In just a couple more pushing contractions I began to feel the “ring of fire” I couldn’t believe it! Already? I thought. Well, yes, it was. In the next two pushes baby was born. Jo positioned herself and caught the baby, lifter her up and placed her on my chest. During this whole time, Jose is on the phone with Melissa, a total time of about 7 minutes. At first Jose had announced “a boy” when Jo lifted the baby up because the umbilical cold hung through her legs. It was about 10 minutes after that we realized it was our blessed Liberty Joy all this time.
What a joy! My dream had come true almost to the detail. She was born at 4:45 am. Jose boiled our hair cutting scissors and cut the cord. Melissa came at 8:30 am. I was so relieved when she came because I had been straining myself trying to get the placenta out. For almost 4 hours I couldn’t really relax and enjoy my baby. But Melissa did it quick and easy. Praise the Lord!
I looked up to God and I cried to Him saying, “how could I ever doubt You. You have once again been so good to me and so merciful. You crown me with your loving-kindness. Your faithfulness has been displayed for the glory of your Name in every detail of my life.”
Amen.
