Birth story - Natasha and baby Penelope

Pre birth:

I’d been having braxton hicks regularly for the last 4 weeks when baby moved especially, I’d also been decorating my whole upstairs and hallways. The day before the braxton hicks became a lot stronger but still not period type contraction pains and definitely not coming in any regular patterns.

Birth:

I woke up needing yet another wee at 2.10 and couldn’t believe I hadn’t felt proper contractions yet. Waters went with a pop at 2.20am once I’d got back in bed.

I was due to give birth at St. Mary’s hospital on Oxford road which was half an hour away. So my husband started ringing his brothers to come and look after our three year old. I rang triage and we started packing. I changed the bed so my brother-in-law could sleep and not in amongst my waters!

Triage told me to come in straight away to check me over as it’s my second baby. I’d put a pad in to keep an eye on the colour of my waters because my first baby had meconium in the waters. This time round all were clear for now.

I felt two contractions whilst at home.

We arrived at hospital by 3.15am ish & the contractions were every 4-5 mins. When I came into triage I was 3-4cm but there was slight meconium in waters. I was taken to my own room at this this point. I was hooked up to a monitor due to the meconium in the water and was told a water birth wouldn’t be possible. I also had to have a cannula put in my hand for possible bloods to be given to me after the birth. This was due to losing a lot of blood after giving birth to my first baby. I was calm because there was lots of room for me to move around and sit on the ball on top of a pad. I felt very looked after and the midwives were prepared incase I needed lots of support post birth again.

I sat on the ball and put my Tens machine on and I just couldn’t believe how much water was coming out of me this time round!! It kept coming in bursts right up until 8cm.

Ferne, my midwife, examined me at 8.15am and I was 5-6cm, and she said I was more like 6cm so they popped the last of the waters with the hook. Up until now I’d found the contractions so manageable with my tens machine. But at 7cm they ramped up, I’d already had a chat about pain relief and I’d chosen remiphentanol, I was given it at this stage and it was magical. I wasn’t out of it but felt a lot more comfortable during each contraction.

12.30 I examined by Ferne and was 8cm and then she went on her lunch break. As she went out of the door my body started pushing during the contraction.

Lu, the new midwife told me to try and push and with the first push she could see the head.

2nd push the head was out (at which point I thought she was joking and just trying to spur me on) but I felt the head and within the third push at 12.55 she was born.

Just 10 minutes of pushing, I was in shock and disbelief. With my first baby I was pushing for an hour and had pain relief at 5cm (diamorphine), the contractions were much stronger due to being given the hormone drip due to the meconium.

This time round it was such a contrast, a lot easier and a lot quicker. The contractions were so much more manageable without being on hormone drips. It was brilliant, both births I enjoyed but this one was incredible, I felt confident and in control.