Home Birth in Turkey

I found out that some good friends (Bo and Melinda) who were expecting their 5th baby were moving to Turkey.  They had their first 4 children at home with a midwife in the U.S. and wanted the same for this pregnancy, but they didn't know how it would work being in a new country.  They were planning to move in July and the baby was due the first week of September.  I had joked with my mom about flying to Turkey to deliver the baby, but didn't think it would really be possible.   Bo and Melinda were trusting God to provide for their birth and He did.  One day I was praying and I really felt that God told me I was supposed to go to Turkey for the birth.  When I told Melinda the next day she didn't believe me.  She and Bo were surprised that I would be willing to fly all that way to help them.  I know it was the Lord; He is always faithful to provide for the ones who love and serve Him.

So I reserved my plane ticket for 10 days before her due date and I planned to stay for 3 weeks.  Melinda had delivered all of her other children within 2 days of her due date before so I thought that was a good time margin.  In the days leading up to me leaving I was having a lot of thoughts about all the things that could go wrong. I was a bit nervous but I knew that God had provided for everything up to this point and He would be faithful in giving us a perfect birth as well.  Finally the day came to get on the plane for the 15 hour flight to Istanbul, Turkey.  When I arrived Bo and one of his friends greeted me at the airport.  The city of Istanbul was very beautiful.  When we arrived at the apartment Melinda and I were so happy to see each other.  Many of the friends they had made in the first couple of months in Istanbul were very relieved to know the midwife had arrived.  So everything was in order and ready for the baby to be born, all we had to do was wait for labor to begin. 

The morning of the due date, we got up and nothing much was happening after 2 days of contractions off and on.  Melinda was frustrated, but I kept encouraging her that this was all normal and labor would start when it was ready.  About 11:20 A.M. Melinda and I were sitting at the dinning room table talking when she said "Ouch!"  I asked her what it was.  She said "That was the same kind of hard kick that broke my water with the last two births."  So she waited for a couple of minutes and decided to go to the bathroom.  About half way there she felt the warm water and said, "that's it, my water is broken."  That was a bit of a relief for us to know that we definitely had to have a baby that day.  About 5 P.M. things got more serious and the labor started to get much more intense.  Melinda got into a warm shower to help her relax and relieve the pain in her back.  Then she got out and lay in the bed on her side to rest for a while.  She also got online and e-mailed her friends back in the states to keep them informed with the labor.  The labor progressed rather quickly from that point.  About 7:10 P.M. she started feeling like she needed to push with the peak of each contraction, they were about 5 minutes apart then.  So I checked her cervix and there was still a very small bit left in the front so I had her sit up and breathe through a few more contractions.   After about 20 minutes she said, " I have to push, I can't wait any longer."  I told her to go for it.

She got on the stool she had planned to use as a birth stool and started pushing.  She was making some progress, but not very much.  So after about 20 minutes I had her get into a squat to see it that would help.  Wow, the difference was amazing!  The head came right down and almost crowned in two pushes.  She stayed in that position and just leaned back when the head started coming out.  The pushing slowed down a little to allow her perineum to stretch.  The head was born and there was a nuchal cord.  I tried to pull it over the baby’s head but it was a little too tight so I just left it. Melinda pushed once more and the shoulders were born, followed quickly by the rest of the baby, born at 8:04 PM.  I worked to unwrap the cord that was around his neck, under his arm and between his legs.  After a few seconds he still hadn't taken a breath so I took him from Melinda and turned him over my arm.  I rubbed my fingers up his back firmly; he let out a loud scream.... music to my ears!  What a wonderful relief, the baby was out and he was crying.  A few minutes later I checked the placenta and it wasn't quite ready, but about 2 or 3 minutes later it was so she pushed it right out. 

I did the newborn exam and Paul Kenneth was perfect from head to toe.  He weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces and was 21 inches long, Bo and Melinda's biggest baby yet.  Paul's 3 big brothers and big sister fell in love with him very quickly and had fun holding him.

I give all the glory to God who watched over the whole birth and everyone involved.  Without His mighty hand guiding me I could do nothing.  I am so blessed to have had the privilege of attending another picture perfect birth.  So birth in Turkey isn't so different than birth in the United States.  I love being a part of birth, no matter where it is.