Emma’s Birth; Husband’s Perspective
Anyone who knows Emma, knows she desperately wanted to have a natural birth with our first, but she was robbed of that opportunity by her previous OB when she had an unnecessary induction & then c-section.
She learned to be an advocate for herself and her body and to put her trust in Jesus when she became pregnant the second time. She hired a doula and made sure to find a care provider (midwives) who truly supported a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean).
She made sure she was adjusted every week throughout her pregnancy and doing the appropriate Spinning Babies® and other exercises to prepare her body for the natural, unmedicated birth she dreamed of. She knew it would be best for her and our new baby boy.
She labored at home for many hours while her sister, her doula and I did everything to help her. As a Webster chiropractor, I even attempted to adjust her at one point, but it was difficult for her to be still!
Her contractions were very inconsistent (I mean they were really all over the place), so we were all surprised when she spontaneously started pushing in the bathroom!
We rushed to the hospital while the doula called ahead in case we didn’t make it before baby arrived. We did make it, and the midwife and some staff met us at the entrance to assist.
Once there, the midwife was great. We were immediately bombarded by nurses wanting to get an IV started, against my wife’s wishes due to hospital policy. They attempted several times and were unsuccessful, causing her a lot of pain in the process. Eventually, we stood our ground, and with the help of the midwife and doula, they gave up.
After involuntarily pushing for a while , the midwife realized there was still a bit of cervix in the way. After numerous position changes and finally having her water break, Emma birthed our perfect baby boy!
Through her faith in an unstoppable God, the help of our amazing doula, support of her family, and, most importantly, a deep, inner strength to push through the unimaginable pain, she was able to achieve her goal.
Though the pain I saw in her eyes hurt deep, deep in my soul, the amazing strength and bravery that she shown was unbelievable. The admiration I have for her grew sevenfold that day. My heart also grew to make room for another beautiful little boy.
Thank you to our amazing doula, Rachel Mans, and the support of Emma’s sister throughout the labor. I’m confident this would not be possible without them. I also want to thank our entire family and all our friends for supporting us and helping when it was needed. It truly takes a village. The nurses and midwives at Mercy Birthing Center were fantastic also.
"God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns." Psalm 46:5
Check out Spinning Babies® here!