Birth story - Rebecca and baby Olivia

*Trigger warning* - use of word contraction. Mentions 2nd degree tear, stitches, hyperemesis, negative first birth experience, PND.

I'm so excited to share my wonderful home birth story! I just didn't think it was possible to have such a positive and empowering experience after quite a negative first experience.

🤰The Pregnancy

My pregnancy wasn't the most straightforward- although strangely enough I would say I felt it was better mentally than my first. In my first pregnancy I was (falsley) advised to come off my sertraline medication. This meant I did struggle mentally throughout & suffered with PND. My second pregnancy I knew I needed to stay on my sertraline- so I felt it was much more positive. I did suffer with Hyperemesis with my second pregnancy and was off work (I am a teacher) for 4 months. 2nd trimester was much more straightforward but then 3rd trimester I was hit with really bad PGP 😭 by the end of my pregnancy I was done in and ready to not be pregnant 🤣

💞 Very Early Labour

On Monday 12th Sept I woke up and when I went to the loo noticed some of my plug had come away. I'd arranged to meet some toddler mum friends at soft play so got my 2 year old ready and off we went. I noticed I was getting very mild period pains but nothing too major just niggly. This carried on for the rest of the day, I changed my bedding, sorted food shopping that my husband had been and got and was feeling organised!

🏡 Early Labour at Home

I hadn't been able to sleep much Monday evening. Woke up Tuesday morning & had arranged for my MIL to come and collect my 2 year old once she had woken up. I decided for her not to see me as she would have been very upset had she just woken up and then seen me but then been shipped off!! It was my birthday so I shut myself off in the room I decided I was going to labour in. I couldn't stop crying- mum guilt of 2 had already set in! I was upset i felt like I had turfed my eldest daughter out- I can't really explain my logic now I'm not hormonal but I just couldn't stop crying. Knowing I was slowing down my labour I tried to do some other things that would distract me a bit! I ended up putting on Bridget Jones, whenever I got a contraction I boosted my TENS machine, did my up breathing along with the FREYA app, held my comb and got through. I'd shut my eyes and just get in the zone.

I was timing the contractions but they were just so irregular! I had a bath, listened to scripts, tried to sleep, literally tried everything! Then at 445pm I said to my husband I'm just not going to go while it was light outside! So he made us some tea & like clockwork at 6pm they started to ramp up again! I was getting 3 in 10 mins so we rang triage who said they'd send out a midwife.

👩‍⚕️🩺 The Midwife Team Arrived

My first midwife arrived about 7pm, we went over a few things, chatted & explained about the fact I was hypnobirthing etc. At 830pm she examined me and I was 5cm. I had hoped to be about 7 🥴 but I knew 5cm was established labour and it had been very calm & relaxed up to this point so decided to be more positive!

She was finishing her shift at 9pm so rang for 2 more midwives to come out & rang for the gas and air. At 930pm the midwives were having a chat and a handover when I suddenly turned to my husband and said 'I can't do this'. We got the midwives in who recommended I tried the gas and air at this point- I'd actually forgotten I could use gas and air because the TENS & comb had been so effective! I got the gas and air and changed to down breathing, I was also making mooing noises- I knew in my head this meant I was getting closer! I was sat on my ball bouncing, gas and air, comb in hand, tens machine on & I was managing so so well!! My midwives were AMAZING and I honestly laughed in between every single contraction!

👶 The Birth

At around 1030 I went into a different room to be checked over before I got in the pool (also forgot about getting in the pool 🤦🏼‍♀️) I felt a big contraction and with that my waters went. Literally within seconds I said I can feel the head coming but I really wanted to be in water to birth so i waddled to the kitchen where the pool was set up! Trying to lift a leg up when I could feel the head literally there proved difficult 🥴 as soon as I got myself in I got over the pool edge on all fours. I got an urge to push for the first time and just went with it! I felt down at the same time and could feel hair (My babies always have a lot of hair!). I felt the baby go back up but within a few seconds I felt another urge and pushed again. This time when I felt down there I could feel the head. Really at this point I should have told someone 🤣 but my husband was getting towels, one midwife was getting me some more gas and air and the 2nd midwife was sorting some bits by the pool. Within a few seconds I got my third and final urge to push. When I felt again there was nothing there so shouted 'it's here, the baby is here'. The Midwife in the room said 'bloody hell' and shouted for my husband and other midwife! She pushed baby through my legs and me and my husband watched as I pulled her up to me slowly until she was out.

⚡️ I needed stitches as I had a second degree tear. But this was able to be done at home still and I was delighted that I didn't need to be transferred in.

🤱 My Baby Girl

I had skin to skin, delayed cord clamping, my husband had skin to skin whilst i was being stitched up. All checks were done on baby & then the midwives got me showered and settled in bed.

The next morning I lay watching Frasier with a bacon sandwich ❤️ so perfect!

It was honestly such a fantastic experience. I wouldn't say painful, the contractions were intense but I didn't find it a painful experience. Hypnobirthing is magical ✨️