Birth story - Ella and baby Zoe

I am so excited to share my positive birth story! I have one on this page from my first born which is a completely different story. His was a 48hr labour and ended with a theatre ventouse assistance whereas this labour I would almost class it as perfect!

I had a uncomplicated pregnancy with the usual morning sickness until 25 weeks and by the time I was 38 weeks I was ready for baby to come as I was tired and sore from running around after my 20month old son!

As with my first labour, my waters broke at 10.15pm on a Sunday night and within an hour, my contractions were too sore to stay lying in bed so I got up and went out to the lounge so as not to wake our son. Hubby ran around getting the last bits sorted for our birthing bag and I just hung out, timing contractions. From 11.30pm until 2am, my contractions kept ramping up and getting more and more powerful and I needed my hubby to read out my positive affirmations and help me time my up breaths. It was at this point that the Freya app told us to go to our chosen birthing place! Because I had such a long labour with my son, we didn't actually believe the app and so we stayed home and called the midwife again to let her know. She recommended heading to the birthing centre anyway so we got ready to go. 15mins later at 2.15am, my body changed and I needed to push!!! It was panic mode getting my dad to come watch my son and get me, my mum and hubby into the car and drive the 20mins to the birthing centre! The whole car ride I was focusing on breathing calmly and trying my best not to push as I desperately didn't want to give birth in the car up our rural country road.

We got to the birthing centre at the same time as my midwife, climbed the stairs (I chose this instead of the lift for some wild reason!) And made it to my room. I jumped in to the birthing pool and 2mins later my baby's head was born! The ring of fire was super intense and I found it to be quite challenging to stay calm but after a minute, I managed to bear down and my baby girl was born! I was in a state of happy shock as the whole labour was only 5hrs and 16mins from the time my waters broke, to Zoe being born. I was elated to find out she was a girl and so happy to have shared the moment with my mum and hubby in such a calm environment.

I spent some time in the pool cuddling my baby and then hopped up on to the bed to deliver the placenta naturally. I didn't feel any urges and needed a bit of coaching to help push it out but got there within 30mins or so. I didn't suffer any tears or grazes which I put down to perineal massages we'd done for a few weeks prior. Spent a lovely golden hour attempting breastfeeding and having lovely skin on skin. A few hours later we had the most amazing sunrise out the window which topped it off as being an amazing experience.

Thank you to the Positive Birth Company for being such an amazing resource and education! Xx