Birth story - Kirsty and baby Orla

I honestly can’t quite believe that I have my very own (long!!) positive birth story to tell. My first birth wasn’t exactly what I hoped for and I felt quite traumatised for some time afterwards as I had felt so out of control (after going into spontaneous labour at 39+3 and managing on a couple of paracetamol up to being fully dilated, my son was eventually born in theatre 24 hours later using a spinal block, episiotomy and forceps due to him being brow presentation). The stories on this group kept me going, especially during the last few weeks of pregnancy when my 3 year old son, husband and I were plagued with winter illnesses and I thought we were never going to catch a break! So anyway, here it goes...

My husband and I bought the digital pack (thanks to the Unmumsy Mum for recommending The Positive Birth Company to her followers!) quite early in the pregnancy as I was determined that I would have a positive birth where I was in control this time round. We watched the videos quite slowly through the pregnancy and loved the science bit which just made so much sense. I listened to the positive affirmations MP3 regularly, bought positive affirmation cards, and used aromatherapy to help remain calm and relaxed throughout my pregnancy. We also completely changed our minds on our choice of where to give birth as a direct consequence of the video that details where the safest place for a second time mum to give birth is. Before watching the digital pack, I was sure I wanted to be in hospital again (incase things went “wrong” again) so had told the midwife at my booking appointment that I would be aiming for the MLU attached to the hospital and wouldn’t consider anywhere else. However, by my next appointment, my husband and I felt positive and empowered by the ‘Where to give birth’ video and had decided that the best place would be the local MLU, away from the hospital (30-40 mins transfer time!) to try and avoid unnecessary interventions! My midwife was delighted at our change of heart and was so supportive of the fact that we were practicing hypnobirthing.

My due date (Fri 7th Dec) came and went with not so much as a twinge (well a few Braxton Hicks!) but to be honest, despite my son being born spontaneously at 39+4, I wasn’t surprised. I was still suffering from terrible heartburn and was carrying high so I figured things weren’t imminent. However, my son’s first nativity play was on Monday 10th and I just had this feeling I wouldn’t get to go. That feeling stayed with me all day on Saturday too.

On Sunday 9th, I snoozed longer than normal in the morning (my parents, who were staying with us, and husband got up with my son) and woke with a feeling that I needed that extra sleep for a reason. We all visited my mother-in-law that afternoon and my pelvis felt particularly achy as if baby was moving down. Later that evening around 7pm, my mum commented on how swollen my ankles and feet were and offered to give them a rub while we watched tv. I also decided against using clary sage oil in my diffuser that night as I was getting sick of the smell of it so popped lavender oil on instead. I felt instantly relaxed as it was such a lovely familiar smell and the same feeling of relaxation that I’d had when using the diffuser during my pregnancy.

As my mum rubbed my feet, we googled where the reflexology pressure points were that could help bring on labour and she started pressing these during my foot rub. At 7.30pm, I noticed I was feeling crampy and periody and started feeling like I needed to go to the loo (sorry if TMI!). By 8pm, I’d had to leg it to the bathroom (turfed my poor hubby Lee out just as he was getting in the shower! ) and had a bit of an evacuation! I mentioned to Lee that I had a feeling things might be starting up but wasn’t sure if it was the real deal. However, by 8.30pm I was on my birthing ball and having to use up breathing during surges that were lasting 30-40 seconds!!!

At this point, Lee and I decided to move upstairs to our bedroom so I could labour in peace (not that my mum and dad were interfering or anything but I did feel a bit like I was “on show” bouncing on my ball in the middle of the lounge!). Once upstairs, I pottered around a bit and got the last few bits ready for the hospital bag. Then we got the yummy snacks and positive affirmation cards out, dimmed the lights, and I sat on my ball bouncing and circling my hips while using my up breathing. I got into a good rhythm and soon my surges were getting closer together (every 3-4 minutes). They started to intensify and last longer around 10pm so Lee popped my TENs machine on my back and I started using that too. By 10.30pm I had moved to our bed to lie on my side as I wasn’t comfortable on my ball anymore. At this point I decided to telephone the 24 hour MLU to let them know I’d need them to phone the midwife on call for our local MLU. By 10.45pm, the midwife on call (Carol), had phoned me back and listened to 2-3 surges down the phone. She was keen to get us to the unit ASAP so she told us she’d meet us there at 11.30pm.

The 15-20 minute journey was pretty uncomfortable as my surges were getting very intense but they slowed down a bit once I was sitting down so I only had 3 while in the car. I just turned up my tens machine and breathed through them. On arrival at the MLU, the surges started coming every couple of minutes, lasting a minute each time so Carol asked my permission to examine me. I used my TENs machine on boost and my up breathing to get through the examination as I was on my back .... it was good news! I was 4-5cm and could be stretched more! This was music to my ears and gave me the lift I needed. While the pool was filling up, Carol and Lee set about making the room cosy, lit by our battery tea lights and I sprayed my Mio room spray around. I then got in my up breathing zone standing up and swaying through each surge while using my TENs machine until it was time to get in the pool.

At this point I had a slight wobble about taking my TENs machine off as I wasn’t getting much of a break in between surges but I managed to get into the water. I felt a bit panicked at this point as I initially couldn’t get comfortable and didn’t know what position I wanted to be in but Lee did a great job of reminding me to concentrate on my breathing and I got onto my knees leaning on the side of the pool. This seemed to do the trick.

At this point, Carol and the student midwife Blanca left Lee and I to it and left the room. I held onto Lee’s hands as I breathed through a couple of intense surges and at the end of the surge, I felt my body bearing down and I started to groan through the end of the surge. As I’d never felt this sensation when birthing my son, I told Lee I needed Carol back in the room as I felt slightly panicked at the speed things were happening. I’d only just got into the pool!! When the midwives reappeared, I started telling them I couldn’t do it anymore and that I wished I’d just gone to the hospital because it was just too hard! (transition!!!) Plus it was all happening so quickly and I felt like I was getting no break between my surges. Lee was amazing at this point - he just kept saying I was already doing it and that baby would be here soon so to just keep breathing and every surge would bring us closer to meeting our daughter.

At this point, my waters still hadn’t gone and I remember clearly thinking “I wonder if she’ll be born in her sac”. Carol phoned the second midwife to come and then got the mirror and torch and started monitoring me during my surges. I made quite a lot of noise during these final surges as baby made her way down the birth canal - I don’t think I ever really got the hang of the down breathing... I more groaned/mooed her down! Carol commented that as soon as my waters went, baby would be here. I really have no idea when they went as I never for the satisfying “pop” that I got first time round but very soon after she said that, I could feel the ring of fire!! And it wasn’t nearly as bad as people say! I think perineal massage really helped with this. Carol then commented that she was really struggling to see anything through the water and the position I was in wasn’t helping matters so she asked if I could turn over in between surges so I was more on my back. Initially I told her no but I just wanted my baby in my arms so Lee helped me over and onto my bottom. She also got me to really concentrate on pushing rather than breathing/mooing once I was over on my back and within 2 surges, our baby’s head was born (with a bit of coaching which was fine as it meant I got it out nice and slowly)!!! I then had a little pause between surges which was weird as I could feel her head between my legs but she was kicking me and moving around inside too!! It wasn’t the most comfortable so I was glad when I felt my last surge building. Pushing during that last surge, I felt such relief as our beautiful baby girl’s body was born after only 24 minutes of pushing and the student midwife caught her and passed her straight up onto my chest. It was the most incredible feeling ever. I sobbed as I cradled my precious baby girl to my chest and I remember just whispering to my husband “I did it, I did it”. It was the most amazing high. Orla Ruby was here! And all before the second midwife had even arrived!

We stayed in the pool having skin to skin and delayed cord clamping until the cord stopped pulsing and then Lee cut the cord. At this point it was apparent that I was losing quite a bit of blood so Lee took Orla for skin to skin while I was helped out of the pool and onto the bed. Carol asked me what I wanted at this point in terms of 3rd stage and I requested the injection as I just wanted things to be over so Orla and I could rest. However, my placenta had other ideas! It was very stubborn and took 44 mins to get out. Carol was amazing and kept saying that she refused to let me go to hospital after such a beautiful birth. So she patiently kept trying to get the placenta safely out while I used gas and air for the first time. It was such a relief once it was delivered and no wonder it took a while... it was huge!! Carol then examined me carefully and saw that I had a tear that would need stitching. However at this point I decided that I wanted my Golden Hour and because my bleeding had slowed up a bit, Carol agreed that this was fine and so Lee passed back Orla back to me and we spent a lovely hour as a family with Orla’s first breastfeed.

After this, Carol came back in to see to the tear. It was classed as a second degree tear as a tiny bit of muscle had torn as well as the skin but I can honestly say I would never have known. I used gas and air while she administered the local anaesthetic injections and then didn’t feel a thing while she stitched me up. While I was being sutured, Orla got taken for her checks, to be weighed and to get her vitamin K injection. We all couldn’t believe it when she weighed 10lbs!! I’d joked about having another big baby during my pregnancy (Finlay had been 9lb 1.5oz) but as I had put on less weight this time, I’d thought I’d maybe have a slightly smaller baby! But the affirmation “my baby is the perfect size for my body” is just so true. I carried and birthed my 10lb baby perfectly.

Once I was all stitched up, Lee helped me have a shower and then we spent a couple of hours resting and eating toast and drinking tea while Orla slept. I was exhausted but couldn’t stop smiling. By 6.30am, we were all packed up and in the car to head home! All through the pregnancy, we had joked about how perfect it would be if baby came during the night so that Finlay woke up to his baby sister in the morning... well, it almost happened! We walked into our home at 6.50am and surprised Finlay and his grandparents just as they were about to sit up for breakfast!! They all couldn’t believe it! And neither could we really! From the first noticeable surge at 7.30pm, to getting to the MLU at 11.30pm, giving birth at 1.09am and home at 6.50am.... it was all just so wonderful. I was back home with my new baby and was able to snuggle up in my own bed with my 2 kiddies! The only thing that was rubbish was that I had been right... I missed Finlay’s first nativity! But Lee, despite the lack of sleep, went along with my mum and took pictures and videos of him which I watched in bed later!

I cannot thank Siobhan and The Positive Birth Company enough for creating the digital pack. After my first birth, I would never have thought I’d be able to control my anxiety enough to have a calm water birth in my local MLU! I still feel like superwoman when I look back at Orla’s birth Hypnobirthing WORKS and I am proof of that!