So things started on Friday 29th March (I was 39+4), I lost my uterine seal – but then nothing all weekend. On Monday morning 1st April, I woke up and had a show and thought, omg I’m going to have an April Fools baby!
I had what I thought were Braxton Hicks contractions throughout the day, they were very mild and only one every 30 minutes or so, with a little bit of period pain as well. I played with my 3 year old Tommy in the day and although I thought labour could be happening, I was still a little in disbelief!
Chris came home from work about 7pm and we decided to drop Tommy off at my parents house, just in case the baby was coming! Chris dropped Tommy off at 7:30pm and I prepared dinner, whilst the surges got a little closer together, but still mild.
Chris came home and we had dinner together and then I jumped in the shower at 8:30pm with plans to go to bed early and rest. I had 3 surges in the shower which were more intense, which was a bit exciting! I got into bed with my heat pack and relaxation music tracks. A few more surges in the bed and it was clear I wasn’t going to be able to sleep.
We got up and decided to watch some TV, the surges were getting stronger so Chris decided to start timing them. They were 5 minutes apart straight away and after an hour Chris called the hospital. They told us to come in whenever we were ready. I felt that we were still in the early stages, the surges were getting more intense, but I was breathing through them on hands and knees, and managing well. Every time I had a surge, Chris would do hip squeezes, which felt amazing!
Chris was keen to get going, so we decided to jump in the car. I walked to my room to grab a jacket and had 3 intense surges on top of each other and could feel the baby moving down! It was then that I thought maybe it was really going to happen soon!
I couldn’t sit down because there was a lot of pressure, so I kneeled on the seat in the car, not the safest but the only way I was comfortable! Luckily the hospital was only a 10 minute drive away. We parked in emergency at about 12am and a nurse brought a wheelchair for me, quickly taking us to the birthing suite.
The hospital had our birth preferences on file and we walked into a dimly lit calm room, with what seemed like just a bed and not much medical equipment in sight which was perfect.
I was in the zone, straight on the bed on hands and knees, while Chris set up the room with candles and relaxation tracks. The surges were getting more and more intense and Chris kept doing the hip squeezes, which was all I wanted. The midwives had to put a cannula in my hand to prepare me, in case of a PPH as I had one with my last birth.
I got to the stage where I was vocalising that I didn’t want to do it anymore and I wanted to go home! The amazing midwife we had asked me if I felt ready to push and I said no. She basically left us alone and I stayed on the bed having surges, until I all of a sudden felt the urge to push. I still was so surprised and asked the midwife if she was going to check me, to make sure I was ready? (Even though we had no vaginal examinations on our birth preferences). She told me to trust my body and to just go with whatever sensations I was feeling. This was amazing and just what I needed. With the next surge, on my knees and leaning over the head of the bed, my body started pushing – I tried to breath baby down, but I just felt like I needed to push!
The room was still dimly lit, so our midwife used a torch and could immediately see our babies head. A few surges and 8 minutes later she was here at 1:21am. They placed her on my chest and Chris cut the cord after waiting for it to stop pulsing.
It was the most amazing feeling ever, I was on the biggest high!
I had the injection and the placenta came out with one more push. I had a normal blood loss this time, but they still hooked me up to syntocinon to control any further bleeding. I had a first degree tear which required a couple of stitches and a few grazes.
I had skin to skin with my baby girl for 2 hours and we did the breast crawl and she had a long first feed. She also did a huge first poo all over me! The three of us were left alone in the room to relax and get to know our new girl, it was bliss.
Then Chris had skin to skin and I jumped up and had the most amazing shower. We moved to the ward at about 6am and had some sleep. Then we went home at 6:30pm. It was so good to get home and settle into our new normal!
Mia has been the most chilled sleepy newborn, she feeds well and has a beautiful relaxed nature.
I feel so grateful that we did the HypnoBirthing classes with you, I listened to the birth tracks every night before bed and practised my breathing. Chris was an amazing support and knew exactly what I needed. Our birth wasn’t calm and quiet like the beautiful birthing videos you showed us in class, it was more dramatic and loud haha (it was only 3.5 hours according to the hospital paperwork!). But I still felt in control and knew exactly what was happening with my body which was invaluable. I never felt the need to ask for pain relief and I trusted that my body knew exactly what to do.
So THANK YOU Michelle for educating us that birth doesn’t have to be scary and full of medical interventions. I loved Mia’s birth and I really want to do it again! Just have to convince Chris haha.
