The birth story of Elsie Ammiel

Elsie Ammiel Goodenough
Born at home
August 8th, 2009
7lbs 11oz (our smallest baby yet and almost 2 weeks past her due date)
Zuriel cut the cord, Havilah assisted with labor and delivery, Asaph assisted outside the labor room.

I woke up Friday am feeling crampy and thought that "this would be the day". I didn't start timing contractions until after lunch. They were 11 minutes apart and getting stronger. I felt happy and confident. Things progressed steadily until I called Leon home around 3:30pm.
He and the midwife both arrived around 4:30. She was coming over to start me on some herbs etc. but, we didn't end up needing them. We had a peaceful happy afternoon and evening together. We took walks, had dinner, cared for the children and watched a movie.
At 9:15 I told everyone that we should go to bed and sleep labor would probably pick up in the early morning. Secretly, I was pretty sure that these contractions were too strong to sleep through and they were going to intensify when I laid down. I wanted to be totally alone in the dark. That turned out to be wonderful for me and the best way for me to relax deeply and concentrate.
I was careful to be very quiet all night. I focused on keeping my whole body open and relaxed during the contractions and letting them pass all the way through me. I welcomed them and let them do there work. The baby stayed awake longer than I thought possible, wiggling and squirming energetically for at least 9 contractions. I looked at the clock every hour or so and felt optimistic that time was moving quickly and with much progress.
I was breathing pretty deep and loud by midnight and I was surprised that neither the midwife nor Leon woke up. I prayed that they wouldn't. By the time I woke Leon, the Lord had brought me peacefully and happily all the way through hard labor and almost into transition.
I think it was almost 2 am when I finally couldn't go on without help. I woke Leon, "I need your help now".
He woke Sherry, got Asaph up to begin filling the pool, and Havilah up to help Sherry and I. Soon I started shaking. I thought with joy, "could transition be here already?!".
Leon knows me well. He shut all the windows and cranked the heat and piled more blankets on me. Sherry sat beside me helping me through each one. She knew just what to say and pray. As a contraction would start she would say, "just this one". She also continued telling me how good I was doing, "perfect, let it pass through," etc.
I was getting louder, the children were up, the music was playing. I saw Zuriel, Havilah and Asaph next to my bed. They were not afraid but, looked calm and ready. That encouraged me.
Even during transition I kept smiling and saying positive things. I had determined and some of my friends and I had been praying that I would be able to do this. I cried out to God repeatedly and each time Sherry would say, "He's here". When a contraction would end I could say, "thank you Jesus" or just, "ok," or "yes, Lord".
When I started feeling I needed to push I went out to get in the birth pool. I put my foot in and pulled it right out. "Cold, I'm not getting in there!". I actually thought this was funny but, no one laughed.
I went in to go to the bathroom. On the way, I saw the birthing supplies and a newborn hat. I grabbed it and took it with me. Sitting on the toilet I started another contraction. It was different. All of a sudden I felt the baby's head coming down and an overwhelming pushing urge. Sherry told me not to push on the toilet. and they tried to get me to stand. I couldn't get my hands to move to support her head or my legs to move to kneel on the floor.
There were two midwives at this point and Leon in the bathroom. They got me standing leaning over on Leon who was kneeling in front of me. The midwife was kneeling behind. I was afraid for a second that the baby would fall so I said, "baby...head". She held the baby's head, and noticed the baby's arm was raised over her head. The rest of her came out soon with a huge splash of water. I dropped to my knees in Leon's arms.
I heard my baby cry as Leon held me. As soon as she came out she was handed to me. I was shaking and sobbing, "praise Jesus, thank you Jesus,"etc. for about five minutes. Leon said, "we have a little girl". I looked at the children. I saw Zuriel, Havilah, and Nehemiah. Asaph and Naphtali were out of view but, listening, next to them. They were all seeing God display His power of creation.

I feel that this birth has made me more fully His (and Leon's) in my heart. I am filled with worship.
My ability to be full of peace and joy throughout my trial was a miracle of God's power responding to many people's prayers and undeserved kindness to me by God.
---Jennifer


Here are some very special notes from the midwife:

Hours later, Jennifer’s moaning woke me. I padded softly into her room. She reached for my hand and I gently stroked her arm softly encouraged her to stay open to the feeling of pressure and her body squeezed hard, working baby closer to light. Baby was sounding terrific after Cx, she was relaxing well, breathing. With whispered prayer, pleading with our Creator for a safe, peaceful birth…we knew he heard our cry for help.

Contractions picked up quickly, true to her labor pattern of latent… latent and then wham! Heavy labor. I called my assistant and my doula. (Poor Julia never made it!)

As Jennifer groaned and clung to my hand, pulling from me strength and peace, her son and husband filled the birth pool.

my assistant for this birth, also a CPM, arrived with a quiet, twinkling smile, as she saw Jennifer’s progress. She quickly familiarized herself to where everything was located and stood beside, as we waited….

Baby visibly from the outside, squirmed and wiggled, head and shoulders, finding a comfy way to come out. Her heart rate was perfect throughout… this baby was glad to be born. Jennifer asked for a glass of wine and we shared a small glass… she asked for another…. She was worried it would slow labor down… .Not now, Dear Jennifer….

Another strong contraction brought baby’s head even lower and Jennifer’s heavy breathing gave way to a low groaning push. It wouldn’t be long now. Pulling her body, heavy with laboring effort, off the side of the bed, she tottered over to the pool and stuck her toe in. And promptly out. “Too cold!”she cried, deciding not to get into the pool,

2 minutes of sitting on the toilet brought an intense look of imminent birth. With eye’s closed with concentration, her mouth gently open in willing abandon to the pain… she eased into the intense pressure....and then stopped. She spoke two words…. “Baby head”….

Sure enough, there was baby already crowned. She rose to semi standing , bent slightly over, as I felt for cord. No cord… but a nuchal arm. That was what caused the pause in baby’s entry And probably prevented this little one from landing in the toilet!

I pushed the arm a little back in toward the crook of the neck and then sploosh…. the rest of her water splashed up my arm and baby slid into my hands. With blinking surprise, baby let a little cry and then looked around. Her immediate new breath pinked her right away, as I handed baby, still attached via her cord, through mom’s legs to her, Jennifer lowered herself to the now towel covered floor.

They were absolutely thrilled as they discovered for themselves that their baby was a longed for girl… They had all hoped! With sweet motherly noises, Jennifer cradled her close. It takes a minute to recover from the birth itself and Jennifer’s sat smiling, teary and relieved. This labor was so fast! Already? Baby you’re here! I can’t believe it!

Jennifer’s previous babies were all posterior. This was her first anterior birth without back labor and tearing. even with a nuchal arm. Good job Jennifer! All that hands-and-knees and leaning forward paid off!

On the floor, as Jennifer rested for 5 minutes, reveling in her new little life, we mopped the rest of the amniotic fluid from around the toilet and watched with awe as mother and baby bonded… Daddy and children all crowded in, with Daddy closest and the children peering around legs and around the corner of the door for their first look at sister.

Zuriel, a sister, had been given the job of cutting the cord. I clamped the non-pulsing, now deflated cord and Carrie handed the scissors to Zuriel’s little hand. She looked surprised at how tough it was to cut. Jennifer concentrated on getting this last phase of labor completed. She looked forward to tucking cozily into bed with her baby. She wanted to be done.

I asked for a glass of orange juice for strength for Jennifer, but before it got to her, she gave a good push and I gently pulled, and twisted the now appearing placenta into an enclosed package. I love bloodless births…. The placenta /bag contained it all and was complete.

Jennifer, relieved and wreathed once again in smiles, settled in a semi-sitting position, with baby, skin to skin, cradled to her breast. “This is pure rapture… this feels so right… this is what I have been waiting for.”

The children all came for a look at the placenta after I cleaned it off. They were fascinated by the idea that baby was in the bag, full of water, in mommy, just a few minutes before. I lifted the placenta, by the cord letting them see baby’s side and mommy’s side. The bag showed the obvious hole baby slipped through

Carrie and I tip-toed out, giving this precious family time to bond and take turns holding baby. We nestled on the couch, just a little ways away, and from a distance and in the dim light, watched a beautiful scene that midwives cherish over and over…. Big Sissy cradles Little Sis for the first time, Big Brother bashfully yet carefully cradles his new baby sis tenderly, carefully, but just for a moment…. for it is another's turn as they hold out their arms to eagerly take a turn.

Mother watchfully supports baby’s head when the littlest ones take a turn, but finally it is time for mom to rest. At the kitchen table, a wall away, the children eat strawberries, apples, grapes and round wedges of cheese for a middle-of-the-night treat. The littlest plays with the special red wax that was on the rounds, making balls, presenting them to us to inspect, and then asks for them back. Then one-by-one, they sleepily wander off to bed for a early morning nap before day light. This as been a very exciting and longed for night and tomorrow’s day promises to be full of the excitement of a new sibling’s precious cries for suck and caring for mommy.

Mommy naps on the bed snuggled in the quilt and Daddy lies relaxed,

This midwife sighs with absolute joy. This was a sweet birth.

I am so thankful to my God and Savior for allowing me this gift of being a midwife. For the gift of learning about birth and how to help my friends birth safely. For answered prayer in our time of need, and even for our need of dependence on Him for birth.