Birth story - Aimee and baby Aurora

Positive homebirth turned emergency transfer to hospital! 41+1 weeks!

Still a VERY positive birth story and I’m so thrilled I got to labour mostly at home the way I had wanted!

Labour started Monday 3rd September early hours 5/6am - I started timing the surges and took myself downstairs, attempted some breakfast and watched a film. I used a tens machine to help ease the backache with my up breathing technique, I also bounced on my birthing ball for a few hours, The surges got a little more intense which is when I woke My husband!

We had a midwife appointment for our 41 week check up so we decided to go to it thinking she may be able to tell me if I was in labour! As it was she couldn’t as my cervix was still too far back behind her head!
I think due to this disappointment my mindset slipped and everything stopped! It re started again that afternoon but stopped a few hours after, so we had a lovely dinner, watched a film and went to bed ... not for long as surges came in thick and fast at 1am - we phoned our Doula at 3am and then the midwife!

Annie our Doula came over very quickly and Mat my husband proceeded to set up our kitchen with the pool and put the fairy lights on, he lit my darceys relaxation candles and @thepositivebirthcompany mp3’s playing along side a mixture of classical songs from movies!

Whilst Mat was doing everything - getting our nest ready, Annie our Doula was INCREDIBLE helping me breathe through surges and rubbing my back! I then got in the pool to ease the pains which was lovely.

The midwife Lynsey arrived not too long after this! It was very calm and relaxed with lots of breathing going on! The midwife was very hands off apart from the checks she needed to do and every surge I was either holding onto Mat or Annie for support!

The second midwife Mary was then called and she arrived - Mary was who we had an appointment with early that day so it was nice to see a friendly face!

My waters went in the pool I switched to down breathing and my body decided to start pushing around 8am - I pushed for two hours and nothing happened so a quick examination and a part of my cervix still hadn’t dilated so another 2 hours of trying not to push when I couldn’t really help it!
We laughed when the music for the great escape came on!!

I then began to push again for another two hours - we had run out of classical music so went to west end musicals - at one point the midwives were swaying along to Mamma Mia 🙂

Up until now I had no pain relief just water, a coke for some sugar and a banana for energy! I had a moment of weakness and out came the saying ...’ I don’t think I can do this’
Mat, Annie and the midwives Lynsey and Mary reassured me I could - but after another hour of pushing I asked for some gas an air - this took the edge off a little whilst pushing!

The midwives did everything they could to let me have a homebirth but she was just in the wrong position after 6 hours of pushing the call was made to the ambulance to come and get us!

So Annie gathered our things I had pre packed just incase and put them in her car to follow along behind! The ambulance took us at about 4pm - I tried to stay calm with Mat by my side as this is what I had feared, I kept my eyes closed pretty much from now until she was born!

We got into the delivery suite and A LOT of people rushed in - I was thankful for Annie now as she was listening to everything they were telling us as it was a bit much for Mat and I, she relayed it to us and explained it to us calmly!

A C-section was mentioned and I sobbed and begged for one try at something else before that! It was agreed they would try forceps but would prep my body for a c section just incase - so one spinal block later I could no longer feel my body from my ribs down - theatre was bright with a lot of people so again I closed my eyes - thought of our honeymoon in the Maldives and had Mat holding me and talking to me in my ear!

I’d managed to shove the gas an air so high into the top of my mouth it had cut my lip and as I pulled it down it caught my veneer 😳 it became loose so I spent the whole time in theatre holding my tooth but it definitely took the focus off theatre and lots of people and the bright lights!

One episiotomy and forceps later - asking me to push when I couldn’t feel my body was surreal but she arrived into the world at 4.50pm! Clearly not phased by the drama as her heart rate was stable the whole time and she came out calm as anything she only cried when they took her and wiped her!

The midwives said what a strong team Baby and I were the whole time as neither of our heart rates dropped the whole labour and we were both very calm throughout the process!

They told me to open my eyes as she was here! I opened my eyes to a rather white ball and couldn’t quite believe that was our baby! They took her to be cleaned and weighed etc and we had skin to skin which instantly calmed her while I delivered my placenta, I was paranoid that they kept it as we were having it made into capsules!

They kept it and put it in the bag I provided with the ice packs! We were then wheeled to recovery where Annie was waiting! Mat ditched the scrubs and had skin to skin with her! It was perfect I was just so glad she was here!

The spinal block was supposed to wear off after 3/4 hours but mine took a little longer so we stayed in recovery until midnight and then wheeled to the ward!

The next two days we stayed in hospital and then we were allowed to go home! Some painful stitches and swelling for me meant we had a week where we stayed at home just the three of us no visitors and Mat was incredible he did everything for us both along side support from my mum popping in with meals and shopping everyday!

So although it didn’t end the way we planned the majority of it was at home, very calm throughout and very positive!
Just so thrilled to have my beautiful baby girl Aurora Rose 🌹