Birth story - Alica and baby Sidney

I had planned a home birth but because of Coronavirus it was cancelled a few days before I was due so I was referred to the Lewisham birth centre. I was pretty devastated and feeling very worried about whether Tommy would be with me but after a day or so I tried to focus on the positives and get that oxytocin flowing. 

Labour started at 4am on the 1st April - my due date! I had on and off light contractions which felt like strong period pains throughout the day until the evening. 

Tommy used essential oils and acupressure points during the day which felt amazing and were very calming. I also tried the tens machine, which I’d loved during pregnancy for back pain but found it too much in labour. 

In the evening the contractions really ramped up and I had one ALL night every 10 mins so barely slept a wink. I was using hypnobirthing up breathing and listening to positive affirmations/meditations on the positive birth company Freya App which really helped to get in and stay in the zone. It also times your contractions which was really useful to tell when to go into hospital. When I finally reached a contraction every 3ish mins we went into hospital at 8am. Tommy wasn’t allowed in at first until they’d examined me. 

The midwife did a vaginal exam which was very uncomfortable and made my contractions way stronger. I was 3cm dilated so she gave me two options; to go for a walk to get gravity to press on my cervix or take pethidine and have a rest. I remembered from the antenatal group that I definitely didn’t want pethidine so a walk it was! I could barely stand I was so exhausted and was having contractions every few mins but managed a ridiculous stumble around. 

Tommy had to move the car so madly I went with him to do that. It turned into a total saga as there were no spaces so we were driving around for ages over every single available speed bump with me laid out on the back seat listening to the Freya app and trying to do my breathing. We finally parked and had to walk all the way back to the birth centre past loads of people with face masks pushing huge yellow bins. I was so in my own zone it didn’t bother me in the slightest. I was stopping every few mins to have a huge contraction. We were gone for about an hour and when I got back I was fully dilated and felt like I wanted to push! I got straight in the pool, which was honestly absolute magic it was so relaxing, and pushed him out in an hour and a half!

Sidney was born at 12.29pm on the 2nd April, just a casual 32 hour labour start to finish. I had gas and air at the start in the pool but then my midwife told me not to use it while I was pushing his head out. The water was just amazing and Tommy made the room all lovely with a diffuser and music. I was on my knees leaning over the side holding on to him. Pushing was mental, my body totally took over and I was doing these mad involuntary animalistic teeth gritted pushes! I just kept doing my breathing and I was completely in my own zone. Tommy said I didn’t speak the whole labour haha. It didn’t hurt pushing him out it just really stung when the wide bit of his head was coming out. It all happened so quickly compared to the mammoth amount of contractions. The midwife passed him through my legs so I could bring him up out of the water and Tommy cut his cord. The feeling of holding your newborn baby is like nothing else!

Because the active labour had been so quick the midwife suggested I have the injection so my placenta came away quickly and I didn’t risk bleeding too much. I remembered from the positive birth company digital pack how important this is so agreed. 

I got out the pool and the midwife pressed my tummy and tugged on the cord until the placenta came out. Tommy got some lovely cuddles then. I had a second degree tear as he has a massive head... clearly inherited my big spam and had to be stitched up for 50 mins after which was actually fine as I was so blissed out with baby love, and local anaesthetic! 

We had 7 hours in the room and thankfully Tommy could stay the whole time and we had lots of skin to skin. Sid got his medical checks and the midwife went through some baby basics as we’re not going to get any face to face post natal care due to Coronavirus. I was really anxious about breast feeding and wanted as much help as possible while I was with the midwives. She showed me a good position and gave me some tips and he got on the boob straight away and hasn’t been off it since! 

Bringing him home was just so magical and overwhelming. It half feels like the most natural thing in the world and half like the most insane thing I’ve ever done! 

It’s astounding how much love I feel for him and every time I look at him it grows.

Tips

• Do a dummy run from door to door to the hospital and work out exactly where you walk and park etc

• Bring dark bottoms to be in after/ go home in. I was bleeding much more than I anticipated

• Buy adult nappies for the first few days, the bulkyness of the pads were uncomfortable at first 

• Have a stock of painkillers at home ready 

• Watch videos on how to hand express and practice before birth so you feel more confident. I think it really helped that I could squeeze a bit of colostrum in Sid’s face so he got interested in my boob 

• Read positive birth stories and Watch positive birth videos - it really normalised birth and made me feel ready and capable to do it too 

• Bring loads of food to the hospital  

• Don’t stress if baby doesn’t sleep in the cot you’ve made so lovely and and pictured him in he just wants his mummy’s warmth and love in the night

• Download a white noise app they are magic for sleep

• Sleepyheads are also great for day time to put baby down (look on gumtree)