Birth story - Eleanor and baby girl

*Trigger warning* - Use of word contraction (not negative for me), SGA clinic, 2nd degree tear, cord detached from placenta during 3rd stage, talk of theatre removal of placenta, reduced movements, anterior placenta.

I wasn’t sure whether to post my birth story or not as I wasn’t sure if people would class it as positive, however, for me I think if it wasn’t for the Positive Birth Company I wouldn’t have dealt with my birth the way I did and could possibly have had a negative experience.

Pregnancy:

I found out I was pregnant quite early on as my dog had been quite needy and I mentioned it to our dog walker who asked if I was pregnant (we’re close and she knew we wanted children) to which I replied "No don’t be so silly... I don’t think." After she mentioned this it got me thinking, I went and did a test which came back negative however I wasn’t due my period for 2 weeks so it was too early. The week after I started feeling sicky and also my boobs were killing (more than PMS), I'd also had cramps which I never get before my period. I waited until the day before I was due on to take another test, at 5am that morning I woke up wondering whether I should do the test or not... I decided to do it thinking it would come back negative and to my surprise it instantly showed as positive!!!

I had some morning sickness which was more nausea than actual sickness and was extremely tired up until 14 weeks but from then my pregnancy was pretty straight forward until 27 weeks when I had some reduced movements.

At around 27 weeks we had a scare due to reduced movements and feared the worst, off to hospital we went and the CTG was absolutely fine. I still wasn’t happy with movements and so I was admitted for the night for extra monitoring. The next day I was given a growth scan and baby was healthy and kicking away and more than likely it was due to my anterior placenta that I was struggling to feel movements, at the growth scan baby was measuring on the 10th centile.

At around 30 weeks we once again had some reduced movements and once again went to be checked, again everything was fine and I was offered another growth scan. At this one baby was measuring on the 3rd centile (based on comments of the sonographer we werent confident she measured baby correctly) and so we were referred to the consultant under the small-for-gestational-age (SGA) clinic.

SGA Clinic:

At 32 weeks we went to our first consultant appointment where the consultant was lovely, measured baby on the 10th centile and then explained that dependent on outcome of future scans there was the possibility of induction of labour at 37 weeks or 39 weeks. The consultant explained the reasons baby could be small, all of the scary ones were unlikely but couldnt be ruled out 100%.

35 weeks came along and our next appointment once again went well with baby measuring on 10th centile and so 37 week induction was ruled out.

Our next appointment was at 37+4 and again scan was brilliant and baby again measured 10th centile, the consultant wanted to book us in for induction for 39 weeks which I agreed to. Originally I was against the induction however, due to our reduced movements etc, for my own peace of mind I thought it was best for me and baby. We booked our induction for 12th September, 39 weeks exactly.

Labour:

From 37 weeks I had been using Clary Sage oil in my bath each night, doing things I enjoyed to get the oxytocin flowing such as having massages, getting my hair done and spending time with my husband and dog.

4th September 37+6 myself and my husband spent the day at our local outlet village having coffee (decaf) and shopping, that evening we had a curry and then expressed some colostrum. I was on my way back from putting my colostrum in the freezer when my waters broke (8pm) (luckily all over the kitchen floor) my husband and I just stood there in shock for a moment as I'd had nothing to suggest labour would be imminent.

We called the hospital and went in to check it was my waters that had broken, I knew it was due to the amount. Once at the hospital they confirmed it was my waters and monitored baby for a bit. I was told I would need to stay in due to being under the SGA clinic. I waited for a bed to be available and was moved onto the ward at midnight, this is when my husband had to leave me.

When I first arrived at the hospital I wasn’t sure if I was having contractions as they weren’t overly painful. From around 2am I knew I definitely was having contractions and so I put on my tens machine and started using my up breathing and I also started timing them with the Freya app.

At 4am I started struggling and so I asked for 2 paracetamol and called my husband for him to talk me through the contractions. Between 4am and 6am they really ramped up to the point I could no longer sit/lay down. Every so often my app told me I was in established labour but the midwives told me they weren’t regular enough. Finally at 6am I was really beginning to struggle and my app said I was established so I pressed the buzzer and asked the midwife to examine me. The midwife was slightly reluctant but while she was with me I had about 3 or 4 contractions one after each other.

The midwife examined me around 6.25am and confirmed I was 5cm so I was finally going to the delivery ward and my husband and mum could join me. I got into the delivery room at 7am and by this point I felt very poorly (my blood pressure was extremely high).

Due to the contractions being so intense I was struggling to stay still and so monitoring wasn’t picking up babies heart rate properly. About 7.05am I told the midwife i needed the toilet and they were getting the bed pan ready as I was hooked to the machine but then straight away my body instantly needed to push, midwife was putting clip on baby’s head and confirmed at this point I was 10cm and to go with my body.

I decided to get on all fours as I didn’t want to give birth on my back. I was pushing for 10 minutes and my baby was born, she was instantly brought to my chest, I cut the cord due to my husband and mum not making it in time (baby was a diva and didn't want to wait around ).

Once baby was born I was happy to be given the oxytocin injection to birth the placenta. While the midwives were giving the placenta a slight tug the cord came away, it was at this point my husband and mum arrived (thankfully!!). After my baby was born my contractions instantly stopped and I was struggling with the placenta, we tried different positions to get it out but nothing was working.

After an hour I was told the doctor was coming to take a look and possibly take me to theatre to remove my placenta, I asked if mum or husband could join me and I was advised no. My mum said at that point something switched and I was determined to get it out. I got baby to latch and breast feed and along with a few more pushes my placenta came out just as the doctor entered the room.

I was examined and had a 2nd degree tear internally which needed stitches and labial graze which didn’t need anything.

After being stitched up we were left to enjoy our new baby and it was amazing to see my husband with our new daughter.

Some people may not find this so positive however I genuinely think if it wasn’t for the tools I learnt from the PBC I couldn’t have dealt with labour, especially being on my own and dealing with the aftermath. I absolutely loved my experience, the only thing to make it better would have been my husband and mum being with me but unfortunately baby girl had other ideas!! Should we be blessed with another baby in the future a home birth is a definite!!