Birth story - Mum and baby Henry

Possible triggers - Use of words contraction/pain, time in special care, ventilation

As I’ve just passed 33+1 in my second pregnancy (hoorah!) and have been doing the PBC course for this one, I wanted to share my first birth story. Because, whilst 7 weeks premature was scary to start, it was a really positive experience and our son has had no complications because of it.

I had a straightforward, low risk first pregnancy with no sickness or bad pain, which was a relief after taking 2 years to get pregnant, eventually with the help of Chlomid for PCOS.

On Sunday at 33 weeks, I went out for a walk and had to stop a few times for pain in the side of my bump, but I just thought it was due to the weight and didn’t think anything of it. I went to bed as normal ready for work the next day, but woke up at 2am with a bloody show. I called the hospital who said to come straight in. My waters started to break at home, then fully in triage at 3am and a consultant was called. The midwife who took care of me, and the consultant, were all so calm. My husband told me after that I was also so calm throughout too!

As I was only 33 weeks, examinations were not done immediately to reduce risk of infection and the consultant hoped labour wouldn’t start. I was given a steroid injection and then put on a drip for magnesium to prep Henry’s lungs as much as possible as at 33 weeks they’re not fully developed yet. My contractions started properly and were all in my back but I could breathe through most and at 6am or 7am I was transferred to labour ward. I can’t remember how dilated I was, but I was going to give birth that day. I’d had a UTI for a bit before this, which may have been the cause of premature labour, but nobody can be sure and I’ve had extra checks in my second pregnancy just in case which is reassuring.

I got as comfortable as I could on my back as I had a cannula in for the magnesium and waited for my husband to get back from a quick nappy / snack shop and to get some bits for me as we’d had nothing prepared! Around 10am I was told I could start pushing, then asked to hold on for longer. Then at 10:45am, using gas and air and midwife coaching, I pushed for 45 minutes and Henry arrived. He was breathing on his own which was such a relief, I got a very quick cuddle where I got to see it was a boy for the first time, before he was taken to special care for checking over. My husband went with him as I had to get checked too. I needed some stitches for an internal tear but everything else was fine.

A while later, we were told Henry would need ventilation as his little lungs weren’t quite strong enough on their own, and the first time I saw the machines I broke down in tears. I couldn’t have a cuddle, but the special care nurses were incredible and became our family for the 2 weeks we spent there. Henry improved really quickly and having originally been told we may be in for 7 weeks, we were home after 2 with only 2 days on the ventilator and a few more with a breathing tube. This isn’t a forum for talk about premature babies so I won’t share the detail of those 2 weeks except to say it was a positive experience overall, I got my cuddle on day 2, Henry started to breastfeed pretty quickly and he is a strong nearly 2 year old now!

Despite having no plan and having done no research on the type of birth I wanted, I had such a positive first birth with amazing support from the maternity and special care unit at Kingston hospital. Let’s hope I get to 37 weeks this time and get to have the home water birth using the PBC guide I’d like.