First Time Mum Birth Story - Emma and Baby Rosalie

On Friday I woke up with some super pressure down below but couldn’t work out what it was so I sent hubby to work and went out my life trying to ignore it. At around 1 I thought... hmm this seems to be coming in waves... but I had plans to meet my mother in town so I put that to the back of my mind and off I went. By the time I got to town they were coming pretty frequently. Around 20 mins apart to which my mum casually mentioned over lunch... “do you perhaps think this might be labour”. I decided that just in case I’d skip the shopping trip (not without a quick run in to get novelty “Dad” socks just in case!) and went home.

On the way home they started coming much more frequently to around 12 mins apart so I apologetically rang my husband and asked if he could come home ‘just in case’. By the time he got home 2 hours later there was no denying I was in labour. I got in the bath and watched ‘The Greatest Showman’ which I had been saving for this very moment.

At 8:30pm with the surges coming every 6 mins or so I rang the midwifes and asked if I could come in as the sensations weren’t feeling “like I was in labour” and I really wanted to check!

They begrudgingly agreed but told me that even if it was I’d likely be going home till I was in established labour so not to bring my bags in with me.

WELL I brought them just in case and good thing too because by the time I got there I was at one surge every three minutes and was already 5cm dilated! HOORAY!! I was sooo relieved! I couldn’t believe my body was actually doing it! I asked if I could have the pool which they said was fine and we were left in the loveliest room whilst it filled. I was getting no in between stages by the time the pool was filled and the midwives couldn’t quite believe how fast it appeared to be going.

I’m not sure how long I was in the pool for because I think I went into a trance. The lighting was lovely and the surges kept my mind occupied but before I knew it I was asked if I wouldn’t mind popping out the pool because baby was getting a big hot and bothered.

I didn’t mind as I was also pretty warm and the room I’d been in was lovely so happily obliged. I got gas and air at this point and had a little wobble where I asked for more drugs but was told I was already 9.5cm dilated and there was really no point. MY MIDWIVES WERE AWESOME.

Before I knew it my body was pushing. Gone was the gas and air. This was so insane. I couldn’t control it. After a bit of time pushing they were a bit worried as baby’s heart rate was high so I was moved to another room which I now know was on the labour ward but you wouldn’t have known. At one point a doctor came In the room and told me that if the baby didn’t arrive in 15 mins then she would have to “help” her out. That was all the motivation I needed (stubborn much?) And the midwives were in exactly the same frame of mind! Let’s get this baby out!!! Three more surges and a small cut and she was out!

No one in the room could believe the size of her! We all gasped! I’m only 5’1 and quite petite so when this chunk of a 8lb 6 baby arrived no one could understand where on earth she’d been hiding! Any way long story short - Rosalie was born at 2:26am on the 15th of June. Only 6 hours after I arrived at the birthing centre.

I still cannot believe MY body did that. I always knew all of YOUR bodies could do it. But MINE? I’m in utter amazement and drowning in hormonal emotions.