Birth story - Suzie and baby Sephina

I just wanted to share my birth story with you. The Positive Birth Company really changed the game for me. My first birth was very quick, I didn’t know what I was doing, what to expect, what I wanted, how it would feel or how I would feel when I was questioning my own body:

My son Reuben was born 2 weeks early in Feb 2017. My waters went at 11:15pm, I went into hospital at 1:30am and they sent me home and told me I was 1cm and that I’d be at least 24 hours. By 4am I got in the bath and my body started to push. We rushed back to hospital and within 6 minutes of arriving. He was born. No pain relief, a huge rush and stress and fear of the unknown and something I absolutely wanted to avoid the next time around.

Fast forward two years and we’re pregnant 🤰🏻 this time with our baby girl.

I got the Freya App a while ago to practise my breathing techniques and then later purchased the ‘Practical ways to make your birth better’ book. When I read it I understood what had happened in my first birth. I learnt more about each stage of labour and began to feel empowered to stand up for exactly what I wanted this time around.

I had been having contractions for weeks and by 39 weeks I was examined and was 2-3cm dilated. On the Wednesday before I gave birth, I had gone to hospital with contractions and I was examined and I was 4cm however my little girl was lying facing sideways so hadn’t quite moved down to where she needed to be and I was told once she moved, it would happen. So home we went.

That night I went to bed and woke at 2am with a strong surge and naturally I didn’t think anything of it as I’d be having them on and off for weeks so I tried to go back to sleep, slowly I started to realise this was it as I had already started breathing through them as per the Freya app. I’d got this technique nailed. In for 4, out for 8 and continued to do this.

At 4am I woke my husband and told him it was happening and that I was going downstairs and I’d come and get him when the surges got stronger. At 5:30am they started coming stronger, I went up and told him and then came back downstairs and called my mum so she could come and watch Reuben for us. I phoned my maternity unit and they told me to come in.

Reuben could hear Ninnie when she arrived and woke at 6am (which I was glad of so I could give him a kiss and cuddle before we left ). I felt a little pang of emotion thinking this would be the last time I’d see him as a family of 3.

We arrived at the hospital and there was a pool room available - now this was my dream birth. So we’re in our room and meet the midwife who’s name was Rachel. She was brilliant and she examined me around 7:30am and I was 7cm! I couldn’t believe it. She offered me gas and air which I declined as I wanted to use it when I knew I needed it. I continued to breathe through my contractions, my husband massaged my back through each one and the pool was starting to fill up. The lights were dimmed and it was just what I wanted. The midwives then changed shifts and I had Laura, who was incredible as well, she was so calm and really just let me get on with it.

I got into the pool around 8am, started using gas and air around 9:30am and it took the edge of whilst I was getting to 10cm. I started to become tired so my husband started feeding me sweets in the pool and all of a sudden something changed. I knew something was different so I went with my body and told my midwife I felt like I needed to push. She told me to go with what my body wanted so I did. I changed to down breathing and I could feel my baby coming down through my cervix, my midwife could see her head and told me to take little breaths and within 8 minutes of pushing my beautiful baby girl Sephina was born in the pool weighing 7lb14oz at 11:04am. The day before her due date.

It was magical. I felt so primal and proud. I was in control, I knew my body, I knew I could do it and I did. My husband and midwife were amazing and we were home by 7:30pm the same day. Perfect.

Thank you so much for giving me the mindset and control I needed. I really enjoyed my birth and I’m so happy I found your book and app so thank you again.