Meet Baby H James | Our 1st Birth Story

I like birth stories both blogs and Youtube videos that start from conception, their pregnancy journey, to birth so here goes my first:

September 2016 I sat on the toilet in our home, waiting for the result…

My  Husband  and I had prayed and believed God would give us a child soon after we physically consulted out marriage(had sex/made love). The reality was I had  gotten my menstrual cycle a week after our honeymoon and so meaning I hadn’t conceived on our honeymoon.

I  was shocked.

I thought and prayed that God wasn’t holding anything against me from my sinful  life as a single before I knew Christ. But the reality was just that I had stared ovulating before my wedding day and my period was going to come either way.

So we carried on enjoying each other as a new couple. I bought pregnancy tests in anticipation of the good news. That the child and blessings that come with having children as a young couple in LOVE would be our portion in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Then end of August after 4 weeks of marriage I took a test. NEGATIVE. I just thought ok… should I tell my husband? … I did anyways cause I can’t hide anything from him. It turned out I had just taken the pregnancy test too early.

 But although this feeling of devastation was short-lived, I can resonate with all feeling some sort of rejection through infertility at the moment. To my married sisters I pray this story is among those that encourage and not discourage your journey to conception.

I missed my period in September and so I decided to take another pregnancy test. I didn’t tell my I wanted to take a test husband cause I wanted to surprise him if it was a yes! So I went to the Bathroom, my husband a couple of feet away in the dinning area and I took the test.

I was so happy! I was so happy! My husband hadn’t heard from me in a while and so he came in the toilet and saw I had taken the test. We rejoiced together and knew this was ONLY the work of the Lord.

There it was! Having conceived our first child that we had spoken about in courtship!

Then the journey of pregnancy started. I thoroughly enjoyed praying and speaking over our first-born. Involving her in my last semester of undergrad, insuring she was well nourished with a great diet of fruit, vegetables, protein, legumes the whole 9!

“Four week’s pregnant”

We decided to share with family and close friends at about 14-20 weeks. So many advice unsolicited and solicited were given but, I knew I had the power to claim and unclaim what advice I wanted and didn’t want to carry with me.

I was recommended and of course read this very popular Christian book Supernatural Childbirth: Experiencing the Promises of God Concerning Conception and Delivery . It was wonderful! If you get a copy please use the link in this blog and comment letting me know how you enjoyed it!

I didn’t have many symptoms except from a yeast infection 1st semester only, due to the over growing hormones my body was adjusting to, in carrying a child. (Very normal!)

From the 1st semester I was claiming the promise of the Hebrew woman in the Bible that I would be saved in childbearing and it would be quick and easy for me by God’s grace! Exodus 1:19

“Second Trimester”

I worked through out my pregnancy in the United States including as a paralegal at Hard IP, which I am still a part of. At three months pregnant  I had to travel back to the USA, spending the first half of the year 2017 processing my UK spouse visa to stay permanently with my husband, while my husband returned to the UK without me. Thankfully I was in my parents home, with the help of mom and church family close by. During this time, I was also hosting family from my husband’s side (now my sibling) and other guests.  But I had supernatural strength, speaking and praying together as husband and Wife, moving into our first home by paying the deposit and managing my husband and I’s finances from the States. (I have such a passion for international love stories who need to go through immigration matters.)

“Third Trimester”

Thankfully my husband joined me in the beginning of May 2017 two weeks before I was due. My due date was May 18th. I had gotten a midwife in the States and planned for a natural water-birth.

>>> I want to break here and talk about why I hired a midwife vs just going the normal OBGYN/Nurse Practitioner route many moms oblige to in the states. Because I know the statistics of black moms during childbirth in the U.S. According to the CDC, African-American, Native American and Alaska Native women die of pregnancy-related causes at a rate about three times higher than those of white women. I had watched, read and learned about the heavy medicated intense and horrible labour stories of woman of colour specifically. I knew if I wanted to advocate for a natural birth and have the best person fighting for me I had to go an alternative route. Before marriage I knew about the concept of midwifery still practiced in many parts of the world; the UK and Nigeria to name a few. Midwifes are less invasive and help the mom guide her body naturally through childbirth but are trained in medical intervention if need be. Thankfully my insurance in the States covered a midwifery service linked to the hospital I wanted to deliver with. It was one of the best the decision I made and whether you want to deliver at the hospital or a birth center or home, I would highly recommend hiring a midwife, especially if you are low risk! Even if you are high risk you can still have a midwife birth your baby. 

By God’s Grace I was carrying a very normal pregnancy. Progressing very normally…except for being told our baby may have microcephaly caused by the Zika virus(although I never traveled to any zika hot-zones, I think it may because I am black)…they thought this because I came to the states in my 2nd Trimester. The early scans they needed to measure the head they could no longer do because my baby’s body was big and developing normally, therefore measuring the head was not easy to do the later the pregnancy. But, Glory Be To God our baby CAME OUT NORMAL and healthy!

I told God my baby had to come May 18th My husband had one and a half months paternity leave with his booked vacation days combined. We were believing God I would get my spouse visa and travel back with him in June.

God met all those desires!!!

On Exactly May 18, 2017, I started contracting at 3am . My midwife couldn’t believe they were increasing every hour! Statistics say a first time Mom take 2 days to labour.  By 1pm, my husband, my mom and I made a decision we were heading to check in at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ (THE BEST HOSPITAL); we had seen a little blood just minutes earlier. I got checked in, got checked and I was 8cm!! Glory be unto God! All I was doing was counting 1,2,3… as my contractions came and praying, “God will save me in childbearing!” My husband also made a wonderful Gospel playlist that was playing in the background.

He was such an awesome help, holding my hand and helping me breath 😄.

By the time my midwife, who by the way was in regular clothes because she allowed her son to borrow her car with her scrubs thinking..”Oh non of her patients would go into Labour” by the time she came I was ready to push!! 35 minutes later with 3 pushes, through an all natural vaginal delivery our first-born Hannah was born! I had one small tear which was stiched.

Her full name was given by God through prayer. Below are her names and meaning:

First name: Hannah (Grace or Favour)
Middle names: Iyanuoluwa, Peace, Shekinah, Huldah, Oghosa,
Last name Momoh-Jamesy

-Iyanuoluwa: A Nigerian Yoruba name meaning “A Miracle of God”
-Peace
-Shekinah: A biblical name meaning “The Glory of God”
-Huldah: A biblical name. A prophetess in the Bible. (2 Kings 22:14)
Oghosa: A Nigerian Edo name meaning, “Belonging to God

God has been so faithful! My recovery has been so easy and so has breastfeeding! My goal is to breastfeed Hannah for 1 year plus. I can always pray for more grace to meet all my household needs, but my marriage has been beautiful to watch with our first-born in our home.

I look forward to sharing the things I love putting on Hannah and playing with Hannah. Our home educating via Kingdom Light Child school and more via this blog!

Praying for those looking to get pregnant now, those who are getting ready to deliver, and those about to get married, that indeed your story will be unique and you also will deliver like the Hebrew Women in the bible!

For more pictures of Hannah check out our family album or social media from time to time. We have chosen not to post too many pictures of our children online.

Your Sister and Brother in Christ,