Birth story - Sarah and baby Frank

After having a tough pregnancy with constant scans and appointments and sickness by the time I’d reached 40 weeks I was so ready for our Rainbow baby to join us. Originally I thought I would be happy waiting for the baby to come whenever he/she was ready but yet I found myself begging my midwife for a stretch and sweep at 40+1.

So I had my home visit with my mental health midwife on Thursday 25th April where I was given a stretch and sweep. I went on with the rest of my day with a hint of anticipation. Long story short, I had steady mild surges all through the night but still managed to sleep. The next day my surges started at around 11am in a Starbucks 🙈 and they had gone up a notch but still easy to just breathe through.

By 4pm we were at our local birthing centre where I was examined and was 3-4cm dilated but told they wouldn’t admit me yet incase things slowed down, so I was given the option to stay and get checked again at 8pm or to go home and see what happens. We made the decision to stay. By 6pm my best friend who was my other birthing partner arrived and she decided to set up all the candles, fairy lights and affirmations. Those 3 hours were spent with me in a rocking chair with my labour playlist playing through the speaker in the room and my husband and best friend turning Freya on and off to help me breathe through every single surge. It was calm, it felt like home, it was peaceful and it was honestly perfect 🥰

By 7pm the my surges were every 2 minutes and the midwife decided to examine me an hour early, she found that I was 5cm and I was genuinely really disheartened, I remember thinking “how am I only 5?!?!” This is when I asked if I was allowed to have some gas and air to which the midwife replied “of course!! You were allowed it as soon as you walked in if you wanted it” but up until this point the breathing technique and Freya alone were more than enough. By 7:20 I was 5cm and in the birthing pool with gas and air. Then next thing I knew I was pushing. I was in active labour for just 2 hours. Franks waters broke, his head was born and his body was out all within the space of 45 seconds and flying into his dads arms ❤️.

I walked away with no tears and an intact nun whoop whoop!!! It was genuinely the most perfect birth I could have asked for and my husband and I put it all down the hypnobirthing, it kept me calm and focused on my breath at exactly the times it needed too. So thank you to Siobhan and your course because it’s a life changer xx