Birth story - Martha and baby Ellis

I’m a 34 year old first time Mum. I’ve had a straightforward pregnancy (except for the global pandemic!). I have three amazing step kids that my partner I hadn’t seen for nearly 2 months as we’d isolated to keep myself and bump safe.  On this day I was 39+5 and very keen for baby boy bump to arrive so we could see them again. 

After a lie in reading my book and a couple of tightenings I got up at 11am and my waters broke (everywhere like in the movies!). I had a quick shower whilst my partner cleared up (bless him) and then we had some breakfast. I called labour ward and they told me to come down for a check and to book an induction in 24 hrs if I hadn’t gone into labour naturally. My surges started and were regular pretty quickly- every 3-5 minutes but they weren’t too uncomfortable at this point.  

I arrived and went in by myself whilst my partner waited in the car. I was seen really quickly and they examined me (she said she didn’t need to but I wanted to know where I was). She confirmed my waters had gone but I wasn’t dilated yet (a dimple she said) so sent me home to get going. The journey home was very uncomfortable (I live about 30 mins away and the roads were very bumpy!) but I was practicing my up breathing with the Freya app which helped and listening to the playlist I had made to use in labour. 

I got home and we had some lunch (pasta for energy) but over the next 2-3 hours my contractions got more and more intense. A bath helped for a bit but we decided to get me out and call the hospital as I was struggling, even with the breathing techniques. The journey back was rough (the route included speed bumps!!) but we got there. I went straight into the birth centre and the midwife examined me at 8pm. She confirmed I was 4cm dilated and started running the bath.

I got in the bath with Gas and Air and instantly felt a thousand times better. My partner and the midwife put the battery operated tea lights around the room and continued my playlist. After a little while I started to get a lot of pressure. The midwife said it was too early to examine me but after it continued suggested I checked to see if I could feel his head- which I could. A very emotional moment as it was only about 2 ½ hours since I’d got into the bath. 

I started pushing soon after. It was hard work (my partner kept giving me water and Percy Pigs to keep me going) but he and the midwife were giving me lots of encouragement and that, plus hearing my music, helped enormously. After I’d been pushing for 2 hours they asked the doctor to come in and she told me that I needed to get him out soon because I was getting tired. She mentioned getting out of the pool and/or a cut. She helped a little (by stretching) and after the threat of having to get out of the pool I was able to push him out with a couple more pushes. My beautiful boy Ellis was born at 1.14am on the 12th May weighing 7lbs13oz.

We spent a good hour or so skin to skin if not longer. I did had a 2nd degree tear which required stitches, the doctor did them later that night but they were tolerable with gas and air.

The feeling of having him put straight into my chest was the single most amazing feeling in my life so far. I was so proud of myself and so grateful to my partner, the midwives and doctor and for the Hypnobirthing techniques which helped me manage the pain. I was able to stick to my birth plan 100% and the only difference Covid 19 really made to us was that the midwives were wearing face masks. We went home later the same day (we stayed on the birth centre until all the checks etc were done) so my partner never left our side.