Birth story - Laura and baby Sebastian

We found out we were expecting our first baby a week before the first national lockdown was announced. It was a very exciting time for us and it was definitely a crazy experience for my entire pregnancy to be during a global pandemic.

It was important to me to be relaxed during my labour. I had seen on Instagram the Positive Birth Company being advertised. I looked into this and they had an online hypnobirthing course for £39 which consisted of various videos explaining the science behind labour, relaxation/breathing techniques, what to expect on the big day, MP3s of positive affirmations and also included an app called Freya. This app tracks your contractions which talks you through the breathing techniques and you can also listen to the MP3s including positive affirmations. I completed the course and showed many of the videos to my husband so he could understood the breathing techniques. He was very keen to know about these so he would be able to support me through labour. It covered the acronym BRAIN (benefits, risks, alternatives, instinct, nothing) which I found useful to remain in control during labour. I listened to the positive affirmations before going to bed and to practice my breathing from around 30 weeks of pregnancy.

On 23/11/20, I woke up with mild cramping at 9am, I did not think too much of it as I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks since 38 weeks. I went to the toilet and there was a very, very small amount of light red discharge and at this stage I was unsure if this was my bloody show. I carried on with the morning as normal, had some lunch, went for a walk and got home at 2.30pm. The cramping was still there but not enough to time them as they were dull but I thought I’d go upstairs, listen to the Freya app to see if I could time them and just chill. I laid on the bed at 3pm and as soon as my head hit the pillow, it was like a scene you expect to see in the movies when a lady’s waters break! I heard and felt a pop and boom, water everywhere. I also lost my mucus plug at this time. I had learnt from the digital pack that it is so important to remain calm and to try and avoid adrenaline as this can hinder progress. Therefore my husband ran me a bath and I was listening to the app to help me use up breathing and to time the contractions. The contractions started coming thick and fast and the app was telling me I was in established labour, which meant I was having three surges within 10 minutes lasting 45 seconds. At 6pm after labouring at home using a TENS machine, having dimmed lighting, continuing with my up breathing by using the app, bouncing on my birthing ball and being fed pasta by my husband to keep my energy up, I felt it was time to go to the hospital. I also continued listening to the app during the car journey.

We arrived at the midwife led birthing unit (MLBU) which had a birthing pool in it with low lighting. The midwife was just observing how I was coping and she could see contractions were coming thick and fast so offered for me to be examined at 8pm which I felt good about as I wanted to know how far I had progressed. The examination wasn’t as painful as I thought it would be. The midwife told me I was 2cm dilated which at the time made me feel slightly deflated, however I remained positive as I knew by body was doing as it should. The midwife explained it was my choice whether I wanted to stay or go home to continue to labour as they explained I might be able to relax more if at home. I decided I wanted to stay in hospital as I felt things were progressing rapidly. I continued using the TENS machine, walking round the room and leaning over the birthing pool when a contraction came. My husband was rubbing my back also. A midwife came in around 9.30pm and asked whether I wanted to try the birthing pool out as she said that might settle the contractions down to be more regular as they thought they weren’t, I had specified in my birth plan that I wanted to use the pool as pain relief. I got in the pool at 10pm and my midwife suggested I go on all fours and sway in the water. At this stage, I started on the gas and air. My Husband was counting the up breathing out loud which I found extremely helpful.

At 11.30pm I looked at the clock and began to struggle. I was due to be examined again at 12.10am being every four hours. I remember feeling deflated but continued with my breathing. I felt like I was pushing, the midwife asked how long I’ve felt like pushing which I couldn’t tell her. I thought I was progressing as I found myself making more mooing sounds when trying to breath out and my husband was reminding me to breathe. Throughout the time in the pool, the midwife was checking baby’s heartbeat using a doppler and at around at 11.45pm, the midwife reported baby’s heart rate was dropping when contracting and decided I needed to go to delivery suite for baby’s heart rate to be closely monitored. At this stage, we did not know how far I was dilated but as I wanted to push, I was hoping I was far enough gone as I felt I had hit the transition stage. I remained calm and so did my husband and used BRAIN and although I wanted to give birth in MLBU, it was fine as baby’s safety was paramount.

They put bands round my belly to monitor baby’s heart rate. I asked what was happening and my midwife told me my baby was ready to enter the world as I was 10cm. They said I was incredible and I couldn’t believe it, I was fully dilated and I kept thinking I’m going to meet my baby soon. I was on my back pushing but I knew I didn’t want to give birth on my back as, from what I had read, it is more difficult for the baby to be born. I moved so I was on my knees and leaning against the back of the bed with my husband beside me, with a bottle of lucozade in one hand and fanning me with the bedpan in the other. I was certainly mooing like a cow and was doing down breathing. I did not have the gas and air during this stage. The ring of fire was really painful but I just kept thinking, “I’m going to meet my baby soon.” The midwife said they could see the head and after a couple more intense pushes, and I had never been so determined in my life before, at 01.04am our gorgeous boy was born and the midwife passed him through my legs and into my arms. I will never forget that moment. I was in disbelief and we just couldn’t stop staring at him.

The midwife gave him a quick wipe down when he was still in my arms and we heard his first beautiful cry and I was just staring into his eyes. I had the injection for my placenta to be delivered with the midwife then pushing on my abdomen and a few pushes from me, the placenta was delivered. I had a second degree tear which required stitches, but my midwife needed more experience in doing this and needed to be observed, I told her to go ahead as I completely understood this being a nurse myself. Baby boy latched with some guidance from the midwife and his first feed was at 1.15am for 20 minutes which just felt amazing. We had delay cord clamping and when ready, my husband cut the cord. I had around 600 mls blood loss which is just over borderline. We had skin to skin for around 3 hours and at 4am, we were transferred back to MLBU where we spent even more time as a family in our private room.

Baby had all his checks and the vitamin K injection. I managed to breastfeed my baby boy a couple more times with help from the midwife. The midwife went through all the paperwork and we were discharged home at midday to start our journey as parents. I had such a positive birth experience and would not have changed any aspect.

I was so thankful for a quick and for me, a straightforward labour and birth and I strongly believe this was down to the Positive Birth Company as I felt prepared and was able to remain calm and in control of my breathing throughout my labour.