Birth story - Isabel and baby Mateo

Last summer my husband and I conceived our little man. We were doubly elated when we found out as my husband had a big health scare earlier last year.

All was going smoothly with the pregnancy, early scans and health tests were all safe and sound.

Until in January this year, I tested positive for Gestational Diabetes (GD). This was a bump along the road. Naturally I blamed myself as to negate my pregnancy sickness I wasn’t eating well at times. Mainly in the second trimester - all I wanted to eat was beige.

I had always dreamt of a natural birth to bring our baby into the world as smoothly as possible and knew that with GD that was increasingly unlikely. At the Christening of my husband’s god son, I met a lady who recommended I bought the positive birth company pack. I did and immediately started practicing the breathing in the bath mainly and started prenatal yoga classes.

The good news along the path was that with Dad’s help, cooking, and keeping positive whilst doing my , PBC, breathing exercises and positive affirmations, I controlled the GD by following the diet advice of the Chelsea and Westminster hospital - the team there are very very good. My midwife, Hannah of the sunflower team and latterly Maia, always kept me positive too.

Because of this (controlling GD with diet) I was allowed to go my full term and was booked in for an induction via a pessary on exactly 40 weeks at midday. Eek.

Labour moved quickly at first, I felt contractions after 3 hours but 24 hours after that, and after 1-2 hours sleep, I was still going. Still keeping my breathing going and remembering my affirmations - my husband read some out during the really tough times along the way too.

At about 5pm on day 2 I moved into the latter stages of labour. I had walked the entirety of the hospital to try to move the labour on and it worked.

I was absolutely still determined to have our baby in water and went into the tub at 6pm using gas and air - the breathing I had taught myself during pregnancy was now so engrained in me, it was amazing. I was 4cm dilated.

At about 10pm I was 6cm dilated but things soon stopped moving along as quickly as the doctors would have liked. So, I was moved onto the oxytocin drip and offered an epidural. If a lady in labour has an epidural she isn’t allowed to remain in water, so I declined with the support of my husband and midwife who believed in me delivering without. I was told I was the first lady to have the oxytocin drip in the birth pool at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital which afterwards I was very proud of.

Things picked back up with progress quite quickly but the baby’s heart rate kept dropping off. I tried a few things I was advised but nothing worked to prevent this.

I was moved to the bed as the baby was happier there, but still not perfect.

I was examined again at 5am and I was fully dilated. So, to prevent further intervention, I started pushing and baby was moving along. He was ready to meet us.

However, baby’s position wasn’t perfect - he was looking up and to the right slightly and he stopped moving along. A quick re-examination and the doctor, a beautifully calm lady, said our baby needed to be removed with forceps. A quick cut, fortunately no tear and a few big tugs on his head later, and the remarkable and relieving sound of his first scream and he was with us. Daddy cut his cord and then I was so happy when he was first in my arms, I can not describe the feeling - pure happiness.

Baby Mateo Timothy was born on 25.3.20 at 05.28 in the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital inspired by the Positive Birth Company and with the support of the Sunflower team and the Labour Ward nurses and doctors who were all simply amazing. I am forever grateful.