Natalie’s Positive Water Birth with Gas and Air

Love reading positive birth stories? You’re in the right place! This birth story is with first time mum Natalie who had a water birth with gas and air to deliver her surprise baby girl. Natalie loved reading positive birth stories during her pregnancy, and we are so happy to be sharing hers now.

Beth’s course armed me with all I needed for birth. I’d learned all about the several labour stages (latent, active, pushing etc), and hints and tips on coping in labour drug free and assessing the EBRAN principals for decision making. A lot of prep work for labour for me was watching positive birth stories on you tube, listening to relaxation mp3s to encourage relaxation and breathing techniques for labour including in for 4 out for 7, and down breathing for the pushing stage. I also ate 6 dates daily and drank raspberry leaf tea from 36 weeks. 

Labour Starting

After losing most of my bloody show on Monday morning 30th (I think the dates and tea definitely helped to dilate me here), I wasn’t expecting much movement straight off the mark. I’ve heard this could signal several days maybe a week before baby made an appearance. We were due the 2nd. To lose your show you must be a little dilated… so I know this was the start of something. I listened to Hypnobirthing relaxation audios, darkened the room and lit a candle… to get me in the ‘zone’. 
When I got home for a walk around 4pm, I thought I’d try bouncing on the ball, and thought I’d try to stimulate my nipples using my breast pump. 

Latent labour and surges didn’t start until 5:30pm on the Tuesday (31st) and at this point following another breast pump session. I presumed these were strong Braxton Hicks, minimal pain just pressure, and these stopped by the evening, so I slept a good 8 hours. 

Contractions

Things started to ramp up in the morning (1st) pulses were more intense…. I could hold a conversation but more period cramping pains and pressure. So I decided to start timing contractions at this point. I coped with my breathing techniques, and positive encouragement from my wonderful birth partner (baby’s daddy). Surges got closer and more intense, but then reverted back to 20 minute, 17 minute, 18 minutes…. We got down to 1 every 6 minutes but it would go back up to 29 minutes, 10 minutes… we had no pattern at all and no sign to go to hospital. I spent the day resting, eating, ball bouncing. I took a warm bath at 1pm which helped relieve the period like pain and also helped support bump… it was looking like the long run for me. 

About 4pm contractions had pretty much stopped, and for 2 hours. I was so disappointed, but my partner got me through. My partner and I went for a 25 min walk, in the hope they’d come back… but nothing. I sat on the birthing ball around 5:45pm and did some bouncing and pelvic tilts and hip circles, this worked a treat. Surges were back every 8 minutes. 

I thought I’d use a hot water bottle to ease the pain as it had got a lot more intense the next hour or so, but again…. Not very regular. The heat triggered contractions and didn’t sooth the intensity. 

Calling the Midwife

The heat from the bath worked so well previously, so thought maybe another bath to ease the pressure (this was around 7:30pm)…. This was it…. Pulses came thick and fast as soon as I got in the water and every 7, then 6  minutes…. After 15 minutes more, they were very intense, and we called the midwife led unit. The midwife asked to speak to me, and with a surge every minute or two, I could barely talk to her. She offered a home birth, or we get to the MLU or birthing suite at the hospital. We opted for the MLU, as I wanted a pool birth without intervention. She also told my partner to call 999 on the way if I do feel the urge to push.

I found I was mooing like Chewbacca with the intensity of the surges…”

…but didn’t feel the urge to push. I was worried we’d get to the hospital and be turned away, so I waited as long as I could before leaving. My partner helped me get dressed, and we got in the car. After 20 very intense contractions on the 35 minute car journey to the hospital, my legs were quivering! Every pot hole or turn in the road triggered a contraction. 

The 5 second walk up from the car park to the MLU took 30 minutes, I had to stop frequently for surges. We were met by the lovely Holly my midwife for the evening, where she’d ran me a pool bath as I’d wanted. She offered me gas and air, and inspected my dilation. To my amazement I was 10cm, and I did that all by myself at home! Knowing this made all the frustration of the stopping and starting worth it!

A water birth using gas and air

I got in the pool around 9:30pm, and after around 8 surges I was told I could push if I felt I wanted to. Then I decided to push with my bearing down breathing technique, and within 6 pushes babies head was born. Midwife asked I stand up, as unfortunately babies shoulder had wedged. She wanted me on the bed, but by standing up, one leg out of the pool I  was having another surge… and I managed to birth baby in the final push. 

Meeting Baby Adeline

Baby was passed to me through my legs, and I submerged myself back into the water. I got to find out what gender baby was by unfurling her little crossed legs…. And she was a little girl (I was sure boy). 

Little Adeline was born at 11:04pm (minutes before due date). 

I couldn’t believe I’d done it, and I felt such a rush… it was almost euphoric! She had passed meconium so we spent the night on the ward for observations, but she was here, and we are very much in love.

Top tip: Don’t use a timing app, let your partner do it if you wish… you will know when it’s time and when things are really ramping up.

Want to read more water birth stories? Read about Justine’s Positive Water Birth here or Jodie’s Positive Water Birth here. Are you worried you may not be able to have a water birth? Read about What happens if I can’t have a water birth?

Click the link 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.