Birth story - Hayley and baby Grace

I had a sweep on the Friday when I was 39+3 and I was 3cm and 50% effaced. That night I had a bloody show and the next day I started with really mild surges which I had all day so off we went to bed at 11pm.

I woke up at 3am on Sunday morning and went to the bathroom where I had my first really strong surge. When I got back to bed I got another which was even stronger. My surges picked up really quickly so I rang the hospital after 45 minutes and, with what my midwife had found at my sweep, they told me to come in.

I got to hospital about 4:45am and was told I was 5cm so I was taken straight to the labour room. I was practising my up breathing this whole time and was managing quite well. When we got settled in the room I was offered gas and air which I took and then got in the birthing pool at 6am. My surges were getting really close together at this point and I could feel my body starting to push. My midwife told me to just go with it so I continued to breath through them and let my body do it’s thing.

At 7:20 my midwife said she could feel babies head and by 7:27am my little girl came out in one contraction.

I had an absolutely amazing birth and feel so lucky. I fully believe my breathing was the key to my amazing labour and I felt totally relaxed!