Homebirth for a first baby

It’s been on my mind to share this for AGES but only just got around to it. Will have to try to be brief as I reckon I’ve got about 10 minutes before she wakes up and starts wailing again. (It wasn’t brief AT ALL, had to restart after she woke and fed)

I have to say, Susan’s Hypnobirthing course has completely and utterly changed our lives. Not only did we get a our ideal ‘hypnobirthed homebirth’ but we have taken the positive thinking on in everything we do now and as I said, it has genuinely changed our lives. I could not be happier to have done it and have been singing its praises like a mad woman to pretty much everyone I’ve come across. It makes SUCH a difference in every little part of your day to just turn it around into something positive and see the beauty in those precious hours when little one is wailing her head off at 3am. She won’t be a newborn forever and i’ll miss it when it’s gone...

Anyway enough about that, I enjoyed reading as many really positive birth stories as I could during pregnancy so I felt I ought to share this with you all. It IS possible to have a wonderful birth. We were very lucky that everything was plain sailing and we had no complications but I have to say ladies, if you have no complications or high risks, fight for your homebirth (if that’s what you want) and ignore everyone else’s negative comments, they haven’t got a clue. If I had listened to the (literally) hundreds of people tell me how stupid and naive I was, it would have been a completely different story.

Soooo: I had early labour signs for about two and a half weeks pre birth (strong Braxton Hicks, a ‘show’, vommiting etc. But I just carried on anyway (much to everyone’s horror, I continued working until 40+8 weeks, self employed... needs must !) I was getting pretty grumpy by 41 weeks as signs kept coming and going.

I had a sweep at 40 weeks and was offered an induction. I must admit my positive thinking really waivered at this point and I had a bit of a meltdown, I REALLY didn’t want to be induced. I emailed Susan who was absolutely fantastic and gave me loads of ideas, which led me onto booking myself an ‘induction advent calendar’ I booked one thing a day which j would never normally treat myself to (hair, nails, reflexology, afternoon tea) to give myself something to look forward to. Anyone whose been there, there is nothing worse than waking up each morning to the disappointment of STILL not being in labour.

We had a super busy weekend with the business over bank holiday, and my other half half supportively said ‘we’ll can you stop eating that curry, we’ve got two grand riding on this weekend... ‘(cue absolute hormonal rage... ) but honestly... my body actually held on?! It was THE most bizarre thing. Saturday was our last busy day and by that point I was really really hacked off. I had this mental urge to drive off somewhere and get lost with my labour playlist playing on full volume and just be alone and let the sat nav take me back home again. (You’ll be pleased to know my rational kicked in and I decided it wasn’t that sensible at 41 weeks pregnant) but anyway, I went home and told Jack that I was done and I wasn’t working anymore (the plan was always to work until I dropped) and I actually kicked him out of the house to go and walk the dog and just leave me alone for a few hours and to pick up a spicy Chinese on the way home, which he duly did. I just wanted to be alone ! (Ha it all makes sense now...!) I lit the log burner and all my candles, put my playlist on full blast and sat bouncing on my ball with half a bottle of red wine... on my Todd . (He said I’d gone very ‘weird’)

Anyway, we ate or Chinese & went to bed all hunky dorey.

Cue 5am I wake up needing an urgent poo! (Sorry tmi) Went to the loo, no poo.

I text my mum saying hmmmm... having diarrhoea cramps...? Told J I was having cramps (his response ‘well make sure you stretch out’ he says ALL the right things) ‘contraction cramps you idiot!!’ ‘Oh well I’d best get some sleep then it’s going to be a long day’ went downstairs to make a tea an drink realised I couldn’t boil the kettle and pour the tea between cramps, so figured they my must be quite quick, so I called triage (still slightly embarrassed thinking it could very possibly be the spicy Chinese) who talked me through a contraction telling me to breath slower etc. But told me it was my first so I was well off needing a midwife over (it was about 6am by this point) the next four hours are a bit of a blur!

I dragged J out of bed to make me a cup of tea and work out the tens machine (I didn’t follow advice and try it beforehand - you really should!!) 15 minutes later and still faffing about with this stupid machine, things were getting back quite intense, cue ‘just put the f***ing birth pool up !!’ Ha, I took a picture of him blowing it up, I think that’s was the last time I found anything funny, 6.45am.

I got in the pool and my goodness what a relief !!! So much so I thought labour had stopped! But it hadn’t it had just taken away ALL the pain. If you get a chance ladies, try water it was absolutely blissful.

Meanwhile we were calling triage regularly who kept telling us that we were a way off (not sure why, contractions were about every one / two minutes but I guess I was handling it all no problem so they weren’t worried. J said he didn’t hurry them either because it seemed far too calm, quick and easy for me to be far along) it wasn’t until they tried having some benign conversation with me about ‘my babies movements’ and I think I actually swore at them (Sorry) that I couldn’t talk to them anymore that they realised they had to send a midwife pronto.

Our midwife (Petra, who was lovely incidentally) arrived 15 minutes before baby came out and the second one (Michelle - equally lovely and very funny) arrived after the birth. There was no time for good gas and air - she was already in the birth canal! I must admit, although ‘not ideal’ I honestly believe that labour was so easy because I was left to my own devices - so it all worked out in the end. I spent the main ‘3hrs’ floating around in my pool, counting through the stronger contractions, drinking an energy drink (and really squashing the bottle when they got stronger) with J bobbing in and out of the house checking on me and throwing the ball for the dog outside. I wouldn’t say it was painful, just intense and overwhelming. You’re body DEFINITELY drugs you up, I was high as a kite. All I remember was Petra’s shoes when’s she arrived!

Birth itself was very quick, about 3 or 4 pushes. I waited and waited for the Midwife to arrive before pushing, fretting that I wasn’t dilated enough until I could wait no longer, the relief when I let myself push (what I thought was a poo but it wasn’t haha) was incredible. I’d say the only sore born was crowning, that was a bit bleugh and I didn’t start yelling at that point, more in anger than pain. But still, nothing more than you can’t handle!

She popped out like a torpedo and Petra said ‘catch your baby’ Hahahahahahahahahaha! I thought she was catching it! Cue group panic as we try to find the baby in the water under my nighty luckily - I found her and scooped her up, lots of tears and ‘I Made a baby!’ Before I excitedly went ooo what Is it ? Awww it was my little girl.

Born 10.10am after a 5 hour labour weighing 9lb.

Anyway, lots of clearing up followed, ambulance to hospital for stitches (finally got my gas and air woo!) but the midwives & paramedics were amazing and had everything cleared up, pool emptied and towels in the wash before we left.

I’m LOVING motherhood and can’t help but feel that the whole process has come completely naturally. I can’t thank you enough Susan it’s been wonderful. Can’t wait to start mum and baby yoga.

Believe in your bodies everyone you were born to do this. Much love to all of you.