MY BIRTH STORY.

It’s been one year since we welcomed our baby into the world and what better way to celebrate than to look back and share with the world how baby was ushered into this world. Am eternally grateful to God for answering my prayers and blowing my mind through His deeds on that particular day. My pregnancy and birth journey was beautiful, I enjoyed every moment of it.

28th November 2021, birthing life is spiritual and it changed my life forever, as I birthed my baby, a new version of me was born and ushered into the world. I discovered hidden untapped strength, boldness and determination. First it is my culture to write my prayers down, especially those that I know impact my life in a different way. Similarly my child delivery plan and desire were written down. I had purposed that after delivery I would go back and tick off in thanksgiving what God had done.

On the Friday prior to the Sunday I gave birth, our church held an overnight prayer vigil and I was determined to attend till morning. I knew my schedules and priorities were about to change hence I couldn’t miss the vigil for anything, it turned out to be the last I have attended in quite a while. This night I had a surge of energy and I remember dancing all night, baby had two more weeks to the given due date and so it wasn’t in my mind that baby would be here soon. The vigil was amazing and I enjoyed every moment in God’s presence. When morning came, I decided to go to the car and take some rest as I waited for my husband who is my pastor, but while in the car I couldn’t sleep. Unusual mild cramps would come and go but in my mind i thought it was because I had been standing and dancing all night. I was abit restless, I couldn’t sleep and all I did was look forward to getting home and get into my bed. We left for home and on getting there, I was determined to have a sumptious breakfast, I went ahead prepared it, enjoyed and later went to bed.

Saturday went by so fast. Of course I spent most of the day asleep. However, the cramping continued through to the evening though on an on and off basis and in the night, it had become a bit more intense. I decided to talk to our family doctor who then mentioned that she thought baby was coming; I brushed it off and told her that it couldn’t be it since we have a few more days until baby’s arrival. She then advised on some medicine and instructed me once I took them the cramping should stop and if it didn’t stop then I should proceed to the hospital since it would mean that baby was coming. After taking the medicine, the cramping didn’t stop, I wasn’t worried one bit because I knew that this Gift was God’s and He would perfect what concerns us. 

 I couldn’t sleep that night, I was restless I decided to watch a Christmas movie while hubby slept peacefully. At some point at around 3.00am, hubby woke up and asked if we could go to hospital. He was persuaded that the baby was just about to show up. It was raining, the weather was chilly but I too felt there was need to check in. Hubby had dreamt washing the hair of our baby and hence the urge to go to hospital. By this time I had already downloaded an app that helped me monitor my contractions. During one of my research sessions I had read how contractions are like and what to do while they come, well my contractions were unlike the stories I had read, they were mild cramps as those I feel while on my periods.

My birth hospital was a 10 minute drive away from home. By the time of leaving the house my contractions were 4 minutes apart. The journey was fun, I had so much energy and I couldn’t shut up for the short while we drove there. I came up with all manner of stories and all I could think was that this was the last time we were a family of two. 

On getting to the hospital, I asked the nurse to check me, she didn’t want to because she didn’t believe it when I told her I was cramping. She went ahead and told me that labour is usually intense and I couldn’t be that calm, haha I found that to be funny and insisted that she should check me. I lay on the provision they had there and she checked how open my cervix was, lo and behold! I was 6cm dilated, we were all shocked! By now I knew baby was coming but I didn’t think I had dilated that far. She immediately asked me if I had my bags with me because I wasn’t going back home. Baby’s bags were packed and in the car, I had done this weeks earlier. However, my bags weren’t in the car lol, so hubby had to go home and pack up my bags.

Soon, it was time to meet our kiddo, alas i was about to bring forth life, I had a bit of mixed feelings but deep down I knew it would be fine. When I went into the maternity room, I asked the nurse to switch off the TV they had there, I wanted to start to create a serene heavenly atmosphere, I had created a playlist of worship and prayer and so I put  it on. Among the songs were Victoria Orenze’s songs, I started pacing up and down as I worshiped, spoke in tongues and spoke to my child. By now, the nurse on duty was wondering  what I was saying, she repeatedly told me that I am different, she was in disbelief how I oozed energy yet I was in labor. My dilation progressed so fast that by around 6 am in the morning, I was  almost fully dilated. By this time I had tried to sleep since I had had a long night but I couldn’t. I called my husband and asked him to come since we were almost having our child, after that I asked the nurse to check if I was 10 cm dilated, I felt like it was time to push this was around 8 am but she asked me to give it some time. Did I mention that I had also prayed concerning the team that would be in the delivery room with me? By morning, shifts had been changed and the team that I desired had come in, God had already started showing off lol. I knew in the next hour my child would be here, and just before getting into the delivery room I saw an angel walking right ahead of me and I was assured that everything would be fine.

I walked into the delivery room knowing I had the right team with me and so everything would be fast and perfect. By the time she checked me, indeed it was time to bring forth, my water hadn’t broken and so they had to rapture it, it wasn’t painful. I felt absolutely nothing but trickle of water and some blood that made me wet. Guys birth is very messy, not a pleasant site by the way but the aftermath is beauty to behold. At this time all I felt was pressure to push, not a constant pressure but an on and off kind of pressure with period like cramping. 

My birth team was my tribe, they constantly spoke words of affirmations as I continued to speak in tongues and calling on Jesus, hubby was by my side and feeling his hand and voice assured me that we were birthing our child together. My nurse guided me on when to push and when not to push and with 4 strong pushes, our kiddo was in my hands. The last push was the hardest; it felt like it was taking forever but it was soon done. Here is our perfect kid, full of zeal and life in a chilly Sunday November morning. Hubby did his part, taking the child in his hands, speaking life, blessing and identity to it and then proceeded to church to preach the gospel.

Dear woman your body has the capacity to bring forth, it knows what it needs to do, you need not to worry and constantly affirm yourself that your body knows what to do when time comes.