Birth story - Leanne and baby Ida

Due to Covid-19 we weren't sure whether our homebirth would be going ahead. During all the worry and uncertainty, the Digital Pack was an absolute godsend. My husband Jamie and I watched all the videos twice after 20 weeks after having a positive hypnobirthing experience with our first baby; we used the daily practice sheet and guided meditations and Jamie downloaded the Freya app, he was involved in every aspect and took his birth partner role very seriously.

We revisited our birth preferences and discussed every possible outcome so Jamie was aware of my choices so he could advocate for me where necessary so all I needed to do was concentrate on a calm birth for myself and our daughter. On 7th April at 40 +4 weeks, we decided to go ahead with a sweep. Twenty four hours later at 1:30pm, I began feeling my usual intense Braxton Hicks but radiating through my back. After a couple of hours we were sure they were real surges and began to prepare our birth space at home until we knew otherwise. Jamie set up candles, oils, made it dark and warm and began to time the surges on the Freya app while we watched films, I bounced on my ball and had a bath whilst listening to the guided meditations on the Freya app. It was so lovely and calm and I used my up breathing until the Freya app told us we were in established labour at 8:30pm and to call the midwife. Thankfully midwives were available and one was on her way to us, we were advised to begin filling up the pool.

Our midwife Sarah arrived at 9:30pm and observed me breathing and swaying through my surges and was unobtrusive and quiet as she checked through our birth preferences. Sarah asked if I'd like an examination and I agreed as I was curious as to where I was. I was 3cm and Sarah suggested some gentle walking up the stairs or labouring on the loo. We did both and I rocked and  breathed through my surges on the toilet when we heard an audible pop. My waters had gone and Sarah asked to check the colour, my waters were a green/brown colour telling us that meconium was present. Sarah chatted through what this meant, that potentially baby's gut was mature as she was over 40 weeks or that she was in some distress. If the meconium was minimal and thin and I was progressing then our homebirth could continue however, if the meconium was thick and I still had a long way to go, then it would be best to transfer to hospital. We knew about meconium from our previous birth research and Jamie discussed everything with Sarah using the BRAIN acronym. I had an examination and was still 3cm and when I stood up, lots of meconium came out and it was thick and dark. We opted for a hospital transfer as that was safest for our baby and Sarah phoned for an ambulance. It arrived quickly and the paramedics were respectful and quietly supportive. I was offered gas and air and as I was to be sitting and strapped in rather than the UFO positions I had been labouring in so far, I decided to try it. I didn't like it during my first birth as it made me nauseous and woozy but this time it had no real affect and I could use it to support my up breathing on the uncomfortable if short journey.

When we arrived at 11pm we were transferred to a room, our plan B which would have been a water birth was not a safe option due to the meconium so it was plan C which was to make our hospital birth as much like a land homebirth as possible. Jamie had followed in his car and although he struggled to actually get in the hospital as it was on lockdown due to Covid-19, he arrived soon after and set about making the room on the MLU comfortable dimming the lights, setting up LED candles, oils and swapped the radio for the Freya app guided meditations. We said goodbye to Sarah and met our new midwife Steph who read our birth preferences and set me up to be monitored while she watched and assessed me. Unfortunately, there was no wireless monitoring available so the continuous monitor was placed around my tummy. This did not hinder my birth at all, I stood leaning on the bed swaying and rocking and using the gas and air to up breathe throughout my surges which were quickly increasing in intensity while Jamie used soft touch massage and rubbed my back. It was at this point that Steph told us we would need to move to the labour ward to be under obstetric care. Jamie asked Steph to discuss this outside so I could labour quietly but that they would discuss any issues needing my consent with me. When they returned, I was told that everything was fine and we would continue to labour on the MLU and assess my progress in an hour.

An hour later and I was labouring on the loo again and finding the surges increasingly difficult to up breathe through. It was then Jamie told me that we had initially been asked to move so baby's heart rate could be closely monitored by the doctor on the ward. Jamie used BRAIN again to consider whether moving me was in my best interests, if my monitoring would be any different and also asked about possible exposure to Covid-19. It transpired that we had accidentally been placed in the MLU in the first place, although this turned out to be a very happy accident. The only real difference was that the doctors would be closer but Jamie also knew that I did not want anyone else in my birthing space unless absolutely medically necessary and so he refused to move me and they agreed to continue. I was so happy and proud of Jamie for advocating so brilliantly for us and our baby and how involved he had been in our hypnobirthing process. 

I then suddenly had a big wobble, I told Jamie that actually I wanted pain relief and a caesarean and I would go there now! Jamie told me to think about our birth preferences and repeated my favourite affirmations to me telling me how strong and capable I was and that he thought I was going through transition. He mentioned this to Steph who asked if I'd like to be examined and I agreed. Steph said I was 4cm at midnight but that second babies liked to surprise us and asked if I was feeling pressure in my bottom, I was and it was coming quickly. My surges did not fit with what my cervix was apparently doing so I went back to my standing position at the bed.

I soon felt the urge to bear down and was becoming increasingly loud and primal. Steph suggested I get on all fours on the bed and she rang for a second midwife. I clambered on the bed and leaned up against the head of it. My body completely took over, it was the most intense yet amazing feeling. One big surge and I could feel our baby crowning, I switched quickly to down breathing using the gas and air to help me through the ring of fire sensation which thankfully lasted seconds. Another big surge and her head was born. I could hear Steph telling me to trust my body and go with what it was telling me to do, she was completely hands off and let me do it myself which is what I had wanted from a homebirth and I loved how much my birth preferences were respected. Jamie kept popping up to tell me details about our daughters hair and face and encouraging me, I honestly felt like I had a dream team cheering me on. Another big surge and I could feel baby getting ready, I slowed my breathing and Steph supported my perineum, one more big surge and baby Ida was born at 1:10am on the 9th April. I quickly removed my top and baby was passed through my legs and up to my chest. I have never felt so strong and elated in all my life and couldn't believe how quickly I had gone from 4cm to delivery in one hour.

We had skin to skin and baby latched within ten minutes and didn't come off for almost three hours I had opted for a physiological third stage and delivered the placenta 50 minutes after Ida was born. Jamie was allowed to stay with us until 6am when Ida and myself would be moved upstairs. We were given lots of time to bond and be alone before I was checked over, I had a small first degree tear and graze that required no stitches. We all got some rest and the next morning I was moved to private room upstairs where I spent the day snuggling Ida and snoozing before Jamie collected us in the afternoon. Steph came to see me before her shift ended and we had a lovely chat about how wonderful and positive our birth was and how grateful we were to her for respecting our wishes and taking our birth choices seriously. All the staff who took care of us were so reassuring and wonderful and put so much effort into making us feel safe and secure, I really can't praise the NHS enough. We may not have had the homebirth we originally planned, but we feel we could not have had a more empowering and positive birth.