Birth story - Catherine and baby Milo

The main reason I’d like to share my birth story is that with this being my third birth, I was more scared and nervous than both previous births. My first two births were both pre-term and I had to go to the labour ward. I had preeclampsia with my first born Felix and retained placenta, my second son Rupert was also a natural birth but a day before term so needed to go to labour ward

Firstly I was so sure my third baby was going to be early like the two before but this was not the case and little Milo keep us waiting, but now I know he keep us waiting a little longer than his brothers so he could have a lovely calm, happy entrance to the world!

I had been having “surges” on and off for about 3 weeks before he arrived and had been into hospital on 3 occasions which turned out to be false alarms! So when it finally happened I wasn’t sure weather to make my way into the unit at first!

I was on the afternoon school pick up, my lower back was excruciating whilst walking back to the car and I had to keep stopping. When I got home at 15.30 I had to lie on the sofa and wait for my partner to get home at 16.15 to take the two boys to their swimming lessons, he was reluctant to leave me as I was in a lot of pain in my lower back, I told him I would take some paracetamol and have a bath.

He then left (only 5 mins down the road) and I got in the bath, at 16.40 I had a contraction in the bath, I did my up breathing and waited to see what would happen next, by 17.00 I decided to get out the bath and call the midwife- she told me to make my way in, my partner arrived back at 17.30 and we left for the 30 min journey, I had 7 contractions in 30 mins whilst in the car and used the up breathing which really help. We arrived at 18.00 and I went straight into a room with bean bag type bed, I stood up over the back of a chair whilst the midwife gave me a back massage before my partner took over! It was so relaxing and no monitors or internal examinations which was what I had experienced before. I stood there while the midwife ran the pool, I got in the pool at 18.33 which had lovely oils in and lights on the ceiling in a dimly lit room. It was so relaxing and warm.

It wasn’t long before I pushed and within 3 pushes, Milo was born at 18.53! It was such a different experience to what I had before in the labour ward and nothing like I thought I could actually have! It was wonderful and Milo came into the world with no cry’s, we sat in the pool skin to skin for about 30 mins before we cut the cord.

After birthing the placenta and having a few feeds we went home the same day around 11pm! Very lovely experience.