Guest Post – A Birth Story

***Thank you to Nicole for guest posting today. I hope this means that she’s going to start blogging!***

Well, here I am writing a blog post when I don’t even have my own blog which would have at least given me a little experience. Bear with me. I’ve been married to my husband Eric for 18 years this October and we have six children: Max (15), Audrey (14), Grace (12), Isabel (8), Michael (5) and Simon (3). Yes, we are Catholic. Yes, we practice NFP. Yes, we are winging this parenting thing.

So, when I started thinking about a topic to write about that would hold people’s attention I of course thought of my last birthing experience. Two weeks early. At home. Totally unplanned. And he was breech.

First, a disclaimer. I had five previous children and never had a quick labor and delivery. We always arrived at the hospital in plenty of time with hours to spare. I never progressed through labor without the help of pitocin. For whatever reason, my body would put the breaks on labor when I reached around 5 cm. dilation. I wouldn’t get an IV to make sure things didn’t slow down. But it still happened every time, and eventually they would have to put in an IV to start the pitocin to get labor back on track. So, with that said . . .

It started out like any typical Good Friday. The husband and three oldest kids went off to services and I started feeling the very, very beginnings of labor. I started thinking maybe the baby would come sometime over the weekend. Maybe an Easter baby?

Well, I decided to put away laundry and get Easter clothes ready for the kids “just in case”. But first, I was smart enough to lay down for a nap with the little ones. Around 2:30 p.m., I got around to laying out the Easter clothes. A little before 3:00, I was sitting on the couch reading a couple books to my little Michael (then 2) thinking how he wasn’t going to be our “baby” much longer. By this time, I am thinking we might be heading to the hospital sometime that evening.

At 3:00, the hour of Divine Mercy on Good Friday, 2009, life got a little crazy! It’s just me, Isabel (then 5) and Michael. Eric and the older kids are still at Good Friday services. Now, I’m positivewe will head to the hospital that evening. The contractions are getting pretty

frequent and hard. But, again, I knew we had plenty of time because I would need the help of pitocin eventually.

3:30 I’m starting to make some plans. I call my mother-in-law to see if she can take the kids when Eric gets home because we will “probably” be going to the hospital within the next hour or so.
3:35 I tell her I want her to come get the kids right now!
3:37 I can no longer walk and can’t imagine how I would even make it all the way to the garage to get in the van to go the hospital.
3:38 Isabel asks why I keep moaning.
3:40 Eric finally gets home and I tell him to call 911.
3:43 Oldest son asks if he should take pictures. Guess my answer.
3:45 Mother-in-law arrives just when my water breaks and swiftly takes kids.
3:47 I realize pitocin will not be necessary this time and I’m going to have a home birth like it or not.
3:50 Ambulance arrives and one of the guys is on his first run. Luckily two women are also present who have had training in childbirth.
3:54 I start pushing and they quickly discover he is breech. Rookie EMT guy hides in the corner.
3:55 They start loading me on the gurney to try and transport me to the hospital pronto. They push me into the living room right in front of our home altar.
3:56 I get an overwhelming feeling that this baby must be born now or he will not make it. I calmly but firmly inform the lady EMT that we have to stop because I’m pushing this baby out no matter what right now!
3:57 The EMT says, “Okay, let’s do this.” while I am praying “Hail Mary” over and over out loud. Eric is deathly quiet.
4:03 Simon Paul Voisard is born and we are both whisked away to the hospital. The cord was wrapped around his neck and he was a little blue.

He pinked up right away, thank goodness. And believe it or not, I was allowed to nurse him very shortly after we arrived at the hospital. I had prepared myself for him being taken to a childrens’ hospital an hour away and being separated for days. What a blessed surprise to have him in my arms and nursing instead! He was fine with the exception of one of his legs being bruised! Thank you Jesus!

When I think back to that day and everything that unfolded, I am so thankful that I listened to His voice when he said that Simon needed to born right now. And I can’t help but think that this mother’s intuition or the whispering of the Holy Spirit (which is the same thing to me), saved his life. I’m so thankful he was my sixth and not my first because I think that intuition gets stronger and stronger the more we listen to it/Him and I might not have been “tuned” in enough with my first. The Holy Spirit is gentle, but the more we listen and respond, the more His voice becomes familiar and is able to rise above the noise of life.

This is Simon today. Just like every Mom feels about her child, we can’t imagine life without him.