Asher's Birth Story

{just a few minutes after birth}

Asher's due date, March 4th, came and went with no signs of him making an appearance anytime soon...which was perfectly fine with us. Hubs had a super busy week with teaching, conducting, orchestra rehearsals and a concert. I honestly hoped that Asher would wait to come until the crazy week was over. Lily, Levi, and I stayed busy playing together, keeping the house cleaned/picked up, going to the library, and grocery shopping to re-stock our kitchen. I went to the mall every day to power walk for about 30 minutes. I also continued to exercise, do pelvic rocks, squats, and hula hooping each day. I saw my midwives on Thursday, and I was only 1-2 cm dilated and 60% effaced. With Lily and Levi, I went into labor being at least 4 cm dilated, so I thought Asher's labor would be as long or longer since I wasn't very progressed.

{not happy about being weighed! check out his long feet!}

On Sunday, March 11th, we "slept in" a little because of the time change and then hurried off to church. Oh, I did have a pineapple core smoothie for breakfast...and just so those of you who don't know...with all three of my babies, I've eaten a fresh pineapple core when I'm overdue, and I have always had a baby within 24 hours...now, I don't know if it's the pineapple core kicking in labor or not, but it works for me. Ha!

Throughout the day I started losing the mucus plug and having a little bloody show (which doesn't always mean the baby is coming immediately). I had a few contractions, but they weren't really different from what I'd been having for weeks. I was in touch with my midwife, and she said not to worry about coming until I had a few consistent contractions.

I spent the afternoon posting my 41 week update, playing with Lily and Levi, and making brownies to take to my parents for supper after church. I felt fine all through church, and I had a few painless contractions. After church we headed to mom and dad's. My midwife called to check on me and said that we could come to the clinic anytime, we didn't have to wait for consistent contractions. I still wasn't convinced that Asher would be born that night, so I told her we would let her know what we decided to do.

I was helping Mom get supper on the table when we realized that Levi's glasses were missing. I went out to check in the van and suddenly had a contraction that kind of made me think, "hmmm, maybe we will have this baby tonight." I went back inside and told Jacob that he should go ahead and eat so we could go home and get the kids in bed...just in case labor started up.

We got home about 40 minutes later and I had another contraction...still not strong enough or consistent to make me jump in the car and head to Tennessee. Jacob and I got the kids in bed. I had been praying all through the pregnancy that I would go into labor at night after Lily and Levi were in bed so they wouldn't even know we were leaving and we would come home the next morning. Thankful for answered prayer!

I made sure our bags were ready to go and just kind of piddled around doing dishes and picking up the toys. Right at 10:00 pm, I had a hard contraction that made me stop, breathe and relax through it. I knew active labor had started. I told Jacob he should call his mom to come right away. At 10:05 I had another one. I texted or called (I can't remember which) my mom and sister since they were going to meet us at the clinic. Jacob's mom got to our house and we left right away. I think it was about 10:25.

{getting measured}

I called my midwife and let her know we were on the way. About 10 minutes into our drive, the contractions started coming 3-4 minutes apart and the intensity picked up a lot too. I started feeling extremely nauseous. I wasn't sure if I was in transition or if it was just Jacob's driving making me sick. About half way to the clinic, we were stopped at a red light and I said through a hard contraction, "if it's clear, you'd better go!" Poor Jacob! I'm afraid that made him really scared that we were going to have the baby in the car.

Asher was extremely active even through the contractions. With Lily and Levi, they hardly moved when I was in labor. The thought crossed my mind that there was going to be a problem with the cord, but I didn't think anything more about it.

We made it to the clinic at 11:10. My midwife checked me and I was 7 cm dilated. I asked Jacob to please call Mom and Myra and tell them to hurry. I sat on the birthing ball through 3 or 4 long hard contractions. Jacob was such a great encouragement to me (as always!) holding me and massaging my back through the contractions. My water broke at 11:30. I was like, "um, this baby is coming now!" 

Jacob and my midwife helped me onto the bed and I got ready to start pushing. Mom and Myra rushed in right then. I don't remember how many times I pushed, but it didn't seem like very many until Asher's head was born. Then the room got quiet and my midwives were busy doing something. I had my eyes closed, but I knew something wasn't right. Asher ended up having his fist up by his face, and the cord was wrapped around his neck, arm, and shoulder. My midwives told me to stop pushing and it seemed like an eternity before everyone said, "push! push! push!" Asher was born at 11:50! They immediately put him up on my chest. When I opened my eyes, he was grayish and limp. I thought he was dead. Praise God, he was breathing, even though he didn't cry for a little while. 

{proud daddy! so happy he's here!}

I held him for awhile before Jacob cut the cord. I kept saying over and over, "I can't believe he's here!" Asher Lee weighed 7lbs 5oz and was 20 inches long. We slept for a few hours at the clinic and then headed home on Monday morning.

{the next morning, ready to head home!}

I am so incredibly thankful for the grace and strength God gave me, for the quick and easy birth, for my midwives - that they worked quickly and skillfully to get Asher untangled, for my awesome husband who was right beside me the entire time, for my mom and sister making it in time, and that we didn't have the baby in the car! God is so good and we praise Him for His faithfulness to us.

Click the links below to read my other birth stories:

Lily's birth story

Levi's birth story