"Be strong and of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them. For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee." -Deuteronomy 31:6
I was so encouraged when I read this verse that I wrote it out and began to speak it everyday! I also wrote out other scriptures and spoke them out loud. I kept saying, "This will be my easiest and fastest birth."
The day before I went into labor was a Sunday, so I went to church. Our pastor got up to take his text and began to read out loud;
"Be strong and of good courage, fear not nor be afraid of them. For the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee. He will not fail thee." -Deuteronomy 31:6
I couldn't believe it! This brought me so much peace because I took it as a confirmation from the Lord that my birth would go smoothly. By the next afternoon, I was in labor. And by about 2am the next morning, I was on my way to the hospital.
My contractions were coming about 5 minutes apart by the time I got close to the hospital and I was focusing very hard to keep my mind on the promises of God that I wrote out. I was doing the hand and knees position in the backseat of the car, trying to ensure that Halle was turn the right way by the time I had to push. My contractions felt strong, but manageable!
I entered the hospital at about 3:30pm and hubby was helping me through each contraction. After about an hour, the nurse was still registering me into the hospital. The midwife checked me and said that I was about 6cm dilated and we probably had time. She told me that she was going to change her clothes and would be right back.
At that point my contractions were really strong, however I was still talking in between them. I was still actually laughing and talking to hubby in between them. But, secretly I really felt as though I had to push. I thought to myself, "I'm only 6cm. Maybe I'll push just a little bit." When I did that, my water totally broke and the baby came all the way down!
The midwife came running back in the room and could see the baby crowning! Hubby kept saying, "Are you pushing?!" I felt like a kid who was in big trouble! I replied reluctantly, "A little." Needless to say, about 4 pushes later, Halle was born. It was 4:13am and the nurse laughed and said, "I never even finished registering you!"
God answered my prayers and was my birth with Halle was truly my easiest and fastest birth!
Lol hilarious!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing that. It really encouraged me and inspired me. You spoke a positive birth experience into existence, and had faith in God.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome testimony, and something that I will keep in mind as I prepare to give birth in about six weeks.
S. Belle,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad this story was a source of inspiration! The Lord really did come through for me! He's able!
I noticed that you mentioned you used a doula for Noah's birth, but did not mention one for Halle's birth. Did you find that having a doula was worth it, or could you go through labor just as well without one?
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to decide whether I should hire a doula this time or not.
@ S. Belle- Since Noah was my first natural birth, I was very nervous and wanted all the help I could get!
ReplyDeleteHowever, I wanted Halle's birth to be more intimate and I was more confident that hubby and I could do it. So, it was just us. I was please with how it went.
Still, the doula offered some preparation and insight into pain management leading up to the birth that I felt was helpful both times. You could have a doula and create a flexible situation where she could or could not be with you during certain times of labor and delivery. I think it might be worth it, unless you are going for a more intimate experience between you and your husband.