Helena’s Positive Water Birth

Second-time-mum Helena shares her empowering birth story. Helena had a very positive water birth. Love reading positive birth stories? We’ve got lots more just for you!

I bought the Bump to Baby course as a refresher before having my second baby last year. It helped me get back into the birth headspace and feel positive and confident about my second birth. Here is my birth story.

My son, was born at 05:19 on a Wednesday in July 2023 at a midwife-led birth centre. He weighed 8lb 6oz and arrived the day before his estimated due date.

My Positive Water Birth Story

On the Tuesday I had been on a long walk in the morning. It was hard going on my back and hips but felt good to get out. I slept in the afternoon and just before going to pick up my toddler, I felt a gentle tightening. I assumed it was Braxton Hicks or the baby moving and paid it no mind. The sensation returned every 20 minutes or so, speeding up to 10-15 minutes by 9pm.

I was almost certain this couldn’t be labour, but we asked our emergency contacts to keep their phones on just in case. We also told the student midwife who had been following my pregnancy. She said she’d come home from her night shift to be ready for the baby to come.

We went to bed but I couldn’t sleep. I kept looking at my watch to see if there was another squeeze coming and if there was a rhythm to them at all. I was up and down the stairs getting water, bouncing on the birth ball. Restless and feeling the need to move but mindful that I should be trying to rest. The baby was very wriggly between squeezes, and the sensation wasn’t at all strong. I felt I could have slept through them if not for clock-watching. At 1am I was doubting myself and thinking it would be embarrassing if I woke up the next morning and nothing had happened. I’d feel bad for sending the student midwife home and getting everyone excited for nothing.

Contractions Starting

By 2am I felt ‘proper’ contractions and started timing them soon after. They came 7 minutes or so apart, so I lay down on the sofa listening to calm music in the dark and breathed through each one. I woke my husband just after 3am as I was feeling uncomfortable and wanted some support. He was very groggy but duly got up and kept me company.

We called triage and our babysitter just before 4am as things were speeding up. I took paracetamol, and contractions were coming five minutes apart if I stayed lying down. They were much faster if I was moving around. I sent hubby round the house packing the last few bits and by the time our friend arrived I was much more vocal and having to really concentrate through each contraction.

Heading to Hospital

I called the student midwife as we set off to the hospital. Things ramped up in the car. It was very uncomfortable and the contractions were almost on top of each other. When we arrived I was leaning on the reception desk groaning and they took me straight into the birth centre, no questions asked. It turns out I was already 9cm dilated!

I hadn’t used the TENS machine or most of my other planned coping mechanisms as I expected things to take much longer and wanted to feel the benefit. Gas and air felt like a huge relief, and my waters went very soon after I was examined. Since there was thin meconium, the midwife said we’d need to go up to delivery for monitoring if the baby didn’t come soon. I was pretty sure it was all happening fast. They began filling the pool immediately. I was soon on my knees on the bed, leaning into my husband with my elbows up on a big cushion. I tried to relax as much as possible between contractions.

Hello Baby

I kept saying ‘I want to go in the pool’, even though I knew the answer was that it wasn’t ready yet. The pain was a little bit crazy-making and felt all-consuming but didn’t feel scary or dangerous, just inevitable. I felt very focused in on my body but still fully able to listen to instructions and ask for help. In between contractions I felt very present and positive.

Positive Water Birth

With minutes to spare, I climbed into the pool and the student midwife arrived. The relief from the water was bliss but didn’t last long.

Crowning was very intense but my body did all the pushing.”

I even had to hold back a little as the head was born. Thirty-five minutes after we arrived at the hospital our baby was born into the water and handed up to me to hold. I was immediately elated – I did it! I felt so present throughout and I was the first to see and to say that he was a boy. He was perfect and I was able to hold him and look at him. He latched almost right away and fed, pooed and fed again. The placenta took a while to come free but I had the injection and eventually it all happened as it should.

Afterwards, the midwife had to go back to triage and another midwife came back from her shift saying ‘did I miss it?’. I had a minor second-degree tear but the stitches didn’t take long and even though I was quite scared of having them, I was in a good state of mind. I took gas and air and it wasn’t too hard to stay calm.

Taking our baby home

The unit was busy that night so having a student with us was truly a blessing. She stayed with us for four hours, chatting and getting us tea and toast, making sure I was clean and comfortable. I took a shower after a few hours and felt ready to go home by about 9am! We had to stay for various checks and I got some catnaps. My daughter and her granny were waiting at the door when we arrived home at about 2pm. After a quick cuddle with her new grandson my mother-in-law left and absolutely everyone had a nap!

Love this positive water birth story and want more? You can read Hannah’s here or Justine’s here.