Amy's Birth

My friend Amy just had her baby, and I was there!!! I am so honored and thrilled to have witnessed baby Timothy's peaceful birth. Let me back up a little and tell how I was afforded this amazing opportunity...

Several of my friends, mostly fellow homeschool moms, are pregnant, planning homebirths, and seeing Sue, a traditional midwife. Sue is an amazing, wonderful lady, who has nine children, born unassisted into their father's hands, including a set of twins and two breeches! She has been attending births since the 1980s.

I had loaned my friend Kristine, who is also pregnant and seeing Sue, several midwifery books. Sue was at Kristine's home one day for a prenatal appointment, and saw my books. Apparently because of my choice of reading material, and my choosing to act as my own midwife for my most recent pregnancy and birth, Sue thought I would make a good birth attendant! Wow! I was sure thrilled and honored about that!

Jennifer, who was the birth attendant at my second son's birth, used to help attend births with Sue, but has moved out of state. Sue has lost one of the main attendants she could call, and has had to find others. I was elated she thought I could be an option! She has offered my name as a possibility for an attendant to my friends who are using her, and several want me to attend! In preparation, I took a neonatal resuscitation class, which was highly educational.

Back to Amy's story! She had told me that she was feeling drawn to a solo birth with just her and God. I was very supportive of this, and sent her lots of links on unassisted birth. So, I never knew if Amy would wind up calling me to attend. She did call one night around 10pm to let me know she was in labor. She was just giving me a heads up that she might call me later to come. They were checking into a hotel to birth, and she gave me the room number. She didn't want to homebirth due to ongoing home renovations, etc.

I got all my stuff together that I thought might come in handy just in case she called. I made a pitcher of ice water, grabbed a bottle of maple syrup (I was just trying to think of something for quick sugar and food if needed for energy), got my birth kit bag from the attic (it wasn't the complete stuff I had on hand for my unassisted birth, but still had some birthy items in it), some socks (in case either one of us had cold feet!), and a trash bag (I was planning to take any bloody hotel towels home with me to wash.) I actually plan to get a better prepared bag together to bring for my other friends' upcoming births, but this was just some stuff I quickly grabbed.

I attempted to sleep some time later, and had been constantly thinking and praying for her. When she had called, she said she'd been in labor for around 24 hours, and was going to try and get some rest. I never had fallen asleep when the phone rang around 1am. It was her husband Brian, who said Amy wanted me to come over! I said I'd be there in about ten minutes. Amy said later Brian called me about 1:20am.

I grabbed my stuff and headed over. Brian answered the door whispering and holding a flashlight. They had a nice suite, and all the other five kids were sleeping on the beds. Amy was in the bathtub. She said contractions had been coming one after the other, but had slowed down when she got in the tub.

I offered her some of the water I had brought, and she drank a lot. I told her I had maple syrup if she wanted any from a spoon or mixed into water, but she didn't. I asked if she wanted any food, and she had Brian bring her some peanuts, and I think she may have managed to eat a few. She was cold, so I put a towel around her shoulders, and we ran more hot water. I offered to blow the hair dryer in her direction as there was no bathroom heater, but the towel helped enough. I offered to apply pressure to her low back during contractions, and she wanted me to. She quietly breathed through contractions, and during the time we sat there, they seemed to get very frequent. I think she just got a little rest from the water, but it didn't last long.

I don't know how long she stayed in the tub, but she thought she had to use the bathroom and got out. I'm thinking she probably is getting ready to have the baby, as I thought I had to go during one of my births, but it was actually the baby. I threw some chux pads on the bathroom floor, and spread out some towels in case she wanted to birth there. She wanted to pee, but couldn't sit down. I told her she could pee in the floor, but she didn't.

Brian was sick from something and had to lay down. She put on a depends underwear so she could walk around without leaving a messy trail on the hotel floor. I grabbed a waterproof sheet from my birth bag and laid it down on the floor beside the bed in case she wanted to birth there.

Amy sat on the birth ball by the bed, and Brian lay there and held her hand. I tried to keep the ball from rolling away, and still applied back pressure as needed, but she soon didn't need back pressure anymore, as she was past that stage of labor.

She needed a place to birth. She wanted to try and sit on a chair. I brought her one, but she couldn't sit down. She stood there and reached down to feel. Brian asked if it was the head, and she said it was the sac. I quickly looked around, and found a leather ottoman, which I sat down in front of her, in case she wanted to try and sit or hold onto it.

She got down on her knees, and rested her arms on the ottoman. She tried to get the depends off and needed help, so I tore them off. I was on one side, and Brian on the other. Amy asked me did I wear gloves when I caught my babies. I said I've never caught my babies, my husband did, without gloves, and once when covered in pressure treated sawdust! I said we didn't even wash our hands. I guess that may have made her feel better, as there was no time for gloves!

Brian and I looked at each other to see who would catch, and I think had a quick few words of discussion, and he stepped over to catch. I was glad, not because I wouldn't be thrilled to catch a new baby, but because I cherish birthing my children into their father's hands, and I wanted Amy and Brian to have the same experience.

(I didn't think he had ever caught any of his babies, but Amy told me later he had caught one at the last minute, when the attending midwife said she couldn't get to the baby from the position Amy was in, and Brian would have to catch.)

The baby easily emerged into Brian's waiting hands, while I was saying "Jesus." (I called out to Jesus when my own babies were exiting my body, too!) The baby still had the sac on partway like a little sleeping bag. I helped Amy get her leg over the cord so she could turn around and sit down, and then Brian handed her their baby. Another boy! They have all boys, and one little girl.

I got a towel to lay over the baby and we all admired him. I said that he was asleep. He had his eyes closed, and was not crying or moving. Brian checked the time (2:22am) and called Sue, who still hadn't made it because she had much farther to drive than I did.

I began to rub the baby and talk to him to make sure he was breathing. We were all a little concerned. Brian was still on the phone with Sue, who reminded him that she had left an emergency birth kit with a bulb syringe in it. I found it, and very gently sucked his mouth and nose.

He had opened his eyes just a little very briefly, and made a little sound. I mentioned how Christopher had made a squeak and then just looked at us. This baby however, kept sleeping, and we wanted to be sure he was fine. I had moved him around a little, and kept rubbing his back and bottoms of his feet. I very gently blew at his face, and he would open his eyes, then shut them again. I did this a few times, and each time, he would open his eyes. I had one hand on his chest, and he had a good, strong, fast heartbeat, and I had noted earlier that he had moved his foot a little when I had rubbed it. I pulled away the towel a little, and pointed out his arm was flexed. He was obviously getting pink, and by then, I could see his little chest breathing. He was just having a very gentle transition, and sleeping, but we all wanted to be sure he was fine. Finally, we were all satisfied he was breathing well, and I got up and Brian took my place.

Amy and Brian were now able to enjoy meeting their new baby, and I was able to fade into the background. The other kids woke up and were so excited to meet their new baby brother! I did whatever cleanup was needed, and Sue finally arrived, after first accidentally visiting a room in the hotel next door! While I was busy cleaning, they cut the cord, Amy birthed the placenta, and climbed into bed. I left some snacks and drinks beside her, and left just before Sue was going to examine her for tears. Before I had left, I was in the kitchen, and Brian came in holding the baby and showing him to me. He was wide awake, and looked right at me. His eyes were shining in the dim light.

I was on birth high, and got home about 3:30, so I was only gone a couple of hours. My husband, Matt, and seven month old baby, Isaac, were both awake. He hadn't been awake for long, but was happy to see me and be able to nurse back to sleep. I excitedly told Matt about the birth, and could hardly sleep that night, but just replayed the events in my mind, and remembered the baby's eyes, so pure and light and shining. Even when I finally did sleep, I just dreamed about it all.