Birth story - Mum and baby Boy

I came very late to the PBC party, having only heard of it from a pregnancy forum at 38 weeks. I listened to the science and the breathing and found it very reassuring. I had not used hypnobirthing for my first labour, and I wish I had. It was overly medicalised, due to meconium present in my waters and ended up with an escalation of problems, during which I felt frightened, into a forceps delivery that really affected the postpartum period for both myself and my son.

This time early labour was surprisingly longer by a few hours to my previous one (but active labour a lot quicker). I arrived at the birth centre at 11am only 2 cm and the midwife was talking about sending me home (surges at this point were very intense but only 2 in every 10mins). I informed her that active labour was quick last time and that it didn't feel right to go home and she agreed to give me an hour to see what happens.

In that hour my surges regulated and became more frequent (3 in 10 lasting 90 secs). They agreed to take me to a birthing room and re assessed me per my request to find I had gone to 8cm already! In one hour!

At this point I went in the pool and mercifully the surges slowed down a bit which was welcome as I was starting to feel anxious about how I would cope with the intensity, at least now I could have a break.

I was completely calm throughout the surges and tried to use gas and air but found it too difficult with the up breathing. As up breathing had got me that far I carried on with that and discarded the gas and air. I noticed transitioning as I began to physically shake and then I heard myself mooing and began to feel the bearing down. I changed to down breathing and over time my urge to push became really really intense! It was during this phase that my waters broke and then the pushing urge became even stronger.

My husband said that the amazing midwife and her student just took my lead. They didn't intervene at all, other than check baby's heartbeat. He said they basically just watched me as I birthed my son in the pool, and didn't have to help or guide. I was totally in the zone.

I was calm but noisy during pushing and I roared him out at 14.15pm, he cried instantly, had immediate skin to skin and latched on in the pool.

The polar opposite to my first born and the most healing experience I could have wished for.

I can honestly also say that the positive birth has also led to a positive postpartum period (and sadly vice versa with my first). I can now see the enormity of being well informed, active and confident in the process of birth. It doesn't just affect the hours of the birth, but the days, weeks, or even years following it.

Having not had much time to prepare I mainly used the breathing and my increased knowledge. And that was enough for me to make a huge difference.

Thank you PBC and Siobhan XX❤️