Birth story - Henny and baby girl

At 8:30pm on Saturday I thought I started feeling a few contractions but they were so mild I wasn’t sure. By 9pm, I could definitely say they had started, but still, so mild. By 9:30...and I was starting to use Freya at this point as, although still not strong, the surges were getting very close together, my husband decided to ring his mum to collect our son. At this point I thought he was being a bit over cautious, I was still at the stage where I thought it would take a while.

My husband suggested we try to get some rest, which we did, but then I just thought, actually, if I get up and move around, it all might happen a bit quicker and we’d get to meet our baby sooner, so I sat on the yoga ball and started breathing through the surges.

My husband was being a total dream, stroking my back through surges, reading out positive affirmations, checking our bags were ready, bringing me water and food.

At 10:30 my mother in law arrived and I kissed my little boy goodbye (still thinking we had a way to go). Then the surges started to get really strong really quickly! They were 3 in 10 for sure so at 11:15 my husband called the midwives at the hospital to say we might come in soon.

I started getting strong urges to go to the loo so popped to the bathroom frequently. Each time I sat on the loo I would have three really strong surges really close together. Then suddenly my breathing started to catch on the out-breath. Then I was violently sick. I had a shower as my poor husband cleaned the bathroom. When I got out, he said the midwife had advised we go in. He was trying to help me dress but I just couldn’t concentrate through the next few surges, they were so strong and my breath was still catching on the out breath. I started making those fab mooing noises! Then I just felt it - the baby’s head was coming down.

My husband called 999...he was being held in a queue!!! But he got through that 11:57 and a lovely lady was helping. She immediately sensed the urgency, my husband was talking her through what was happening...the head was already coming out! He could see her eyes, then her nose then her mouth...the head was fully out! She warned him to be ready to catch her and that she would be slippery to be ready!! At this point I hadn’t even pushed, but she advised my husband to put his hand on her head so she would deliver slowly, and that I should give a push and that was it, she was born...at home on the bathroom floor at 12:02!! It was so unbelievably incredible. I couldn’t believe it was already over and my amazing husband had delivered our baby girl! We then cleared her nose and mouth, she was quiet but breathing. We had about 10 mins before the paramedics arrived so we just lay there on the bathroom floor wrapped in towels. My husband tied the cord with his shoelace (which I had to get out of his shoe as he couldn’t leave the room) and the placenta delivered shortly after.

A totally unintentional home birth, but we wouldn’t change it for the world. Our little girl is very healthy, my husband is a hero and I love that he was so involved and played such an integral part in our birth. I truly believe that doing your course helped to make this the most straight forward, easy and quick birth. We were both able to remain calm even though we were under this enormous pressure of delivering our baby with no professionals present!!

Thank you, seriously, from the bottom of our hearts!