Birth story - Suzanne and baby Emma

I bought the digital pack after my midwife recommended it at 20 weeks, as I had a block of antenatal classes which were cancelled. A friend also told me her birth story and mentioned the breathing exercises she used due to hypnobirthing. But most birth stories I heard were negative in some way. I dipped in and out of the digital pack, playing some of the vids to my husband when we went on holiday and completing the course and birth preferences. I would say barely any of it went to plan but I felt empowered and calmer than I would have been, nonetheless. We were all set for a low risk birth, baby had been in cephalic position the whole time, no health worries.

I started feeling mild cramp like contractions on the Thursday lunchtime, while having a shower. I thought these are just practice contractions and carried on as normal. My husband came home from work later and I was too uncomfy sitting everywhere. I bounced on the exercise ball and we watched TV, cramps just feeling uncomfy all the time. Then I had the most broken sleep ever that night between surges! This is when I started doing the up breathing exercise. I called midwife at 2am who said I sounded fine, I could talk normally and not to time the surges. Then at 3am I had a bloody show, midwife was relaxed again when I called and said to time the surges and they sounded irregular so to let them know when they intensified.

My mum came over at 6am Friday and we sent my husband to work, Emma being my first babe I still believed I was getting Braxton Hicks and thought the pain would be much worse, must have a high pain threshold! My husband was sent straight back from work. My mum helped my husband pack a few last minute toiletries. I had a nice bath and laid on the sofa, doing breathing exercise throughout. My mum left us to it. At about 11am we called midwife again, my surges were averaging 1 to 1.5 minutes every 5 minutes and midwife said sounds like I’m in labour and to come in when we’re ready. We waited a bit, mostly as then their phone lines were busy, to say we were ready to come in. All the time I did the up breathing and sometimes the traffic light system. My husband put some towels on the seat and we drove to the midwife led unit at 3pm and I handed over my birth preferences. Midwife said as surges irregular we may have to go home. She did an internal and said I’m 5cm dilated so to stay!

I used their bean bag, birth ball and finally the birthing pool a few times which was my first choice and I’m so glad we tried it. We had to wait nearer the end to use the pool due to it slowing down labour. We put on jasmine diffuser (which I then learnt helps to induce labour) as they had no sandalwood. They did have dimmed lights as I had wanted. The radio stations didn’t work but we played my favourite rock music on iPhone when the room was empty. I focussed on UFO positions and walking about the room. My husband helped to make me feel as comfortable as you can feel, with massaging, unfortunately the pool was too small for two! We had cups of tea and toast with jam while in the pool. The first 4 hours I only used my up breathing. I used the gas and air after that when the midwife said to use it! Occasionally moaning for my husband to get a cold flannel as my face was on fire and my legs were shaking with the air con on so I’d wrap them up. I didn’t scream though I guess I was putting all my effort into those breathing exercises!

At 7pm midwife did another internal and thought I was 6 or 7 cm dilated. So to leave it till midnight. Then it was thought I was 5cm still and my cervix was swollen so it was suggested to break my waters and leave it for 1 hour. We wanted to know what was happening so we decided to go ahead with it all. Midwife (also called Emma!) broke my waters. At 1am there was no change so we were blue lighted to the main hospital with the maternity wards.

We got there at 1.40am, with the ward midwife and paramedics, where I asked to walk in and I was assessed. They put a heart monitor on me and baby. Consultant confirmed i was still 5cm dilated. I had an epidural and hormone drugs. We had some sleep and at 6am I was assessed again where there was still no change. Consultant said we can either double up on the hormone drugs for another 2 hours which may work or have a cesarean. She didn’t rate one over the other, but baby had passed meconium in my womb and we wanted to get her out. So we used our brain and I chose the c-section.

We both cried when we heard her first cry straightaway and my husband cut the cord as we had wanted. He had a lesson in putting the first nappy on while I was being stitched up, watching them in the corner. Baby Emma was placed on my chest.

So from the time in midwife led unit to delivery it was 16 hrs 45 mins. But I count 43 hours 45 minutes from start to finish! Thanks PBC, without the digital pack I wouldn’t have been able to keep as calm and focus enough to make informed choices, or do the relaxation exercises!