Birth story - Saamia and baby Irha

😃 I purchased the PBC pack around 27 weeks after I learnt about it from a YouTube channel. It seemed like something that would calm my nerves about the birth experience. My husband and I started watching it bit by bit and finished it around 30 weeks. It was extremely informative and we loved it!

On the night of 17th August I was going to the washroom every hour and was passing loose motions. They were preceded by stomach pain which used to go away once I emptied my bowls. However the pain wasn’t exactly like that of a stomach upset. I called Triage at midnight and after routine questions, they asked me to contact my GP the next day as they felt it was a stomach upset. I took paracetamol and slept around 2 am after my pain eased up a bit.

I had a disturbed sleep due to the pain which was mild and coming and going in bits but didn’t completely go away. I woke up at 7.53 am as I felt a trickle of water leaking through my vagina which was uncontrollable. I ran to the washroom and saw that it was light pink in colour. I was sure that it was my waters that had broken. The contractions had also started and each time one came, more water would leak. I called Triage and they asked me to put a sanitary pad and to call them if it was wet after an hour. I was sure it was my waters so I told my husband we should put the final things in the birth bag and be ready just in case. It took us half an hour to prepare and in the meanwhile I was using up breathing on Freya app. My contractions were lasting 25-30 seconds but were on average 4-6 minutes apart. After an half an hour I called Triage again to confirm my pad was quite wet and they asked me to come in to get checked.

The journey to the Attached Midwife Unit (AMU) was 10 minutes. Midwife Sharon checked me and confirmed my waters had broken. My temperature and blood pressure were checked, blood tests and Covid test done. As my heartbeat wasn’t falling below 100 she continued to monitor me. I was told due to the risk of infection, she wouldn’t perform a vaginal examination to check dilation at that stage and when my contractions were stronger I should come back. Being a FTM, she wasn’t expecting that contractions would get stronger quickly. I was also told that if baby doesn’t come in the next 24 hours, I would be induced. I was 100% sure at the time that the baby was coming soon because my contractions were getting stronger while I was being monitored. I was discharged around 10.30 am and we were home by 10.40 am. As soon as we reached home, my contractions started lasting 45 seconds and were 2 minutes apart. Freya app told me I was in established labour but I decided to wait a bit more as we had just come home. By 11.30 am, the contractions were becoming extremely strong and I asked my husband to call Sharon. She advised me to take a shower and my word, water was such a relief!! I laboured in the shower for half an hour with my husbands help but then came a point when I couldn’t manage more and wanted pain relief. At that point I got out of the shower and we headed to the centre again 12.30 pm.

I had to stop a few times to go through surges before I made it to the first floor and my husband had to wait at the reception due to Covid. I was examined twice (didn’t like it at all and had to use gas and air to get through it). They confirmed I was 4cm dilated (baby’s head was really low and I was told that things could progress quicker than they initially thought). I was transferred to my room with my husband.

I was using gas and air throughout and whilst the water tub was being filled. I kept in an UFO position throughout and the most comfortable position for me was leaning on the bedside whilst standing/sitting both at home and before I went into the tub. At 1.30 pm I got into the tub and it was a relief like no other. At that point I started having back to back contractions and a rest of 2 mins in between. At around 2.15 pm the surges were so strong that I wanted the Pethidine injection and was told that I would have to wait till 3 pm as things could progress faster soon. I didn’t realise it at that time but that was definitely the transition. 15 minutes later I announced I might poop. At that point I realised I should go with what my body was telling me and push. I stopped using gas and air and pushed at the next contraction. At that point the midwife confirmed that she could see the baby’s head and that she has loads of hair. A few more contractions later, our baby girl was born at 2.47 pm. I was at a weird angle in the pool (but on all fours) so my husband helped me to a sitting position so I could have skin to skin which was a great great feeling (praise to God). We had delayed cord clamping and my husband cut the cord 7-8 minutes later. I was given the injection as per my birth plan to birth the placenta which came out in 5 mins by which time I had been tucked in the bed whilst baby was being checked. She had her first feed straight away which was so reassuring!!

The happiness, relief and calm you feel in those moments is indescribable. If it weren’t for PBC pack I wouldn’t have known things like when the right time to go to the centre was and the Freya app was soooooooooo helpful!!! It helped me keep track of what was happening and made sure I was doing the breathing right. I was in a UFO position all the time except when being vaginally checked and gravity did its job for sure. Knowledge is power without doubt and I’d recommend this course to every pregnant Mum!!

PS. The day by day breastfeeding notes that come with the pack have been immensely helpful as well so far!!
Thank you, PBC! 😃