Birth story - Olivia and baby Riley

Pregnancy

I had a very straight forward pregnancy which I loved every minute of, I had been off the Pill for 12 months before getting pregnant. I had morning sickness at 8 weeks - 14 weeks, only in the mornings when I was brushing my teeth. I did have some pelvic pain the third trimester and also some itching down below (Sorry TMI) which stopped instantly with Piriton prescribed by the midwife, if anyone else suffers with this definitely try them! I started the hypnobirthing course at 12 weeks and just re-watched the videos until the end and also read a positive birth story everyday on the Facebook group. I also used Aniball from 37 weeks which I’d recommend to help with your pelvic floor muscles.

Contractions start - Sunday 17th July

My contractions started around 2pm, irregular and only short, I put the tens machine on to help with the cramps. I rang the hospital but was told that it would be a long time until I’d need to go in as this was my first baby and that I wouldn’t be able to talk on the phone as I’d be in that much pain. I really was in a lot of pain but I thought maybe I was just overreacting. I couldn’t sleep that night as the contractions were every 5 minutes or so, I had a bleed and lost my mucus plug around 10pm.

Monday 18th July

After a sleepless night I tried to just relax the next morning, I couldn’t face any breakfast as the pains in my back were coming hard and fast. I managed to hold out until 2pm when I had convinced myself that I couldn’t feel baby moving as much as usual (this could have been due to the sleep deprivation more than anything) so I called the hospital and they asked me to go in for monitoring. On the monitor baby’s heart rate was fine and my contractions were showing but the midwife said they weren’t as regular as she would like them to be, but she could examine me anyway to see what was going on. I agreed to this even though my initial wishes were to not have vaginal exams in the early stages, this all went out the window when the pains started as I wanted to know where I was up to. The examination didn’t hurt at all and I was actually 6cm dilated already. At this time I remember the midwife saying ‘I think it’s time to fill the pool up’. I was just so excited to meet our baby girl, my partner went back to the car and got our suitcase and I was taken to a room with a birthing pool.

It was lovely and we were left in there to just relax while I was having contractions, we had our own music on and I could get in and out the pool for pain relief. The midwife that was looking after me popped her head in and said ‘are you the lady who is in labour but doesn’t look like she’s in labour?’ Which made me laugh as I didn’t think I would handle it so well, I put this down 100% to my breathing exercises from the PBC course as it really does focus your mind and you do get through it. Every so often she would come in and listen to baby and take my blood pressure. I think my next examination was at 7pm which showed me to be 8cm dilated, the midwife said that I should be fully dilated by midnight (she wasn’t wrong!)

At 9pm the midwife went off duty so I had a new lady and a student in with me, unfortunately for them this is when my contractions really ramped up I had gas and air in the pool until they decided to break my waters at around 11pm, I was fully dilated so I thought baby wouldn’t be far off arriving. In between contractions the midwife explained that I should start pushing within an hour, which I replied to her ‘I’m already pushing I can’t help it’.

There was a lot of monitoring at this point, after every contraction they listened to baby, took my temp and blood pressure. By the time they were finishing I was back into another contraction and I was getting frustrated. I had a feeling something wasn’t right as I couldn’t feel any progress with each push and there was intense stabbing like pain in my lower back. After some discussions a doctor came in and examined me and explained that baby was back to back and getting stuck in my pelvis so when I was pushing her head was getting a bit squashed so they said we can try forceps (my nightmare) or it may be c section but both would be done in theatre.

I agreed to this and all of a sudden the room filled full of people and from what I remember it was just a blur of drips being put in, midwives asking me lots of personal details and papers to sign. After all of the panic I was taken down to theatre, given the epidural and was ready for baby to arrive! My partner was allowed in and was by my side the whole way through. The forceps failed as baby just kept going back into the position that she wasn’t supposed to be in, so it was time for c section, as her head was so far down she had to be ‘pushed back up’ which only took a second and obviously I didn’t feel anything as that epidural made sure I didn’t!

The c section was quick, the surgeons were amazing and so funny as they were just having a conversation about what they were doing at the weekend as they were performing the section which really did put me at ease. The next minute out comes baby Riley who looked so angry at everyone for disturbing her which made us all laugh. She was born at 3.15am. As they stitched me back up I got to hold Riley on my chest which was just amazing, my partner and I were just totally overwhelmed and emotional as she was just so perfect and also chunky at 8lb 9oz!

Whenever I tell my story to anyone it does sound traumatic as there was a lot of panic at the end, but I would recommend to anyone to learn how to breathe properly through the hypnobirthing course as it really did get me through every step. Even through having the epidural and having all those needles, the breathing helps calm you and focuses your mind and you do get through it.

Riley is just an absolute angel and we are both so in love with her. I would go through it all again in a heartbeat and even felt this way the following day after she was born! My labour is down as 12 hours on my hospital notes and the C Section was emergency due to malpresentation.

Thank you so much PBC, I will forever recommend your course to everyone! And any first time mums, go with your gut and breathe and you will be fine.