Birth story - Mollie and baby Jude

On Tuesday 4th February in the morning I noticed I started losing my mucus plug but as I knew it wasn’t an indicator labour was imminent, I carried on with my chores and spent the morning cleaning the bathrooms on my hands and knees! Then just after lunchtime I was on my yoga ball and noticed I was getting some cramps which took my breath away and weren’t your average short sharp cramp, they were lasting up to a minute. I started timing them using the Freya app and knew I was in labour so rang Matt to come home and text my mum to say it’s happening. Matt was around 20 mins from being home luckily.

He arrived home and as the front door was locked he knocked on the door but as I was mid contraction I couldn’t move to get the door so he had to come round the back.

We carried on timing them and mum arrived around 4pm. At around 6 we rang the hospital as I was having 3 contractions in 10 minutes. 

We put on my tens machine which helped lots and Matt drove us to the hospital but as it was rush hour there was lots of traffic so it took around an hour.

We arrived at the hospital and were taken to the birthing pool room which was lovely. I laboured there with Matt and mum and we were all munching wine gums. As I hadn’t eaten I had a yoghurt and a banana too for some energy my mum kept telling me I’d need!

Around 8 I asked to be examined where the student midwife couldn’t find my cervix so asked for the other midwife to examine me. She took her time but told me I was 5cm dilated! I was ecstatic as the pain wasn’t even that bad! I carried on contracting regularly and losing more of my plug then around midnight I asked for another examination to see how far I’d progressed. They both examined me to find the midwife had made a huge error and I wasn’t actually dilated at all, my cervix was just moving forwards. 

I was gutted but happy my baby was fine so tried to stay positive. We were sent downstairs to a private room as they said it could be days before I was actually in established labour! I stayed up all night contracting and let Matt sleep and told my mum to get some sleep too. I was still contacting 3 in 10 mins and tried to watch come dine with me to shift my focus. 

The following morning we were advised the room was needed by an emergency so we were asked if we wanted to go home or go to Freya ward (post delivery ward) as I was only two cm dilated.

As I was still contracting 3 in 10 minutes and they were intense we decided to go to Freya ward with ladies who had just had their babies which wasn’t very nice as I was contracting while people’s family were visiting them! I was asked to be examined again around 4pm and was told I was still 2cm and advised to go home. I took some oramorph and went home. Mum went back to hers and Matt sent me to bed as I had not slept, but as the contractions were so strong there was no way I could do anything but breathe and groan through the pain. 

Matt come upstairs and helped me through each contraction which was amazing, I literally sat on top of him and he fully supported me and swayed with each contraction. We were in bed just focusing on meeting our baby. Around midnight I said to matt I couldn’t cope and needed to go back to hospital. After a shower and freshen up he rang and we were invited back in.

We went to labour ward and were met by our lovely midwife Leanne. She examined me and finally I was 4cm dilated! Matt rang mum and Dad dropped her over to the hospital. 

I was offered more oramorph and started on the gas and air which helped but gave me a huge stitch in my right side! It also made me sick once all over my mum!

I carried on contracting, sometimes with Matt holding me up and sometimes between my mums legs so she could support my weight. I Also had the most random loudest hiccups after each contraction!! 

In the morning something changed and I said I needed a poo. The midwife asked me to sit upright and hold onto the bed and just push and see what happened. She examined me and I was fully dilated and it was time to push!

I remember feeling terrified! She coached me through the pushing with my mum to the left of me and Matt to the right holding the gas and air. The pain was immense and Leanne asked Matt to go down to see Judes head coming down. She also asked me to feel his head beginning to crown. It was amazing. I carried on pushing and my mum was telling me what to do and Matt was encouraging me too. 

Leanne said the head was about to crown and called it the ring of fire and my god it was FIRE! As his head was born I could feel his body still moving in the birth canal. 

The next push and he was out which felt like a huge slimey slug between my legs! He was then passed up to my tummy but because his cord was short I couldn’t bring him further to my chest so Matt cut his cord. 

The feeling was incredible, the best feeling in my life and I kept looking at Jude asking if he is really mine.

Jude was perfect in every way, big dark eyes staring into mine. Shortly after he came to my chest and fed from me.

I was then stitched up by a consultant and a midwife who kept dropping everything and falling all over the place, I was taking so much gas and air that I was joking with them and telling them my mum would stitch me up as she stitches Mattys trousers all the time! While I was being stitched I just stared at our perfect baby boy on daddy’s chest enjoying skin to skin.

After that Jude was placed back with me then weighed at 3.57kg but daddy googled it and got the conversion wrong so told everyone Jude weighed 7lb 6oz when actually he was 7lb 13oz! Matt then made me tea and toast which was soooo needed.

I had a shower and freshen up and we were taken downstairs to our private room to recover. We were all just staring at our perfect son!

Dad and Beth visited in the evening and after Jude passed his first poo which we asked the midwife to help with as it really was black tar!

We stayed overnight and the room was soooo hot so we were so excited to get home! 

We were discharged late Friday afternoon and as we left I looked in the mirror with our son in my arms and my bump flatter! It was so emotional. 

Mum was waiting at home with some balloons and groceries and she had cleaned and heated the house ready for our arrival.

We spent the night terrified to sleep and just sat watching our perfect son 💙

The positive birth company helped me massively, and my husband said it taught him so much and we both felt prepared and in control throughout, despite a few minor knock backs. Giving birth was the best, positive and empowering experience of my life and I loved it 💙