Birth story - Vicki and baby Taika

My birth was a total whirlwind and I know the person I was when I found out I was pregnant wouldn't have been able to cope but reading positive birth stories every day and understanding what my body was doing to bring our son into the world made me give in to what was happening.

I was totally blessed with a wonderful pregnancy with only 2 hiccups - some bleeding at 10 weeks and a large measuring bump suggesting he'd be in the 90th percentile. Both resulted in scans showing that everything was cooking nicely! I had always been convinced that I would birth late so had arranged to start my maternity leave 10 days before I was due. With covid-19 I opted to finish work two weeks earlier than initially planned and settled in for a long break before motherhood began. I continued with pregnancy yoga using zoom, used my birth ball a lot, started to drink raspberry tea etc to encourage things along but was happy he would come when he was ready and enjoyed daily walks and relaxing.

On Saturday over bank holiday I felt some minor cramp like sensations down below and hoped this may be baby engaging but never felt a "drop" and those sensations stopped in the afternoon and other than that, it was just another day

Just after midnight - taking us to Easter Sunday, I felt a pop whilst watching TV in bed. I got up and grabbed a waterproof Matt from that washing basket which had been under me during the night for past few days but was intending to wash and hang on the line the next morning! I put this on the floor next to the bed as something was telling me not to get back in bed and sure enough my waters broke. I called to my husband in the next room and we had a big cuddle of excitement. We'd prepared for a home birth and had the pool/gas and air/nest all ready to go in the living room. My sister was going to be my second birth partner but of course with covid-19 we knew she wouldn't be able to be there so I gave her a quick facetime to let her know things were happening and that we would set her up somewhere when things got moving as I was going to call the labour ward to inform them of waters breaking and then probably head to bed. When I spoke to labour ward they asked me to pop in to double check it was my waters and that there was no meconium etc and then that they would send me home to labour (& hopefully birth if a midwife was available in these uncertain times) to which we agreed. We are only a 10/15 minute drive from the hospital but took our time heading over and we got in the car about 1am. During the journey I started getting some very intense period pains very low down and found myself really having to focus on my breathing already and this happened about 5 times on the journey alone! We pulled up at the hospital and I got out as my husband wouldn't be allowed in but we suspected I'd be back out within half an hour. I was taken through and the midwife could see I was already having regular surges in quick succession and mentioned how well I was doing using my breathing. She confirmed my waters had broken and looked good and clear and asked to monitor babies heart rate for 15 minutes before sending me on my way and she also took my blood pressure which was quite high.

We struggled to get a good reading on heart rate and by about 1:45 the surges were really ramping up and she asked to examine me - I'd hoped to avoid internal exams but she was concerned I wouldn't even make it home so I agreed and I was 2cm. I quickly got off my back as this made things far worse and went to stand. Normally birth partners wouldn't be allowed in until labour was established under current circumstances but she felt Luke's presence would he beneficial because my body was acting as though in established labour. Him being there was such a blessing and he helped me count through my surges which continued thick and fast and the hardest part was that I was only getting maybe 60 seconds between waves and started to panic - if this is how it was at 2cm how would I make it?! Not long after Luke arrived (although for me all timing is now out the window and things become blurry) I started to push involuntarily at the end of each surge. I was quickly examined again (but I told her to stop before she was done as being on my back was unbearable) and she said she thought I was about 5/6cm and this was within 45 minutes if the 2cm measurement. Using one of the quick 60 second tests, we managed to get me on a wheelchair and to the labour ward - going home was clearly not going to happen! Luckily I'd asked Luke to put birth bags in the car just in case but I wasn't about to let him leave me to go get them!

Everything was so intense, I asked if I could use the pool but was advised not to due to my high blood pressure and they were already struggling to monitor babies heart rate as I just couldn't stay still! I leaned over the bed and was given gas and air so things only get more hazy! Luke put on the music we'd done all our hypnobirthing practise to and I tried to surrender to what my body was doing and the fact Luke didn't have anything else to set the scene didn't matter. He asked me if I wanted him to go to car to get the lights/scented eye pillow/certain drinks etc But I forbid him to leave me!

My eyes were closed all the time and I tried to focus on the music and Luke's light touch massage. Before I knew it Luke was relaying to me that I was fully dilated and baby was on his way - I thought I must have been there for hours but looked at the clock at it was 4am, 4 hours after waters breaking this was happening and I guess transition was me announcing to everyone I couldn't do it and he'd have to have a c-section! But leaning over the back of the bed, my son was in my arms at 4:11am Easter Sunday. It wasn't at all what we had visualised and prepped for but it didn't make it any less perfect.

Taika was 6lbs 8.5oz and clearly couldn't wait a second longer to meet his mam and dad arriving at 39 weeks exactly. These are very strange times to be pregnant and birthing with midwives faces covered I couldn't see their smiles, but I knew they were there and that there would have been hugs all around in the situation permitted! Women’s bodies are amazing!