While I was pregnant with our ninth child, my midwife told me that I appeared unusually large. "If you're having twins, you'll have to find someone else to help you. That's out of my league."
My very first ultrasound revealed that, yes, indeed, I was carrying twins!
My neighbor, Margarita, was expecting her eighth child and suggested that I call her doctor who did home deliveries. After meeting him, he suggested that I call his father who had delivered over 80 sets of twins at home.
I began labor three weeks before my due date, the very day that I was to meet the elderly physician. I didn't tell my husband, Mike, that I was in active labor, because we had an hour’s drive ahead of us and you know how long childbirth can go.
While waiting for our turn to be called back to the examination room, we met a lovely lady. Michelle had given birth at home five times with the help of Doctor Gregory White and my husband told her that the doctor was planning to meet us at a hotel halfway between Crystal Lake and Franklin Park to deliver our twins.
"I live halfway between Crystal Lake and Franklin Park! You can come to my house!"
When the nurse called us and the exam commenced, Dr. White said, “How long have you been in labor?"
"About four hours," I replied.
My husband then told him about meeting Michelle in the waiting room and her offer to host our delivery.
"Hmm," he said casually, "meet me over at Michelle's house."
My husband called her and wrote out the directions. He then contacted my sister Jenine, who wanted to attend, and neighbor Margarita who also brought our daughter, Wendy. When we arrived, the bed was prepared, newspapers and towels were set out along with a pot of water to boil.
Dr. White arrived shortly and instructed my husband, "I'll check her, then I'll lay down to rest. Wake me up every twenty minutes." This went on all evening into the night and early morning. I was not progressing as quickly as anticipated, so the doctor did an adjustment and within 30 minutes, Joseph Edward made his entrance into the world weighing in at about 5 lbs. Dr. White proclaimed, "He's a keeper!"
I was instructed that my uterus would rest a bit, so "just relax."
About 40 minutes later Stephen James greeted us. We could see that he was a little larger and it was confirmed that he was about 7 ½ lbs. I say "about" because the doctor did not have his usual fish scale, so Michelle's daughter held them each on the scale and then subtracted her weight.
A few hours later, we wrapped up the babies. Wendy carried one baby and I took the other as we had no car seats and Mike drove all of us back to Crystal Lake.
We were over the moon with our two new babies and so were all children at home!
That was December 8, 1992. I knew that the Lord was in the business of delivering babies for thousands of years. He causes the deer to give birth, and I knew that He would help me, too. He provided a better place for me to give birth than I ever could have imagined!
MARY LAPLACE SCHUCH
(Mary is a mother of 11 grown children and now a great-grandmother with a heart to bless, teach, and encourage young mothers).
Woodstock, Illinois, USA
You can contact Mary at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Pictures: The twins as babies and then grown up.