Birth story - Lauren and baby boy

*Trigger warning* - Mention of contractions (not negative for me) possible induction, 2nd degree tear, theatre.

I can’t believe I’m finally getting around to writing my positive birth story now our baby boy is nearly 1! 🥹

We found out I was pregnant in early June 2021 and found out very early on, around 1-2 weeks pregnant. I had a very straightforward pregnancy with no sickness, only bad heartburn, and I did get covid at 36 weeks (thankfully very mild symptoms) but other than that I really enjoyed being pregnant. I was considered low risk and had plans for a water birth with minimal drugs (if I could handle it!)

At my 40 week appointment I was told that the NHS guidelines had changed and I would need to book in for an induction at 41 weeks. I was so disappointed at this wasn’t what I wanted and I knew it would probably ruin all my plans of a calm water birth. I left the appointment having declined a sweep determined to get things going naturally. Throughout my labour I had been quite active and was going on walks right up until the day I went into labour. At my 41 week appointment I told the midwife I didn’t want to be induced, however, she booked me in and told me I can decline. I called the hospital on the day of induction and explained I wanted to wait until 42 weeks so they asked me to come for monitoring instead.

I went in on the Saturday early evening and they hooked me up to be monitored, everything was fine with me and the baby and the doctor explained the risks of going too far over the due date.

At this point I used BRAIN and accepted a sweep to try and avoid an induction and the midwife took me through to the birth centre so I could see the room and have the sweep there. The lovely midwife could see I was nervous and gave me gas and air and explained everything as she was doing it (the gas and air really helped! 😆) she gave me a really good sweep and said my cervix was anterior and already 1cm dilated. She told me to come back the following night for another sweep if I wanted to, however I didn’t need it as on Sunday early afternoon I went into labour!

That morning some of my mucus plug had come away and I got really excited, so my husband and I went for a walk around our local park. The weather was beautiful and I remember half way round feeling pains in my lower back but put it down to the long walk. After stopping a few times we decided to head home and have lunch, as we were eating around 2pm I could feel tightenings in my back like mild period pains and was feeling excited to think it was labour but didn’t want to get my hopes up.

After lunch I took myself off upstairs to bounce on my birth ball and burn clary sage oil, I also started to time my contractions using the Freya app.

I was up breathing through contractions and managing quite well but decided to have a warm bath, it felt like this was slowing everything down so I got out to have some dinner. It was at this point things ramped up and I couldn’t sit to eat so I went back upstairs to the bedroom and set up candles and dim lights to bounce on the ball. I was timing my contractions which were 3 in 10 but I was starting to get tired, I couldn’t lie down so I tried to get comfy on all fours and my husband was pressing on my lower back when I had a contraction which helped (I wish I had tried a tens machine!) it was a few hours later around 11pm we decided to call the hospital and they asked me to come in.

When we arrived I was so pleased to be told we could have a room on the midwife led birth unit and I could have my water birth! When I saw it was the same midwife who gave me the sweep who would be delivering our baby I was so happy.

After giving us a little time to get settled in the room our midwife examined me and told me I was 4cm dilated so she offered me pethedine to allow me to relax and get some rest which, after using BRAIN, I accepted.

A couple of hours went by, but it felt like 10 minutes, I was laying on my side and the pain in my lower back had intensified massively, I couldn’t lay still and needed to sit up, as my husband helped me up I said I needed a wee. I was sitting on the bed rocking back and forth and remember the feeling like I was sitting on a balloon and suddenly a gush of water came out, I thought I’d wet myself 😂

The midwife checked and said my waters had gone and I could get in the birth pool which was instant relief.

I continued using my breathing techniques and had gas and air while my husband gave me sips of Lucozade. I remember suddenly feeling a pushing sensation and my body just took over, it’s crazy how your body just knows what to do and you go with it. I always thought I’d be on my knees in the birth pool however I was laying in a slightly awkward position on my side but it seemed to be comfortable for me.

After about 2 hours of pushing (which felt like 10 minutes) I could feel baby coming down with every contraction, but I could feel the head keep bobbing back up so my midwife told me to hold the next contraction as long as I could and his head finally came out on the next contraction. Not going to lie the ring of fire is a thing and I did scream a bit at the end forgetting my floppy face affirmation 🙈😂 but it’s over quite quickly, and with 2 more pushes he was born and placed straight on my chest for skin to skin. My husband announced the sex of the baby (hardest thing ever not finding out 🙈) and he cut the cord after delayed clamping. Whitney Houston ‘greatest love of all’ was playing on the radio when he was born.

I accepted the injection to get the placenta out which took about 15 minutes.

Unfortunately after being examined by my midwife and a doctor they told me I had a second degree tear, which could potentially have been a third degree tear so they decided theater would be the best place to have stitches. I had to have a spinal block which I was so upset about after having done all that hard work with no epidural and I actually cried when they told me;🥲however, it went really well and I shouldn’t have been scared at all as the doctors were amazing and I was put at ease straight away. I also got to breast feed him while I was in theatre which took my mind off everything going on around me.

I got to have the amazing post birth tea and toast which was well needed before I went for my stitches, it tastes like the best thing you’ve ever eaten 😆

Thank you so much to the PBC for giving me all the to tools and knowledge to have the natural birth I wanted ❤️