Isaiah's Birth Story

Foreword - I wrote this mainly so that my memory can be jogged every now and then to remind myself of how wonderful new life truly is. Don't feel compelled to read it for literary genius - its more a personal compilation. Enjoy if you like!

Isaiah’s Birth Story

Tuesday, August 24^th, 2010

The Monday night before Isaiah was born I called the Birth Center to give them a heads up that I thought he would be coming over the next day or so. They urged me to get some good sleep and rest up as much as possible that night.

I tried my best, but didn’t sleep well. I was very uncomfortable and too excited to get labor going.

By 7am Tuesday morning I was contracting regularly and called my Mom to come over to get Fiona. Will packed the car and I got Fiona ready for her big play-date with my Mom, who Fiona affectionately calls “Giggle Giggles.”

As I played on the floor with Fiona waiting for Mom to arrive I tried to cherish the moment – this would be the last morning that we would have our usual scheduled routine of playtime and breakfast together without my attention being divided for another sibling. It was bittersweet, but I knew that exciting and different times were coming.

Mom arrived and Fiona left gladly to play.

Will and I got in the van and headed off to Chapel Hill.

It was a cool rainy morning with hints of the sunshine peaking through the clouds. The drive to Chapel Hill was incredibly peaceful as we enjoyed the scenery of the local countryside.

We called the midwives on the way and let them know we were coming. Kate was the midwife on-call and was at the hospital. Jewell was her midwife backup, a familiar soul who birthed Fiona. We were very happy to have both of them ready for us.

We made it to Chapel Hill and stopped by the grocery store to pick up some popsicles and snacks. The poor guy in front of us in line freaked out once he realized that I was in labor.

Without delay we decided to go on to the Birth Center and arrived to find Helen, the nurse ready for us waiting downstairs. It was about 10am.

Helen helped us to get setup in our room, the same peach colored room that I had Fiona in. I loved the warmth and privacy of that room, including the huge tub and spray shower.

Since my contractions were only 5 minutes apart we decided to go on a walk in the back parking lot. By then the rain had let up and it was a beautiful cool morning, unusual for August in NC. Will and I walked and talked and prayed together. It was so comforting to hear Will’s prayers for me and Isaiah. I constantly prayed and surrendered myself to God. I prayed knowing that birthing is His process and I am just his vessel. I prayed that His strength would come through my weakness, and that I would not labor in fear but in peace.

We returned to our room and I decided get some rest. I ate a snack and then tried to nap, cuddled by Will behind me and with Fiona’s sacred “white blankee” in my hands. After about an hour of napping Jewel arrived and offered to check me. It was about noon. I was 5cm progressing well. Helen helped get the tub filled and I decided to go for a swim.

Just as I got in the tub, Will’s Mother Marian arrived. She helped to keep the conversation going as labor got tough – nice to keep your mind off the aches and groans and creaks of bones during those hard contractions.

By about 1:30 Kate arrived and introduced herself. I was continuing to labor in the tub without difficulty and was working through the contractions with lots of massage from Will. I could have never done this without him. His strength and encouragement were the best thing to keep me going. I loved hearing his praises and his incredibly strong hands were just what I needed for my lower back and hip pain.

Around 2pm I told Kate that I needed to be checked because I felt like pushing. She checked and announced that I was 9cm. At that point I got out of the tub and crawled up on the bed. The midwives rushed around getting the room ready for the birth. At first I thought that I would try pushing upright but found that I couldn’t get a stable position on the slippery sheets.

I laid down and began to push with each contraction. Will never left my side and helped me to curl up in the right position to get Isaiah out. The first few pushes felt fruitless, and then my water broke. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen. A large gush of fluid shot across the room nearly soaking Kate and Jewell who were positioned for Isaiah’s birth.

The pushes after that were strong and moved Isaiah down quickly.

With the first push I got half of his head out and had to stop until another contraction came on. Then the rest of his head emerged and then his body. It was beautiful to see Will lift Isaiah’s slippery newborn body up into the air and place him on my belly. His cry was strong and loud. I was in love immediately.

We chose his name after much deliberation –

Isaiah Terry Whitfield Farmer

Isaiah means “God is Salvation.”

Terry is Will’s Father’s name which means “leader of the people.”

Whitfield is one of my Grandfather’s names meaning “white field.”

Birth Stats:

Born at 2:45pm, weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. He was 21.5 inches long with a head circumference of 11.5 inches.

ISAIAH 12:2

Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord God is my strength and my song,

And HE has become my salvation.