Birth Story - Lucy and baby Jessica

Baby Jessica, 9lbs, 17.05.18 5hours of labour and I feel like super woman.

My story - my first birth 4 years ago ended with a lot of intervention and many nights in hospital and so I was feeling really nervous about going through it again.
After a 1-1 session with Siobhan I was so invested in hypnobirthing and all geared up for a home birth but when late scans at 37 weeks predicted my girl to be 10lbs+ I was advised to birth at my local birth centre which after weighing up the risks I accepted.

On Wednesday evening at 38+4 weeks I was feeling so 'heavy' and could really feel the baby down in my pelvis. After a back massage from my husband I went to bed as normal nice and relaxed. Woke up at 1.30am with period cramp type feeling which at first I thought nothing of but after half an hour I realised it was coming and going every 5 mins. It had started!
I was straight up and walking around my living room and by 3am my surges were only 3 mins apart. I rang the birth centre and as I was so calm sounding (the midwife listened to me breathe through 2 surges while we talked) they suggested I could wait until the surges were more like 2-3 mins apart before coming in.

By 4am they were 2-2.5 mins apart so I rang back up and off we went to the birth centre.
I asked to be examined when we arrived and I was 5cm dilated! I was in the birth pool by 5am and the relief from the water was amazing! Then the time just flew by - I'd been in the water about an hour and 15mins but it felt like only 20mins to me and I suddenly felt the most intense pressure and my whole body just pushed, I couldn't stop it if I tried! I panicked at this point because i felt like I'd only just been told I was 5cm and I'm thinking surely I've got this wrong, it can't be time to push but sure enough within a few surges the head was out and a couple more surges and she was here at 6.28am. 5 hours after my first cramps!

Hypnobirthing was a game changer! I didn't once feel the need for any pain relief and even when I panicked towards the end I was still focusing on my breathing - I knew what I was meant to be doing and all I needed was my birth partner and midwife to remind me to trust my body and I did!

I was back at home the same day (via mcdonalds drive through - well deserved) and I still can't believe how 'easy' it all was compared to my first birth!

Siobhan I really can't thank you enough. This birth was the most empowering experience of my life and everything I wanted it to be. I really did feel like superwoman afterwards.