Birth story - Michelle and baby Imogen

I was due to be induced on 4th May (also my birthday!) at exactly 42 weeks, something I had desperately wanted to avoid with Covid-19 meaning my husband couldn’t join me until I established labour. That morning I woke up about 5.30am to some period type pains that felt low down and altogether different from the Braxton hicks I’d been getting. I tried not to get my hopes up as I couldn’t believe things might actually be kicking in when I’d finally accepted the reality of needing an induction but then I found myself having to concentrate and use my up-breathing through the pains which were coming more in waves. I used the Freya app to time them and they were sporadic in terms of how far apart but all lasting within 30-60 secs.  After an hour or so I told my husband I thought things were happening. We gradually got the last of the bags together, had breakfast and I even opened a few cards and presents, having to stop to breathe through surges which were getting closer together. I had my phone call from the hospital re my induction, and told them it seemed things were happening on their own. They told me to head in to the induction ward to be monitored and assessed.

The car journey was intense but I used my TENS machine and continued up-breathing through the surges and Freya was telling me I was in established labour. We got to the hospital about 10am, my husband dropped me off and I was soon up in the induction ward being monitored. I found being on my back on the bed really uncomfortable through the surges, and luckily it wasn’t too long until I was taken to be assessed. I was found to be 4cm dilated at this point and so I was able to go to the Midwife Birth Centre where my husband could join me.

I laboured here for a good few hours with the TENS and then introduced gas & air when I felt I needed something more. The surges were feeling really powerful by this point. I was examined again at 3.20pm and I was 7cm dilated. Knowing I still had a way to go I decided to accept pethidine. I don’t remember this as being particularly effective, only that I would almost fall asleep for a few seconds between surges! However my husband could see I wasn’t relying as heavily on the gas and air so perhaps it helped more than I thought! 

The next few hours things were progressing quite slowly. At 8pm I was examined found to be 9cm. I was still 9cm at 11pm so at this point my midwife broke my waters. I was also put on a drip of fluids as I had keytones in my urine because I hadn’t been able to eat or drink anywhere near enough in labour. I was finally fully dilated at 1pm, when the midwife encouraged me to keep doing what I was doing for another hour to let baby’s head descend on its own as much as possible. 

As the surges continued they were feeling more and more intense lower down and then into my bottom and I was feeling the need to bear down. My midwife then asked me what position I wanted to get into to try and bring baby’s head down. I started on my knees leaning over the back of the bed which was upright. The midwives then advised me to try a seated position on the bed pulling on my thighs through the surges. Despite not wanting to be on my back, the pushing actually felt a bit easier this way and seemed to be more effective. After an hour of this things weren’t progressing and midwives needed to get the opinion of the doctors. My surges had also slowed down quite a bit and were coming less regularly, possibly due to the ketones.

After the doctor examined me through some surges, it appeared baby was in an awkward position - transverse/diagonal and possibly back to back as well. After discounting a trial delivery in theatre with forceps because of her position and also the fact my contractions were petering out and they couldn’t just leave me fully dilated for too long, the last resort and only real option was a c-section. Also baby’s heart rate showed she wasn’t too happy at this point, so it really was time to just get her out.

We proceeded to theatre and within 5 minutes of starting, we heard her cry. It was a magical moment when she was shown to us over the curtain and my husband told me it’s a girl. She was taken to be checked over quickly and then brought to us for skin to skin.

It wasn’t the birth I envisaged at all, even being very open minded, but after labouring all day and feeling progress was being made, I never expected to end up in theatre, but when the c-section was clearly the only option for her safe delivery I stayed as calm as I could knowing there was no alternative and we’d be meeting baby soon!

Hypnobirthing helped me immensely through my pregnancy and labour. The affirmations and relaxation tracks kept me calm especially through those ‘overdue’ weeks and I relied heavily on my up-breathing for the whole 21 hours whilst I was dilating - all the midwifes commented on how calm I was. I repeated affirmations inside my head when surges were intensifying and the BRAIN approach helped me to keep calm about the sudden changes to my birth.