“Wonderful are Your works, and that my soul knows very
well..You already checked for me, I’m Your work of art!”
This was my 2nd pregnancy that God announced to
me. =) In August, one night at church, I went up for prayer and one of the
ladies praying with me said, “All I’m getting is that your womb is full.”
Later we tested and found out we were pregnant. . .
And so began Asher Banning Seppala. The news of our new baby
came the same week of my Grandma Marilynn’s Memorial service. Amazing to note
that little Asher resembles his Grandma Marilynn and her son, my father.
This pregnancy was a wild ride. I took on many baby projects
and started nesting the minute I found out we were expecting. I felt like Asher
would be coming early and was prepared for his arrival pretty much after 36
weeks. Little did I know he would arrive almost 2 months later at what may have
been 44 weeks gestation. My earnest expectations that he would come early did
not support the prolonged waiting period. This waiting period was one of the
hardest, most emotional and trying times of my life. I can’t count how many
meltdowns I had. Physically I was at my lowest at about 39 weeks. I pulled a
muscle in my back from a normal movement and couldn’t move without severe pain.
On top of my back pain I had pressure on my sciatic nerve that affected my
walking. I was afraid I would go into labor and have to make it through labor
pains with all of the other pain in my body. God is gracious! I didn’t go into
labor then. In fact, all of the pain that I had from pregnancy was comforted by
40 to 40and ½ weeks. I was actually my most comfortable at around 43.
As the days without labor pains continued to pass, my
excitement about having a baby went with them. I was beginning to think there
wasn’t a baby to be had. I woke up at 4 am one morning, came out to my living
room and just sat with God. He reminded me about a scripture that had been on
the tip of my tongue for awhile but I didn’t quite know it. I looked up Isaiah
66:9 “Shall I bring to the birth and not cause to bring forth? Shall I cause to
bring forth and shut the womb says our God?”
To bring forth means to bear young, to hatch, to labor, medically to act
as midwife, to be delivered of a child. Wow,
there was a baby inside me that God was assuring me would be born. Other parts
of this chapter built me up, verse 12, “ I will extend peace to her like a
river and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream, then you will be
nursed, carried on her hip and trotted, lovingly bounced up and down on her
[God’s maternal ] knees.” And this peace was what I needed to endure the next
four to five days still waiting for my son “to hatch.” I can’t leave out this verse7,
“Before Zion travailed she gave birth; before her pain came upon her, she was
delivered of a child.” The word travail is described as such; to twist or whirl
in a circular or spiral manner, to
dance, writhe in pain(especially of child birth), shapen, trust, wait carefully (patiently). I was so encouraged looking up these
meanings, especially travail and how it pictures dancing. After I wrote the meanings in my journal I
also wrote, “This is going to be fun!”
Castor oil, to take or not to take? Castor oil is a laxative
that some women take to try to induce labor. Castor oil makes you poop a ton
and can start contractions and labor if you are well enough effaced. There were
two separate times that this debate crossed my mind. Sunday night, the week
prior to my actual delivery I bought myself some castor oil, along with some
honeycombs. Honeycombs serve no inducing purpose; they are just good for the weary
soul. I was believing for a gentle birth, so the idea of making myself poop a
ton to get there did not set well with me. I was feeling pressure from everyone
except the baby to get this baby out. I wanted to wait and let him come when he
was ready. I knew that if I took the oil, I would always wonder when he would
have come himself if I had waited, and that was a greater intrigue than
escaping my pregnant and waiting circumstance. The oil remains on my counter
unopened and free to the first person who asks.
Friday June 1st came, passing up our due dates
May 5th and May 13th. The baby I thought I’d be holding
the beginning of May was still in my belly.
I had a prenatal, baby was doing great, so was I. Grandma checked me and
I was dilated to a 5 and completely effaced! Phew, progress! Then Saturday went
and I thought Sunday had, too. As I went
to lay in bed at about 11:30 pm, I placed my hand below my belly and pain began
to radiate in that area. I had to get up to try to walk around! Ouch. Is this
labor? Could it be?! About 2 to 3 minutes later another pain came on me, then
again before 11:42. Three contractions within ten minutes, that were definitely
long enough to convince me I was in labor. I woke Roman up and said I think I’m
in labor! “Are you serious?!” He replied. And so the wild ride began.
From this
point I was attempting to call my parents between contractions. Roman was
calling our Grandma midwife, calling in to work, timing my contractions,
filling up the birth tub AND trying to find something I could puke in.
Contractions were becoming more intense and closer together, with some peaks
overlapping! “Are you done with that one?”-Roman “I think I started another on
top of it!”-Heidi. I was not at all in control of what was going on in my body!
I literally puked and saw red stars floating around my head. My body was weak
and shaky and ….this… was my transition.
My parents arrived and started helping. The
tub was ready and I was READY for the tub! As soon as I could get a breather
from my contractions I would get in! As soon as I got into the birth tub I felt
instant relief in my body, no more shaking, puking, etc. I had 2 mild
contractions and one of my midwives arrived, then 2 wild ones that felt like my
body was ready to push! I was instructed to see if I could feel his head yet
and if I could then I could push. When I felt for his head he was seriously
less than two inches in. Here we go baby! I was stoked! I was so focused on pushing
I didn’t really know what was going on around me! AS I started to push, I could
hear my Grandma Midwife’s voice in my head coaching me, along with trusting my
past experience with Ezekiel’s birth. I was gently but surely pushing this
awesome baby out. At one point Asher was even moving his head helping to come
out. I birthed his head and during the same contraction birthed his body,
remembering how easily the body comes out! Within about four contractions, my
baby boy was out! I pulled him up out of the water and placed him on my legs.
My two main midwives walked in the room as he was coming out of the water!
From
my first contraction to his birth was about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Honestly the
whole thing felt like a half hour. I’m surprised it was almost 2 hours.
There you go,..My
sweet Baby boy Asher Banning Seppala came like the wind. He came SUDDENLY! Yeah
the wait was long, but his amazing birth made up for the melt downs, the
physical pregnancy pain and dashed expectations. Pushing was literally pleasant
and rewarding. Recovery has also been speedy.
Kudos to you if
you’ve read this far! If you are expecting a baby yourself, I bless you with an
amazing pregnancy, labor and delivery! You are birthing an eternal being that
you co-created with Papa God! I pray your experience will be like a dance, fun
and invigorating!
Your baby will bring a special grace to your family! Don’t
be afraid to ask God what your child will be like even while they are in the
womb. It’s pretty cool what He will reveal to you.
If you are just plain waiting for something, a promise, new job, anything good, keep waiting. Trust! Hope! Remind yourself of what’s been promised to you, and experience how faithful Papa is who promised it. He will be your refuge, your safe place, your Hope. He will bring you to your desired haven. And what good is a haven if you have not been through the storm?
Love, one proud mama and proud daughter, Heidi Lynne Seppala
