35 Comments

  • Melissa

    Oh my gosh!! Im a mother of 6 kiddos, 2 glory babies, and 1 sweet little girl due in May! I have had 3 single vaginal hospital births, Gave birth to twin boys, the 1st one came vaginally with no WORKING epidural, and the 2nd came via emergency c-section! I have had 1 VBAC in the hospital. This go round my husband and I felt that God was leading us to a home birth! Earlier tonight I recieved a txt from a nurse friend of mine who said she was very concerned about me having a home birth. This immidiately struck fear in me and I began questioning everything that my husband and I had prayed about for the past 8 months! Just before heading to bed about an hour ago I once again cried out to God to show me HIS will! I was on my way to bed and stopped at my computer to read and new BWF stories. YOURS WAS THE FIRST ONE I SAW!!! =..) I CAN DO THIS!! I know i can! Thank you sooooo much for sharing your story, I really feel that God used your story imparticular to reach to me! “For God has not given us a spirit fear……but of sound mind!!!” THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!

    • Emily

      Hello Melissa! This is my birth story, and I am so glad that God used it in your life. That was my hope in prayer in writing it. Not that it would bring me any recognition, but that it would bring Him glory. You are amazing and you CAN do it!! The funny thing, I had some negative feedback from a ‘friend’ surrounding my story being posted last night, and it was so good for me to read this comment and be reminded that my story is reaching other mamas! This made me tear up…thanks for sharing!

  • teresa

    Such an inspiring story! You are a Warrior Mother! Thank you for sharing. It is amazing what happens when a woman trusts her body and her God.

  • Carrie

    Thank you for sharing your story and journey. My cousin is about to attempt a vba2c in 5 or so weeks give or take and she has had doctors trying to get her to just have a c-section. She knows her body and is trusting that her body will allow her to have a vaginal birth. I am about to post this link onto her fb page so she can read it and have any worries she might have had diminished. I know she can get the birth she wants.

  • Aleana

    I just wanted to thank you for sharing. I totally cried! I have four beautiful gifts from God. I’m so glad you got your home birth. Remember the enemy is like a roaring lion. Of course your family would panic and worry. the Devil didn’t want you to have victory. A hiccup is just what it was. That was the devil using your family to try and get you worry. But God casts out all fear! I’m so happy for you and your wonderful experience! God Bless your family!

    • Emily

      Thank you 🙂 It was such a learning experience and step of faith for everyone involved…and thank goodness, with God’s help, we did not allow the enemy to conquer!

  • Martha

    That is a really neat story! It is hard when everyone is freaking out to keep going sometimes. I would encourage you to hire someone who is a trained doula…usually they would work on encouraging you to get the birth you wanted, and do not give medical opinions if the care provider is not suggesting it….

  • Erin

    You are so inspiring, the way you listened to your intuition and you knew your body and your baby, while those around you acted out of fear rather than evidence! Thank you so much for sharing, I hope I can have a birth like this some day.

  • Natasha

    Congrats on a job well done! I love hearing how God has worked in peoples births 🙂
    I’m curious if you joined your local ICAN chapter through any of your journey?

  • jilly

    Such an awesome story!! VBACs are my favorite births to attend because those mamas appreciate it so much and are so empowered when they push out their own babies. I understood exactly what you meant about having fear in your birth space too. My birth is on this site too (Marble’s birth if you want to find it) and the fear I brought into it is the only things I would change. Congrats on your amazing birth and beautiful baby girl!

  • Jess

    This birth story was beautiful! This is such a blessing and such an encouragement for me. I am so glad you didn’t give up, trusted God and found peace during it all. You did an amazing job!!! 🙂 I will be doing my HBAC in November and know that I can do this. Thank you for sharing!

  • Katie

    Thank you for sharing!! Seeing this story just helps me believe even more that this is right! I feel like this is what GOD has in HIS plan for me!
    Thank you!
    I also loved the quote you put in your story
    Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, Do not depend on your own understanding, Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” So true!!

  • BarefootMedStudent

    This is a beautiful story and I’m glad you finally got your desired birthing experience.

    I just need to tell you that the doctor who did your first C-section was not “wrong” – that long without progressing beyond 3cm is a serious danger sign, not only to you but also to the baby. It’s not some arbitrary line, 3cm is the actual cut-off line for passing into active labour.

    The second C-section was definitely unfair though. Doctors should not make a contradictory decision like that when you have stated your wishes from the beginning, especially since it was not an emergency.

  • Tessa

    I’m so jealous 🙁 I wish I could birth my large babies.

    I’m so happy that you were able to have a successful VBAC with so much going against you. I had three days of labor for my VBAC before I finally went to hospital, so I can really relate to so much of your story! Especially feeling discouraged after so much labor and not progressing. I just wish my ending would’ve been a vaginal birth. The difference was that I never did progress and truly needed a csection to get my 10lb 11oz baby safely into this world. But.. csections are here for those that need them, so that God forbid when women truly cannot birth their own babies, that we still can bring them safely into the world.. naturally or not. I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that I cannot birth the babies I grow (diet, exercise, no GD and I still grow huge babies – I can’t grow them small1). I’m so envious of women that can birth large babies!

  • Krista

    Absolutely beautiful – it was helpful to read this since I had a VBAC in August, and similar on/off, frustrating, fearful energies surrounding me in that. Sharing how you dealt with your frustrations and healing has been so VERY helpful to me today… you are a wonderful example of faith! Thank you so much! 🙂 <3

  • Lea

    Amazing story momma! You were a warrior woman! I too had a bit of hectic energy around me since a lot of people got involved and I remember that frustration. In the end I shut it all out and I think that is what helped me get through my 2 day labor as well! It made me more focused, oddly enough. Gosh I had my bub a year ago and I still remember the exhaustion of my long labor, snoring between contractions too…LOL! It is amazing how we are built to sustain these marathon labors, what our bodies can handle…just amazing. Enjoy your new family!

  • Ashley

    Emily, you are a warrior mama!! I am 15 weeks pregnant now and planning a destination HBAC since my state is not very VBAC Friendly. I have found a Christian MW who is planning to attend, but in the last week I have found some things about her that made me question our plans. I have prayed for God to show me if I am moving in the right direction or if I should plan a hospital VBAC instead, but your story is a sign to me indeed, home (or a hotel if need be) is a better choice for our birth than a hospital. I have attended one VBA2C and it was amazing. Reading your story has reiterated everything I KNOW to be true about birth. I will be patient and wait on God to show me every step of the way, we can only walk by faith. I am so glad you had so much love and support through your amazing experience. Glory to GOD!!!!

  • Stephanie

    Loved this story and all the glorification it brought. Having scripture music is such a great idea! After reading that, “A Mighty Fortress is our God” was playing in my head through the rest of the story 😉 I would love a homebirth if it’s His will…I have alot of praying to do! Congrats and I absolutely adore her middle name.

  • Autumn

    I really did enjoy this story and it gives me hope. I was always in hope that i could have another child but my doctor told me that after 2 c-sections that it wasn’t really safe. I asked him about a natural delivery he said even more dangerous. I’m thinking about a possible home birth now. thank you

  • Kirsten Ware

    I just want to say, you do NOT have to say ‘yes’ to things just because doctors tell you. Surgery is actually supposed to involve informed consent – informed, as in, the patient understands the risks and benefits, and doesn’t feel bullied into it. YES, sometimes C-sections ARE life-saving, but so often they are done because doctors get sick of waiting around and just “call it” … you’ll notice this is more likely to happen at the end of a doctor’s workday (8pm) than in the morning. C-sections are done at the drop of a hat in the U.S., partly because doctors can rarely be faulted for performing a C-section in the event of a bad outcome. I’m a family medicine resident, and it’s insane the number of doctors who look at a woman who is not even in active labor, still in latent labor (4cm or less) and call her ‘failure to progress.’ Sure enough, if you give her a while to get to 4-5 cm (active), she starts progressing. Yes, there is such a thing as obstructed labor, small pelves, cephalopelvic disproportion, but the number of times this is “diagnosed” and the number of times it *exists* (in healthy women who with history of rickets!) is like a ratio of 20:1.
    It’s hard as a layperson to know if your doctor is full of sh*t when s/he tells you that VBAC is Very Dangerous and Almost Like Child Abuse (I’ve sat through an OB giving the Like Child Abuse line to a woman wanting VBAC as a medical student, feeling helpless)… but try to get more than one opinion, and stick up for yourself! You have the right to *refuse* medical interventions of any kind, and if you refuse them, your doctor has the obligation to still treat you to the best of his/her ability, or to refer you to a doctor who will.

  • Fernanda

    My story is so similar to yours! I had my VBAC in may 2012 after 50 hours my water broke and there is nothing like that experience. Amazing job!

  • Emily

    Thank you all for your wonderful comments! One year ago tonight…I had been in labor for over 40 hours. I was exhausted and ready for my sweet girl to be born. But I was peacefully laboring at home in the birthing pool, worshiping, praying, surrounded by my family and trusting God for His perfect time that Annabel would arrive. And it was so perfect! 10 hours later she arrived in flurry 🙂 The journey to and experience of her birth has impacted my life in ways I never imagined. God’s faithfulness was so clear, and His goodness so evident in every moment! Tomorrow we will celebrate her first year of life, but tonight, I want to take a moment to celebrate her glorious birth!

  • Maegan

    I had to have an emergency c-section at 33W1D on December 2nd last year and I had really hoped and prayed to carry full term and deliver naturally but because of complications with myself she had to come early. Your story gives me hope that I can try and hopefully succeed when my husband and I try again!

  • Liz

    Love your story and so glad you shared! I also have experienced victory in Christ achieving vaginal home birth after 2 cesareans! I get so excited hearing of other mammas like myself who have trusted the Lord and fought for a birth the way the Lord intended it to be.. I labored for 67 hours averaging a centimeter every 8 hours.. It was long it was hard but most of all it was rewarding and empowering! You did it! I did it! So glad you shared your story in hopes that more women will have the courage to step out and trust the Lord and their bodies.. Also wanted to share we just had our 4th little man via home birth on 2/25/13 and my labor was only 15 hours!! I was so hesitant to call midwife not wanting her to have to be here for 3 days that I was 9cm when she arrived. All progressed way quicker than the previous. So be encouraged Lord-willing you have more the blessings just get better and better! How great i sour God!! ~Liz

  • Andrea

    Thank you for sharing your story. What resonated with me is that you are not perfectly thin…I am curvy and I like seeing home births of curvy women. It gives me hope for myself.

  • MomMom Hill (PassionateParent.com)

    Absolutely LOVE this beautiful birth story! My favorite parts are that your family and friends prayed over you and read Scriptures to you while you listened to worship music, and the part of the video clip where the pool was being anointed! Such an incredible blessing! Thank you for sharing 🙂

  • Sonell van Niekerk

    Good evening (from South Africa 😉

    I saw your post on Pinterest and knew I HAD to read it. I am tears after reading your birth story and watching the beautiful video that you made for Annabelle. I am a mom of a 2yr old boy and currently 15weeks pregnant with our second bundle.

    I also had to have a c-section with my son, because the doctor said that he was too big and never engaged even after almost 42weeks of pregnancy. I wanted to give birth naturally with all my heart, but was convinced that it would not be possible…. I now know that it would have been possible if my faith had only been stronger.

    Anyway, I am now also focussing on having a vbac done, I am even more determined than I was with my son. I have been doing research after research on vbacs and feel confident that I am a good candidate. My doctor also supports vbacs and said that he will give me a chance up until 41weeks, that only makes me feel much more comfortable. So I believe that God will not allow this experience to be stolen from me again.

    Thank you for such an inspirational birth story. I love the Lord with all my heart and can pick up that you do too. I will definitely use your tips on preparing for the vbac. Your story has inspired my so much that I will push it to the ultimate concerning my faith in the Lord and that He will stand true to His word.

    Thank you once again!

    Kind regards
    Sonell van Niekerk

    Blessings
    x

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