Birth story - Alice and baby girl

I'm a serious bath fan, after a good day at work I'd have a bath and a wine and after a bad day at work, well, the same. So when we found out we were pregnant, a water birth was my first preference. 

Luckily I was a low risk pregnancy, but to maximise my chances of getting that water birth I knew I'd need some strategies for staying intervention free as much as possible and then a bit of luck on top. Hypnobirthing seemed to fit perfectly, and the PBC pack gave me tools particularly with breathing and affirmations to get in the right head and body space. 

With the lockdown announced, I felt my anxieties rise, particularly when I found out my hospital was no longer offering water births. But I tried to let go of things I couldn't control and focus on meeting my baby in a few short weeks. 

Surges started on their own at 39+3 and a few hours later, my waters partially broke. I spent the next 24hrs using the Freya app to monitor surges and for the relaxation tracks, but I wasn't surging regularly so the next day I went in alone to have the rest of my waters broken.

Immediatly the surges became alot more intense and there were a few hours being monitored where I really struggled without my partner. When he was allowed into the labour ward, 6 hours after me, I was 4cm dilated but couldn't see myself getting all the way to 10cm without serious pain relief! Immediately he snapped into action, dimming lights, making up a lavender oil flannel and enquiring about the midwife led suite. 

Miraculously it turned out that the MLS had opened up again a few days previously and our midwife was seconded from a homebirth team so very happy to go with our water birth plan. Once in the MLS everything was calm and dark and I quickly hopped into the pool. I dilated quickly and 4 hours later met our beautiful girl. She was bigger than expected at 8lb11 and back to back for most of the labour, which I credit for my loss of focus in the middle stages!

Without my partner being there to advocate for me, I definitely wouldn't have had the birth I wanted. And thanks to the amazing midwifes, he was really involved in the birth, and even got persuaded to help deliver her in the water!