Birth story - Catherine and baby Daniel

I think it's time to share my positive birth story! I'm still on cloud 9 a week later and I am thrilled to say that I had the most perfect 'dream come true' birth. It is absolutely 100% down to this amazing course! (And an incredible midwife that fought my corner!)

I'd originally been under consultant care as a high risk pregnancy, but after a tense and nerve wracking start I was delighted to be discharged from consultant care at the end of the 2nd trimester. I asked if I would be able to have a water birth in the MW led centre and was given the all clear.

So. My due date arrived and I was offered a sweep, which I declined as I was due to move house a week later at 41 weeks(!). I was hoping to move before baby arrived. I accepted a sweep on the day of the move (we had a lot of help at the house so my husband and I popped out for this!) At the same time my MW booked me in for induction at 9am on the Sunday at 41+3. I really didn't want an induction but due to other circumstances, my husband and I accepted this using BRAIN.

In the early hours of the morning I was due to be induced I woke to my waters leaking. My hospital asked me to come in as planned at 9am to be checked. On arrival we had a long conversation with the mw in charge and I told her my dream of a calm water birth. Our options were to go ahead with the induction or go home and wait for labour, which she advised, and we agreed. If labour didn't start within 24 hours they recommended induction (because of waters/infection risk) so I was booked again for 6am Monday morning.

I went home, bounced like mad on my ball and my waters kept coming, but with no sign of labour I went back in on the Monday morning feeling a little down that I may have to be induced after all.

I was assigned a midwife who examined me and I was told I couldn't have the gel and would need the drip (due to Bishop score), which meant no water birth and a move to the consultant rooms. Before we even started to use BRAIN, the mw in charge from the day before came to see me. This was the turning point...

She over ruled my assigned mw and said she would give me a final chance for a natural labour. She offered me a sweep and 2 more hours to get labour started. Not only this, but she told me that she was taking me out of the induction suite to the best room they had with a pool and a private garden! She wanted me to set up the room with my personal things, music, snacks and room spray and get in the zone. It was a beautiful sunny day and the door to the garden was letting in a breeze.

At 7:15am she gave me a sweep (and boy did she go for it!) and told me to bounce like never before! I would be checked after 2 hours. If I was showing good signs of labour I'd get my dream, if not I'd be induced by drip.

Guess what...? Baby decided it was time and labour started almost immediately! In fact, baby decided it had a point to prove! When the mw and a doctor came back to check on me 2 hours later (9:15am) my surges were coming strong and fast and I was using up breathing effectively. My mw even commented that my breathing technique was amazing! They said they would not examine me as I was clearly in labour and they would check me in another 2hours.

At 11:15 she examined me and I was fully dilated. I had what I know now was transition and had a wobble! My toes were curling and I turned into a farmyard animal and she realised baby wasn't waiting any longer. Another mw was called and between them and my husband they managed to get me to the pool. I asked for gas and air as I got in. The water was beautiful and soothing. Immediately I needed to push and I was told to listen to my body and trust what it was telling me. Using gas and air for a few surges I birthed my baby gently into the water and brought him slowly up to my chest. It took 3 surges/gentle pushes. I turned baby to my husband and he told me that we had a beautiful boy. Daniel James Hinchliffe made his gentle entrance into the world at 11:33am on Monday 28th May.

The midwife said she had never seen anyone breathe through surges so well and that I'd birthed him so perfectly and naturally that she wasn't really needed at all!

Thanks to this course and a wonderful senior midwife that gave me a chance I couldn't be happier. It was magical.