STONE STEVEN'S HOME BIRTH STORY
/Stone Steven Craft - our son. He is here and he is better than we could have thought. He has a beautiful full head of dark brown hair and just the most precious tiny face. We could not love him more - and yet, somehow, with each day, we will. We know so little about who he is so far, and yet, we know everything about him at the same time. We cannot wait to get to know him with each day we get to steward his life.
The day I found out I was pregnant with Stone, I really thought that he would be a girl. We had a girl name picked out and we started calling him by that name. We did the sneak peak test to find out gender early, and to say that I was utterly shocked when I saw the blue confetti would be an understatement. My initial feelings had never been wrong with the gender of my babies. But, I think deep down, I knew it was a boy. There were tiny little nudges that are just for me to know that had me, deep in my soul, knowing that it would be a boy.
Thank goodness the Lord knows better than I do because having a son for even a few short weeks outside my belly and 9 months in my belly, I have already been changed by his life. I would not trade his life for anything and I am eternally grateful he is mine, ours.
After the home birth with my second daughter, Eleanor, my husband and I immediately knew that another home birth was right for us for this upcoming birth. I found out I was pregnant with Stone on August 14th 2023, and I called Haven Birth and Wellness (our home birth practice in Franklin, TN) before I even told my husband to make sure we got in! I then sat with the news by myself to soak it in for one day, and then told my husband the next day, August 15th. It was the first time I was able to surprise him with a pregnancy.
During my pregnancy, I had three really specific prayers for the actual birth.
The first prayer was that I would get to experience going into labor spontaneously without induction of any kind. With my first pregnancy, Everly, the hospital would not let us go past 41 weeks so I was induced at 40w5d that ended in an epidural. I am so thankful for that experience, but with my next, I wanted a different experience. With my second, Eleanor, there were concerns that she was IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Restricted) and after many tests, ultrasounds, and consults, the recommended course of action was to induce early with a membrane sweep and castor oil, and continue forward with our planned home birth. She was born at home very quickly at 38w5d. So, with my son, I really hoped to experience spontaneous labor.
The second prayer was that his birth would be filled with worship and clarity, and not being rushed.
The third prayer was that Everly, my oldest, would get to be involved in some way in the birth.
And wow did we get answers to those prayers.
MIDDLE OF FEBRUARY | I started experiencing some really painful, and movement restricting nerve pain at the top of my uterus and I was struggling to pick up the girls or do simple tasks that required cross movement of my abdomen. Heat was the only thing that helped and I spent most nights up until Stone was born on the couch with a heating pad on my side.
TUESDAY, APRIL 1st | I was starting to experience prodromal labor that was stronger than Braxton hicks, but nothing worth timing and making no progress. I went antiquing with a sweet friend with both my girls and walked through all of the contractions, only stopping for a few of them. Prodromal labor lasted up until Friday, April 5th, and I felt energized to get some big things around the house done that weekend with Josh. However, I also started feeling like I really need to be resting.
FRIDAY, APRIL 4th | I had my last workout at F45. I did not know that it would be my last workout, but what a gift it has been for all three of my pregnancies to move my body and strengthen it, even through the end of pregnancy.
SATURDAY, APRIL 6th | A friend invited me to antique on Sunday, April 7th, and I trusted my body and my gut, and declined, saying I needed to rest. I am always amazed at how in tune instinctually I am with my body and my needs when I am pregnant.
SUNDAY, APRIL 7th | My contractions started turning more painful/intense, and more cramp like than they had been the week prior. These went on until I truly started labor the next day. I spent alot of Sunday rocking in Stone’s nursery and drinking Red Raspberry Leaf tea.
MONDAY, APRIL 8th | This was solar eclipse day and my labor day!
MORNING | I woke up this morning and had a gut feeling that something was different about this day. I documented my growing belly in our bathroom mirror and in Stone’s nursery, which I usually didn’t do in the mornings. In my head, I thought April 8th would be a good day to have a baby. I had my early devotions, and spent the morning doing chores around the house with the girls as I moved through light contractions. We went on our usual 2 mile walk through our neighborhood and then had lunch together as a family. (Perks of work from home for Josh!)
1:00 PM | Ever usually goes down for a nap at 1 PM with Eleanor, but she only naps 2-3 days a week these days. The other days she just plays for rest time. I had my 38 week appointment at Haven at 1:30 PM, and something in me told me to take Ever with me to this appointment. I had a chiropractic appointment at 4:10 PM and hoped to run to Paper Source up in Brentwood to get cards and paper to stamp Stone’s feet on. This would be my first time just totally intentionally skipping Ever’s nap, but I really missed my big girl and wanted to spend that 1-1 time with her. Little did I know it would be a really special afternoon with her.
1:30 PM | While waiting for Caroline to see me at my Haven appointment, Ever and I got to read birth affirmation cards together. We continued to talk through birth and what Mama was about to go through. When we went back, Ever was able to listen to Stone’s heartbeat and help measure my belly. Stone grew 2.5 cm for his fundal height from a week ago! This was a huge answer to prayer, as with my last pregnancy, this was the first sign we had that Eleanor was measuring small. She was about 5 cm behind on her fundal height at 38 weeks. Being at 36.5 cm fundal height put Stone in the clear for being able to continue on without intervention/talks of induction. I opted not to have Haven check my dilation/effacement, as I just wanted to trust my body and not psych myself out.
1:50 PM | Ever and I made our way to Paper Source, about 15 minutes up the road from Haven. The eclipse was happening when we arrived at Paper Source, and the clouds were dark. We looked at cards together, found the paper for Stone’s footprints, and walked back to the the car.
2:20 PM | I loaded Ever up in the back of the minivan and went around to hop into the driver seat. As I sat down, I immediately knew that I was loosing my mucus plug. I didn’t really know what to do because I knew I needed a bathroom, but I had Ever in the car and I didn’t have the ability to carry her in to a store to use the bathroom. So, I used what I had in the van and climbed to the very back where Ever was sitting in her carseat. I pulled out her OXO travel potty seat, grabbed a potty bag, and I sat there until I passed everything. Ever saw the blood and said “Oh no mama, you have an ouchie, you need a bandaid. But it’s ok, you can be brave and I can make it all better. ” She held my hand and I got to talk to her about birth. I told her that sometimes, blood is good. We talked about how birth isn’t scary and she does not need to be afraid of this. Birth is good and she will be meeting her brother soon. She said “Oh mama, that is great. I so excited to meet baby boy.” She then wanted to use the potty seat like I did.
2:35 PM | I called the Haven team and told them I don’t think I am in labor yet, but that I lost my mucus plug. I just wanted to put that on their radar. They told me it could be today or a few days now before we have our baby and to call when labor picks up. Since I had a chiropractic appointment scheduled in an hour, I asked them if there was any concern with going to that appointment. They said no - it will only help progress labor in a good way and continue to prepare your body.
2:40 PM | I called my husband and told him what happened. I asked him if he thought I should go to the chiropractic appointment. The appointment was about 25-40 minutes away from our house because I would be leaving at 4:45 PM which would be rush hour. At this point, contractions had started to slowly pick up and I had a gamble decision. We decided I should go to the chiropractic appointment. I had almost 1.5 hours of time to use up though, so Ever and I made our way to Costco. I was able to use their bathroom to clean up properly, and then I was the girl practically falling into the watermelon container trying to bring home 3 watermelons. If you know me, you know how much I love watermelon, especially pregnant. We then scooted over to the Costco car wash. Ever is usually pretty fearful of the car wash. But this time, as we drove in, Ever said, “Mama, I’m going to be so brave, but I’m going to close my eyes!” I was really, really proud of her. While at Costco, Josh texted me a picture of out entire birth tub and floor set up for labor. We had planned to do that that evening, but I think he knew this baby was coming soon. He is my project manager, and I love watching him shine in his own way during my labors.
3:40 PM | We finished our errands and got to our Chiro appointment a little early. Right outside of the office building was this really fun mini park that I had never noticed, so Ever and I spent special time at the park together just having 1-1 time.
4:10 | Ever and I went into my Chiro appointment. I have seen Dr. Carolyn with Peak Performance for all three of my pregnancies and she is a gift! She let Ever help adjust me and massage my round ligament/nerve pain, and she did so good. I told Dr. Carolyn that I would be shocked if I didn’t have this baby tonight.
5:15 PM | Traffic was not too bad from Franklin to Spring Hill and I made it home! We had no food in the fridge, so immediately, I made a grocery list and Josh ran out to the store to stock the fridge while I fed the girls dinner. At this point, there was no doubt labor had started and I was having to slow down/stop during contractions to start to breathe through them. I brought out my birthing ball to the kitchen to labor on while I made dinner and sat with the girls. Eleanor decided to join me on the birthing ball and she ‘labored’ with me. I cannot get over her tiny curls. I started timing contractions and they were coming every 2-3 minutes.
7:09 PM | I was really starting to need Josh but we needed to put our girls down. I texted my dear friend Peyton and asked if she could come help put the girls down. She was here in 10 minutes and from their giggles during bath time and story time, they had the very best time with her!
7:10 PM | I showered to have warm water run over me and just feel refreshed.
7:21 PM | I called the Haven team to let them know my contractions were really close together and that I think they should start to head over to our home. They asked some questions, agreed, and said they would be to our home in about 40 minutes.
8:15 PM | The girls were really missing their mama, and Peyton came down to ask me to come up and say goodnight to the girls, as they kept asking for me. Ever held my hand while I breathed through contractions and I got to kiss both of my best gals goodnight one last time before meeting our son. When I walked downstairs, I saw Lauren Drees and immediately, I knew everything would be ok because she was here. Her presence can calm and light up any room simultaneously, and she was a really welcome sight!
9:15 PM | After our whole team arrived, they checked my heart rate and blood pressure. They also checked dilation and effacement and I was 4 cm dilated and 50 effaced. I was not yet in active labor. They offered to give me some space and sit in the living room while I got in ‘labor land’ in our bedroom and laid down. After laying down for 45 minutes or so, I felt like contractions were getting further apart, and not progressing. I got up to move for a few minutes and went out to chat with the Haven gals in the living room. They suggested I draw a bath with epsom salt to see if warm water helps to progress me into active labor.
10:30 PM | I got in our bathtub and decided to have a banana. I was unable to have dinner earlier but I knew I needed something small and easy to digest. I had all of my birth affirmations around me, and Josh was there reminding me of how capable I am and that I can surrender my body right now to do what it needs to do.
11:50 PM | Labor was definitely progressing and I was starting to have to focus and really breathe down through contractions.
MIDNIGHT | The Haven team came in to the bathroom to see how I was doing, and we decided to check to see how I was progressing. Stone’s heart rate was slow, but steady and in a good spot. I was finally at 6.5 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I had made so much progress in the water and we were officially in active labor. Lauren Drees suggested that we start filling up the birth tub with water so that I could be more comfortable while I labored.
12:25 AM | I moved to our bedroom to the birth tub and was so much more comfortable. At this point, I was in transition and was focused on each wave of a contraction. They gave me a wooden ball with some spikes on it to hold while I labored and this helped a lot to squeeze during contractions. During the next hour and a half, Joshua, my team, and I listened to worship music, they sang and talked about the goodness of God and birth, they prayed for me as I experienced each contraction, and they helped me adjust my positions to find relief during each wave.
During this time, I was in this tension time of wanting labor to be over because it was so intense, but also, not rushing his process of coming into the world. The phrase that I kept saying over and over again between contractions was ‘I am not in a hurry’ . I did not want to rush through the hard because it was there that my heart needed to stay until he was ready. I had affirmations up on our dressers all around the birth tub, and the one that I kept bringing to mind was “This is just a wave, He won’t let you go under.” And He didn’t. I was sustained by the Lord, my husband, and my team the whole time.
1:35 AM | Finally, my body was ready to start actively pushing. I told the team that my body wanted to push and with 3 pushes, his head came out first.
1:45 AM | With two more pushes, the rest of his sweet little body came, and Josh and I, together with Lauren, pulled him to my chest.
The song “It Is Well” by Bethel and Kristine DiMarco was the song I delivered him to, and I cannot imagine a more fitting song for his birth. It is WELL that we have a son. The Lord knew from the very beginning of time, and before my life ever existed, that we would have a son. And it is WELL with my soul.
1:50 AM | Five minutes after Stone was born, Everly woke up. She never wakes up in the middle of the night, but this night, I think she just knew. Josh went upstairs to comfort her, but she kept asking for me.
2:00 AM | I delivered my placenta while Josh was upstairs with Everly, and Stone was able to latch and start nursing. I had a very small tear, barely a 1 degree, so there were no stitches necessary. They did say that we should keep Stone in our room for a few nights so I could heal quickly by not going up and down the stairs all day and night for feeds.
2:15 AM | Ever came downstairs with her dad and got to meet baby Stone for the first time. She was so sweet and curious about him, and it was a special and unexpected moment with just us.
3:45 AM | Josh and Lauren measured Stone. He was 19.5 inches long, and weighed 6 lbs 13 oz. He was our biggest baby yet! Everly was 6 lbs 11 oz, and Eleanor was 6 lbs 3 oz.
4:30 AM | The Haven team had emptied the tub, cleaned up the floor mats we taped down, did two loads of laundry of towels and sheets from birth, and they packed up to head home and rest. We then got to soak in time with just us three before the girls woke up.
5:00 AM | Josh brought the pack and play down to our room and set it up. We got about one hour of sleep once we laid him down and it was a much needed one hour.
8:15 AM | Josh woke up the girls and brought them downstairs to meet their baby brother. It was so special to watch them be curious about him and love on him.
It is still not lost on me that we get to steward a tiny man and fold him into the rhythms of our life. His birth was more than I could have asked for. We were unhurried in our souls and our three great prayers were answered for his birth.
There are no other hands we could have imagined helping us bring our son to this side of my belly. Josh, Lauren, Lauren, and Lia - thank you for being that team.
We are praising the Lord for our three children. What a good, good thing it is to have the privilege to raise them and be their mama.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat — for he grants sleep to a those he loves. Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court. ”
