Birth story - Amy and baby Freddie

I had a slow start to labour, which started when I was 40+1 (after a fab night out with my best friend - a good old hit of oxytocin clearly helped me along!) I was having regular mild surges throughout Sunday, which escalated into stronger, more frequent surges in the early hours of Monday morning! I opened up Freya at around 3am, when I didn’t really feel the need to disturb Richard, but wanted a friendly, calming voice - and to keep track of how I was progressing! Freya kept me going until I got to the maternity unit, and then when I was sent back home 2cm dilated, she kept me focused on the end goal - and reminded me that 2cm was nothing to be down about, and to just keep breathing and focusing on each surge bringing me closer to my boy!

While I was labouring at home, Rich and I had Freya on in the background, monitoring the length of each surge and the frequency - which was invaluable when it came to keeping positive and knowing I was making progress. I’d breathed my way through so many surges - I knew I could 100% do this! I was so calm at this point, when my Dad called me for a chat at lunchtime, I was able to hold a conversation, and he genuinely had no idea I was in labour!

I put my phone away and said goodbye to Freya when we got to the maternity unit, as I wanted to focus my energy on getting myself into my own little zone, and to get my breathing locked down. At 4cm I opted for a stint in the birthing pool. I’d put together a playlist for labour, including some classics (push it...circle of life...😂) which was playing in the birthing suite, the water was warm, the candles were lit - the set up was perfect.

We were lucky to have a midwife led maternity unit down the road from home, and I had the place to myself the night Freddie was born, so I felt completely comfortable with my surroundings. I got into this amazing rhythm with my breathing, it made me feel totally in control, and actually quite empowered. I was offered gas and air, but I just couldn’t see how to fit it into my zone - I was on top of my ‘up breathing’ and nothing was getting in the way of that! (The exception being a couple of jelly babies I was being fed by poor Richard...😂)

I left the pool to birth Freddie, as the midwives felt a change in position and location would be beneficial - I was getting quite tired, and a little despondent, so they suggested an examination to see how we were getting on. I’m pretty sure they all knew I’d hit the 10cm mark, they just needed to convince me that we were on the home straight! Once I knew that, the down breathing started, and I went into full on primal mode - I could and would get this baby out, I wasn’t waiting any longer to cuddle my boy!!

My labour, once established, was around 12 hours. Our beautiful Freddie was born at 2:15am, weighing in at 8lbs - almost 48 hours after my first surge. The midwives were very excited to have delivered him in his amniotic sac - which is said to be good luck, or even magical in some cultures!

You’ve heard the stories, the wave of love the washes over you, that instant connection with this brand new tiny little soul - absolutely real, and the best, BEST feeling in the world. 💙

Thank you to The PBC for giving me the confidence to birth my baby in such a calm way - I’d rolled my eyes at the whole breathing though contractions concept in the past, but I am one million percent converted to the power of up and down breathing!