My third pregnancy felt long, especially the last few weeks of it. But once God decided it was Autumn’s day, she raced into the world in three quick hours.
I spent the first hour and a half wondering if I was really in labor. By 9am when I called Adam, who was at work 20 minutes away, and our midwives and Adam’s sister Aron, who all live an hour away in Gainesville, I started to wonder if I’d waited too long. In just a few minutes I went from making the bed and sorting laundry to kneeling on the floor and breathing through the pain.
By 9:20am Adam was home, getting the bed ready. A little after 10 I could feel the baby moving down and realized I was in transition. Adam’s mom had been by a few minutes earlier to pick up Sky and Micah, so the house was peaceful and quiet, but it also felt… empty. Just Adam, my mom (who’d flown in from Michigan on Saturday), and me. No professionals. “The midwives will be here soon,” Adam reassured me.
The contractions were very intense by then and I was having a hard time keeping my eyes open. I got onto the bed and curled up on my side, hoping maybe things would slow down. But then I had a really strong contraction and felt my water break. Immediately my body started trying to push the baby out.
At that point my mom started to panic. She kept running to the front door to see if Aron, an RN who’s currently in midwifery school, or either of our midwives were driving up the road yet. I heard her tell Adam, “Go get your turkey baster.” If I’d been able to talk I would have told her that planning a home birth involves a few preparations and that we had a full birth kit right next to the bed, complete with a sterilized bulb syringe for suctioning and just about anything else we might need.
“I’m trying not to push, but I can’t help it,” I said to Adam. “Your body knows what to do,” he said calmly, “so just do whatever you need to do.” He called Jessica, one of our midwives, who said she was just a few minutes away. “Jessica says you should get on your knees on the bed,” Adam told me, so I did. My mom went running back to the front door again. After a few minutes of “trying not to push” the baby’s head was out. Jessica and my mom came running into the room. Without even putting down her purse or taking off her coat, Jessica reached up to make sure the baby’s cord was not around her neck, then t
old me I could give a little push. A second later, her body slipped out.
And just like that, at 10:27am, I was sitting on the bed with my baby in my arms. My mom, Adam, and I were all crying. Autumn was crying too, a wonderful sound. A minute later Aron walked in, and a few minutes after that Lynn, our second midwife arrived.
Aside from the fact that Aron missed the birth by a minute and we didn’t have time to use the birthing tub, Autumn’s arrival was just what I’d wanted—a simple birth without any meds, IV’s, or fetal monitoring. No cervical checks, no hospital gown, no episiotomy. And best of all, Autumn Faith got to stay right there in our arms the rest of the day.
We didn’t do anything to deserve such a sweet, uncomplicated birth. It was a gift from God, just like Autumn herself.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17
Blessings on your tribe, Dear One. May your sweet Autumn rise up to call you Blessed as you train her heart to Love Him. Hugs.
Even though I missed it by >< this much, yesterday is still going down as one of my favorite births to be part of. I'm so proud of you and Adam both. You stayed calm, listened to your body, worked together and trusted God. What a fantastic story you will have to tell Autumn each year for her birthday!
WOW! I am so so so excited for you! And even more excited about my home birth coming up
What a neat experiance and SO QUICK! Wow! God is awesome 
YAY!!! She is here! Congrats!! God is an awesome, loving God.
When I think back to that day (which was actually only yesterday!), my heart starts to beat pretty fast again….
Congratz
I can’t believe she’s here! CONGRATULATIONS! I love you guys and am so happy everything went just how you had wanted
She’s beautiful!
Amazing story! Congratulations again!!:-)
Wow! What an adventureous day all of you had! You two faced the very scenario you were hoping would not happen and with graceful tenacity, did what needed to be done, ending with with joyful rewards. We are sooooo happy for all of you and very proud of how you handled the situation. May Autumn’s birth day always be a reminder of God’s reassurring precense in each one of our lives, when we are being pulled out of our comfort zone of familiarity into the uncertainity of the new life which God has prepared for us. Sometimes those transitional stages are severely painful and scary, for we don’t know what the end result will be. But, when we choose to trust our loving, heavenly Father through each “push” of the process, we will hear His reassurance and be reassured by His amazing grace and presence, to keep moving forward into the next new stage of your lives. May God bless your household with His peace, joy, and good health restored (from all those colds floating around).
Oh Linnea, WOW! What a story! She is beautiful
What a beautiful story Linni. Well done
You guys are wonderful and we are so happy for you all!! x x
Thanks for sharing your very special, amazing story! Welcome to Autumn Faith!
Oh I am so happy for you and what an awesome experience! That’s how you do it girl! It just proves god gives women the strength we need if we just trust in him! What a story! Yah….enjoy her…oh and I love the middle name Faith…that’s our daughters middle name too!
Simply Amazing!!! So thrilled for you all. She is precious!
Linni- I love the turkey baster comment! And now I’m wondering after having a similar home birth with Owen where the midwife got there as I was ready to push him out, how she never had me gather supplies in case she really didn’t make it there- I’m relieved all over again 3 years later that she did!!:) So proud of you and thankful that it went so well, what a precious little girl!!