Birth story - Lauren and baby Penelope

I was always petrified of giving birth, a friend of a friend told me about hypnobirthing before I was even pregnant and I found them on Instagram. Then, when we finally found out I was pregnant, I got straight to it… not properly but planting the seeds. Then at about week 20 I started to follow the course online. I had a little wobble maybe three weeks before my due date and I started googling how much a private C section would be! But I got my laptop out and went over my favourite videos that really blew my mind the first time I watched them then I felt loads better. 

My due date was Christmas Day! Everyone was telling me I was going to be early. I had been getting major pains for about two weeks, she had been head down since week 26, at my 36 week scan I was told I probably would go full term. We got to 22nd Dec and I thought is she was never going to come!

Monday 23rd I woke to period pains, but they felt like another false alarm. I had a poo which made the pain go, so again I thought nope not today. About 1.00pm I had my lunch and the pains came back, again I went for another poo but the pain didn’t go. So I called Harry (my partner) who was working until 4.00pm and told him he can’t stay late and maybe needed to try to get out early if possible. But still told him to get a broccoli as I was still planning on making dinner which never happened. 

Harry got back about 4.30pm and I askede him to get me in the bath, I still didn’t think I was in labour. I was in the bath for about 5 mins and things just changed, they felt more like a surges than period pains. So we headed into the living room. We had it all set up for about two weeks as I wanted to get used to looking at the pool and the setting, I was so glad we did this as it didn’t seem daunting to look at when we went in there. It was super cosy with just the Christmas tree on and my diffuser pumping out lavender. 

From about 5.30pm-7.00pm I laboured on all fours over the sofa listening to the Freya app, Harry asked if we should start pushing the button when I had a surge just to see how far apart they were, I was still thinking this was a false alarm and said “whatever” in-between breaths. After three surges he told me it was saying I was in established labour, again I thought it was just wrong as I was coping so well. 

We called the midwife about 7.30pm, she spoke to me and said it sounded like she should come, I said no and I wanted about half an hour as I didn’t want to waste their time!! I don’t remember Harry calling them to tell them to come, but I opened my eyes nearly two hours later 9.00pm/10.00pm, and Harry was filling the pool, I had stripped off and it was the midwife rubbing my back not Harry. I went to the loo at this point and lost my plug then things got powerful. 

My midwife asked if she could examine me, she tried but my surges were so powerful I told her to stop and I just flipped over on all fours again. She said we would just trust my body and asked if I wanted to get in the pool. The relief was amazing getting into the water, it really calmed me and took the edge off. We still had the Freya app on in the background, my heart rate and baby’s stayed the same throughout the whole labour. 

I have no idea what the time was at this point but things got even more powerful, my other midwife had turned up but I hadn’t even noticed! Then my waters popped, the relief was lovely. Something changed in my moaning, I think I had maybe three more surges after my waters went and I knew my body was pushing. I lost my breathing a little in this stage but my midwife behind me was great at getting me back into it and slowing me down. 

It actually felt quite nice to push, I could use the power of the surge somewhere and that was in my bottom. I could feel her coming lower, then I could feel her crowning and going back in again. Then I had two big surges and her head was out, the burning everyone tried to tell me about wasn’t that bad at all. At 2.00am on the next surge she came, and I didn’t even realise! My midwife had to tell me twice to open my eyes and look down and pick her up. 

We had skin to skin, and she latched on as soon as I was out of the pool. My placenta needed a few pushes with me sat not the loo and it plopped out, whilst Penelope had some skin to skin with Harry. I did go a bit lightheaded after that. I then laid down on the sofa with Harry and Penelope, I had a small tiny tear but I was so tired and sore I asked if it could be left and they were happy to leave it as it was so small. 

We were then fed tea and toast, taken up to bed with our new baby girl. I can honestly say that birth was the best accomplishment and experience. Everyone was very negative about me having a home birth as a first time Mum, and Harry just keeps talking about how amazing it was to everyone. I’m so glad we chose hypnobirthing and a home birth. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to do it any other way.