Birth story - Ceylon and baby Deniz

*Trigger Warning* - Use of word contraction as it is not negative to me

Still trying to process and make sense of my birth story so writing this out will hopefully help. My first born came pretty easily, after a year of trying to get pregnant, she was due on August 21. I had a very smooth pregnancy and she arrived naturally at 39W4 following my waters breaking first at 2am, contractions starting at 7am, and she was delivered by 3pm. I wasn't taken to the delivery suite until 7cm dilated as the midwife didn't quite believe I was in the pain that I was in and didn't do a VE due to risk of infection. As a result, I completely overdosed on gas and air and had a reaction to it (hallucination and lots of random screaming where I envisaged my death, what fun...) but my daughter came pretty easily and I got away with a second degree tear, a PPH and post partum infection that needed treating.

Fast forward to this pregnancy, we conceived right at the first attempt and again have had a straight forward pregnancy. The last three scans have shown baby to be bigger than average so there were talks of inductions and c sections and shoulder dystocia that scared us a lot, so the plan has always been a bit hazy. We agreed to a sweep at 39 W then a planned c section sometime at 41w to avoid too big a baby. This wasn't confirmed with the doctor and I didn't make it to the sweep.

Regarding pain relief, I was adamant to avoid the reaction to gas and air I had last time. I bought the hypnobirthing course when it was reduced and it gave me such confidence in my abilities to birth my baby naturally and also gave me the confidence to say no to an induction which I really didn't want. Knowing how labour really works has completely changed my attitude and helped so much with my labour. I practiced up breathing so much, but knew down breathing would be so much harder to implement. I got some lights, a nice room spray, some music sorted, a fluffy gown and was genuinely looking forward to a peaceful relaxing birth. My plan was to use up breathing with the tens machine for the first stage and then some gas and air as I got nearer to the delivery.

Fast forward to 4/5/23. At around 3pm I started getting contractions. I thought they were just Braxton hicks as I have been getting them a lot recently, but this time they didn't seem to be fading. I got bouts of diarrhoea which kind of confirmed to me that this could be the real thing. After calling MAU at 3:20pm, I said my contractions were around every 3 minutes for 30 seconds. She gave me the option to come in straight away or wait a bit longer. Thank goodness my dad arrived at 3:43pm to watch my daughter so we jumped into the car and off we went.

My contractions got more intense in the car, they reminded me of when I was around 6/7cm with my daughter but I thought surely that couldn't be right? I used up breathing the whole way, 4 counts in, 8 counts out. I started counting on my fingers to keep my speed slow and steady whilst ignoring the stream of 'are you okays?' from my poor husband, who didn't have a clue what was going on.

Luckily, the hospital is only a 10 minute drive. Arrival time at the hospital was 4:19pm. I stopped about 3 times on the way up to maternity triage to breathe through my contractions (poor people I must have scared in the hallways!) and arrived to the very calm faces of the midwives in MAU who clearly didn't think I was in any rush to give birth. 'Okay lovely, give me a urine sample and I'll come and put the monitor on to check how baby was doing' - then there's me bent over breathing through a contraction while they return to their paperwork....1, 2, 3, 4....1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

I manage to waddle my way to a (thankfully) private room on MAU. Another two contractions come swiftly as my husband whacks on the tens machine. I think I end up using it once in total. The midwife comes to take my blood pressure then turns the monitor on. I call out from my room 'Umm the contractions are really close together'....'Yes lovely, ill be there in a minute'. The midwives comes back to try and put the straps on as another contraction starts, but this time I need to push. I tell her I'm getting the pushing sensation but she tells me not to push yet, my panicked response is 'But I have to!' she tells me to breathe but I feel my waters break and gush everywhere and another full contractions with an intense pushing sensation starts. She calls out for help and 5 midwives come running in 'This baby is coming, you're 10cm dilated'. I hear my voice screech 'WHAT??' I was still in MAU, I had no gas and air, the baby couldn't possibly turn up now.

My response, 'Gas and air, I need gas and air, please.'

They debate briefly whether to take me round to delivery suite, but as the next contraction starts it's clear its too late. One of the midwives tells me to push and with one strong tug I feel my baby boy out and in my arms. Time of delivery 4:26pm. Around 6 minutes after arriving onto MAU.

My husband and I were both in shock for hours afterwards. Who has a 90 minute labour? I'm so proud of my body for getting through on no pain relief, and so thankful for up breathing for giving me focus getting me through the contractions. Unfortunately I didn't have time to implement any other strategies but I just kept hearing a voice in my head 'Each surge is bringing me closer to meet my baby'. I knew instinctively that the pushing sensation meant the baby was here and ready, I didn't even really need to push because my body was handling it so well as I was trusting the techniques. Understanding what was actually happening in my body helped so much, even though things took an unexpected and quick turn, I'm grateful and blessed to have had such a positive experience. First degree tear but very superficial, and bleeding was normal this time round. I will most definitely be telling every pregnant person I meet to think about hypnobirthing!