Birth story - Amy and baby Mila

I had my daughter 8 days ago and could not have asked for a better birth. I can honestly say downloading the digital pack and the Freya app made it the most empowering amazing experience I have ever had in my life. I am sharing my birth story as the only thing that was making me slightly nervous was the fact most first labours don’t go as smoothly as second ones and with everything going on with covid so it can hopefully help anyone else with these little doubts I would be very happy!

Birth story:

**I found the Positive Birth Company book ‘making your birth better’ on Amazon when I found out I was pregnant and suffering with really bad hyperemesis. I ended up in hospital with ketosis for a week and had 9litres of iv fluid before my ketone levels came down. Luckily the sickness stopped at 16 weeks and the rest of my pregnancy was really straightforward.

After reading the book I was amazed and bought the digital pack straight away. I felt so much more educated and ready for my baby. As a first time mum I had worried I wouldnt know what to do and had heard all the horror stories about labour and the length of it and the complications that can occur. After reading the book I felt a new connection with my body, my baby and my experience.

Having briefed my partner on the main points I took and wanted to bring to my experience, he learnt that I might moo and that he is in charge of the room and keeping it calm like it's our cave!

I was 39 weeks and 1 day when I woke up at 7am with what I said was a funny cramp. I had been having Braxton hicks quite regularly so I knew this was something a bit different. I said it was fine and told Matthew to go to work, he left at 10 past 7 but by quarter past there had been 3 funny cramps so I started using the Freya app to time them thinking there is no way this can be labour. They were coming between 5 and 7 minutes apart and lasting between 45 seconds and one minute. I didn’t think it could possibly be the real thing.

By 9am they were coming every 3 to 5 minutes and Freya told me to go in to the hospital but I couldn't believe it could happen so soon. So I kept listening to the positive affirmations and soft piano music which was a massive help in between timing and going along with the breathing. The breathing exercise on the app got me through the first few hours alone I cannot recommend it enough.

By half 9 I rang triage to see what they suggested, the midwife could hear the contractions were taking my breath away a little bit so suggested coming in and being assessed and even if I needed to come back home they might be able to give me something to help with the pain. This reassured me I wasn’t just being dramatic and the whole time I knew in my head I just needed to stay calm and remember everything I had learnt from the digital pack, knowing what my body was doing and how it worked was really reassuring.

Due to everything going on with covid I knew when I went in they would want to assess me alone so I told Matthew to stay in work and got my mum to drop me off. I was trying to take as long as possible so that I didn’t go in too soon so I had a shower and washed my hair.

My mum arrived at half 11 to pick me up and I was having contractions in between making sure I had everything I needed.

We got to triage at half 12 and I was examined at 1pm and told I was 3cm. I was sure I would be sent home and told to carry on as I was but they said baby had an eptopic (irregular) heartbeat so they wanted to put me on a monitor. I was really set on having my baby on the midwife led unit but using B.R.A.I.N. I was happy to go and be monitored to make sure the baby was okay.

They monitored me for 20 minutes and I was sick due to the pain of the contractions during this but they were happy with the baby’s movements and even though still irregular they let me go to the birthing centre and put me in my own room which was really nice. At this point they put my tens machine on me which was absolutely amazing and really helped me get through the contractions. It gave me something to focus on each time along with my breathing I was just waiting for the surge to end so I could press the button to turn the boost off.

My partner arrived at 2.45 and met my mum in the carpark to get all my bags and it was such a relief to see him.

By 4pm I was sick again and although breathing through each contraction was helping so much I agreed to have some anti sickness and diamorphine to try to take the edge off as I felt they were becoming way too intense. I thought I was just not handling the pain very well and thought I could be in there for days yet. Even though I started to panic a bit at this point I knew from what I had learnt that even when I wasn’t calm I needed to try and get calm and that's what was most important.

The injections really helped as I stopped feeling sick and between contractions felt great! But by 5.30pm I was starting to feel like I couldn’t go on anymore and that I might need some more pain relief I was then given gas and air which at first I said wasn’t working in the slightest but after a few goes it was my new best friend. I asked the midwife to check me and she said she was going to wait an hour but I insisted as I felt something was changing. At 5.45pm she checked me and told me I had got to 8cm to which I nearly fell off the bed! The relief of having got so far along felt amazing and suddenly I felt the urge to push I told the midwife urgently and she calmly said you push then so I did and she said baby is coming you're 10cm.

At this point the mooing was in full force and I panicked again at the sudden urges and feeling of my body bearing downwards, my partner reassured me that I needed to let my body do what it needed to do and that it knew exactly what to do and to go with it. He said I was putting all my energy in my head whilst shouting so to try and calm down and to remember to push and breathe downwards. He also got my room spray out and sprayed it around my head which really helped calm me down too.

I moved to be in a more upright position and I started to then feel the baby moving down during the next contraction it was like a burning sensation, then she moved back upwards when it was over. 3 more contractions of this happening and her head was out. I could not believe it. So much so I reached for my phone and took a picture (I didn’t even remember this until I looked at my phone later on!)

Another push and at 6.11pm Mila was born with her hand on her head and the cord around her neck, she weighed a tiny 6lbs 2oz.

She was passed straight to me for skin to skin and I requested delayed cord clamping. Matthew then cut the cord and I agreed to have the injection to deliver the placenta. It came straight out and didn’t hurt in the slightest. We sat for an hour in disbelief just looking at her. I was in established labour for 2 hours and 55 minutes and from the first cramp it was 11 hours and 11 minutes. I had grazed slightly as her hand was on her head and they said they were going to give me 2 stitches but I asked if they were absolutely necessary and the midwife said no so I didn't have them.

During these strange times I didn’t even think about everything else going on in the world. I truly believe the knowledge and exercises I learnt helped me have the best possible labour I could have asked for. I would do it all again tomorrow.**

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help I have been told to make sure I have a homebirth planned next time as I may not make it to the hospital in time!