Birth story - Mum and baby Sebastian

After the most enjoyable nine months of life, feeling completely content with a low risk pregnancy and enjoying every minute of my body growing a new life for the first time, on 4th February at 11pm, after an evening with friends, we headed to bed where I said "I'm ready when you are." to my bump. 

It turns out that was the signal my baby needed, and at 01:00am on 5th February, one day before our baby's due date, I woke up to what felt like intense period cramps. Knowing that this was the start of something, but not knowing how long ahead of us it was, I headed downstairs so Dan could get as much rest as possible. I lay on my side on the sofa, before taking to my birth ball on all fours. After a few minutes, I felt a trickle and as I stood up my waters broke with a gush. 

I headed to the toilet, where the waters were clear and I lost my mucus plug. It was in full swing so I knew I needed to wake Dan, so that we could head to the MBC to get checked. At 2:00am, I called the MBC who told us to head in to get checked. We got our bags together, all with the thought that we'd be sent back home to continue early labour as I'd planned (with my early labour relaxation kit of bath bombs, candles and chocolate!). 

On arrival, my pad was checked and we were informed that the baby had meconium in their waters so I wouldn't be able to stay on the Midwife Led Birth Centre, and would have to go to the ward so that the baby could be constantly monitored. That was the first in my birth preferences of an unmonitored, water birth out if the picture. 

It's important to say that I was really apprehensive about being 'admitted to the ward', but in reality, it was just the floor above the birth centre, and the room looked exactly the same as the one we had previously been in, maybe a tiny bit smaller. I wish I'd known this before as I'd built up the ward to be a much scarier and public place than it was. 

We stayed positive and shared our wishes when we arrived at the ward with the midwife, telling her we had practiced hypnobirthing and wanted a low-intervention and active birth. She was wonderful and reassured us that she would encourage the environment we wanted with dim lighting, a birth ball, and instead of the straps to monitor baby I had a clip attached to baby's head so I could stay active. All things I felt confident to ask for after completing the Positive Birth Digital Pack.

The midwife changed shift, but Lizzie, our next midwife respected our wishes too and encouraged us through 6 hours of labour, by breathing through and following the Freya app. I remember saying that time was going so quickly. We had our playlist on in the background too, interchanging with the affirmations when I needed some extra encouragement. Throughout labour my temperature was slightly raised so I was given paracetamol. 

At around 10am, I had started to be sick from the surges, and was starting to lose my focus.

Lizzie said she would examine me at 10:30am, and if I had dilated more I could try the gas and air, but if not they would need to induce me, as time was of the essence to get baby out safely. 

Shortly after this, baby's heartrate started to drop, I was examined and only at 4cm dilated, and after changing positions a few times it wasn't coming back up. I was kept informed that the button was going to be pressed and the room would fill with medical professionals.  At this stage, I can honestly say I wasn't scared and I felt completely safe. I had kept control of my breathing through each surge, and I knew that the right decisions were being made for the safety of my baby.  I found out after the birth that Dan was standing in the corner very scared about the situation as he was seeing everything happening and knowing baby's heart rate had dropped a few times to 70-80bpm. 

There was about 20 people who entered the room - surgeons, trainees, midwives, the ward matron, and doctors. We were in safe hands is all I kept thinking. 

At 10:30am, they took the decision that an emergency c-section was the only option at this point, and it needed to happen quickly. Within a few minutes, the midwife had prepped me for surgery, the surgeon had explained the procedure and the risks, I'd been given antibiotics because of my elevated temperature, Dan was being scrubbed in, and we were being taken into surgery.

On arrival in theatre, I got a little teary as I was worried about baby's health, however the midwife assured me that the heartbeat was strong again, but we we're going to go ahead with the cesarean which I knew was the right thing. 

I used my up breathing technique through the epidural which didn't hurt at all. The anthetists talked through everything they were doing, and reassured me throughout. Once Dan was scrubbed in, he came to sit by my head whilst the surgeon began the procedure. It seemed like only a few minutes until they were dropping the screen to introduce us to our beautiful baby. We didn't know the sex so they revealed it to us - our baby boy was here, safely, and taking his first breaths straight away. 

He was taken for checks due to the meconium and heart rate issues, and Dan went with him and cut his cord. 

Shortly afterwards, he was bought to me and placed on my chest. He was perfect and the birth had been made a  wonderful experience by the NHS staff. I will never forget seeing Sebastian's face as he was lifted from me, and it feeling like such a celebration in the theatre. 

I would like to reassure anybody that becomes high risk, requires an emergency procedure or medical intervention for the safety of their child and themselves, that it can still be beautiful and positive. My birth preferences stated all along that my baby's health should come ahead of any preference and I had prepared for the eventuality of caesarean through the digital pack. 

My advice would be, keep the right mindset and remember what is in your control, and that sometimes things don't go to plan, but birth is a safe and wonderful experience, no matter what kind of birth you have.