Day 26

In April last year our third child, Reuben, was born. Having had two relatively uncomplicated births with our older two boys, I approached the prospect of my third with a lot of expectancy and hope for a dream home birth. Our second was born on his due date so I was fully expecting to go into labour early or on time and struggled to be patient when the due date came and went, and I found myself a week overdue. I chose not to accept any medical intervention to begin labour, trusting God that the timing of this baby’s arrival was in His hands. At my next appointment the midwife confirmed that the baby was head down and engaged, all good signs, and I went home with the best attitude I could muster to pray and wait. 

Two days later, labour began, and I was elated that my plans and dreams of waiting on the baby and delivering at home were finally coming to fruition. However, quickly after the midwife arrived and checked on me, we found out that the baby had done a last-minute somersault and was now breech. We were faced with the dilemma of staying at home and persisting, the worst possible outcome of which was the baby becoming stuck and us not having the medical environment needed to save their life or heading into hospital for a c-section. 

A c-section felt like the absolute opposite of the homebirth we had been dreaming of and I felt distressed and confused at how all my hopes and plans were so quickly turned on their head. We took some time at home to talk and pray through our options but ultimately, we couldn’t accept the risk of staying at home and felt more peace in letting go of our plans and trusting God with the direction this birth had taken. 

Less than two hours later we were in theatre, moments from meeting our baby, when the doctor said they had found a ‘true knot’ in his umbilical cord (a knot so tight that it can stop the cord from functioning). Had we proceeded with natural delivery, and particularly the style of delivery for a breech baby, the true knot would likely have had fatal consequences. 

We are so grateful to our awesome God, who knows what we need and when we need it, who gave us the wisdom and strength to abandon our own plans, even when it caused us pain, so that we might welcome our son safely into the world.

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Helen Sweet

Re:Hope Southside

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If you’re facing or walking through a ‘change of plans’, know that God sees and can be trusted to lead you through — and bring Him your needs again today.