Lazarus Shepherd- Birth Story
If you’ve followed me a while, you probably will be aware of my other two birth stories. Both unique- you can read them here and here, but both ended in retained membranes/placenta and a significant blood loss. Moses’ birth was also during covid which obviously meant things looked completely different to how they were intended to. I had birth trauma resoultion after each birth with the wonderful Tracy- I cannot recommend her enough.
My previous births, particularly Moses’ meant that going into this birth I was apprehensive. But, it also meant I assumed that it would need to be another hospital birth. Around November, last year, I ended up having to go to the hospital with Moses because of bad croup and being back in the hospital environment, surrounded by machines and monitors made me feel so tense and brought back emotions and feelings of my negative birth experience. Then, a bit of a lightbulb moment, I realised that it was my choice whether to birth at home or not, there may just be a bit of pushback getting there.
I spent a lot of time researching. Sarah Wickman was one really helpful resource and from what I read, for me, I concluded that even with my past history I felt safer giving birth at home. The rates of PPH were lower at home and I wanted to be in my own environment. So, I went to my midwife fully informed, but also open because I know while we can all long for an intervention smooth labour, anything can happen! I had to go through alot of phonecalls, meetings and consultant calls telling me/informing me why the staff thought it best I had a hospital birth but with peace in my heart, and a promise from God that i’d be kept safe, I said homebirth was still my top choice and I wanted to follow through with it and plan for one (more on the planning another time).
My pregnancy with Lazarus, whilst smooth and no concerns for either of our health, felt hard on my body. I struggled to walk in the final trimester with sacrum pain and so when my due date approached I really was hoping he was ready to come out too.
The day before my due date I booked in to see a Mctimoney Chiropractor. I’d booked initially to help relieve some of my pelvic pain but whilst I was there she set a few other things into alignment and said ‘Let’s do a few things to help this baby along’. I’d read that a few alternative therapies could do this and was very open to things being started but was hesitant to believe they actually would!
That evening I went to bed early, as was usual. Joseph was downstairs and I text him around 8 because I was having stomach cramps. They seemed pretty regular early on, and intense, so tried to rest and text him again a little while later, and he came up about 9 (After turning the stock off…hha). From about this point, the contractions came fairly regularly, every 5 of so minutes and I was having to work through each one with breathing and other tools. I had combs for pressure, tens machine, birth tracks, my ball and lavender on a tissue to smell. They soon intensified and I was throwing up on every third contraction which is exactly the pattern that had happened with the other two labours. The throwing up was one of the worst parts for me! We called the midwife but she wasn’t phased and said to call back if my waters broke or if the contractions ended up being three in ten. The contractions continued at every 5 minutes for the whole night, and I had a show. I truly believed the kids would be waking up to a new baby brother but instead, they woke to me in the birthing pool still working through contractions. They had slowed a little by this point, I was pretty disheartened and I’d been in the water for a long time which was incredible relief but I decided to get out and have a lie down and rest on the sofa. The kids were in and out all morning, amazingly Joseph’s mum was over so she could be with them and Joseph and I could be together. I was really worn out at this point and dreaming of epidurals and c-sections. I was taking homoeopathic remedies to keep me calm.
Whilst I thought that being more active may increase the contractions and help them progress all I wanted to do was lie down and felt I couldn’t get up. I ended up going upstairs and lying in bed- this was about 10am, and I worked through contractions falling in and out of sleep between each one. I had the tens machine on as the majority of discomfort was in my back and a unbelievable pressure between my legs which is when I knew my waters needed to go for things to progress.
At about 1.15pm I felt my waters break in bed just as my mother-in-law was getting the kids ready to head to the park (I gave a little push with the contraction to get them moving). We were so excited they’d broken because with Moses he followed about twenty minutes later! I went straight to the toilet to make sure they had, Joseph ran down to fill the pool and I started feeling a sensation to push. At this point my contractions still felt pretty random, irregular and not particularly close together. I felt very in control but wouldn’t have been surprised if a team turned up and told me I was only 5cm so the urge to push came as a bit of a surprise but a welcome one. It never once crossed my mind that the midwives might not make it, or what I should be doing, my body was just guiding me what to do.
I called down to Joseph to call the midwife, she stayed on the phone, assuming my baby was coming soon and let us know that she was sending an ambulance as she knew the midwives probably wouldn’t get there in time.
As I stepped into the pool it felt too hot, so Joseph adjusted and reloaded some cool but then it felt too cool. At this point I was waiting for another contraction (which were still pretty irregular). Joseph boiled some water to pour in, at which point I said and felt the urge to push with the contraction. I went on my knees with my arms on the side of the pool and began to push. I exclaimed I could feel a head, and then in the same push a body!!! Joseph quickly put the kettle down to be face to face with me as I grabbed Lazarus from between my legs and pulled him up towards me! He cried instantly and the midwife on the phone congratulated me!
We were in complete disbelief that it had all happened so suddenly and had a moment together amazed at how special it had all been! The ambulance team arrived about 10-15 mins later and I got out the pool as it was a little cold and lay down on the sofa. The paramedics were lovely but I was keen for them to be out the room because birthing my placenta in peace was something that was really important to me. Lazarus almost straight away began to feed and one midwife arrived ten mins later and another 15 mins after. I truly could not have asked for better midwives. They honoured my plan and desires for a golden hour and a physiological third stage. There was no/minimal blood loss so they were happy to wait with the placenta/cord still attached, then about an hour after birth I went to the toilet and my placenta came out in one with a push! I’d never seen/had a healthy placenta before!!! Hallelujah!
Soon after, the kids walked through the door from their walk to their new little brother and Heppy cut the cord! I got some much-needed food after throwing up for 18 hours!, and a cup of tea and then the ambulance was sent away! No stitches were needed and after the midwives had finished their checks we were left to it!
I can’t believe how magical it was to be at home, to be able to go and shower in my own house and be with the kids straight away! I am SO thankful for a redemptive birth experience, and for the peace of God that surpasses ALL understanding!
Lazarus: ‘God has helped’ and God will help! And speaks of the resurrection power of Jesus!
Shepherd: (Ra'ah) is to feed, to tend, to lead to pasture, something we believe Lazarus will do!
Some resources we loved:
