Birth story - Beth and baby Bobby

To say our birth experience went to plan would be an understatement. Having woken up to a show at 2.30 on Wednesday morning I started to feel like something was happening, I couldn’t settle back into bed, possibly due to nerves creeping in. I used my essential oils to sniff and calm myself down, I must have slept as I woke up around 4am. Definite cramps and lower back pain. Nerves switched to being excited, I was focused on the date, 12.12.18, I liked this as a date of birth. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I took myself downstairs to try getting comfortable on the ball to ease my back. The most comfortable option seemed to be walking around, I started to notice the cramps feeling more like surges so used my up breathing to manage, knowing 4 breaths would get me closer to meeting our baby made me really focus on how fast they passed.

I spent an hour and a half, pacing about, pottering, holding onto things to get through a surge. I’d been tracking the surges and realised how close they were, they were varying from 40 seconds to over a minute and starting to come every 2-3 minutes with the occasional one after a minute and a half.

I decided to wake my partner and that we should call the birth centre. Waking Justin up made it all very real but I felt good, I was in control and Justin sprung into action calling the unit and passing on information. They suggested a bath and some breakfast. We did this with me speaking to my sister and on the phone, I couldn’t talk through the contractions so Justin decided for me around 6.30 that we should really head to the unit. Although uncomfortable I was coping with the surges. By 7.30 we were at the unit and I was starting to realise what was happening, the day I’d waited so impatiently for had arrived but would it be today, what if what if......

We were allocated our room and really left be, just as if asked. Our midwife Jane popped in and out keeping an eye but never interfered with our plan. Justin absolutely had my back. I felt sick and did throw up so took an anti sickness jab.

Jane offered the pool and I was ready. I can’t remember the time but I remember the feeling of the surges becoming a pushing feeling, I had no control over the change but was confident we were transitioning. I got into the pool, Jane came back in and stayed. Justin stayed right with me offering fluids after each surge, stroking my arms and back as I changed positions. He kept reassuring me and taking my hands through each surge.

Around 11am I had a big wobble, I was really feeling that I couldn’t do it. Jane and Justin comforted me but again reassured me that I could. Justin started to guide my breathing and Jane asked if she could monitor the babies heartbeat to give me some peace of mind. This helped massively.

Throughout I was telling myself to be upright forward and open, that I was safe, that I had Justin by my side and on my side, I really got back into the zone.

I now know it was 11.50 when Jane said she could see the head, she motioned with her hands to show a 50p size. I could feel a good sting, this told me I was really on the home stretch and so close to meeting our baby. A few really big surges later I realised the head was making fast progress.

I’m not sure how but I birthed my baby exactly as planned, no pain relief, no interventions, no damage. I remained calm and in control and listened to my body and my own positive affirmations.

I felt like Wonder Woman, albeit a really emotional version. An incredible experience.