Birth story - Lauren and baby Nyla

Possible Trigger - Induction due to pre-eclampsia, Haemorrhage⁣

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐲:⁣

My pregnancy was relatively normal despite spending it locked in the house like many of you due to Covid. I’m usually very active, I play field hockey and started my triathlon journey last year. Completed Ironman Bahrain in December which was a pre-mummy goal of mine which I’m pleased I got in! ⁣⁣

Feeling physically fitter than ever before when I fell pregnant I wanted to continue to stay fit and healthy. I ran regular short 5k up until 6 months and then moved on to swimming and regular walks. ⁣

The last 2 months of my pregnancy I really ballooned, I felt great in myself but had protein in my urine so was being monitored for pre eclampsia, forward a few more weeks and symptoms had progressed it was decided the safest thing to do would be to deliver baby. I never wanted to be induced but knew this was the right decision and therefore continued to stay calm and positive about the upcoming induction.⁣

𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐜𝐭 - 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧⁣

Following my obstetrician appointment the previous day my husband and I made our way to the hospital and arrived about 5:30pm. I settled in our room and had the various routine checks. I was 1cm dilated before the induction and baby was already in prime position so they administered the gel at 10pm. I went to bed and woke up at 6am to be told they will add another gel as that one hadn’t made anything progress. I had very light period like cramps at this point but nothing to get excited about. ⁣

Following the second round of induction I had a carb loaded breakfast and although I tried I couldn’t get back to sleep (too excited ). At 9am the midwife recommended I go for a walk around the block. My husband and I decided we would have a shower and refresh before we made our way out. ⁣

At 10am I started crab walking down the stairs and did a few squats here and there (we were on the 7th floor) by the time I made it to the ground floor I started to feel a few sharp pains which I assumed were the surges coming on. We decided to ditch the walk and make our way back up to the labour room and continue the crab walking/squats which seemed to be helping. By the time I got to the 7th floor my surges were becoming more regular and I was stopping to breath through the surges that were becoming stronger.⁣

I walked in to the labour room at around 10:30am and my waters completely went, just like the movies . I laughed it off and said, ‘get the midwife things are happening!!’ My midwife, who was an advocate for Hypnobirthing was brilliant. She prepared the pool, dimmed the room, put out the tea lights and sprayed my lavender room spray. ⁣

I got in the pool and things started progressing quickly, surges were coming quicker and stronger by the minute. They really aren’t lying when they say you feel like you’re doing a poo! I stuck with the UFO (upright, forward and open position) guidance and lent forward against the pool on my hands and knees. I was then in the zone listening to the FREYA app background music and counting audio to guide me through the breathing when my surges came.⁣⁣

Due to covid I wasn’t allowed to deliver my daughter in the pool as the covid test result hadn’t come back in time and the rule is that I had to have a negative test result to do so incase she caught covid through the water it was now 1pm and I was told I needed to get on to the bed. ⁣

I was guided over to the bed and made it politely clear I wasn’t lying on my back so they lifted the back of the bed up and I continued on my hands and knees. At this point I was struggling with how quickly things had intensified and wasn’t sure how long I could go on. In my head I thought as a FTM my labour still had a way to go so when my husband asked if I wanted to try gas and air I jumped at the chance! ⁣⁣

The gas & air really did give me something else to focus on through the contractions and with 3 hard pushes my little girl was delivered at 1:38pm on 3rd October. ⁣

⁣Considering everything happened so quickly I was really pleased to have not torn, I had been doing perineal massage from 36 weeks in the hope it would help so I would like to think it was worth it and recommend it.⁣

Following the birth, and a happy healthy arrival, I had haemorrhage and lost 2 litres of blood. The team at the hospital were rapid at responding. I stayed calm whilst holding my little angel, I didn’t panic and knew I was in safe hands. ⁣

Her first week of life was sadly spent in hospital because of this, despite her being healthy, but I felt fine and was just in my big baby bubble of happiness that I didn’t let it get me down. ⁣

Overall I feeI had such a positive birth experience, it was the most empowering experience of my life. I am without doubt the control freak of my family and using the PBC digital pack helped me gain some form of control on how I could react and handle the rollercoaster that is labour. ⁣

Thanks for reading and all the best with your upcoming births! Xx