Birth story - Katie and baby Henry

I didn't have a terrible first labour - my daughter was born at 38+1 after a 6.5 hr labour weighing 5lb 7oz. It was a pretty textbook labour - my waters went, I had my show and then surges started. She had been measuring small throughout and I felt like I didn't have many other options rather than just listen and do as advised -this resulted in me being on my back, constant monitoring and ended up with ventouse being used.

This time around I knew I wanted to be calm and feel more in control, so after discovering The Positive Birth Company on instagram and watching lots of positive birth stories on youtube I started the course from around 16 weeks.

Around 34/35 weeks I started getting niggles on and off and kept joking to people that this was how I felt in the two weeks before I had my daughter. At my 36 week scan I was told that the baby was measuring small again and I would have to go for an extra scan in two weeks time. I was then told by my consultant at an app on the morning of 36+6 that I would not be able to have a home birth, but providing my growth scan was ok I could give birth in the MLU at my local hospital ( I insisted he wrote this in my notes which paid off later on that night!)

That afternoon after work I went for reflexology (I had this with my first baby and went into labour the next day!). When I got home I was feeling a bit rubbish and knackered, and went to bed not too long after my daughter. Around 12.30am I woke up with some cramping, took some painkillers and tried to get back to sleep. I couldn't get comfortable so went to run a bath and sat in that for about 1.5/2 hours - using up breathing and listening to my positive affirmations mp3. At no point did I think I was in labour - I just figured my body was getting ready! Around 2.30am I decided to wake my partner and told him that I was going to ring the hospital as I was getting a little concerned about the cramping and thought I may need to get checked out. When on the phone (still in the bath!) they asked if I had timed them - I hadn't - so quickly started and found they were around 2 mins apart. The hospital said that I could come in but they were busy so there wasn't a chance of getting on the MLU.

I decided to leave it a while, and asked my partner to get my tens machine so I could get out of the bath. After this the surges ramped up pretty quickly and it took a fair while to get out of the bath! I called my Mum and asked her to come over so she could watch my little one (thankfully she lives opposite!). It took a while to get dressed as I had to keep stopping to breathe through the surges and after a little drive to the hospital (complete with eye mask, headphones and tens!) we arrived. I managed to get to the labour ward, and immediately asked for an epidural! It was then that my partners role really kicked in, and he reminded me that I didn't want an epidural and that I wanted to go to the MLU ( a room had just become available!) At this point I wanted to kill him, but decided to listen and was wheeled around to the MLU instead. I laid down in the waiting room and felt my body push down, the moo-ing noises started and I looked up to see the midwifes at the door putting their gloves on and telling me we had to get into a room quickly! 15 minutes later our little boy arrived ( my waters broke just as I pushed him out - which is why up until this point I still wasn't certain I was in labour!) Although I ended up lying on my back (one thing that I was positive I wouldn't do!), I was so comfortable and calm and the whole experience was amazing.

Thank you so much Siobhan Miller - I have recommended the course to everyone!