Birth story - Hayley and baby girl

I bought your book, the online antenatal and postnatal courses and the app. I wanted to share my experience as I believe my incredible birth was down to all the things I learnt from you!

She’s my first baby, born during lockdown!

On Sunday the 3rd May surges started after my husband and I had gone for a short drive to make sure the car was still running ok (lockdown problems!) and just for a change of scenery. They started with mild cramps to begin with but soon progressed to a more significant surges. I started up breathing through them and was feeling really excited as each one passed. The up breathing and Siobhan talking me through it on the app really kept me focused but relaxed to the point where I was happy enough to send my husband to bed to get some rest that evening and I stayed calm and rested downstairs.

Things ramped up around 2am and my waters broke with a ‘pop’ so I woke my husband and called the midwife who advised that it was fine to stay at home as long as I felt comfortable. At about 3am the app said I was in established labour and things felt like they were ramping up again so we decided to go into hospital. Unfortunately I had to go into hospital on my own due to COVID. I was examined and the midwife confirmed my waters had broken but I was only 1-2 cm dilated. I have to say I felt deflated at this point and I really noticed my contractions had reduced to 1 every 20 mins or so. I think this was probably because of the adrenaline and worry I felt from having to go into hospital alone. The midwifes booked an induction for 11am the following day and we went home. I really didn’t want an induction and so I knew when I got home that I needed to get into my happy space and reset myself back to the calm and content place I was in earlier that morning to reduce the adrenaline and up the oxytocin.

We got home at 7am and my husband ran me a bath and lit candles. I decided to stop tracking my surges as I felt I was getting a bit obsessed with it and just played classical music. I had got into a good rhythm with my up breathing by this point and talked and breathed myself through each surge. I was in the bath for ages but the time just disappeared and I was in a really wonderful trance.

I suddenly felt unwell and had the urge to get out of the bath, I was then sick and all of a sudden had a total wobble and told my husband I couldn’t do it. I panicked and said we needed to go into hospital and get more pain relief. I had only taken paracetamol at this point. My husband was so calm and collected. Made me sip cold water, eat some sweets and helped me breath through each surge as I got dressed and ready to head back to hospital. He played classical music in the car and counted my breathing with me as we travelled to hospital and I managed to get back into a wonderful trance as we travelled back in (this took 40mins)

I was taken straight in and this time my husband could stay with me. When the midwife examined me this time I was 6 cm!!! I was so pleased with myself but I again felt like I needed additional pain relief and was starting to worry I had 4 or more hours of this and so asked for an assessment for an epidural to enable me to rest for a while. Whilst we were waiting for a doctor, the midwife moved me into a new room and I suddenly really felt the need to push. She said not to push as it was unlikely I was dilated enough for pushing. Things then got a bit frantic and the midwife was worried that she couldn’t hear the baby’s heart beat very well. There was a doctor and two midwives in the room and they decided they needed to place a clip on babies head to get a better reading before continuing to do anything else.

My confidence slightly faltered at this point and I was starting to worry that my natural birth wasn’t going to happen. The midwife took a while to place the clip and once she was done she very calmly said that I was actually in fact now fully dilated. This was less then an hour after I had been assessed at 6cm!!! I was right. My body was right. I did need to push. I instantly felt so proud of myself. I realised that my doubts were probably during transition and that my body was doing all the right things.

Due to the speed of my labour I wasn’t able to have a water birth and had spent most of my time in hospital laying on the bed. I talked to the midwife about changing my position before delivery and she was so supportive! I never would have had the courage to ask this before! I tried to stand or lie on my side but actually I felt most comfortable on my back so despite everyone saying this is ‘bad’ this is how I delivered my baby. I’m so glad I did try other positions so I knew what was best for me!

It was so incredible to feel my body pushing for me. To feel the surges totally change from the up surges to the down was amazing. I remember every moment of her birth and how empowered I felt to be able to give birth with only gas and air and the breathing techniques. 30mins after the midwife said I was dilated our baby girl arrived at 13.59 on 4th May.

I had a retained placenta and minor tear which meant I ended up going into theatre for this anyway and I’m so glad I never went to have an epidural before the birth. The room was stark white and clinical (totally understandable) but I know this environment wouldn’t have helped my oxytocin levels. I healed quickly after this and we went home the next day. I am so pleased I watched your postpartum course as postpartum recovery is not talked about enough and I felt like it really prepared me for what to expect.

I honestly can’t thank you enough. I can’t wait to do it all again one day!