Birth story - Julia and baby Genevieve

Our first baby's birth in Aug 2017 didn't go according to plan, we wanted a homebirth but due to progress, bleeding and high BP on the day we were transferred to hospital. The result was a forceps delivery in theatre with episiotomy and our son being kept away from us for an hour or so for checks. I knew we had fought the good fight (we were at home for 20 hours before transfer), but I still yearned to give birth at home and with the power of my mind and body.

When we found out we were pregnant 11 months later, I was determined to make this experience the homebirth of our dreams. We had tried hypnobirthing in 2017 through books, podcasts etc, but it was nowhere near as well rounded and accessible as the PBC. Nice one Siobhan!

I discovered and downloaded Siobhan's pack at around 20 weeks and devoured the content quickly. My husband was amazingly supportive of our second bid for a homebirth and listened to the Mp3s with me most nights before we fell asleep. When we found out we were having a little girl, I focused on retraining my psyche in hypnobirthing and was determined to nail it this time.

I'd had Braxton Hicks on and off since week 28, then at around week 35 everything calmed down. Week 37 came and I set up our birthing suite in our ground floor guest bedroom with fairy lights, candles, our glitter birthplan and nick nacks from our honeymoon in India to make it a peaceful and positive sanctuary. For the next 2 weeks, I headed down there once a day and popped my vaporiser on with clary sage and lavender, with the PBC Mp3s on the Google home. I also had daily baths with these oils and rewatched the course.

Week 39 came and I was chilled, I knew I'd have a baby by the start of May so I kept active (mowed the lawn and walked about 5 miles a day!), took naps when my toddler slept and booked myself in for a massage and facial. Sunday 14 April arrived and our little girl was more active than ever that night. We got into bed at 10pm, and my tummy was gurgling. I just thought I was hungry, so I waited a bit, stood up and then felt a trickle of warm water down my leg. I headed to the loo and popped a pad in and waited. By 11.30pm I was getting regular surges (via Freya on the ipad) enough to give my Daddy Doula next to me a prod and to let our lovely Royal Berkshire hospital homebirth midwife Beth know that things had started.

We headed downstairs to our ground floor and got in the zone quickly in the birthing suite. Beth arrived at about 1.30am and let us know that she was in the next room if we needed her. She did a few routine checks, including my BP which was one of the causes of our transfer previously, and she was happy with how things were going. My surges were now roughly every 2 to 4 mins lasting 45 seconds but I felt calm and so ready to meet our little girl. I was examined around this time and my cervix was 3cm, but Beth decided to stay with us as surges were building quickly and she knew hypnobirthing mammas were good at staying calm whilst progressing fast.

I wiggled my hips through the surges and marched on the spot to make them more intense. I told myself, this is it and to really get my breathing on track with Freya to keep my eyes on the prize. In between surges I bounced on the ball, ate chocolate, sniffed my little girl's bonnet laced with clary sage and lay on the bed with my husband/Daddy Doula. Things ramped up from 4am, but I welcomed this change of pace and by 5am, after a bit of a wobble and stripping off to my bra I realised we were in transition. I had a weirdly lucid moment were I told my husband to stop using Freya and I put on an upbeat playlist we had last time with Talking Heads, Bob Marley and Fleetwood Mac on. Beth stayed with us from this point and was a reassuring presence.

The second midwife turned up in time to support Beth and I barked abuse at her to get in the room with us and close the door because I thought my mooing would wake our son up two floors above. For the down stage, I squatted on the floor in a yoga pose and clung onto the edge of the bed frame, and switched to down breathing to focus on the pressure from Genevieve's head, which was so close to coming out. I know people talk about the ring of fire but for me it was the ring of concrete; I really had a moment of oh my christ at this point. Beth and the second midwife helped me to let my body take over, and Daddy Doula massaged my lower back downwards which felt amazing. I just had to tell myself that tearing is not so bad and she would be worth it. She was delivered within about three surges and passed to me, I just could not believe how little she was and so pink. Daddy Doula was in floods of tears and I was completely elated!! She was born at 5.35am, just over 6 hours after my waters began to leak. A stark comparison to the eventful 30 hours we went through with our first.

A few stitches later, some magical skin to skin, a hot sugary tea, the cord snipped by yours truly and our sleepy 19 month year old was brought into meet his baby sister. I was showered, dressed and on the sofa with our beautiful children by 8am.

I think I am still in shock that we were lucky enough to get the homebirth we wanted, and that our son slept through it all. I hope our beautiful Genevieve grows up to know that women's bodies are incredible and to be empowered by the magic of her own arrival into our family.

After all, Genevieve does mean 'of the race of women'