Birth Story

Unlike Claire’s birth story, Cale’s was a little more exciting.

First and foremost, it is important to remember that in 2006 I was told that I would never be able to conceive children without a lot of medical assistance, if even then.  Then in November 2008, without any type of medical assistance whatsoever, Steven and I were surprised to discover that I was four months pregnant with Claire.  Claire was born in May 2009 at Reunion Birth Center.  Her delivery was quick, easy and pain-free.  The fact that I just gave birth to our second child, again without any medical assistance in conception, is a miracle in and of itself!!  And the story of his birth is nothing short of amazing!

This is Cale’s story:  On Monday morning, Steve and I went to Reunion for another appointment with my midwives.  They ran another non-stress test, which had great results.  They performed another ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid, which was also good.  But when they checked me, they said that Cale was still so high that they would be unable to induce me at the birth center and that if he did not come before Wednesday night, I would be admitted to the hospital and induced Thursday morning.  In my opinion, it was less than great news.  I had no desire to be admitted to the hospital and even less interest in being induced.  My midwives were as disappointed as I was, stating that they would be completely shocked if I would have to be admitted to the hospital to deliver my second child when the birth of my first child was so easy.  But Steve and I chose to stand on God’s Word.  We spoke to my body to work just as God created it to, commanding my uterus to contract, my cervix to dilate, my water to break.  We spoke to Cale and told him that he needed to cooperate and be born before Wednesday night.

Monday evening I was exhausted (and feeling disappointed), so I went to bed at 7:00 p.m.  I woke up around 10:30 p.m. and just felt a little crampy.  I moved from my bed to the living room so that I wouldn’t disturb Steve’s sleep.  Around 11:00 p.m. I decided that a bubble bath would help me to feel better.  I woke Steve and asked him to help me get into the tub.  Around 11:15 p.m. I felt the first contraction.  Contractions began about 4 minutes apart and lasted for about a minute.  By midnight my contractions were 2 minutes apart and were lasting for about a minute and a half.  Steve called our midwife who asked us to meet her at the birth center.  We arrived around 1:00 a.m.  I was dilated to 7 when we arrived.  Cale was coming fast.

I labored standing up, which was much easier.  I leaned against Steve; and our birthing assistant, Janelle, massaged my lower back during my entire labor.

Janelle (my birth assistant) and Cale

Janet (my midwife) and Cale

When my water broke, we discovered that there was meconium in the amniotic fluid.  However, very little fluid drained.  At this point I was fully dilated and ready to push.  I only pushed three times.  Cale was born at 3:19 a.m., sunny-side-up, with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck twice.  He weighed 10 lbs 7 oz and was 23 inches long.  As I pushed him out, the remaining fluid gushed out behind him.  It created a very crazy situation.

However, as I mentioned before, Cale’s birth was miraculous!  The meconium was old and had liquified.  There was no solid material for him to inhale.  The cord was wrapped so loosely around his neck that Janet was able to just roll him over twice, and it unwrapped without any problems.  In fact, it was so loose that his heart rate never dropped during my contractions.  As for his presentation, it caused me quite a bit of discomfort while pushing since I was lying on my back; but it wasn’t unbearable, and pushing was short.  My entire labor only lasted four hours.

If I had been induced at the hospital, it is highly likely that I would have needed a c-section.  The Pitocin, which would have caused the contractions to come hard and fast, would have most likely caused Cale much distress since it would have caused too much pressure on the wrapped umbilical cord resulting in a decrease in his heart rate.

Cale and my body knew just what to do.  Cale stayed high – keeping the pressure off of the umbilical cord – until the contractions were hard enough to push him out.  Then he came down fast and out into our loving arms.

We stayed at the birth center for quite a while this time.  We had breakfast and took a nap before heading home.  We arrived home just before 1:30 p.m.

Ready to go home

We are all doing great, and we are so in love with Cale!  We give God all of the glory for another supernatural childbirth!  God is so good to us!  We are so very grateful for our beautiful, healthy family!