For this fifth labor, contractions started gradually as they have for the others—mild and 10 or 15 min. apart. It was Thursday late afternoon on April 1, 2004. They weren't strong yet, but I didn't know when it'd change, so after dinner we got the kids out to the Heatons, kind neighbors who were willing to take them for the night.
I contacted Mary Ann Griffin, my midwife, and Marcia Jones, my friend who is an RN and doula. Around 8-9 p.m. I was quite disappointed to find that contractions stopped when I took time to rest on the couch.
Marcia came to be with me and encouraged me while I tried some position changes to help in case the baby was in a posterior positron. Marcia also prayed with me to have wisdom to know when to have Mary Ann come since she was at least an hour away.
Finally resigned to some frustration, I decided to have Marcia go home (10 min. away), and Mary Ann to come later and let herself in to spend the night. We also invited Christine Furey, a first year nursing student, to come spend the night. Bob and I ate a snack and headed to bed by 10:30.
Somewhat surprisingly I slept really well and awakened only briefly for contractions which occurred on intervals of 30, 15, or 10 min.
I finally had a contraction that woke me up at 4:20 a.m., so I awakened Mary Ann and asked her to check if the baby was in a posterior position. She felt my abdomen and said the baby was in a great position. Then she checked internally and said something like, "Oh my, Stacy..."
I feared the worst, suspecting a prolapsed cord or that the baby was still up very high. So it was to my amazement that Mary Ann said that I had already dilated to 9cm.
Even then contractions were sporadic and not overwhelming. Marcia came back to the house and Ruth (7.5 yrs.) came home as well.
I showered with a large rubber exercise ball for physical support while the water on my back helped keep me relaxed. Marcia read some Scripture and prayed for me. Ruth came in the bathroom and made fun of me... When she asked why I sounded like a horse, I told her she could leave. As I pondered how God could get the glory even in the midst of labor, a Scripture song from Hosea 6:3 came to mind. I had learned it in Bloomington from Al & Amy Parker and now asked Bob to come and sing it with me. “Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge Him. [repeat] As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.”
After about 25 min. I felt like I should get out. In the study I tried various positions but ended up preferring kneeling against our La-Z-Boy chair. Mary Ann expertly supported the baby's head and my skin as I "whinnied" through a washcloth which I clenched in my teeth. Ruth managed to keep quiet out in the hall way!
When the midwife saw a substantial amount of meconium, she told me that she would use suction as soon as the head was out but before I pushed the rest of the body out. Pushing was not pleasant, but I realized even at the time that it could have been much worse.
As soon as she was out, Bob said, “Hi, Hannah!” And I asked, “Are you serious?”
Two of the birth attendants reported that she came out with quite a startled response. We were so happy to meet this little girl face to face. I thought she looked so clean she could have already taken her first bath. Ruth noted that her fingernails looked polished. Hannah's APGAR scores were 9 & 10.
We soon saw just how little she was (6 lbs. 7 oz.) and how very long the umbilical cord was (37"). I was even more thankful to realize that none of that cord had gotten tangled around any part of her little body. Average cord length is around 24", but Mary Ann had seen one as long as 48".
The ladies got things straightened up speedily, and Mary Ann even made us a nutritious breakfast. Again we found ourselves rejoicing in how God wove the details together and gave us this new life to love.
—Stacy