Birth story - Lois and baby boy

My positive birth story. I was patiently awaiting the arrival of baby no 2 he arrived at 40+2 with no warning signs and very little build up of labour.

My little girl was born two years ago at 40+16 following syntocinon induction, a well managed 24 hour labour on a delivery ward and I used Hypnobirthing and yoga nidra throughout and it made my experience a positive one.

How different every birth can be!!

This little boy gave me a few little period pains in the morning when I drove to my parents to drop my daughter and dog off for the day. By the time I got home I could feel the pain was more surge like but still mild. I was booked in for my 40 week growth scan that afternoon so decided to have a relaxing bath beforehand whilst my husband went to get a hair cut. I sat in bath for 45 mins noticing surges intensified so phoned my homebirth midwife just to let her know that things might be beginning. By the time I got out the bath I needed to use upbreathing and to get onto hands and knees to best cope with the surges. I text my midwife to say things were intensifying and she said she would come within the hour to see me. I then called my husband and by this point I really needed him home, so he left mid hair cut and ran home! By the time he got home I was having intense surges and negative thoughts were already crowding my mind. The midwife arrived shortly after, and realised I was already in transition and pushing the baby out. From when I got out the bath to baby arriving was 3 hours. I used down breathing a lot just imagining needing a poo (there was a lot of poo) but this was the only way baby was gonna come out. Meconium was noticed in my waters which my midwives described as tough as old boots that she couldn't break🤣so I had to push a bit harder at the end to get him out quickly, I could feel them supporting my perineum. Baby crowned and two pushes he was born onto my sitting room floor

I couldn't believe I'd done it (haha this is the exact words from the journey track), I'd had a homebirth. No time for pain relief, birth pools or gas. My body just knew what to do, I just had to psychologically manage my thoughts. We didn't listen to any affirmations or Hypno tracks, as they didn't feel right and things were too intense but I'm sure they were in my mind. Having the understanding of what my body was actually doing in labour was good and with every surge I could literally feel my cervix opening and I continued to visualise this. This was a key to my birth.

I birthed the placenta naturally, had delayed clamping, my husband cut the cord and then once I was cleaned up I was sat cuddling my precious boy on my sofa.

Unbelievable.

“There is a secret in our society, not that childbirth is painful but that women are strong”

Go mamas!