Birth story - Sarah and baby Harriet

Harriet is my second baby- I have a two year old son. We found out we were expecting her just after the country was put into lockdown. Working from home gave some flexibility to manage morning sickness which lasted the whole pregnancy. But we also faced being apart from our loved ones and the challenges of self isolating with a busy toddler - including the two weeks before Harriet was born. Fortunately, a period of isolation ended the day before she arrived, meaning that my son could be in nursery and I had some peace and time to myself that day.

In the morning, I had planned to do some xmas shopping but was too tired to walk up the hill so treated myself to a hot chocolate and pancakes in a café, knowing it would be the last time I'd get to do this for a while. I was 39 weeks and as my son had been born at 37 weeks, I knew she wasn't far off.

I had mild back ache and cramps which started around lunchtime and decided to have a bath. I started using the Freya app to time them at around 2pm, by 4pm they were becoming more regular but nothing more than period cramps so I suggested to my husband that my son go to my mother that evening rather than waking him in the middle of the night if something happens. They collected him at 6pm - by which time I was experiencing surges every 8 minutes or so. My waters hadn't broken and I was able to talk through them easily and kept saying 'this could be a couple of days yet' - I was wrong!

We had a small bowl of pasta and I sat on my birthing ball rocking and using the tracker to help focus my breathing as they became more regular. I had been going to pregnancy yoga and pictured myself in the studio breathing deeply.

By 8pm I was having 3 surges in 10 minutes and my husband called the birth centre - they were very busy and said they would call back shortly. During which time things started to pick up and I knew I needed to go in. They called back and I confirmed I needed to go in. I had bought a tens machine and put this on for the car ride but unfortunately it buzzed once then stopped working.

On arriving at the hospital, I had to wait 20 minutes alone in the midwife led unit while I waited for a midwife to come down from the labour ward to assess me while my partner waited in the car. This was the most difficult time as things really ramped up and I no longer had the support of my husband who had been rubbing my lower back during surges. I continued to use the Freya App to record surges and help with breathing.

When I was assessed I was surprised to find I was 8cms dilated - my husband could come up straight away and they started running the pool. I felt relieved. I could now have gas and air to help and started in an upright position on the end of the bed.

25 minutes later, and just as the pool was filled, I felt things change towards pushing. I got in the water as quickly as I could - kneeling and leaning forward onto the side. The water felt amazing. It felt like my baby was very much ready - I wasn't pushing, she was pushing her way out. With the first push I felt my waters go. I had time to catch my breath enough to say that she wasn't far off, which the midwives confirmed saying that her head was in sight. Another surge came immediately and with my husband rubbing my back I felt her move down, with the third push she was here at 10:06 pm. It felt very forceful but also that my body and my baby were doing exactly what what they needed to do, I needed to keep breathing and go with it.

My second stage was recorded as lasting 11 minutes. The cord was allowed to go white before my husband cut it and our daughter was placed onto his chest whilst I got out of the pool to deliver the placenta. I was worried about this after having a retained placenta with my son but after an injection, it came away fully. My daughter was placed onto my chest and with lovely cwtches, she latched for her first feed.

We were supported with calm kindness by the midwives and students (who had been called in from the community team as they were do busy). After a very hot and powerful shower, tea and toast, at 1am we were given the option of going home or going down to the ward to recover and await new born checks the next day. This would mean my partner leaving and we wanted to stay close.

We went home to be followed up by the home team the next day. It felt surreal to be back home in our own bed at 2am, in a blissful bubble with our new daughter, just a few hours after eating our tea in front of the tv!

Combining yoga, reflexology and using hypnobirthing throughout pregnancy helped educate me. I trusted my body - it had done this before. My favourite affirmation was, to paraphrase Ina May, 'I am not a lemon'. I was designed to do this.

It wasn't 'easy' but it was calm and straightforward and the water birth that we wanted.