Claras Birth Story – Homebirth
♥️Positive Birthing Story (FTM, home birth) ♥️
In prep for labour I’d been eating dates each day, taking raspberry tea pills and walking/bouncing like a mad women. Three days overdue, sick of friends and family constantly asking if I’d had any “rumblings yet?” I was feeling a bit impatient but tried to keep doing all the lovely things to increase oxytocin.
I was lying in bed around 10pm and realised I had a dull ache (no signs at all before this point) at 40+3. Went to bed at 11.30pm, only to get straight back up with a bad belly and slight nausea. Over the next hour or so I had such bad bowels I couldn’t actually believe it ? all whilst my partner snoozed away. About an hour in he woke up and realised I was pacing around loads and heavy breathing in between trips to the toilet. We decided this could be the start of what we thought would be early labour over the next few days! This carried on for a few hours and at about 2.30 am we got the pool inflaited downstairs (didn’t fill it) then I had a bath. We downloaded a contractions timer and worked out I was having surges every 3 mins, but only for about 30 seconds.
As I’d planned a home birth, we called to let them know things had started but weren’t very far along ?. I got out the bath, took a co codamol and tried to lay down and get some sleep (really uncomfortable and couldn’t at this point sleep through the pain, but rested in between).
At about 8am the surges were 6-8 mins apart, but about two minutes in length! My husband kept saying to call the midwives but I was telling him not to because of the three in ten minutes estimate! We updated them and they said to just keep doing what we were doing. I had another co codamol and my husband took the dog round the block and got in some food supplies!
I waddled round the house finding different positions, rocking on the stairs and wiggling my hips on all fours ?. I sicked up the co codamol, but once that was done I think the nausea went (I just don’t do well with codiene).
I got myself onto the bed and was shoving my head into the pillow on each surge! We tried the tens machine and another bath over the next few hours but nothing was as good as all fours and the pillow! My lovely husband and mum massaged me, fanned me when I was hot and warmed me when I was cold. They made sure that I was hydrated and weeing every now and then and we calmly did this for a while.
At mid day we called the midwives who said someone would be with us within 45 minutes. They said they could rush someone, but I felt calm and wasnt making any screaming etc so all decided to wait for the 45 minutes.
The midwife arrived and as she did, I ran to the bathroom to go to the toilet again but nothing came out. She followed me in and confirmed that I was needing to poo again and quickly asked if I would like a vaginal examination. She calmly did that on the bed and let me know to tell her if I felt another surge and she’d stop… She confirmed I was 8cm! Then said in second thoughts, I think 9cm dilated.
I felt such a relief at this point as I’d not been able to keep any pain killers down so had only been breathing through the pain and focusing in feeling it build and break again. She called the second midwife who arrived really quickly and told my husband to fill the pool!
I had gas an air whilst we waited for the pool to fill and then made my way downstairs and got in. I had several more surges where the babies head came out and then went back in. My waters broke in the water, with a tiny bit if meconium. The midwives discussed this and decided that given how far along I was and how little there was the safest option was to continue the birth at home (which I was delighted by). The midwives were so supportive, and encouraged me with positive language to keep going without gas and air. I had been sitting in the pool, so was advised to turn and squat and with that position shift she came out!
Lottie was born at 3.24pm on 29th December, 7 lbs 8 ❤️ I had skin to skin in the pool, then swapped with my husband whilst I birthed the placenta on the sofa (as I’ve had the placenta encapsulated).
The whole experience was amazing, calm and beautiful. I’m amazed by my body and my beautiful baby girl. I was able to get through it without freaking out, pain relief etc because of the things I learnt on this course ♥️
***update: i dont know if anyone has tried the drink ‘Aquarius’, but it’s a lemon flavoured drink they sell in Spain. I always drink it when I’m on holiday as its just really tasty, but its also an isotonic and not fizzy! I was feeling a bit sick for most of the morning so didn’t feel like eating and i swear having little sips of this really really carried me through!!! I don’t think i could’ve done lucozade because of the bubbles so just thought I’d share ♥️♥️♥️
For more information about The Bump to Baby Chapter’s Hypnobirthing and Antenatal Online Course. Know what you can do to stack the odds in your favour for the birth that you want. Videos, checklists, audios & a support group all created by a midwife to get you feeling excited, prepared and confident for birth.
