Our birth experience was everything we wanted it to be even though there was the odd twist and turn …
I was very focused on using all of the tips you had shared to avoid an induction wherever possible. In the lead up to week 40, I had been having my six dates a day with my breakfast and also enjoying the odd cup of raspberry leaf tea. In week 39 I thought I’d take the opportunity to have a session of reflexology with Joan, it was lovely and a great opportunity to work with her on my calm and surge breathing, a really invaluable session and also great timing for me. The following day I discovered my mucus plug and started to get excited that we may soon have some activity … still believing however, there was no chance the baby would come on the 4th our EDD!
Surges started at 2.45am on Sunday 3rd November, once I was satisfied labour had started we got the paracetamol and TENS machine out and started experimenting with the TENS to help with each surge. We settled down for a morning at home watching the multiple romcom’s I had already picked out and worked our way through a couple with no complaints from Jonathan for once 🙂 My ‘bloody show’ appeared later that morning and we knew we were on our way.
It was really relaxed and as much as possible a normal Sunday chilling at home, we popped out for a walk on Bernards Heath and started to gradually get more excited. I used the calm breathing and surge breathing techniques throughout and they became my strongest anchor to stay calm and relaxed.
At 11.45pm, as my surges had started to intensify, my waters broke. The MP3s kicked in at this point to keep me on track with my practice. We called Lister who asked us to come in but my surges were still quite irregular, never quite achieving 3 in 10 for more than half an hour, so they pre-warned us we’d likely be sent home.
That is exactly what happened, I had a couple of surges in the car and two while we spoke to the midwife at Lister but we headed home to carry on … which we were happy enough with given we didn’t want to spend unnecessary time in the hospital.
Almost as soon as we got home I started to experience, alongside my familiar surges, an incredible urge to go to the toilet and a series of what felt like 4 different involuntary physical compulsions which Jonathan recognised was probably me getting ready to bear down. We called Lister again at about 5am and they advised that they would send a community midwife and ambulance as the baby was likely on its way. The community midwife was unable to attend but the paramedics were brilliant and we agreed we would take the chance and head to Lister. Jonathan followed in the car. On arrival at Lister, the midwife was sure the baby was imminent … she had read my birth on our earlier visit and knew I had wanted a water birth. She said she’d get the pool ready but it was unlikely we’d have time … at this point Jonathan still hadn’t arrived so I was doing all I could to hold on. I did manage to get into the pool as Jonathan arrived, it was pure bliss and Jonathan was able to gently pour the water over my back as I focused on my breathing. Edward was born about 90 mins later in such a calm and relaxed atmosphere … just what I had imagined. We delayed the cord clamping, waiting for white, and enjoyed almost a whole day of skin to skin between us both whilst in the unit, we left that evening and we have been on the most brilliant adventure since getting to know our little man and genuinely enjoying every moment.
An ambulance ride had not featured on my birth plan but in no way affected our positive birth, the birth went exactly as I had hoped … spending as much time cosy at home in the lead up, an efficient second phase (!) and then a water birth finale which exceed all of my expectations.
I even received feedback from one of the midwives that I breathed my baby out beautifully 🙂 Even just retelling our experience in this note to you feels brilliant.
Louise, thank you so much for your wisdom and guidance through our programme … we knew it was hugely helpful from session one. The role it played in our mental preparation was massive and meant we were both calm and confident in throughout the pregnancy and looked forward to the birth. Particularly towards the end of the pregnancy the affirmations became central and played a huge part in reinforcing all we had learnt. The breathing and relaxation was really important but the connections to how our bodies and babies know what they are doing we just need to enable it was a game changer and such a motivation in preparation and on the day.
