Birth story - Poppy and baby Jonah

4:20am I woke up to wee and felt a little uncomfortable in my womb area, but had been feeling this for a few nights so thought nothing of it. When I wiped & stood up to flush I noticed blood in the bowl & on tissue. I never had a bloody show last time, so I called triage, as I hadn’t had any contractions yet. Whilst on the phone describing the blood loss I started to have very mild surges, but she told me to come in anyway just to be sure (I suffered with unusual bleeding in my last pregnancy). Stephen (my husband) set up the birthing pool, but I was disheartened that I was going into hospital, and I started to doubt my plans for a home birth would come to fruition.

We called my mum who arrived at 5am, to look after my little boy who was asleep still. I packed the last bits into my birth suitcase just in case, and we set off to hospital.

5:30 arrived at hospital. Not much to report here…. They had recently had a huge new system installed meaning it look forever to take my obs. By now my contractions were stronger and frequent, but still able to talk and laugh. I hated being laid down, but I had to lie down whilst they monitored baby for 30mins.

Eventually they did an internal exam, which I consented to due to the fact I really wanted to go back home and have a homebirth! The doctor told me I was 4cm dilated and that all looked fine. It was at this point Stephen called my mum and asked her to start filling up the birth pool.

7:30 - on the way home! The car journey back was more intense and I had to breathe through the contractions. But all manageable, and I was so excited to get back home and have a baby. I knew he’d be born by the afternoon due to how the labour was progressing.

9am - called local midwife team to let them know. The midwife on duty said that home birth was definitely viable today (staffing is a huge issue) and that she would race through the mornings appointments.

I then shut myself away to watch some Netflix, and after a while Jacob (my first born) came to join me, and we snuggled and I told him he was going to have a new brother soon. It was such a special time, just us together for those 30 mins. My contractions had slowed down, one every 10 minutes at this point, I think because I was laying on my side.

10am - 11am - decided to have an AMAZING shower, with happy chilled 90’s/00’s music & in the pitch dark (except some candles). It was absolute bliss. The contractions were stronger and faster now, but I was swaying and enjoying the super hot shower, and taking time to wash my hair, and then do a face routine and plait my hair. This is really relaxing to me, so all the oxytocin was flowing and I felt incredible. Even though the contractions were much stronger I was actually enjoying them and in the zone.

11am - I bent down to put my things in the cupboard and my waters went with and almighty burst it was exactly like they pretend in comedy movies! At this point I called Stephen and he called my mum to come back and pick Jacob up. Simultaneously I called the midwife, and she said she was on her way.

11:20 - midwife arrived super speedily, as I live just down the road from the midwife hub. In the mean time my contractions were much stronger and I did lose my cool a little bit (should’ve just stayed in the bathroom!) as it felt like it was showtime I started to push against walls to help me breathe through the contractions. By this point I was having 4 contractions in 10 minutes, each lasting 40 seconds. I had a comb in my hand to use as acupressure which I felt did help a lot.

12am - finally got in the pool. I was leaving it until later in order to feel the benefit and I didn’t want to get annoyed with being in the water and then have to get out. No idea if there’s logic in that! After 10 minutes in the pool I asked for gas & air, which I loved in my last birth. However this time it made my mouth feel floppy and a bit drunk but didn’t seem to affect pain levels like last time. But I carried on and kept using it anyway. Also, it’s important to note throughout the whole Labour the midwives (one joined slightly later) were out of my eyeline and measured babies heart rate under the water using a Doppler. They didn’t speak to me the whole time, unless I initiated it, and just left me to it.

12:30 - hit transition. It was around now when it really ramped up. I started to think that I couldn’t do it, which is always a good sign and means baby is very close. I had VERY strong FER (fetal ejection reflex) which was very weird to experience. My body was pushing downwards by itself completely involuntarily, almost like heaving when you’re being sick . I was roaring through each contraction and thought I sounded like a moose between each contraction I was resting on the edge of the pool with my eyes shut, and Stephen stroking my head. They were thick and fast; barely 30 seconds rest between each one. At this point the lead midwife (lovely Andrea) said I might like to reach down and feel babies head. This was all the motivation I needed. I decided during the next contraction I was going to actually push. And his head was out in one push! I had a very short pause, and then his body followed in the next contraction with a second push.

1:20 Jonah was born!!! With no tearing or any problems to note. A completely dream birth. I opted for the oxytocin injection to aid in placental delivery. Luckily by 10 mins post birth the cord had already stopped pulsating. The placenta was born easily, with just a small retention (this came away the following day).

After a couple of hours my parents bought Jacob back over and he met his brother for the first time, which was just gorgeous.

I honestly cannot believe my luck to have had the most euphoric, empowering, and healing birth. After a cascade of interventions leading to an episiotomy in my previous birth, this proved to me that women are completely able to follow their instincts and do not need coaching on how to birth a baby! If I’d been told that you can give birth to a baby with just 2 pushes I wouldn’t have believed you, but that’s what happened! Absolute magic.