David Judah Birth Story
David Judah’s Birth Story:
Birthing a child is one of the most intimate and intensely personal things I have ever done. There is so much love and support that has surrounded me for the birth of both of my children from my mother, my husband, my doulas, friends, and health care professionals.
However, the part that is extremely daunting to me is carrying the full weight of the responsibility to carry, nurture, and birth. I am the only one that will physically birth him/her into the world and what an incredible weighty responsibility, miracle, and privilege!
Backing up a little bit, I would like to share a little about my pregnancy with David to give some context. It was very intense with a lot of pregnancy hormones (boy hormones that I am not used to…) accompanied with very strong feelings and emotions. I was nauseous, fatigued, and exhausted for the first 4 months. Then, for the next 5 months I developed deep and painful varicose veins and pelvic pressure. The pressure and weight went up my entire left leg and into my pelvic and groin region.
Throughout the whole pregnancy, I was intensely aware of my heart and the emotions that accompany pregnancy. In the midst of this, the atmosphere of worship and surrender was always present. I knew that this baby carried a worshipful heart and extreme favor. I felt this deeply as I carried him.
His spirit had such a peace and deep strength and I felt like he would be ‘an easy baby’. I also had a knowing that he would bring another level of restoration and completion to our family. The Lord dropped the name ‘Judah’ in my spirit initially as a name that would exemplify the child. In Hebrew, Judah means – surrendered praise as in to lift your hands in surrender while you worship. Judah is also a reminder of the Lion of Tribe of Judah – the line of Jesus and was a Levitical tribe of Israel. The Lord also dropped in my spirit ‘David’ which is indicative of a worshipping warrior who killed giants and walked in radical faith, a writer, a poet, a psalmist, a levitical king, and a leader. All of these things I felt my child would be. So I prayed for him and I waited and I sought the Lord for him.
On a completely other note, I was given several unexpected ministry opportunities while I was pregnant with him to pursue the dreams in my heart that had present for years but I hadn’t stepped out into yet. I was invited to be a part and minister at two different women’s ministry events in So. Cal (dream and prayer in my heart for 10+ years). I was invited to teach and host a toddler music class for moms and toddlers (I had wanted to start that for about 3 years). I was able to minister for our ministry’s Encountering Jesus spring conference on encounters and led a prayer/worship set with dance, art, and sozo ministers accompanying me throughout my session (dream in my heart for 16+ years). I started a women’s small group (dream for 10+ years) and was a part of leading a small group for a greater Bethel church mom’s group (dream for 3+ years). My husband and I were also able to launch our non-profit, work together from home, and hire an assistant (dream for 10+ years).
As you can see, there were a lot of dreams fulfilled that the Lord was inviting me into despite how fatigued, emotional, and raw I felt. In the midst of all this, I felt a raw surrender in my heart that I have never felt to that level before. It was a letting go of all that I know and a free falling into the grace and loving arms of Jesus. I had no energy and felt my physical body was out of my own control. I have never felt that before. I have always felt in control of my body and emotions and I like that feeling. I don’t like feeling out of control.
In all of these opportunities, I had to rely on faith because I didn’t know anything about the outcome of how any of these things would turn out. I just knew that God had taken care of it for me and He was asking me to trust and step out and He would be the one who would take care of the outcome.
Birthing this child for me has been incredibly spiritually significant and has been like a re-birthing of dreams that I have longed for 10+ years. I feel like there is redemption in it all but even for me the waiting period was long. I waited for 9 years after Chad and I were married to get pregnant and give birth to my first child, Brielle Grace in 2014. She was my promise fulfilled in so many ways. I wasn’t prepared for the explosion of love I felt when she came into my life with all her zest, passion, wildness, and beauty.
For this second child, I wasn’t prepared for the steady peace, confidence, favor, dreams fulfilled, and raw passion that he carried. I have heard some people say that you are never really prepared for marriage until you get married. You are never really prepared for parenthood until you become a parent and that you are never really prepared for ministry until you become a minister. I would have to say AMEN to all of these things!!
I consider it the biggest privilege on the planet to be a mother. I remember when I was a young teenager and the Lord led me to pray over my womb and my future children and bless my womb even at the age of 13-16 years old. It has always been in my destiny and calling to mother. I was a mother in the spirit before I was in the natural. I served as a worship pastor and pastor for youth and young adults, have been able to travel to over 30 different nations sharing the Love of Jesus and been privileged to preach and release worship in the nations. When I was 20, I had an encounter with the Lord where he was calling me to mother the nations. I have done what I feel I can do to walk that out over the last 15 years but I know there is more here that He will do with that word.
I have always felt an intense desire to nurture, care for, love, and support others. I think this began when I became a big sister when I was 5 years old. My mom told me that she had to teach me how to hold back a little bit because I loved my little brother so much that I almost smothered him. Just like you see little kids hug a baby bird or kitten a little too tightly, that is how I was with my brother. I loved him so much and wanted to give him the world and love him with my whole heart. It really was a supernatural kind of love I felt for him.
So back to my birth story, I got woken up by my sweet Brielle at 4 am the day I went into labor (and for the 3 days prior at the same time) asking me when I would be going into labor and if someone was coming to stay with her while I went to the hospital. I gently reminded her that her Mimi would be coming over to stay with her while me and daddy went to the hospital to have the baby. I reassured her that she would come with Mimi and get to hold the baby. I walked her back to her bed and said goodnight again but I couldn’t fall back to sleep and about 5 am I started having intense but intermittent contractions. I texted my mom and my mother in law early like around 6:30 to let them know (maybe a little too early?). My mom would be driving up from Sacramento to be with me and help me with my labor and delivery and my mother in law lives right around the corner. I got some good prayer time in that morning watching the sunrise and singing and listening to some of my favorite worship music. My in-laws came over and brought breakfast that morning and then we all went on a walk to the park afterward to hopefully advance labor. I also texted my doula that morning to let her know that early stages of labor had started. After the walk, my contractions stopped for about 4 hours. During that time my mom arrived and she started helping me by making lunch and cleaning around the house. I took a nap and rested. Then made a few real estate calls because I had a few clients I was referring out so I did some emails and wrapped that all up.
Right afterwards my contractions picked up again but they were still irregular for a few hours and then around 6:30 pm right after I finished eating dinner, they started to intensify which was when I texted my doula and asked her to come over.
I did a lot of leaning forward poses and moving my hips - which seemed to really help - as labor intensified. The poses were suggested by my doula. Both my mom and my doula gave me foot and lower ankle massage and we used some essential oils. My mom, doula, and Chad put pressure on my back when the back labor started. My mother in law came over at about 8 pm to help with Brielle and spend the night so we could leave for the hospital whenever it was time to go.
Around about 12 am, we transitioned to the bathtub where I was able to sing and worship with Chad and relax a little more. I was starting to get really tired at that point and my contractions were not yet consistent so my doula suggested I change it up and use the tub. It was there that I found my peace again and started to relax all my muscles and find a real rhythm and consistency with my contractions. When I got out of the bath, things got really intense fast. It was funny though because this is when my dear husband fell asleep and started snoring in the bed next to me as I was moving into transition. Before he fell asleep though, I threw up my whole dinner and started to get really aggravated so my mom knew she thought I needed to go to the hospital because I was in transition. We waited until about 2 am to go to the hospital (a 10 minute drive).
When I arrived at the hospital I was already 8 cm dilated but the nurse that checked me in did not check me first and instead had me take a urine sample!! It was there that I threw up again (all over the dear husband). When she finally did check me she discovered that I was indeed 8 cm dilated. They took me to my room and after that I got settled in. I had intermittent monitoring and no IV. My breathing and contractions were in control because of the support and encouragement of my doula, husband, and mother at this point. It was all very intense.
My delivery nurse Trista was very kind and accommodating. She checked me again at my request after about an hour of laboring and I was only an 8.5. However, I felt that I was getting ready to open up fully and I had the feeling that I wanted to start pushing the baby out right after she checked me. I changed laboring positions to lie down on my right side. I began the deeper sounding laboring noises and my doula coached me with how best to do that. I really just wanted to be face to face with my husband at this point and just look at him because I felt I needed his strength and energy to sustain me. The labor was so intense at this point that it was hard to focus but I made it only because I had the support and help of those around me.
All of the sudden, I was ready to push and I reached down and felt my perineum as the baby’s head began to crown. I was told by my delivery nurse that I needed to wait to push because the delivery doctor was unavailable. She was with the only other laboring mom on the floor. So, I waited about 25 minutes to push – which seemed like an eternity. It was here that I began to feel and touch my own perineum in order to prevent tearing. The motion of the baby’s head going in and out was slowly and naturally stretching me so that I wouldn’t tear. My doula guided me to use the horse lips breathing in order to not push. I really couldn’t wait any longer so I turned on my back and looked down soon enough to feel and guide my baby’s head out.
The residency doctor came in the room right before the baby’s head came out. My husband stood next to him and introduced himself and said, “Hello, my name is Chad and I am this baby’s father and I will be delivering this baby.” To this statement, the residency doctor didn’t know quite how to respond which was ok because at that moment the delivery doctor entered the room just in time to tell Chad, “Great that sounds good go ahead and so I pushed again and the baby’s body came out right into my husband’s arms. Pushing your baby out and feeling every moment of this process is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. It is indescribable ecstatic joy to feel it. Chad delivered the baby and put him immediately on my chest.
The nurses cleaned the baby’s face and suctioned his nose a little bit and within 5 minutes he was nursing and holding his head up. He had a strong neck and head and perfect little face and I knew he was totally safe, good, and a healthy baby. Any and all fears I had during my pregnancy were quieted as I carefully studied his face, hands, and feet and took in everything in. I beheld him and held him close and marveled in awe of the miracle of birth. I nursed him for nearly an hour and he pooped all over me, which of course I didn’t care at all about since it was all just messy anyway.
When I saw his face, I knew he wasn’t to be named Judah when before I had been so sure that would be his name. We had two names prepared – David and Judah. He immediately seemed like a David to me because of his strength, face, and spirit.
During the beginning of this time, the doctor gave me a few stitches and made sure the placenta came out without any extra bleeding. It easily came out and I was grateful for that!
I intentionally asked the delivery nurse Trista and the delivery doctor Dr. Kuerenjes to pray a blessing over the baby. After that, Chad anointed him with oil and prayed. My mom was taking pictures and encouraging me. Chad and the nurse gave him a bath and I took a shower and then we were moved out into our recovery room. After that, I was the most tired that I have ever been but also the most happy and fulfilled that I had ever been.