Birth story - Leanda and baby Robyn

I’m so excited to tell my story, it was the most perfect healing birth after I struggled with PND following the birth of our first daughter which is 100% down to using the Positive Birth Company digital pack in preparation!

I won’t go into detail regarding my first birth, but I found it very traumatic and it had resulted in an unplanned caesarean. We then had difficulty establishing breastfeeding and I suffered with PND for over a year after. Ultimately, I wanted to do absolutely everything I could to avoid feeling that way again!!

My pregnancy was pretty smooth apart from SPD. I suffered during my first pregnancy too so it wasn’t a surprise although this time I was extra cautious towards the end to remain UFO to hopefully optimise baby’s positioning!

I loved the Positive Birth Company digital pack, I started completing it around 30 weeks and then refreshed particular videos depending on what I needed towards the end. It was important to me that I had the opportunity for a VBAC, so made sure I was confident to advocate for myself to my consultant, had I not known to use my BRAIN I might have accepted a few things advised to me. I did my research and went in armed. I knew the MLU was where I wanted to birth, and therefore I had to advocate for myself (very strongly, and frequently) that was what I wanted. It went against their usual ‘low risk only’ policy, but the only factor that made me ‘high risk’ was the 0.5% chance of scar rupture.

Towards the end of my pregnancy I was starting to get really fed up. My first was born on her due date and I’d had no signs of anything happening so felt like it was never going to happen!! I was booked in for a section at 41 weeks (at the time of booking I didn’t want to leave it any later) and felt like we were hurtling towards that date.

At 40+4 I started feeling period type pains around 3pm and whilst not very regular they started to need my concentration! I began timing them using the Freya app around 4pm. I left my husband with our toddler and took myself to where I’d already made a nice space to labour in before going to the hospital. I sat on the birthing ball, using up breathing to breathe through each surge. After maybe an hour my husband ran me a bath. By this time my mum had arrived (she was due to look after my daughter anyway whilst we went for a Covid test ahead of the section) so my husband was able to support me. After the bath I used the TENS machine, I’m not sure it really did anything but after I’d put it on I wasn’t about to take it off! I was mostly able to breathe through them but there were a couple of surges where I lost concentration and then felt myself panic. Thankfully I was able to regain control by the next surge. We continued timing the surges, confident Freya would let us know when we needed to ring the hospital. However, we can’t have been watching the app that closely as we suddenly realised there was a message on the screen that potentially had been there for a while, telling us I was in established labour!! I immediately rang the hospital and advised them we were on our way and they said they were going to start running the pool.

The journey to the hospital, whilst only about 25 minutes, was what I had been dreading the most. I remembered how I struggled in the car on the way with my first, however I had planned ahead this time! I had saved a Space Mask, had my headphones (now listening to the MP3’s) and calculated that I probably only needed to get through five surges before we got there. This made a huge difference and I remained in control the whole journey, using up breathing.

Whilst walking from the car to the hospital I felt my waters break and a shift in the pressure. I was sure I could feel her move down and I needed to push. Instead of panicking though, I told myself that if I’m going to birth in the car park my body will know what to do. Someone saw me though and ran to get me a wheelchair and some help, she got me on the wheelchair and just ran, my husband with all our bags following. Then a team of midwives rushed out and took over! I lost my breathing for a bit at this point and heard myself making noise during surges and then apologising after! Once inside the delivery room they asked to check my blood pressure before I got in the pool and gave me a VE. Very quickly they confirmed I was 10cms and ready to push and helped me strip off and get in the pool. Oh my gosh that was amazing!! After a surge I reminded my husband to put some music on and get me a drink, amazingly he remembered to take photos and even videos, I’m so happy as we’ve got videos of me pushing through surges and then minutes later laughing and joking! I struggled with the down breathing but just went with my body. I used gas and air at this point and found it really helped me to breathe! I remember thinking, this is it, I’m going to get my VBAC!!

After a few surges her head come out, I reached down and felt her hand! She must have come out like superwoman! Whilst waiting for the next surge I held her hand, just so amazed at what was happening! After the next surge she was out and the midwife was telling me to reach down and pull her up to my chest. It was just incredible. I couldn’t quite believe that I had done it, the midwife completely left me to birth my baby on my own and I felt so empowered! We had arrived in the car park at 8pm and she was born at 8.34, 15 minutes after getting into the pool.

I had the injection to deliver the placenta because I’d lost quite a bit of blood but all was ok. My husband had skin to skin whilst we waited for this, and whilst I had stitches. I had a second degree tear (definitely had no idea at the time!). The stitches were pretty horrible I’ll admit, but I had gas and air and it was quickly over.

We were then moved into a different birthing room which had a pull down double bed, and we were told to get some rest. It was about 11pm by this time and we assumed that they’d come and do checks and discharge us a few hours later but they actually left us to rest until about 8am the next day! It was amazing, we spent the night dozing and feeding and generally soaking up our baby girl.

I couldn’t have asked for a better birth experience, whilst our arrival at the hospital was a little dramatic, I knew to trust my body and I’m so proud of myself for feeling so in control the whole time. I will be recommending PBC to everyone, it really made all the difference.