.png)
I went to have my nails done 2 days before my due date. Everyone got talking and shared their birth stories (all very positive) and we decided I’d probably go over due as my bump was still high. I went home, moved my living room furniture around to do the last deep clean, sat down and I just felt “odd”. My partner noticed I was acting weird but looking back I think I didn’t want to admit anything just incase it wasn’t the real thing. As the evening went on I just felt weirder and heavy and uncomfortable so I went to bed and contractions started. At about midnight my “show” appeared. I got no sleep that night, probably too anxious. My contractions never got consistently closer together but instead were long, short, close together and far apart which was so annoying because I didn’t know if I should go in. At 5 am I woke my partner up to tell him he needed to stay home and I got in the bath.
We went to the Horton Hospital around 9am. I was only 3 cm but they let us stay in so we didn’t have to go home and come back! My contractions didn’t get consistently closer together and they said I had a while yet but I was getting tired so my midwife decided to check, I was 5cm! I remember thinking if you tell me I’m 3 or 4 I will kick you in the face :) (even though I know any number would’ve been positive 😉) This was around lunch time and I was now able to get in the pool and have the gas and air. Previous to this, the midwives noticed the Hypnobirthing playlist we had playing and asked my preferences, if I wanted to use certain words etc, they were so attentive and barely said a word and pretty much whispered to me if they needed to. They turned off the lights and made everything as tranquil as they possibly could. In the pool I was in heaven, I was so calm and they said they’d never seen a first time mum like this.
Hours went by and eventually there was a change in midwives due to shifts ending and as that happened my whole labour changed, it suddenly got really really intense and eventually my body started involuntarily pushing. They took the gas and air away as I was getting confused with using that and pushing. I was quite sad about this. After an hour and a half pushing in the pool I had to get out to try different positions on the bed. At this point I won’t lie, my relaxed self was no longer and I remember I kept shouting “no no no” through the pushes but this seemed to help me. I just thought he was never going to come out! His head was crowning but kept going back up after each push... I’d completely lost the plot and they said I needed to get him out in 20 minutes or I had to go to the JR as his heart rate dipped. The student midwife was pressing warm wet cloth on me as I was pushing to help prevent tearing.
At 11:37pm he was finally born weighing a lovely 8lb 4. The midwives told me his head was transverse which was why I struggled so much... they thought it during one of the checks but didn’t tell me, I expect so I didn’t panic even more. Thinking back it did all get a bit stressful for everyone involved and they had to get quite tough with me to get him out because unfortunately, I was certain It was never going to end! I am so grateful for how my birth went, as I know a transverse head can end very differently. My midwife did say a lot of women would have ended up in surgery. However, overall my experience was positive so If I am ever in the position to choose where to birth again, I would consider a home birth or choose midwife led only.
I’m so thankful for Amy and the Hypnobirthing course as the breathing techniques and confidence I had gained made the world of difference. ❤️ I had some stitches (which I was allowed the gas and air for 🥳). Me and the entonox said our final goodbyes and the student midwife scurried off home as she needed to revise for an exam she had in the morning. Midwives amaze me!
Comments