Birth story - Ancuta and baby Ezra

I had a pregnancy with no problems.

At 40 weeks scan they said baby was 4,300kg so cesarean was discussed with me at this point. I did want to birth natural and also I was extremely afraid of the Epidural (the needle to be exact) and of the stitching after a tear as well.

Everything was fine, I had very mild pain the day before, and then, on the 10th, around 10 am I thought labour started.

We went for a walk at around 1-2pm and contractions were were erratic, 2 min, 2min, 2min and then 7-8 and even 16 min. Then again every 2 min for a while and again a gap. I called triage because it wasn’t constant, they said I should come when they are 3 every 3 min. But they were… just with a gap after. I was fine breathing through the surges.

I was still worried, as they kept becoming stronger and every 2 min… so I went in to the hospital. There, I was ‘welcomed’ with a ‘yeah, you didn’t call, so just get in a room and wait for a midwife, but it will take a while’. I was shocked and that attitude really put me off. So I called triage from the hospital room, after 30 min of no one saying anything. Someone came straight away. It was a medical student and she said she needed to check dilation. Even though it might seem weird, I was fine knowing my whole baby was getting out through there, but I was so uncomfortable with someone checking how dilated I was. They said they couldn’t keep me if I was not 4cm so it was my choice, leave as I was or let them check. I really didn’t want that… but apparently there was no other choice and I was worried I might birth anytime, as contractions were still every 2 min and then a bigger gap. The student tried, she couldn’t reach, apparently my cervix was in the back so she asked the midwife came in. She was very nice and gentle and she offered me gas, which definitely helped. In 30 seconds she was in and out. I was only 2 cm dilated, so I had to go. Advised to get a bath and when pain is still strong even in warm water, to call in again….

On my way from the ward to the car park, I stopped every surge and focus on breathing as they were becoming very intense now.

I went home and had a bath straight away but the pain was still there so in about half an hour we called. They said they didn’t have space, so they sent us to Chichester hospital, where I had never been, it’s 20 miles away and I was so afraid I was going to give birth in the car….

We got there around midnight, by the time midwife prepared the room and everything to check me, I had been to the toilet and literally couldn’t get out because of how often and powerful my surges were. Finally I got on the bed and she checked me saying I was 5cm. This was around 12:30am. Then she never left the room as my surges were very powerful and often. I managed to just get gas. I wasn’t planning to have anything else.

I was on my feet, that’s how I gave birth. I only remember at some point I was screaming so hard… but I was feeling so powerful in the same time! It was amazing! Intense and quick. My water didn’t break and my midwife said it most probably would break when the baby came out, which did happen. At some point I remember I was screaming ’I can’t breathe!’ and Jane, my midwife, was like: ‘yes you can, yes you can!’ I laugh now when I think back. I had the best midwife I could ever have had. She was literally laid down on the floor under me and caught the baby and got soaked! 1:58am He was born. Such a joy! I held him, then went on the bed so they could clean the floor. 6 min after I had more surges and the placenta came out. My partner and I enjoyed the baby for a while and then the worst part was coming… checking the rupture and stitches….

Jane, knowing about my trauma with my first birth, promised me from the beginning that it would be a doctor to stich me, not a midwife. So the doctor came to check the tear… again I was so afraid, crying and trembling… so bad that at some point the doctor was just about to leave, but then I had some gas and Jane stayed by my side, holding my hand and ‘playing’ with the words, as she knew I also done a hypnotherapy course, she helped me to zone out of the room. The doctor checked me, I remember so clear that after, she came to my side to tell me what was happening and I feel like I could only see her and hear her blurred, like in the movies as I was still zoned out. Jane noticed, so she said ‘it’s ok, you can come back to the room now’ and the very next second I could hear everything. It was amazing! Conclusion not so much… the tear was deep so they needed to take me to theatre and do the Epidural I was so afraid of… so we did… Daddy stayed with the baby and we went to the theatre. Long story short, Epidural wasn’t as bad as I thought and I am now grateful that I was stitched there, as it was a big and deep tear and they could do it really well. It healed up very nice and I didn’t had any problems down there.

All together it was a very positive birth experience that erased my previous birth trauma. I am so happy I had the hypnobirthing course as it helped me so much!

My baby is now 6 months and I am so in love with him.