The Birth Story of our Son Jadon Ayiecha

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January 29th- After weeks of having so many braxton hicks and feeling very uncomfortable day after day, I was feeling very eager for baby to arrive. I especially felt very crampy in my uterus down low today, so I took an epsom salt bath to try relaxing. Vlad had locked my washing machine panel, so I spent a good part of my day trying to get it fixed. In the evening Jason gave Vlad his first haircut. Before bed I read Vlad the story of when baby Jesus was born. It was special.

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January 30th- After getting a few hours of good sleep, I woke up around 3:00 with contractions. This was not the first time contractions had woken me up during the night, so I wasn't sure if it was anything real or not. I got up and walked around and got a drink. At 3:30 I went to the bathroom and saw bloody mucus. I felt so excited! I thought finally this IS baby day and these contractions are real! I messaged my midwife Dorothy, and she told me to let her know when my contractions started lasting longer but that she could come out whenever I was ready for her. I decided to try resting some more but the contractions were getting harder which made it difficult to rest.

Around 6:00 my contractions were picking up and lasting 30-45 seconds every 2-5 minutes. I had some harder ones that brought me to tears, so I decided it was time to have the midwives come. At 7:00 I called Dorothy and told her I was ready for her to come. Her and her team arrived shortly after and very quietly came in and set up their supplies. Maria arrived to help care for Vlad. Mom and Esther soon came too. I was anticipating the baby arriving in a few hours.

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After Dorothy arrived she checked me, and I was dilated to 5 cm at 8:00. I was very glad for the progress my body had already made! I relaxed on my birth ball rocking back and forth between contractions. I walked back and forth through the house a lot. At 9:00 Jason came into the bedroom where I was and prayed for me as he held me in his arms. It was so special, and it comforted and blessed me.

Jason got the pool set up and filled with water and I got into the pool around 9:30. It felt so good to have my contractions in the water. But I soon started noticing that my contractions were slowing down. So around 10:30 I got back out of the pool and started going up and down the stairs and just walking around to get things moving again. Around 11:00 I laid down to rest some. I was starting to feel tired, but it helped having Esther at my side giving me support and encouraging me, that I could do it. I continued going up and down the stairs and drank some juice along with water frequently. I had more diarrhea each time I went to the bathroom, and I continued to lose bloody mucus.

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Around 12:45 I laid down with Vlad to put him to sleep. I noticed my contractions were getting stronger. At 1:00 Dorothy checked me again and I was dilated to 7cm. I got back into the pool which felt so good. Having my back rubbed for counter pressure helped with the pain during contractions. Vlad and Jason were taking turns brushing my hair, which was relaxing. Around 2:15 I got out of pool to walk around again and ended up laying down on the bed upstairs and resting on my right side with a pillow between my knees. Vlad soon woke up and was hanging out with Jason in the kitchen. Around 3:00 I had a banana. I did my best to rest between the contractions. I was beginning to feel exhausted, especially from all the trips up and down the stairs. I ate a cheese stick and drank some coconut water, but my appetite was very low. 

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Around 4:00 Violet came into the bedroom upstairs and told me I could lift my one leg up and rest it on the bed frame during contractions and rock back and forth. I started doing this and my contractions immediately got harder and more frequent. By 5:00 the contractions were very painful. Around 5:30 Dorothy checked me again and I was dilated 9cm. I drank more juice and got back into the pool. Jason lovingly supported me as I went through each contraction. At 5:45 Vlad got into the pool with me. He was having a lot of fun and kept kissing my belly, saying baby. Around 6:00 my contractions were really hard and I was feeling pressure. Dorothy kept reassuring me that I was doing great work and offered continual encouragement. I could feel the baby moving around a lot.

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At 6:23 Dorothy checked me again and said I had a slight cervical lip that was holding the baby’s head back from coming down. She offered to hold the lip back for me for a few contractions to make things go more quickly. I agreed. It was excruciating pain though, and, I couldn’t handle it more than a few contractions. At 6:30 I was so discouraged and felt like the baby would never come. Dorothy encouraged me and told me I could do it and reassured me the baby would be here soon. Jason was by my side offering continual comfort and support, which helped me too so much. He video called Mama in Kenya, and she was praying for me. At 6:45 I was drinking water and Violet continued rubbing a cold rag on my forehead. Esther, Mom, Jason, and Violet all took turns rubbing my back which helped a lot with the back labor. At 6:59 I had a bad cramp in my leg, so I stood up in the water and then squatted back down and started to push. I struggled with feeling like this would never end and that I would die before I could meet my baby. Everyone kept encouraging me, and reassuring me that I was almost done and I would soon hold my baby.

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I continued pushing as each contraction came and at 7:12 my water broke during one of my pushes. I was squatting as the head came down and Dorothy told me to blow through each contraction so the head could slowly ease out and prevent tearing. At 7:16 the baby crowned, and the head came out and body came out right after. Dorothy saw that the baby’s hand was up by the face when it came out. She said this was probably why my labor was not consistent.

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After the baby came out, Dorothy picked it up and put the baby on my chest right away. Oh, what a most wonderful precious glorious moment of joy and relief! I just sat there and cried with relief and thanksgiving to God for helping me through such a hard labor and getting me to the end even though I was thoroughly exhausted. Jason wrapped his arms around me and our baby, and we rejoiced in awe at the sight of our child. The baby cried a lot but was soon comforted as I held it close. Vlad soon came over and saw the baby. At 7:19 I opened the baby’s legs, and we saw it was a boy! Oh, how happy we were! We excitedly told Vlad that he has a brother! Jason began to pray over the baby and I, and thanked God for our son’s safe arrival! We named him Jadon Ayiecha Ambundo. Mama was on the phone on video call, so she was rejoicing with us as well for the safe arrival!

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At 7:28, I birthed the placenta which came out well and looked very healthy. What a blessing! Dorothy noticed right away that the cord had a knot in it. But she said that the cord was very thick, so Jadon was not affected by it thankfully! We praised God for his protection over our precious son in the womb! I drank some juice and then gave Jadon to Jason as I got out of the pool. Jason was a very happy daddy as he held his dear son for the first time! The midwives kindly helped me out of the pool and into my bedroom to lay down in bed. I got snuggled up in bed with Jadon on my chest skin to skin. He started nursing soon, latching on well. Vlad brought me a banana and started feeding it to me. I started having bad after pains soon and felt like I would puke. I took some ibuprofen and soon, the after pains subsided. I got up and the midwives helped me to the bathroom but, I was not able to pee. So, I went to lay back down in bed. I was very weak, sore, shaky and completely exhausted.

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At 8:41 Jason cut the cord and then Dorothy did the newborn exam. Jadon weighed 7lbs 8oz and was 20.5 inches long. She said he looked perfectly healthy and strong. What an incredible blessing to have a healthy birth and beautiful healthy baby boy from Heaven. Thank you Jesus!! After Dorothy finished doing the exam, Jason diapered and dressed Jadon and then held him. Soon I started nursing him again and by 9:00 we were all snuggled in bed resting. The midwives came into the room, and we took pictures together. Dorothy made sure we were all settled in well and Jadon was nursing good before she and the other midwives went home.

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I was so thankful for the birth to be behind me. It was definitely one of the hardest things I ever went through in life, but oh was my sweet baby boy worth it! I struggled with feeling disappointed that my labor had taken so long because I had expected a much quicker second birth. But I am so thankful that I was surrounded by such amazing midwives and family who told me over and over, that I could do it and helped me believe in myself when I was at my lowest points. I’m truly thankful for each and every part that my husband played too in supporting me physically, emotionally, and spiritually throughout the birth. I don’t know what I would do without him!

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Also, my team of midwives are the best! Supporting and encouraging me through pregnancy and then providing a professional and yet peaceful environment throughout my labor and delivery. They are very personal and caring. I felt very seen, heard, and understood throughout labor. I was not just another number on their list of mothers. I would recommend Genesis Midwifery to any mother desiring a peaceful successful homebirth. The way they are prepared for anything gave me reassurance as well. I cannot imagine giving birth with a better more supportive group of women who respected and cared for me the way they did. I appreciated the way they so gently cared for me after birth as well when I was at my weakest. Making sure I was warm, hydrated, and supported meant so much to me! They are very understanding and I felt the love and compassion of Jesus through them over and over.

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We feel so blessed to have been given such a precious loan from heaven and only God is capable of performing all the miracles that happened throughout the birth. The seen and the unseen. Blessed be the name of the Lord who truly does give every good and perfect gift!!

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