Zoe’s Birth: Our Miracle Easter Baby

From the beginning of this pregnancy, God was preparing me for the birth of Zoe. I had never given birth in a “typical” hospital setting before, but from the very beginning, I knew I wanted to deliver in this type of setting due to some complications that I’ve had before. This helped when I officially needed to transfer my care from the nearest hospital to the areas best Children’s Hospital 30 minutes away with a level IV NICU at 30 weeks in February.

Psalm 73:16-17 and verse 28 sums up much of our story with this pregnancy. Ps 73:16-17 says, “but when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then I discerned their end.” When we heard the news that something wasn’t quite typical with Zoe’s heart and then her left lung, we were shocked, saddened, and confused.  Every time we read the Word, wept through worship music, or cried out to the Lord, our perspective changed. The situation stayed the same but worship changed our hearts and outlook. We were reminded that God is good, sovereign and has a plan far better than our own even when we don’t understand.

Verse 28 rang true. It was “good to be near God” and make him our refuge. She is now three months old, and we already can testify to God’s good work in all of us.

Our Season of Life

Even though we are in a rental duplex, Robby is in flight school and we are living off savings and loans, in some ways, our life seems more stable than the other times we’ve welcomed a baby into the world. We haven’t been on an airplane or moved houses in over a year and we are surrounded by a wonderful support system of friends and family.

At the time of Zoe’s birth, Eli was 3 years 9 months old and Micah was 2 years 1 month old.

Friday: 40 + 3 Appointment & Membrane Sweep

The earliest I have ever gone into labor was 41 weeks so when the care team said that 41 weeks was the LATEST they would feel comfortable with me going, I felt like there wasn’t a lot going for me. At 40 weeks and 3 days (Friday),  I went in for the second time that week to get another biophysical ultrasound and nonstress test at 9 am, something I did from 32 weeks on. Baby was doing well and so was I. No signs of labor. I had the nurse practitioner do a membrane sweep, which I had never had done before. It didn’t hurt at all, just was a little uncomfortable. I got a cervical check and was 1-2 cm but we weren’t sure how effective the sweep was because I wasn’t very dilated. We ate lunch at Panera on the way home and prayed that Zoe came before Monday when they want to induce.  

At 6:30 pm, we had a very last minute Passover Seder with my parents using a family guide we have tweaked over the years. It has been a rhythm since 2020. It was such a gift to slow down and remember the resurrection week. My mom even lifted Micah up to put red felt on the doorframe to symbolize the blood. 

I started to loose some of my mucus plug that night. 

Saturday: 40 + 4 Labor

Early Labor

The next morning I was in early labor around 5 am. I rested in bed for an hour and texted our doula. I said I really wanted to be checked and she helped figure how that could happen. A mutual friend who happens to be an amazing midwife and lives nearby was willing to come right over at 8 am. She was such a blessing. She encouraged me, checked me and did another membrane sweep. I was 3-4 cm which felt very positive.

At 9 am, we had a simple sabbath breakfast of Eggo waffles. We read our Shabbat blessing over our kids, as I put my hands on Micah’s head and my belly. 

At 11 am, we started The Prince of Egypt and pulled out the hide-a-bed under the couch. 

My doula asked if I was holding anything back or mentally thinking “I don’t want to go in labor today. I’ll do it tomorrow..” I said I had thought about that and was not looking forward to pushing cause it’s so intense but had resolved that I would surrender and relax just like I had practiced every nap time for the past few weeks as I listened to Hypnobirthing tracks. 

At 2 pm, during the boys’ nap time, I laid side-lying on my left downstairs in our extra room that’s dark. I slept in between contractions that were 1 minute long and ten minutes apart. They slowed down once I went upstairs and was distracted again.

At 4:30, Robby and the boys finished the movie and I lay on our bed.  Contractions continued sporadically 5-10 min apart. 

Our doula suggested that I have my parents pick up the kids so we could focus on labor and see if it would pick up. I had everything packed for the boys and my mom came right over. I wasn’t super hungry for dinner but ate oatmeal and we picked up Chick-fil-A for Robby. Then we came back to the house.

Active Labor

By 8, contractions had been  5-6 min apart and 1 min long for about an hour.  We text our doula (Danielle Walker) and photographer (Sierra Rose Photo) and said we were heading to the hospital. 

At 8:45 we got there within 5 minutes of each other. It was perfect timing and we all walked upstairs to labor and delivery. I felt positive, excited and relaxed. I was glad we were together with our support team.

Once we walked into the hospital, my body knew labor needed to pause until I could focus and was comfortable. I didn’t have another contraction for almost an hour.

From 8:45-  9:45 was intake and paperwork. Our doula and photographer started decorating as per our wishes and the nurse kindly asked them to hold off until she could check my cervix and confirm I was in labor. Once she realized I was a 6 she said, okay, “we are definitely admitting her.” One of the nurses put a saline lock in my left hand, something I have never done in labor. Considering this was a high risk birth due to Zoe I consented to it.  It honestly didn’t bother me at all during labor. They said they pretty much always give a bag of saline through the IV to hydrate the mom right off the bat (which I wasn’t planning on). The nurse could tell that I was so hydrated that they didn’t need to anyway. We met the nurse anesthetist who was really nice and asked what my plan for pain meds was. I told him I wasn’t planning on needing anything. We also met the OB and were all surprised it was a guy but he is so funny and put us all at ease. We even started talking about our overseas work and exchanging stories.

I changed into the labor gown I brought and went pee in a cup. Then the nurse attached the cordless continual fetal monitors to my belly so they could get the intensity of the contractions and keep an eye on Zoe’s heart rate. It was so helpful to be able to move around since the dopplers weren’t attached to cords, something most hospitals don’t have.

The decor we brought truly transformed the space from a sterile hospital delivery room to a peaceful oasis with ambiance music, twinkle lights on two sides of the room, affirmations on the walls, and pom poms adding a pop of color that I hung on Zoe’s NICU isolate once she was here.  

At 10 pm my body kicked back in to labor mode. Contractions were strong but they didn’t seem unmanageable, especially with support from my husband and the doula rubbing my back. 

This labor was very different than my other two. There was no obvious rhythm to it. Contractions were anywhere from 3 to 7 minutes apart the entire time. When I felt one coming again, I turned on the Christian Hypnobirthing App and everyone knew a wave was here again. In between contractions, we laughed and talked and my doula gave us an idea of another position to try to bring baby down. I wasn’t sure where in labor I was or how close she was to coming out. Some of the positions were on a yoga ball, (which I did for my other labors almost the whole time), one foot up on a stool and then switch, leaning over the yoga ball when it was on the bed, and left side-lying (which always seemed to make the most progress). 

At midnight, our photographer took photos proving we made it to Easter Sunday. We were all happy that she waited until Resurrection Sunday to be born.

By 12:15, Robby started making an areopress coffee for our doula, photographer and him. I wasn’t sure where I was in labor which ended up being quite ironic in hindsight.

Pushing

At 12:05 am, I laid on my left side on the bed. Every time I got in that position, I started shaking (like I usually do in transition). I did a few contractions with long breaks in between. Then, at 12:29 am another one started. The nurse had just come in to check my cervix but within 5 seconds of it starting, Zoe descended further down and my body immediately started pushing full force by itself. Within a few seconds, the nurse realized this baby was coming…now. She ran out of the room and pushed the call button for the delivery team of more than five people to come as fast as they could. My arms and hands contracted from the sheer power of my body’s fetal ejection reflex. I immediately started involuntary deep noises and had to force myself to try to relax as much as possible. 

Zoe’s head  immediately started crowning and the contraction just kept going. Our doula held my leg up and Robby reminded me to do horse lips. I never pushed and my water never broke. I have always had an extremely strong fetal ejection reflex. She was coming out en caul (in the amniotic sack). Her head was born in the sack and the doctor broke it after that to turn her head so the rest of her body would come. She came right out. The whole thing was about two minutes. 

Within the next minute, the team was there and ready. To my knowledge, they weren’t expecting an emergency once she arrived, but wanted to be prepared for anything.

It was extremely intense but over so fast. 

We immediately heard the sweetest cry and I looked at my husband, rejoicing that her one lung was healthy. She did so well that they were able to put her right on my chest for about five minutes. Robby and our doula were massaging my hands to help them relax but it still took the full five minutes before I could use them.  I declined the Pitocin shot and the placenta came out within a few minutes.

They took her to the connecting room to examine her, and then I was able to get a few more minutes with her on my chest while they stitched me up. I tore in the same way that I always do (1st and 2nd degree) but this doctor was amazing and stitched it up really well. He was actually a urogynecologist which means he did things like this for a living before he was even an OBGYN.   

I began pumping and because of all the oxytocin from unmedicated birth, my colostrum was abundant. 

Zoe went back across to the connecting room for another almost 2 hours so they could put an IV in her umbilical cord area and get her ready to go to the Nicu. We were able to see her again when they wheeled her out at 2:35 am. It was hard for her to leave me as it was such a foreign experience, but I reminded myself that she was getting the best care possible and she needed it. 

Robby went with her to the NICU and then met me back in our postpartum room an hour later. He text me this picture at 3:00 am so I knew she was under the warmer and all taken care of and I smiled. They immediately started her on prostaglandin medication to keep her PDA open in case it needed to stay open but she did so well that they started turning off the medication two days later.

At 3:25 am, our photographer and doula left but I couldn’t resist one last photo op to celebrate Zoe girl and their amazing support before they headed out the door. They stayed to help me settle in and even transported the decorations to our postpartum room to make it cozy. We all ended the night feeling in awe of God’s provision and grace. It was also such an amazing added bonus that Zoe was born on Easter and her name means “life,” pointing us back to Christ who, through him, allows us to have eternal Life and a restored relationship with God.

I started pumping right away at 3:30 am and pumped every three hours until I was allowed to begin nursing her a few days later. I didn’t know if it would be weeks though and was so relieved and thankful to begin sooner than expected.

I held Zoe the next day in the NICU at 2:30 PM. Tears streamed down my face. I love her so much and was overcome with this precious perfect gift. I also longed to pick her up whenever she needed to be held, but we needed a nurse until about a week later when the lines in her umbilical cord could come out.

The boys and my parents met Zoe at noon. It was bitter sweet because only two people were allowed to go in at a time so it wasn’t a whole family affair but we were glad they could meet her.

How we saw God Work

• I went into labor spontaneously
• I was given permission to have a photographer and Doula along with my amazing husband, of course
• smooth natural delivery 
• she was healthy enough to be with us for about 10 min after birth 
• no oxygen or other interventions for Zoe were needed at birth 
• we expected heart surgery and up to a month in the NICU but her body completely adjusted to having one healthy lung and she will continue to be monitored. (She might need a procedure some day or other interventions but we are taking it one appointment at a time these days.)
• she only needed 2 weeks in the NICU 
• how much the boys adore her
• the help we had from my parents and our friends 
• providing her the perfect name meaning “life” and allowing her to be born on Easter

God has been so gracious- over and above what we ever thought or imagined 🙌

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• How I would describe my feelings when I reflect and remember my birth experience? Joyful, Spiritual, Peaceful, Intense
• Time I was admitted in the hospital: 2.5 days 
• NICU stay: 2 weeks 
• Amount of luggage we took: 2 small roller bags, 1 duffle bag (items for Zoe, books to read in the NICU, extra snacks)