Birth story - Louise and baby boy

My first birth was very traumatic - I don’t remember any of the labour as I was on so many medications due to a kidney infection and then had so many induction methods also to try and get baby out - all resulting in an emergency section

This time round I was determined to get a natural birth - I attended the weekend PBC course in Birmingham in February (apologies ladies who were also there and just saw me cry lots when talking about my first experience!) and knew what kind of birth I would like and learnt that everything was my decision - something you don’t always realise as a first time mother. Things are said to you and you just nod your head rather than asking options.

Although I was classed as high risk, I knew this was because of my previous section and nothing to do with this pregnancy, and so was happy to listen to my body and knew what my options were.

I had decided all along that I would be going to the 42 week mark without any induction as long as baby was happy. I had a scan at 40+10 to check the placenta and baby and everything was fine, so I booked an induction (breaking of waters) for 42 weeks. I was very aware that other forms such as the synthetic hormones would put me at a higher risk as a previous section mother so really wanted to avoid those.

At 42 weeks I arrived at the hospital at 11am ready to have my waters broken... but I was getting contractions I was so happy, I didn’t need to be induced!! The midwives were brilliant, accepted all my wants and needs, got me the pool room set up and let me be for a few hours to progress. I agreed to constant monitoring but asked that it be wireless as I wanted to be mobile.

I used the up breathing, although I wasn’t getting a break to rest in-between surges as baby was back to back so the back pain was constant. By midnight I had got to 7cm on my own and my waters broke but they had meconium in (I expected this as I was so far along) so moved from the bed to being upright around the room. Baby’s heart rate was still very healthy which I was so glad of as it meant the meconium hadn’t got to his lungs and I could carry on without worry. The back pain had gone which was so nice as meant I was getting to rest inbetween surges.

By 2:20am I was feeling like I needed to push, I was checked and was 9cm, but the midwife could see my body was pushing on its own (weirdest feeling ever!!) baby’s heart rate was starting to drop and I was starting to feel like they were going to whisk me off for a section. I had really wanted to breathe my baby out but the midwife wanted him out quick and so I was pushing! His head came out and I was so relieved, all of a sudden the button was pushed and other midwives were in the room, ‘shoulder!’ Was shouted and I was turned on to my back with my legs akimbo 😂 his shoulder was stuck in my pelvis. Before I even realised something was wrong he was already out, the midwives knew what they were doing and acted quickly. He was born at 2:57am, His cord was cut and he was taken to the side of the room to be checked over for about ten minutes. Although it wasn’t the first few minutes I had envisioned, I understood why and was glad he was at least in the room and hadn’t been taken out. After ten minutes we had skin to skin for a few hours and it was heaven. I did it!!

We got to go home at 4pm the same day, after 12 hours of baby monitoring due to his stress at the end. Completely different to our 4 day stay on antibiotics last time.

My husband was brilliant in communicating my wants when I was in the zone, and encouraging me to breathe through the surges. He really was the keeper of my cave 😍

Even now I’ve had comments ‘I didn’t think they would let you go to 42 weeks’ and I feel sad that people still don’t realise that things are their choice. I’m so happy with how everything went and how I stood my ground ❤️❤️