Birth story - Rita and baby Kayla

Towards the end of my pregnancy I started feeling very anxious about going into labour. This anxiety was mainly due to my previous birth experience with my first child in which labour was induced. Also, part of my anxiety this time was not having childcare for my toddler and the fear of having to go into labour at any time alone without my husband. But things worked out so well that I couldn’t believe what was happening to me and my baby!

On the 12th of July I went to hospital as I was concerned about reduced fetal movements and although the CTG was fine, doctors recommended an induction because I was almost 40 weeks. This time I decided I wouldn’t have an induction unless there was a medical reason for it. However they said I would need to monitor baby again so I had another CTG the next day. Again they told me to have an induction but this time I felt heard, the doctor was very professional and explained all the pros and cons of inductions , leaving it open for me to make a decision and giving me other options. I told the doctor I would wait and it felt nice to stand up for myself instead of letting fear take control like it happened on my first pregnancy.

Next day it was the 14th of July 2022, my due date, I had a midwife appointment booked for 10am. As I woke up to start getting ready for the appointment I started feeling, what I thought were Braxton hicks, at 9am. I was in doubt because on my first pregnancy I was laughed at for saying I was having surges when I wasn’t. So I walked and took a bus for my appointment, taking pauses along the way every time I would feel a surge. At the appointment, the midwife confirmed that what I was feeling were contractions but “mild ones” and that once I was at home I should time them and go to hospital if they got stronger.

I used the Freya App to time the contractions and they just kept getting stronger and stronger so when I got home it didn’t take long for me to tell my partner to call the birth centre. He thought I was joking because I seemed “well” and I was even the one who called the birth centre and they also said I didn’t sound like I was in labour (lol) but they told me to come to triage so they could check, as it was my second baby. The family member who was meant to look after our toddler did not pick up the phone so I went to triage by myself as my husband had to stay with our child outside.

It was 12:30 in the afternoon when I got to triage, I was then told that I was 4cm dilated and they told someone from the birth centre to come and pick me up so we could walk to the room I was going to give birth in. The walk to the birth centre felt long as I kept stopping every time I would feel a surge. I was worried this was all just starting and that I wouldn’t be able to cope if the pain got stronger and if I had to go through it for a long time. Although it felt like I was very close to meet my baby, at the same time I was still in doubt because I couldn’t believe it was happening this fast.

At 13:10 we finally made it to the room, the midwives were filling the bath tub and I was standing next to the bath tub with my arms leaning on it. I started feeling the urge to push and I wanted to tell the midwife but I was afraid she would say it wasn’t time yet because nothing in the room seemed “ready” to receive baby so I said “I don’t know I just feel like…” “feel like…”. The midwife in shock goes, “you feel like what?” “What are you feeling?” Then I finally said that I was feeling like I had to push. After, I don’t remember exactly what she said, but I felt like her presence was reassuring, so I pushed, but to my surprise it was not baby but my waters breaking. She explained to me it was my waters and that it was part of the waters which meant some had actually broken before without me realising.

At this stage my surges were very strong and everyone knew baby was going to come at any moment so they told me it was my last chance to get in the water. It seemed impossible to go up the steps to get inside the pool and I felt a bit overwhelmed and sad for not having my husband there. Then I just remember looking to the bed and remembering the position I was in when I gave birth to my first child , and then looking back to the pool and deciding “it’s now or never,” taking a deep breath and walking up the steps.

Once I entered the pool and felt that warm water it felt like the best decision I ever made, it was like heaven! I felt so relaxed and free as well as supported by all the amazing women standing around the pool in that moment. I pushed once and baby’s head was out, it took a little while from this moment until I felt my next surge so I started wondering if baby was fine and also started looking around the room and realising I didn’t have any of the things I carefully packed in my hospital bag. During this short wait between baby’s head coming out and waiting for my next surge, my husband entered the room running with the bags and the midwives were shouting “you made it” to my husband with so much joy. I felt such a relief which helped baby to come out in the next minute. Baby girl was born at 13:55 which meant I was in labour for about 40 min. Everyone was just amazed of how fast everything happened! I grabbed her and held her so close to me, there was no more rush and I was allowed to have delayed cord clamping and skin to skin.

Having this opportunity to take some time to bond with my baby and process everything that had just happened was amazing, the connection I felt was surreal. I felt like a super woman but above all I just wished for every woman to have the same positive experience I had, the experience of being heard, the attention to the birth plan, the respect, the freedom to be myself, the empathy and love and simply the right to be human and not just a number. My husband cut the cord and also had some skin to skin with baby after. I chose to have an injection to help me deliver the placenta and then I was encouraged to breastfeed baby.

Baby girl was born at 3.776kg and 51cm in the water without any other pain relief used, all I used was the breathing techniques that I learned from the positive birth company course, no stitches were needed as I did not have any tears and we were allowed to go home on the same day after all the checkups were done! So grateful ❤️