Birth story - Laura and baby Minnie

After practising hypnobirthing and taking many relaxing lavender baths I had my plan all figured out.  Everyone kept saying to me that plans change and I was ok with that and just ready to embrace whatever journey my labour took me on. 

Thursday 23rd jan (5 days over my EBD) I woke up to a bloody show which I knew must be the start of something. I took that day to do things for me. I had my hair done , had a pregnancy reflexology massage and a chilled evening with my partner.  That night I had a few cramps in waves through the night but nothing to keep me from sleeping. I woke up Friday morning to think it was all happening then nothing all day. After ringing the midwife they said it was normal and could take days! I started nesting, tidying the house and then resting in-between. Friday evening came and no sign at all except maybe some mild lower back cramps. I did my usual routine of running a nice lavender bath with candles and listening to  affirmations. 

Out of nowhere my back pain got worse and the tightening got more intense. I called my partner and got out the bath to a sudden trickle of water (I thought it was bath water) this carried on every time I moved and realised it was my waters. This was around  11.30/12 at night. This brought on serious surges. I was using my Freya app to help me concentrate on breathing and timing the surges. My partner called the birth centre thinking I still had longer to go, unknown to us both that it was progressing rapidly. 

The birth centre were understaffed and asked us to stay at home as long as possible in order to not get turned away to hospital instead. This was the worst news to me as I felt a awful pressure and was having to literally try my hardest to control the pressure and not act on it. I started to freak out as the adrenaline kicked in and my body started going into shock with the pain! My partner was amazing, he calmed me down and reminded me of all the affirmations, trying to provide me with Haribo and isotonic drinks, all whilst gathering the hospital bags and trying to breath with me. 

I then got to the point I needed to get some sort of pain relief and we took the short 5 min trip to the birth centre. Thankfully there were free midwives again and they started running the pool and settling me into the huge spa like delivery suite. The midwife provided me with the heavenly gas and air and after that it all got a bit fuzzy as I vaguely remember my partner running around the room putting out my fake candles  and spraying the room with lavender and dabbing my head with a flannel! All I kept thinking was don’t push don’t push! The midwife waited what seemed like forever before examining me, thinking I was in the beginning of active labour we were guessing I’d be like 5/6cm dilated. Turns out I was well and truly there. I was fully dilated and was instructed to get into the pool. At this point I realised that if I’d waited at home any longer I’d have not even made it to the birth centre!

The pool was amazing! Three pushes and animal growls later my daughter swam out to me like a baby mermaid and my instincts were to grab her to my chest! All this happened in 4 hours start to finish! 

I delivered  the placenta after skin to skin and delayed clamping and was amazed to find out I didn’t need any stitches. I had the most amazing labour! I definitely think a pool helps as I’m a water baby and love being emerged in warm water so it was only natural for me to give birth that way. Some might say I was really lucky and some might say it’s a fluke but I think it’s because I was so in control of my body!  I believed my baby would come when she wanted to and that my body would do what it needed to do and it did! I think us females are amazing and I’m so proud of myself and my baby for us totally nailing it!