Birth story - Natalie and baby Albie

(Use of the word contractions and 3rd degree tear)

Sorry for the long ramble.....😝

I count myself very lucky, I had a wonderful straightforward enjoyable pregnancy. I was furloughed from 16th March so really enjoyed making the most of walking 3+ miles every day right up until week 36 when he became engaged but still managed 1.5 to 2 miles per day!

My best friend recommended hypnobirthing to me from her pregnancy 3 years ago, I kept thinking it over in early pregnancy but decided without even researching that it was too 'hippie' for me! ( how wrong was I 🤣, it was my lifesaver!)

Around 25 weeks another friend recommended the digital pack to me so I researched a little and I invested! I was hooked on how interesting the videos were right from the start and enjoyed learning the science behind it! My husband also got on board and we started making plans for birth and thinking about our preferences in more detail, preferring a water birth but obviously open minded as doesn't always go to plan or one may not be available.

I downloaded Freya and listened to her a few times at bed time and I practiced the UP breathing past 36 weeks, never got the hang of down breathing 😬.

On Thursday 18th I didn't feel any different, I had a lovely day grocery shopping with my mum (would have been my birth partner if husband wasn't allowed in due to temp etc ....) I chilled out in afternoon, early evening I made some flapjacks, dinner and homemade rhubarb gin (still looking forward to one😉) whilst listening to some favourite tunes on the radio. I had my daily bath and went to bed around 10pm. I never went to sleep straight away during late pregnancy but at 11.30pm I rolled on to all fours for some reason as something didn't feel quite right, then my waters broke! I told my husband and we called labour line at 11.40pm I told them I had light period pain with it but I can cope. They advised me to try and sleep which after 5 minutes I realised I couldn't! I turned Freya on and was pacing the bedroom getting contractions every now and then! It wasn't long before my husband had to take over Freya and he kept missing the start of my surge 🤦‍♀️ so it never actually told us we were in established labour! Things ramped up and we phoned labour line again at 00.50 they advised me to take a bath ... honestly the worst decision ever for me it was so painful and uncomfortable laying on my back I must have lasted 3 mins before I opted for a shower instead using the shower head on my lower belly for 15 mins.

After getting out of shower I could barely walk and ended up UFO over the toilet with a pillow dealing with strong surges.

Then the fun started and things changed by 1.30am, 40 mins after calling the 2nd time I was pushing 😵 my husband phoned hospital again who must have thought he was mad because now he was telling them I had the urge to push with every surge although 2 hours ago I had light period pain ! They said I could go in if I wanted ..which we agreed to and after struggling to get dressed and do a flight of stairs we finally arrived at the hospital at 2.45am. I crawled down the corridors as the pain through my bum was immense, because of the sounds I was making, midwives started to appear from rooms in the corridor and helped me straight to delivery suite.

Bless my husband I had him well trained to ask for a water birth and he was delighted when the room had a pool so he asked 😉 whilst the midwife tried to do a quick examination and then said to him, I'm afraid not as I can see his head 🤣 he will be here within half an hour she said! I had zero time for any pain relief they couldn't even get gas and air in the room quick enough😆 and our beautiful Albie was born at 3.30am exactly half an hour after getting in to the room!

Albie was much bigger than expected at 9lbs 3oz and I unfortunately after a 4 hour , no pain relief labour suffered a 3rd degree tear and after 2 doctors and 3 midwives confirming the tear I was whisked off to theatre to be repaired 🤕😳 whilst my husband enjoyed skin to skin!

I could NEVER have got through labour without the PBC and thank you so much for changing the way of giving birth I stayed UFO the entire time and gave birth on all fours on the bed. I will ALWAYS recommend PBC to anyone, it honestly was my lifesaver and made my labour so enjoyable and also the last few weeks of pregnancy not worrying about giving birth at all but instead excited!

You got this mummas ....❤❤