Birth story - Coco and baby boy

It’s taken me a while to write this as my birth story is not what I had really hoped for - I needed more intervention than I wanted which I felt quite disappointed about at the time, and then I felt guilty about feeling disappointed. I have now completely come to terms with that and I know that the hypnobirthing course helped me make the best of it (the start of my labour was 100% perfect!) and it meant I remained calm and informed about my choices throughout the birth. I really enjoyed reading other peoples’ positive stories, and in the month before my due date I was feeling really excited and empowered; eager to see how my body would birth my little boy.

Pregnancy:

I had a bleed early on (6 weeks) and was referred for a scan which thankfully showed everything was fine. What a mind blowing experience to hear his heartbeat at 6 weeks! At one of my early midwife appointments I tested positive for Strep B which is quite a common infection but meant I’d need to be on antibiotics during my labour. I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to have a water birth, but I was reassured that I would just need a drip every 4 hours once my waters broke.

I think I started reading the PBC book and online course at around 20 weeks (I always like to plan ahead!). I told my husband about key parts like the keeper of the cave and we started practicing up breathing and massage techniques every evening before bed, usually leaning over a birthing ball which was a really nice way to relax before bed.

Later in pregnancy I kept measuring small and was referred for scans (both my husband and I are quite petite so this didn’t feel like a big deal to me but it was quite nerve wrecking having to go for more scans than usual). Unexpectedly, a scan at 37 weeks showed the baby was breech - my midwife had just said he was head down so this came as a shock. I was on my own and had just expected a quick check up, but I was immediately referred to a specialist who talked about my options: a) vaginal birth which would have a 50% chance of resulting in a c-section, b) ECV to try to turn the baby, or c) elective c-section. I opted for option B to try to turn the baby. I had been so set on a natural birth that I felt absolutely devastated that I’d probably need a c-section if the ECV failed. I cried all the way home and felt so miserable. After letting all the emotion out, I decided that the safest option for the baby (if ECV failed) was to have a c-section and I started reading positive stories which really helped me prepare myself and I was definitely starting to see the benefits of having a planned c-section.

On the day of my ECV, the wait felt so long. I was 3rd in the queue and needed to be monitored for a while before and afterwards. I was told they’d try to turn him for 10mins and could stop at any point. My husband was in the room with me and I focused on my up breathing - slowly counting in my head and thinking I could do anything for 60 seconds which definitely helped me. The Dr firmly pressed on my belly, pushing the baby up out of my pelvis and then started trying I turn him. I felt a very sharp scratch for a few seconds and the Dr said it was done. It literally took 2 minutes! The Dr was delighted and I really couldn’t believe it. We were back on track for a natural birth!

Labour:

I was getting ready for bed at about 11pm (feeling like I was SO ready for a good sleep). I went to the toilet and as I was walking back to bed I felt a little trickle. I tried squeezing to stop the flow but it did nothing so I suspected my waters had broken. I was really hoping my waters wouldn’t break before my contractions started as my midwife had said (because I was Strep B positive), I’d have to go straight into hospital and be induced if I didn’t naturally start labour within 24 hours. We called the midwife who said I should come in and we causally made our way there after making some sandwiches.

At the birth centre (around 1am) they confirmed my waters had broken. There wasn’t any space in the labour ward to prepare for an induction (I was so glad!) so my husband and I were given a quiet room in the birth centre to rest for a few hours and we were left totally alone. By 2am we’d set up some LED candles, calm music and I leaned over the birthing ball to relax. I started feeling some tightenings so started up breathing while my husband counted for me. The contractions didn’t feel that intense but started coming quite frequently so I started using a TENs machine to help get through them. I’d say they were uncomfortable but not exactly painful - I always felt I could get through them by focusing on my breathing.

At about 5.30am I went to the toilet and noticed some blood. Suddenly I had a very strong urge to push so we called the midwife into the room who checked and said I was fully dilated (this was a complete shock yet huge relief from our side!). We were quickly transferred to another room with a pool where we reset the music and lights. Unfortunately, I found the pool too relaxing and after about 90mins my contractions had massively slowed and I could barely stay awake, let alone push. I got out of the pool and tried some UFO positions but still not much happened and I was completely exhausted. At this point, I agreed to be transferred to the labour ward for the hormone drip to help speed things up. I also opted for an epidural because I was so exhausted and couldn’t push through the contractions. It was definitely tiredness rather than pain which was stopping me. I just felt like I needed to go to sleep.

I used some gas and air while they put the epidural in as I had to keep very still during contractions. I’d been opposed to an epidural as I thought I wouldn’t be able to feel the surges but I could definitely still feel things moving and it helped relieve the pressure. Things were still progressing slowly though (it had been about 6 hours of pushing by now) so the midwife suggested a ventouse delivery and episiotomy which I agreed to. 2 pushes later, using a ventouse, and he was passed up to me for immediate skin to skin and I felt so elated and emotional to finally hold my little boy. Words can’t describe that feeling! We had cuddles and I breastfed him.

Due to the strep B infection, baby and I had to stay for 24hrs to be monitored. Luckily my husband could stay in the room with us too. I don’t think I slept at all that night - I kept looking over at the crib to watch my baby sleeping.

Overall, the PBC definitely helped me think through the different scenarios and know roughly what to expect and what my choices would be so I still felt in control. I absolutely loved the first stage of my labour when I was left completely alone with my husband and we worked so well together on the up breathing. Looking back at my whole birth experience now, I feel I (and my husband!) made the right decisions at the right times and I know my baby’s safety was always the priority. As it’s been over a year since he was born I’m sharing a recent photo of my baby too.