Birth story - Amy and baby Jonah

I had been at an aqua natal class and on the journey back I thought I could feel a bit of my waters going, just like a trickle. I got home and I think lost my show and a bit more of my waters at about 8pm.

I phoned the hospital and went in to check if my waters had gone, the midwife said it didn’t look like anything had gone but could have been my hind waters. We came home ready for a good nights sleep and fully expecting to be pregnant for a few more days.

My waters then properly went at about 11:15pm just as I’d put my headphones in to go to sleep - there was a lot of water! (Didn’t stop leaking until baby arrived!)

I phoned the birthing centre back and we were asked to come back in. I was getting some back pain but nothing in waves yet. We went back to the birthing centre where we were given lots of options but decided to head home to Labour for a bit.

We got home just before 1am, my husband put the tens machine on my back and we put friends on the tv. I also used a hot water bottle on my tummy and had some lavender oil on a tissue to smell. My sister was staying with us at the time and stayed with me downstairs as we sent my husband to try to get some rest before we needed to go back to hospital. This time was so special, lights were low, things were clearly progressing and I was feeling my surges come and go in waves. I breathed through each one and felt like I was really going into myself with each wave. My sister timed the surges and it was about 20 minutes before they were two minutes apart and getting stronger. She told my husband how things were progressing and he phoned the birthing centre back. He spoke to the midwife, Clare, who said to come straight back in.

With every surge more waters were coming away (thankfully we had a towel on the car seat for the journey!). When we got back to the birthing centre at about 2am Clare had prepared our room and the pool was filling up - I think my husband said ‘oh wow’ as we walked in - it was such a calming space. Felt like walking into a spa!

I upped the setting on the tens machine but was managing the surges well with my breathing. I sat on the edge of the bed, feet on the floor and found swaying from side to side helped when a surge came. They kept coming stronger and closer together. I continued like this for just over an hour. I tried using gas and air but didn’t like how it made me feel so I stopped and continued with my breathing. My husband had put some lavender oil onto a flannel for me earlier which was so calming and helped with relaxing into each surge. Clare asked if I wanted to get in the pool, I asked her if she thought baby was going to be here soon. She said ‘I do’ - she was so calm and I felt that she trusted me and my body the whole time. I got into the pool slowly and leant against the side and was kneeling facing forward. My husband was putting a cold flannel on the back of my neck and was saying how well I was doing.

It wasn’t long before my body started to push, I remember saying ‘what do I need to do now?’ Clare said ‘listen to your body, you are doing all of the right things’ I was holding onto and squeezing my husbands hands. Clare said she could see baby’s head. I continued to push with each surge and baby was born (3:55am) Clare passed the baby through my legs and I picked him up and put him onto my chest, my husband and I looked to see what we had had and saw that we had another boy!

Baby cried quite quickly and I held him in the pool whilst waiting for the cord to turn white. My husband cut the cord and I kept hold of baby in the pool for a little longer. My husband then held baby as I delivered the placenta without the injection. I then got out of the pool and we enjoyed the most lovely, undisturbed golden hour (we think it was more like 2!) where our baby latched on and started to feed. We talked about names but couldn’t decide yet. He weighed 8lb 12oz! He was the first baby born in the birthing centre that day and also the heaviest! We went to a different room where we all had a bit of sleep and we headed home at about 2pm with our gorgeous baby boy, Jonah. ❤️