Birth story - Phoebe and baby boy

On 12/12/2019 I woke up at 5am with mild surges, I hadn’t lost my waters so carried on at home. At 7:30am, I woke my partner up and explained he couldn’t go to work as I knew I was having contractions, so he stayed back with me. By this time I had decided to take two paracetamol as they were becoming stronger but not closer in frequency.

We carried about the day at home with the support of the Freya app, bounced on the birthing ball, had a proper lunch and a couple of warm baths. By 4pm things started to ramp up a little so I decided I wanted to stand in a warm shower as my back was in agony and at 6:30pm we decided it was time to ring the hospital as I could no longer continue at home.

We arrived at the birth centre at around 7:15pm and I was shortly examined to find I was 5cm! We were staying, I was so happy and proud I’d gotten half way at home and the midwife couldn’t believe how calm I was... this would not have been me without the positive birth book and Freya app!

I continued to bounce on the birthing ball and stay upright whilst we waited for a pool room to come free. We moved to our new room at around 9pm and they began to run the pool, however during this time my surges suddenly ramped up a lot more and I decided I needed gas and air and wanted to be on all 4s on the bed instead of getting in the pool... I trusted what my body was telling me and stayed on the bed.

By 10:30 I was feeling the urge to push and just went with this, my waters had not yet broken so after an hour the midwife decided to break my waters, my baby’s heart rate began to drop a little, and with him still being back to back, at 11:55pm the midwife decided it was time that I may need some help and offered me an episiotomy and advised, with the baby showing some signs of distress, a forceps delivery.

This was my worst nightmare originally but by using BRAIN I decided I wanted to go ahead... as I had only had gas and air until this point I could not have any other pain relief as it was too late but I knew with my breathing I could carry on and make this a positive birth.

My gorgeous little boy was born at 12:44am on 13/12/2019 and I would do it again in a heart beat! You made my birth one of the greatest experiences of my life and something I will forever say an AMAZINGINGLY, POSITIVE, AND EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE ❤️ I’m already excited to do it all over again in a few years!