Zoe’s Birth Story: A Fast, Peaceful Water Birth at Home

"I love the app and it was always so calming to just have the scriptures and affirmations playing in the background. It definitely helped remind me that God was in control and has created our bodies to carry and birth our babies."

August 14th, 2025

I woke up that morning drained and tired from a night of prodromal labor. Starting the week before I’d had multiple days or nights where I thought labor was starting, but contractions were either not strong enough, or strong but too spaced out. Wednesday night they were the strongest I’d felt, crampy like actual labor instead of Braxton Hicks, but never got closer than 10-15 minutes apart from 9pm-5am. It was messing with my head because I knew this could continue to my due date or beyond and that was exhausting to think about. I called my midwife that morning just to tell her what was going on and get some encouragement and reassurance that this baby would decide to actually come one of these times.

We had planned to have company that morning and I decided to go forward with that even though I was tired. I didn’t go on my usual morning walk and instead took some time in my room to just pray, journal, and really surrender everything to God. Her entire pregnancy from beginning to end was a journey and lesson in surrender for me, so this honestly felt fitting and I just settled in my mind that I had weeks left.

Our friends arrived around 10am. Dani had been my doula for Emerson’s birth and her family had been full time RVing for almost a year so we hadn’t seen them in months and it was so nice to catch up. The kids instantly reconnected and bounced around from inside to outside while the adults chatted. Dani ended up staying a little longer than planned while her husband ran an errand and Skyler left at 12:30 for work.

Her and I were sitting in the living room at 1:15 continuing to chat when Emerson walked past me and I noticed his shorts were sagging so I leaned forward to check his diaper. I felt a sharp pain and a GUSH of water flooded the chair I was sitting on. I was speechless and frozen for a few seconds because every time I shifted, more water gushed. Dani was mid sentence, saw what happened and said “Your water just broke didn’t it.” I laughed and just sat there unsure of what to do next. I saw the time and realized Skyler would be almost at work so I called him immediately and told him to turn around. Dani got me towels and I did my best to contain what I could as I waddled upstairs to shower. She and the kids and her husband all jumped into action cleaning up the house and getting their stuff ready to leave. I texted my midwife, called my photographer and texted my sister who was planning to come be with the boys during labor.

Contractions hadn’t started yet, but I had the feeling it might not be long. When I got out of the shower I called the midwife since she hadn’t responded to my text. She just happened to be at my friend’s house 20 minutes away doing her postpartum visit. She said when she was done she would just pop by to check on us since she was so close. She got to our house 30 minutes later and Skyler soon after. I felt mild contractions starting before she walked in and they steadily came every few minutes while she checked me and baby’s vitals. 30 minutes later when she was ready to leave she looked at me and said “I’m not sure if I should go home?” I told her I didn’t know either! I didn’t want her to waste gas if this went quickly, but also didn’t want her to hang out for forever. She said she would go to a nearby coffee shop to work and give me some space and check in after about an hour. Jennie, my photographer, lived an hour away so when I told her contractions were starting to be regular she said she felt like she should just get closer. She headed to meet Dawn and they were going to wait to hear from me. I tried laying down for a bit and contractions spaced out but intensified.

Laboring during the day was new for me, and I definitely wasn’t going to sleep. When I got up contractions went right back to 2-3 minutes apart and stronger than before. They were still very manageable but I let Dawn know. She said they would eat Chik Fil A and then head over. I had made a huge dish of chicken curry and rice the day before that I intended to put into the freezer for postpartum but hadn’t yet. I insisted they come eat at the house instead of fast food. It seemed unlike me to want multiple people in my space at the moment, but Dawn, Jennie, and Aline (the nurse who joined around 5:30) all have a mothering presence and I just felt like having them close. Everyone, including my sister and her baby arrived in the same hour and we all chatted and laughed and just hung out.

My contractions stayed steady and strong, and I would just close my eyes or pause conversation when I needed to as they came. I could tell Dawn and Aline were watching me closely, trying to gauge where I was at. I felt completely at peace and was just enjoying the company and my boys bouncing around doing their thing. The distractions kept me from even thinking of how long this might take. I had eaten a good lunch and a protein ball around 3pm, but by 5pm felt like I might throw up if I ate anything (probably should have dawned on me then this wouldn’t be a long labor).

My best friend picked up our milk that day and when she came to drop it in the garage fridge at 5:30 I told her she better come in and hug me. She hugged me, chatted for a little bit and prayed over me before she left. I told her later I would have had her stay and join the party if she hadn’t had her three kids in the car. Janette took the boys for a walk, and as I sat in the living room Dawn checked baby’s heart rate through a strong contraction. She said after a couple more of those we needed to start filling the tub just to get ready. It was clearly apparent to her that I was getting closer even though I wasn’t realizing it yet. I walked into the kitchen and almost immediately the waves came about a minute apart and strong. I stopped talking completely during them and had to close my eyes and breathe. They started doing some hips squeezes and sacral pressure which helped, and I said I was ready to go upstairs where the tub and room were fully set up for birth. The tub was too hot to get in immediately so I Iabored on the birth ball for a little while, each wave getting stronger as Skyler dumped ice in and called our friends to bring more. The boys got back from their walk and Zayne wanted to stay out of the room with Janette(he’s always been very sensitive to when I am in pain or not feeling well), but Emerson came in and joined me on the birth ball. He was calm and curious and completely unphased, even when I started moaning through the contractions. “What you doing mama? Is that the ball?” I loved having him there, my baby who was about to be a big brother. That’s always such an emotional transition for me and I love that he wanted to be part of this time. I started tearing up looking at him, squeezing him hard as I had a contraction. Finally the tub was cool enough and I went to the bathroom before getting in, having 3-4 contractions in those few minutes. It still wasn’t registering in my mind how close I was to birth, I just never really focused on that or trying to guess.

When we first came upstairs I started the worship playlist I had created for birth. I only had 43 minutes of music on it, but it ended up being the exact length I needed because the last song was playing when she was born. The water was instant relief for the burning I was feeling in my belly with every contraction. I’d never labored in water before and it felt sooooo good. I stayed on my knees and then leaned forward, using the side for support as I continued to progress quickly. I focused on the music and just started worshiping and crying at one point, trusting God to help me get through the hardest part coming. This pregnancy had been my hardest one emotionally,mentally, and spiritually. There were some major things we walked through in our marriage and my own personal journey of growth and healing. But it had brought me closer to Jesus than I’ve ever been in my life, and I felt Him so close in those final moments.

Emerson stayed at my head, still happy and calm even as I got louder. Skyler gave counter pressure and then moved to support me from the front. I felt baby moving down and the intense part coming. With both Emerson and this baby, the fetal ejection reflex kicks in for me and there is no need for directed or even conscious pushing on my part. It feels more like I have to let go and just allow my body to do its thing without resisting the pain or stopping it. On maybe the third or fourth pushing contraction I felt her head and entire body come out at once, flying into the water before I could really “catch” her. Emerson later asked many times about how “Baby went wimming? She fall in the water?”

I instinctually scooped her to my chest and sat back in so much relief and joy. She cried right away and was clearly breathing great so I just held her and cried and laughed. So happy that the hard part was over and she was in my arms. I studied her face for a minute and couldn’t tell whether she was a boy or girl, but then glanced at her hands and thought “those are really feminine fingers”. Sure enough, she was my girl. When I announced it Skyler promptly fell out on the bed in laughter and tears. He had convinced himself we were going to have all boys, and was in happy shock that he was wrong. We would have been overjoyed either way of course, but to have a little girl just felt like the sweetest gift. I’ll never forget as I pulled her out of the water and into my arms I heard the song Holy Forever playing on my speaker “And the angels cry Holy” were the first words my girl heard as she entered this world. I have always felt like birth is the closest we get to touching heaven here on earth and that never felt more true than the night of Zoe’s birth. Her name means “Life” and I am forever grateful God chose to bless us with hers.

It was my smoothest, fastest, most peaceful and joyful birth by far.

@jenniepyfferoen.familyfilms

Mama: @wholeheartedlife7

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