Birth story - Natasha and baby Isaac

Isaac was born 30th September at 4:07am weighing 7lb exactly. He has fixed bilateral talipes but is 3 weeks into treatment and is doing amazingly!

I want to thank Siobhan Miller infinitely for creating the digital pack, without it my birth would have been completely different, honestly! So here goes...

I went in to hospital at 10am on 27th September to start induction with 24hr pessary and had a sweep too, I was 1cm dilated but cervix still long and hard. I started having mild contractions but they didn't amount to anything and I had another 24hr pessary the following day. Upon examination for the 2nd pessary I was now 2cm dilated and softening. As the day went on I was getting mild regular surges, some of which were stronger. This went on until I slept which is when everything slowed off again! I went to the bathroom the following morning feeling rather deflated and much less positive about the whole thing as nothing was happening and 6 other women had been and gone to have their babies since I was admitted. This is when I had my show! Needless to say this picked me right back up and helped me to feel positive again!

The pessary fell out itself and I was examined later on in the afternoon as the doctor had been busy. When she examined me I was 2-3cm dilated and my cervix was favourable to artificially break my waters, but it would have to be controlled as baby's head had gone back up slightly. This is where I freaked out as I was told bluntly that there was a risk the cord could drop out before the baby which would result in an emergency c section. I wasn't told anymore on this despite my questions using BRAIN until I asked my midwife on labour ward who was on board with hypnobirthing and explained it was a very slim chance. After about half an hour the doctor came to break my waters and explained that baby was fully engaged and didn't need to be controlled now! (I thank my 30min walk around the hospital grounds and constant bouncing on birthing ball!)

So they broke my waters and boy did they go! From breaking my waters to delivery of the placenta was 8hrs 57mins. My midwife was absolutely incredible and had my back when I couldn't talk throughout the the surges and up breathing, which was amazing due to a male doctor busting into the room without knocking and demanding to examine me as it had been 2 hours and to put me on the hormone drip. I was having surges 4 in 10 lasting 1 1/2 - 2 mins each, meaning I wasn't to be examined until 4 hours later. My midwife basically told this doctor no and to leave the room, after me saying a solid no and he was not to come near me .

I was examined 4 hours later and had dilated to 4cm and therefore no drip was needed. I was told I had no choice in the continuous monitoring but they worked around me. My blood sugars were tested every hour and this is where I had my first hypo and ended up on a sliding scale, which to be honest I didn't care about in the end!

Labour from start to finish was 5hrs 3mins, I went from 6cm to 10cm in 30mins, 6cm is when I had gas and air as I was feeling like I needed to push and couldn't stop my body doing so. This is when I don't remember much, it's like I left the room. I remember coming back in the room and asking how long I'd been trying to breathe him out (down breathing) rather than coached pushing and they said 1hr 10mins and baby was starting to get distressed. As soon as they said that I just went straight to pushing with all my might, 3 contractions with 2 pushes each one and his head was out, next push his whole body followed I had a controlled delivery of the placenta which came 11 minutes later. We had delayed cord clamping for 5 minutes and my husband Ash cut the cord. No tears or stitches just a graze and minimal blood loss. I couldn't have had a more perfect birth and I thank the digital pack and my midwife in labour.

Our bodies are amazing!

Birth is so raw and primal, I feel so empowered and I am unbelievably proud of myself. I was terrified of giving birth as the further into pregnancy I got the more complications arose. But I look back on it and feel happiness, I don't even think of how tough the pregnancy was.