Birth story - Lauren and baby Heidi

The birth 👶🏼

I had a really emotional day before the day I gave birth, it was the last day before I was told I should seriously consider having an induction (after being asked about it since I hit 40 weeks). I really wanted a natural home birth in the pool so I decided to keep pushing my pregnancy until 42+3 knowing that baby was moving a lot and she’d been monitored and checked, I just knew in my gut that this baby girl was gonna show up on her own timeline!

On the night of the 29th, I started getting period pains in the middle of the night along with strong cramps down my legs. I had been waiting so long, I was so excited for any sign of discomfort (if that even makes sense 🤣🫣) I slept through most of the cramps and pain but woke up around 5.40am to a fairly strong surge. I was hoping so badly that this was labour coming on!! I started to track the pains as they ramped up and that they did! 🤩

I had a surge every 20 minutes, then every 15, then every 10 and then it just ramped up from there. I can honestly say, at this point I was more excited than anything because I was just so pleased I was going into labour on my own at home. I got into the bath around about 10.30am and said to my partner, I think we need to think about filling up the birth pool… I feel like she’s finally gonna make an appearance! I took some paracetamol and I then texted my midwife just informing her that today is the day…. To which she replied, she was coming over!

My midwife arrived when my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. She checked me at 12.30pm and said I was 5cm dilated and could tell I was in active labour by my breathing. I managed to breathe my way through each surge after watching all the hypnobirthing videos (thank you so much) and I got to around 2pm before getting into the pool. I could have jumped in earlier but I wanted to make sure I had a place to go with the pain…. (Didn’t want to use all my lifelines!)

What a relief. My gosh!!! The pool was amazing, the warmth, the lift, it was just incredible. The surges were still there but it really took the edge off. Things were starting to really ramp up but I just remembered my breathing exercises, remembered to stay relaxed and drop my shoulders and focused through each contraction (couldn’t have done this without the techniques and my amazing midwife).

By 4.30pm I was ready to push but contractions were slowing down as I was getting tired. I kept asking the midwife how long I had to go and she told me she knew I was pretty close but expected me to be a little slower due to it being my first birth… she told me to have some sugar, so I shovelled some haribo strawbs in my mouth along with a sip of Fanta which gave me a burst of energy!

At this point, my midwife wanted to just examine me quickly to see where we were, I wasn’t quite fully dilated, I was only 9cm dilated so I had to wait. My midwife said I had to stop the urge to push. (Ahh, I know! Crazy!!! I think this was the hardest part as my body was in “do it itself” mode). This is when I used gas and air for 18 minutes to help me get through those urges!!

After stalling, my midwife checked again and we managed to do it!!! Waters broke and it was onto the final stage!!! I had to sit like I was sat on a toilet and really put some welly into it, it felt incredible!!! I can’t believe I managed to do it. I listened to the midwife when she told me to slow it down, she told me to breathe and relax to prevent tearing. At 17.07, my little miracle was born into the pool ♥️ I lifted her out of the water into my arms…. What a surreal moment!!!

I honestly can’t believe I managed to do it… all with mostly breathing exercises learnt from hypnobirthing, a couple of paracetamols and gas and air! Just absolutely fantastic. I was examined and luckily I was left with a few grazes. I feel like I really trusted my body, my baby, my midwife and my partner! 💕

Thank you so much! So glad I found this course and really believed in it. I’m also so glad I believed in myself and my baby. I got the birth I wanted and our baby girl is absolutely perfect! We named her Heidi and she is the best thing that has ever happened to us.💖