It was Saturday, five days after my due date. The baby was coming quickly, though we did not realize it. I had had some occasional but strong contractions off and on, probably for much of the day, but I wasn’t paying too much attention. 
Then I had an hour of intense labor beginning a little after 5:30pm. We called the doula, but when she arrived they had all but stopped. Ray felt like we should go into the hospital but I wanted to wait until I could say they were both regular and strong. I decided to lay down. I had three strong contractions, the last of which included an urge to push and we decided we should go to the hospital, which is just a 10 minute drive from our house. Things got intense as my water broke right before we pulled into the emergency room driveway, and Ray was afraid he might have to deliver this baby in the car (thankfully the doula was driving)!
Upon arriving, the doctor and nurses rushed to the car to help me to the delivery room and sent Ray to change into hospital “scrubs” in order to attend the birth (a new requirement for him and one of many little differences when delivering in a foreign country). The baby arrived after a short time, at 8:58pm. I was able to keep speaking in Spanish until those final minutes of the labor, and found that my doctor and my doula were both able speak in english. What a blessing to meet the little one that has been growing in my womb for these 9 months! He was our biggest baby yet-a large 4.3 kg (9lb. 8oz). This was my first hospital birth in 11 years, as I have had the luxury of having last 3 babies at home. I had my concerns as hospital rules and regulations can make a natural, unmedicated birth a challenge, especially when the c-section rate is well over 50%. And yet the Lord was gracious to me and everything went smoothly and without complication and I spent almost no time laboring in the hospital. They gave me the baby right after birth, and then after weighing him and cleaning us up they left us to get to know each other for an hour or two before moving us to our post partum room.
We stayed in the hospital for 3 days. We had a large private room with a couch bed for Ray. The baby never left my side. The nurses and hospital personnel were kind and helpful and the food was good. I had a good experience, even though I was more than ready to go home by the end of my stay.
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
Psalms 139:13-16 ESV
We are amazed to be part of the miracle of the birth of a baby made in the image of God. We consider it an honor to welcome him in to our family, even with the sleepless nights and hidden costs that each new baby brings and we pray that he will grow to love and serve our Lord. Having such a large family is certainly a conversation starter in a country where families are usually very small and we use the opportunity to testify that babies are a blessing from God. And we appreciate those who have helped us, especially our teammates who babysat our other children and have made many meals, the doula who helped us through the labor, and our doctors who have taken good care of us, and the many, many people who prayed for us.
We are thankful he was born safely and after a slow start at nursing is now gaining weight and seems satisfied. His brothers and sisters love him a bunch and are delighted he is now at home with daddy and mommy. We had an ultrasound on day 4 of life which still shows a problem with one kidney. We met with the urologist who ordered an ultrasound for a month from now. We will know more after the next ultrasound as to whether he may need surgery.