Birth story - Suz and baby boy

Can’t quite believe I’m writing this so soon but here’s my positive instrumental delivery birth story.

After concerns regarding growth I was due to have a growth scan at 36+4 as the baby had been appearing small on the scans. However my waters went spontaneously two days before the scan at 36+2. I arrived at hospital in a bit of a daze and quite anxious as there was a lot of chat about infection and as I wasn’t getting any surges I was booked in for an induction the next day.

I was admitted to hospital and put on the induction ward - completely the opposite to the calm waterbirth in the MLU I was hoping for. I felt anything but relaxed and started to become quite anxious. However trying to make the most out of the situation I asked for a ball, popped love island on the TV and had Siobhans videos playing on my phone on repeat!

My husband was sent home at 10 and by 12am I couldn’t sleep as started to feel a little uncomfortable, so spent the next two hours walking up and down the corridor and ‘up breathing’ - I was having surges but they were so irregular and mild that I just thought it was a normal feeling once waters had gone! A midwife came round and ask if I needed any pain relief, I said no as I wasn’t really having regular surges and they were manageable. By 2.30am a room on the delivery ward became available so my husband was called back. By 3am I started to get a bit of period cramp and my lovely midwife started the induction process by inserting the cannula in my hand. She got as far as starting to put it in my hand but asked if she could examine me (they were reluctant to examine me due to risk of infection so I’d got away with no examinations until this point). Whilst she examined me I started to feel uncomfortable from a)examination and b) surges and asked for some paracetamol. To my absolute shock I was told I was already 6cm dialated!

My husband set up the room quickly for me, tealights, low lighting, my hypnobirthing music (wireless headphones are a must) and I got upright on the bed and began up breathing using gas and air (my new best friend!). I was completely in the zone and it was the most amazing feeling ever as I could feel the baby move down with every surge. The surges were completely manageable with gas and air, visualisations and up breathing.

I knew I was in transition when all of a sudden I felt a lot of pressure in my back and I said I was off, didn’t want to do it anymore and ordered my husband to get my coat and pay for the car park

Unfortunately I had to have coached pushing (I didn’t feel ready) as baby’s heartbeat kept dropping so the doctor was called in to assist where I was asked to go in stirrups (something I wanted to avoid!) however kept my music in and breathed and tried to remain calm (although at one point I was quite vocal to the doctor!) I ended up needing an episiotomy and ventouse as he had his cord wrapped around twice and my beautiful baby boy was born at 6.07am weighing 5lbs, 4oz.

Despite needing an instrumental delivery and not having the birth I had hoped for I still describe it as the most amazing positive experience and that is thanks to Siobhan and the hypnobirthing course.