Birth story - Lauren and Baby S

I gave birth on Christmas Eve 2019, which I definitely was not expecting (due date was 3rd January 2020), but it was such an empowering, straightforward birth that I want to share especially as my first was really traumatic and complicated.

When I first found out I was pregnant I was happy but also quite anxious because of how my first birth went with my son eight years ago. I was in labour for 4 days and it started to get complicated and I believe we had to have constant follow ups after he was born, because of how it went.

This time round I was adamant that this wasn’t going to happen again so I started to do some research and was recommended the Positive Birth Company pack. I bought it at around 3 months and started working my way through it and even listening to the affirmations to just relax me and send me to sleep!

So, fast forward to getting closer and closer to my due date - which was the beginning of January…

I finished up at work on the Friday (I’m a Nanny), two weeks before my due date which I did with my son and it worked fine. He came around his due date so I didn’t have any worries that this baby (a girl!) would come earlier.

By the Monday I was feeling crampy but just assumed it was Braxton hicks. I had literally just put the last bits of my hospital bag in that weekend and put up the crib. I decided that I would do the last of my Christmas shopping so I headed out with my little boy to do that. From what I remember I was definitely feeling heavy that day and on more than one occasion I was told I looked like the baby was coming VERY SOON! Which I of course brushed off because in my head there was no way! All the Christmas shopping done so we headed home and, after bedtime, I started wrapping all the gifts. I noticed when I was wrapping I was feeling "Braxton hicks" again but just ignored them and carried on getting everything done.

I went to bed around 11 and I think from about 3am I was waking up every 15 minutes with tightenings. Then from about 4am it was every 5 minutes...I said to my partner I better ring the birth centre as I remembered when it gets to 5 minutes with your second you should call in. They told me to come in to be assessed so I just told my partner not to get up or wake our son as they would probably send me home, so I would just jump in a cab. How wrong I was!!

I arrived at the birth centre at 5.30am, with contractions still continuing, and the midwife explained that they don’t really like to interfere BUT suggested she check me so I could let my partner know what to do. She checked me and I was 4cm dilated! I rang him straight away and told him to get our son over to his grandmas and come straight to birth centre - the round trip would have taken 30-45mins max.

In the meantime I went in the pool which was AMAZING! I felt so relaxed and contractions were continuing. My partner arrived and then my mum too (I called her on my way to the birth centre but she was fast asleep!). I was being fed toast and juice to keep my energy up for birth which was great.

Eventually, I got out of the water because I felt like I couldn’t feel much happening and had some gas and air but not much, more just to chew on the tube! I also used the birthing stool. The midwife told me the baby was back to back (which I had with my son) so I had to work a little bit harder to get her to turn and come down. At this point I had enough and wanted to go home which I now realise was transition.

I felt like nothing was happening but they handed me the mirror and showed me she was right there! After that I realised I had to give it my all and she would be here very soon! I had support from the midwife and my partner and she was born just before 12pm!

I was mostly calm and chilled, I wasn’t nervous whilst in labour, I believe that’s down to using your pack and I believe it helped me to achieve the birth that I wanted. I didn’t have any tears or stitches due to the coaching from the midwives and following the affirmations from your pack in my head. I unfortunately didn’t use FREYA but I did purchase it as I thought that I would. I would definitely use this pack again and most definitely recommend it. Thank you!