Judah- our little firecracker born July 4th, 2023, is one! As I sit down to write this, I can hardly believe it's been a whole year since that unforgettable night. Judah's entrance into the world was nothing short of dramatic, and in honor of his first birthday, I wanted to share his birth story.

The Beginning of the Journey

The Thursday before Judah was born, I had my 37-week appointment with my midwife. She checked my cervix and noted that I had progressed to 2 cm dilated and that my cervix was ripening—about 50% effaced. You might think I'd have been expectant that our baby boy would arrive soon. However, I had been 3 cm dilated at 37 weeks with my daughter Amara, and she stayed in my womb for another 5 weeks before I had to be induced to get her out 😆. So, I went home thinking I still had a couple more weeks to prepare for his arrival.

Early Signs

That night, I began to feel some mild pressure waves (what Hypnobabies calls contractions) and noticed some light spotting. I just assumed it was because my cervix had been checked earlier that day and didn't think much more of it. The mild pressure waves continued into the morning, and I texted my midwife to let her know. She confirmed that it was likely just the effects of the cervix check but told me to keep her posted.

If you want to learn more about Hypnobabies and how this program can help you have a more comfortable and peaceful birth- click here!

The Weekend of Waiting

On Friday night, the pressure waves returned, only this time, I had to breathe through them and use my Hypnobabies techniques to go into hypnosis. This gave me pause, but I wasn't super concerned yet because I'd felt similar sensations around 36 weeks. By Saturday, the pressure waves came in intervals for longer periods, a few hours at a time, then died off. This mostly happened at night and early morning, but I started feeling the waves a couple of times during the day as well.

By Sunday, the pressure waves were more pronounced and persistent. They continued well into the morning, but I still managed to go about my regular activities, even attending and serving at the check-in counter for the children's ministry at church. It must have been obvious that something was up because a friend texted me during service and asked if she and her husband needed to take my daughter home so we could go to the hospital (lol). Eventually, the waves died off again—until around midnight.

The Big Surprise

From midnight until about 6 am on Monday, I had significant waves that I had to go into hypnosis to manage. Around 4 am, I felt a small gush of fluid but wasn't sure if my waters had broken. Since I had been induced with my daughter, I couldn't remember what it felt like when my waters broke naturally. I texted my midwife again that morning and gave her an update. She suggested I come in so she could check me and see how much more I'd dilated. I also let my mother know, who packed her bag immediately and headed to us.

At our appointment at noon, my midwife checked me and stated that I was almost 100% effaced and about 7 1/2 cm dilated. She told me that baby boy was well on his way and would likely make his appearance in the next day or two at most. The gush of fluid was not from my amniotic sac breaking, but the outer sac. The AC was out and being repaired at the birth center, so she recommended that I go home to eat and get some rest comfortably and to prepare for the birth.

Our birth plan was to have the baby at the birth center, but since I was already so far dilated and effaced, if my waters did break, there would be no barrier and my baby would come out soon after. As such, my midwife sent me home with an 'at-home' birth kit in case this happened and I felt the urge to push before we had time to get in the car and drive to the birth center (she lived very close to me and stated that if this was the case, she would just come to me).

My mother was shocked that my birth team would even allow me to go home considering how far along I was, but I agreed so that I could be in the comfort of my own home and more easily rest and prepare. We left the center and called my husband at work to inform him so he could leave. I grabbed a meal and went home to rest for a few hours.

The Final Stretch

I awoke to some moderate pressure waves and started panicking when I realized I would likely have a baby in my arms by the morning. I had prepared to use the days off I'd had from work to go in and wrap up some big projects I had going and write final instructions for my department. I also realized I needed more baby items like pacifiers and diaper cream. I texted my boss to let her know and then began frantically sending emails to my team to let them know.

 While doing this, my pressure waves picked up significantly—so much so that I had to breathe through them and take breaks from typing. It looked like "Effective immediately, so-and-so will be supervising you... (groan and sway)" and "This is where I left off on this project—so-and-so, take over... (groan and sway)." Between emails and 1-click purchases on Amazon, I wasn't able to get into hypnosis. I put my Hypnobabies birthing track on in the background but was definitely not focusing on my body and my baby as needed to get into hypnosis.

Around 8:30 pm, I felt another gush of water that I was pretty sure was my water breaking. I told my mom and husband to let me finish up and we would leave. I waddled to the car, and we left the house around 9:30 pm for the birth center. When we arrived and got settled in, it was about 10 pm. My midwife checked my cervix and I was about 8 cm dilated and fully effaced. She asked if I wanted to move into the tub for a water birth and I told her I did, so after the next wave, my husband helped me into the tub.

We played my Hypnobabies tracks in the background and I had some calming essential oils, but I struggled to get into hypnosis as the waves were now coming back to back. As I began to transition, I moved from a seated position on my bottom to a squatting-pelvis-down position in the tub. The pressure waves were not letting up, coming one right after the other. My midwife came in to check me and said that she could see our baby's hair.

Around this point, I remember my husband at the edge of the tub facing me, and I started telling him that I didn't think I could do it. I wasn't in hypnosis and was definitely feeling the pain—I was scared. In his typically straightforward way, he said, "But babe, you're already doing it! He's coming right now!" My midwife confirmed and encouraged me to reach down and feel my baby's head. I was excited but feeling the ring of fire that many women talk about. It was at this point that I grabbed my husband's arm tightly—and bit him (he claims, lol). It felt like I was pushing for hours, but I believe it was closer to 15 minutes or so.

The Arrival

Just after midnight, at 12:21 am on July 4th, our firecracker baby, Judah Matthew Ligon, made his grand entrance into the world. He was born at 37 weeks and 5 days- weighing 6 lbs 5.5 oz and 20.5 inches long- perfect and healthy, bringing so much joy and love into our lives.

Naming Judah

Just like we did for my daughter, we actually didn't name Judah until after he was born. We had planned to do a name starting with an S so that the girls could have the same first initial and then the boys have the same initial (Aeriel and Amara, Seth—my husband—and baby boy). We both came up with some S names we liked like Simeon, Solomon, and Slade, but we either couldn't agree on them or they just didn't feel right. I liked Judah for a while, but whenever I brought it up to my husband, he shot it down. About two hours after he was born, when my midwife asked, my husband said, "He should be Judah—he looks like a Judah." And of course, I agreed. As for his middle name, it's a family name; my husband's father's middle name is Matthew, as well as his middle name, so we knew we wanted to keep the tradition going.

A Year Later

Looking back, Judah's birth was a whirlwind of emotions and surprises. He's been a bright spark in our family, and such a beautiful addition- fitting in perfectly- and living up to his birthdate as our little firecracker. We are so thankful God blessed us with Judah-our little rainbow baby- and excited to celebrate his first birthday.

Happy birthday, Judah Matthew Ligon! We love you to the moon and back. 🎉✨

**Share Your Story:** What was your birth experience like? Leave a comment below, and let's celebrate these amazing moments together!