Birth story - Ali and baby girl

Hi lovely ladies, I would love to share my positive birth story with you despite a bit of a dramatic finale (which I hope I’m ok to share on here). I had my baby girl on 4/7/18 at 41+2 wks. I had posted on here the day before about feeling really disheartened at my looming induction date but a sweep from my midwife kickstarted labour within a few hours!

I woke around 2am to use the bathroom and had a small gush of waters after which I immediately started contracting every 5-7 mins. These became stronger fairly quickly so I used my up breathing and rang our hospital. I was assessed when we arrived at the maternity unit about 4.30am- I was 3cm at this stage but my surges increased quickly to every 3mins apart. We were only getting settled in the early labour ward when things ramped up even quicker so they filled the birthing pool for me. We dimmed the lights, put my playlist on and I felt much more relaxed and in control although I needed gas and air at this stage. I found it really helped me to focus my breathing. I also found it helped for my husband and midwife telling me to breathe the pain away. I held my husband’s hands throughout each surge and that comforted me.

It wasn’t long before I hit transition, had all the thoughts that I couldn’t do this but this also passed quickly and soon my body was starting to push on its own near the end of each surge. I didn’t experience this with my first labour with which I had an epidural, so I was amazed at how powerful a feeling this was. It scared me a bit but I knew I was near!

This went on for a while but my midwife thought that my cervix may not have been dilated enough to totally embrace pushing (can’t remember why she thought this. I’d declined internal examination) so she encouraged me to get out of the pool and move around, which I agreed to if it helped hurry things on.
I actually lay on my side on a bed at this stage and tried to get my breathing under control but the pushing urge got stronger and there is no controlling that! I knew to trust my body and sure enough next time the midwife looked she said ‘you’re about to have your baby!’ I don’t think she could believe it, so I jumped back in the pool and birthed baby’s head on my next push.

However with the next push nothing happened! Baby’s shoulder got a bit stuck, so I was pulled out of the water and the midwives took over. She came out quickly thank God with a bit of a pull and was laid on my chest. Totally healthy 9lbs 5oz.

I did tear quite badly because of this and needed to be stitched up in surgery with a blood transfusion yesterday, but despite this I’m feeling so amazed at having birthed such a bigger baby than my first with only the power of breathing and learning to embrace the power of your own body. I fully recommend Siobhan’s teaching which I did through the online course, especially everything to do with you being in control of your own labour and every decision that’s made to make it a positive empowering experience, no matter how birth turns out.

And look what I’ve got at the end- another gorgeous daughter who is a boob monster!

Thank you so much to Siobhan Miller and this amazing community. Good luck to you all waiting to meet your babies.