Birth story - Tess and Alexandra

I am very excited to share this story! These stories really helped me prepare.

I downloaded the PBC Digital Pack pack when I was 35 weeks pregnant after reading about it in a worldwide new mother’s support group on Facebook. I checked out the YouTube videos first, and felt I had to get it! I was really excited by the science and firmly believe knowledge is power. I really thought it was ideal for me and my partner and could imagine how empowered he would feel after doing the course.

The whole pregnancy I was convinced I’d go into labour late or over 40 weeks. I told everyone “Irish women carry over term”. At 38 weeks I started using Clary Sage essential oil (doterra) and others in the diffuser and on my belly. I also take raspberry leaf tablets and used to eat lots of dates. We were intimate on Sunday morning 10.2.19. I feel this possibly contributed to me going into labour as the hospital here give artificial semen now to induce women 🤦🏽‍♀️🤣.

Labour
38+3 11.2.19 Monday morning 12.30am, I woke to some small fluid loss in the bed. I started getting slight cramps low in tummy after went to the toilet. I was awake till after 2am in and out sleep until 5am, as my partner got ready for work I told him to take his car to work “as I’m having signs”. I went back to sleep until 8am, and at 9am I went to a routine midwife app, I told her my news and she wasn’t concerned. She got me to take a swab of my vagina to test for amniotic fluid- nothing showing at that stage. She said I was fine and I probably had Braxton hicks, or my body was preparing for birth and getting rid of some fluid or bacteria. I could have a week or so left. 😅 I also used my BRAIN and refused the GBS swab at this app, as I felt it was unnecessary (The group B strep test is a routine antenatal test here, and it involves taking a swab of the inside of the vagina)... and I’m thinking in my head 🤗.. “No thanks I’m in labour and I won’t take antibiotics anyway!”

By 11am I was texting my midwife saying I’ve lost my mucus plug, I googled it! I sent her a picture, and she said “that does look like the “show”, so yes it could be starting. By 1pm I was bouncing away on exercise ball, eating snacks, drinking loads of water, and having fruity Icey poles. I also had heated a wheat bag and put low on my belly.

By 2pm My partner said he was on way home, I was like, “ good as I reckon I’m in labour! Get the snacks and drinks!” By 3pm the surges were getting stronger and I felt sleepy. I had a lie down on my side but wasn’t comfortable. Partner got home soon after and he didn’t believe I was in labour, I probably looked too relaxed. He pottered around and ignored me. I was timing the contractions on an app on my phone. They were 8-7min apart and 45-60 seconds long. But not powerful enough to worry us.

Soon after I got in a warm bath, lit some nice candles and put lovely bath salts in the water. I didn’t last long in the bath, I was uncomfortable as it’s a small normal nice bath. I needed bigger space and to be more “submerged” in water. Afterwards I had a blood nose and small bit of blood in my pad when I went to the loo. I was texting midwife telling her updates. She was not worried about the blood and said I was doing great. I asked if she was on call.. she reassured me she will be there. I was relieved at this. After this my surges were ramping up 6mins apart 46 seconds long. I put on tens machine and liked it. I used the boost button during the surges and it relieved some of the intensity.

4pm the surges were 5min apart 45 seconds but still manageable. I was drinking lots of coconut water with a straw. 5pm my partner cooked himself dinner (rice and tandoori chicken ) the smell made me sick, I was sniffing my essential oils on the wheat bag like a mad woman during my surges trying to block it out. I tried small bowl of food in between rest periods, I even went back for seconds, but it didn’t stay! My bowels opened straight after. Things were ramping up now I could feel it.

At 6pm I felt the surges were a bit more intense. Maybe 4-5 min apart ( I was able to take notes in my phone up to this point about the labour but they stopped here). I remember I got comfy in the lounge leaning on the birth ball, or in yoga puppy position on yoga mat. I was still inhaling the wheat bag during all surges. Loved this as it helped me focus.

I think now my partner believed me, he was packing hospital bags like a mad man 💼. I have no perception of time but at some point I had another bath and after the bath I used the tens machine again. We ware in the lounge for most of the evening. My dogs were in and out and wondering what was happening I think. My partner rang midwife a few times when I was getting powerful surges (4min apart 45 seconds long) but never in the room with me. They did all their little plans separate to me so I was in my zone. He would rush in and help me during surges. Pushing with pressure on my hips or using hands to bring my hips side to side really helped!! Get your partner to do this all labour if it works. I also did hip movements myself or rested my top half on birth ball. We had music playing whole time, either mediation playlists on Apple Music or PBC mp3s.

By around 9pm I was 2-3 min apart and the surges were powerful. I can remember my partner saying we are going to hospital now and I put in my head phones and just wore my tshirt dress. Lucky we live 2 min from hospital as I was on all fours on front seat passenger and having surges in the car, no way was a sitting on my bum. We parked, I had a surge in car park and outside the Emergency up against the wall. They buzzed us straight in, I had another surge in the stairwell. (Midwife warned not to take the lift) *important note: have a tour of birth suite and ward before 37 weeks so you know where your going!

My midwife had set up birth suite all nice with fairy lights, fake candles and music. Also we had 2 birth balls and big cushioned mats on the floor. She asked my partner at some point if I consented to a ultrasound to see the baby’s position, we used our BRAIN to refuse this after my partner asked if that’s normal procedure and the midwife admitted it wasn’t. After a bit she asked my partner if I wanted to be examined, he told me between surges. I agreed to this as I wanted to see how far I’d come at home. I was so happy when she said 6cm, but I was in the zone now and just kept having surges 2 mins apart so couldn’t think about it too long. I asked to get in the birth pool and she set that up, I had to transfer to another room but it wasn’t too bad. I spent a good while in birth pool was nice and big. I heard my waters break with a big “pop” soon after I wanted to get out as I felt the change in my body to push down. I tried to change to down breathing but afterwards my partner said I didn’t really use it! (I thought I did) we went back to the room and I felt like we were there for hours in the down phase. It was probably 3 hours I had more surges very intense but I thought i was in the down phase! I asked for gas and air at 2am (I’m told) this relieved my powerful surges and kept me a bit more relaxed and I could use breathing better.

Around 3.30am (I was told after) I begged my midwife to help me get the baby out. I was exhausted. The midwife asked if she could examine me, I was 10cm she told my partner quietly.. but I heard! I tried on the bed on all fours, I remember lying down in between as I was so exhausted on my side, she told me the gas and air was distracting me so asked me very nicely if I wanted to try push on the toilet. This must of been the transition I said to my partner “I can’t do this anymore” help me”. He kept saying how powerful I was and amazing and reminded me my body was made to do this. He was amazing. I felt the surges change and the rest periods were longer now (or felt it) she helped me focus and bearing down (apparently I stared shouting now) (mooing) I did it all. I birthed my baby boy into the toilet towel hammock 😅 at 4.27am, he shot out the whole body, not the head first and body next like most newborns! Thanks ya was so amazing. He didn’t cry just whimpered as he came straight to my chest for skin to skin. It turned out he was posterior (bum to my back) and it’s so hard to birth this type of baby first time without intervention. The midwife never told us until afterwards. We were shocked and chuffed we got the natural birth we wanted. All thanks to my birth plan being comprehensive and followed to the T.. midwife led program all the way!

I had the physiological third stage we wanted and birthed the placenta naturally on the toilet! My partner cut the cord when it stopped pulsating after like half an hour. We got skin to skin and he latched onto my breast like a champ. I got in the bed for this! We got all cosy. I needed small few stitches in the perineum (normal) 2nd degree tear. My partner got skin to skin and the doctor stitched me up. He asked the midwife after (was that her second baby yeah?) apparently I did so well! I was chuffed. We went off to the ward by 8am. What an experience!

The crux! I was prepared and confident. Thanks to the PBC team for advocating for women out there. So important. Thanks to my amazing partner who told me all the right things, never panicked and went through this whole experience by my side on my side. They are the true champions in this. 💙🙌🏻 I cant wait for next baby. Home birth all the way! 👏🙌🏻