Who doesn’t love a great birth story?! Be honest - how many times have you told someone you’re pregnant and they’ve then spent the next 10 minutes telling you their cousin’s neighbour’s sister’s horror birth story?! Yeee no thanks - not what I need right now!
In the interest of staying in a positive mindset I really encourage my clients to listen to or read birth stories that are positive and empowering! It really won’t serve you well hearing anyone’s negative birth story. That’s not to say that their story isn’t absolutely valid or that they shouldn't be able to talk about it, they should, but it’s not what you need to be hearing at the moment. So much of your birth preparation is in the mind and what your subconscious brain believes about birth - something we start discussing in the very first session of my antenatal hypnobirthing course.
Without further do, let’s dive right in! Today’s blog is about the birth of my second child, Maisie, back in 2022. In true Maisie style, it was quick, powerful and straight to the point - sums her up quite well!
The last couple of weeks of my pregnancy with Maisie were a tad stressful, some growth scans predicting she was going to be a ‘big baby’ led to us being recommended either to be induced at 38 weeks or continue with regular growth scans to track her progress. Luckily for us we had a lot of knowledge under our belt and knew the right questions to ask - something that is so important to learn during an antenatal course. We opted for the other option which wasn’t presented to us…wait and do nothing.
Birth research and weighing up our options
We did our own research (mostly thanks to Dr Sara Wickham), weighed up the benefits and risks and decided to proceed with our original birth plan - to birth at home and wait for spontaneous labour. For us, the benefits of being at home with amazing midwives from the Lavender team at Frimley far outweighed the potential risks that were being highlighted to us. I also really tuned into my instincts, I didn’t feel like she was too big, Henry was 7lbz 6oz so I was really confident in my body’s ability to give birth to this baby without any problems. I’d had a really straightforward first labour, a really great pregnancy this time round, no concerns or problems, so that really helped make our decision too.
I finished work around 36 weeks, wanting a few weeks until baby number 2 arrived to nest, spend time with Henry and just relax as much as possible (as much as you can with a 2 year old to run around after!!)
I absolutely loved having my final appointments at home with the Lavender team. I felt calm, relaxed, nothing was rushed. Our named midwife was Becky, but we did manage to meet most of the team at various stages of our pregnancy. It felt so nice knowing that someone we knew would be with us during the birth, something that is shown to improve outcomes and increase birth satisfaction.
After a very relaxing weekend and productive Monday finishing off my to-do list, I had a lovely bath in the evening with some clary sage oil, bubbles, candles and listening to my hypnobirthing tracks. It was bliss, I totally switched off from the world and got into my pregnancy bubble. After the bath I went to the toilet, only to discover I’d lost my mucus plug! I didn’t have this with Henry, it must’ve been a gradual thing that I didn’t notice. But there was no mistaking this! Knowing this meant labour could still be a few days away, I went to bed, falling straight to sleep, thinking nothing would really be starting soon.
OK this was really labour!
At around 1am I woke to go to the toilet, and started to feel some minor cramps. I didn’t get too excited, it only felt very minor like the achey feeling you get when you’re on your period. I didn’t think too much of it and just tried to get back to sleep. Over the next hour or so, I realised this wasn’t a trial run and things were really happening as I was having to concentrate on my breathing a little more each time the sensation came. At around 2am I woke Sam, and excitedly told him I was in labour, and to get the pool pumped up downstairs! He woke straight away, having not really slept well after I told him I’d lost my mucus plug - he thought something would be happening imminently!
I ran a bath and called the Lavender home birth team around 2:30am. I spoke to Chloe and she advised me to try to relax, have a bath or rest, and to call back when my surges were more regular and I wanted her to be there.
Henry was fast asleep upstairs not knowing that anything was happening! I called my mum and she came to pick him up (it’s been a while since she’s had a call from me in the middle of the night!) She arrived about 2:45am to collect him, much to his confusion! He was so sleepy and disorientated and had no idea what was going on. As soon as he was gone, I was able to properly relax and things started ramping up more. It’s incredible how your mind and body knows when it’s time - all of a sudden it knew that it was time for me to give birth, no other child to think about or try to be quiet for. It was time.
I got into the bath and things ramped up really quickly, and before long there wasn't much gap in between each surge. At 3:20 I called Chloe back to update her, and asked her to come over. Shortly after this I got out of the bath; I didn’t like being upstairs on my own while the surges were getting more intense, as Sam was still downstairs getting the pool etc set up.
Surges were ramping up...
Chloe arrived at around 4am, and by that point I was well on my way! The surges were pretty back to back with no gap in between, I could still talk when I wasn’t having one, but then would need to really concentrate on my hypnobirthing techniques and breathing when they started to ramp up. Sam and Chloe kept super quiet while I was having one, which was so important for me to stay in my bubble and ride the wave!
Chloe helped Sam put the TENS machine on to help with the sensations - this really gave me something to focus on and the little boost button was fab when a surge ramped up! I kept focussing on my breathing throughout each one, which really helped focus my mind and energy. The Relaxing Breath technique (in for 4, out for 8) really helped me stay calm and get through each surge. I loved imagining climbing a mountain when each one came, knowing that when I reached the top of the mountain (the peak of the contraction) it was easier from then on, and there would be a small break to regroup before the next one came.
Chloe arrived!
Shortly after Chloe arrived I agreed to a vaginal examination, I lay on the sofa on my side and she confirmed I was 8cm dilated and this baby was eager to come out soon! It was then that my waters released, and I felt a huge gush all over the sofa (luckily we’d covered it with shower curtains, bed mats and towels so it was safe!) Once the waters had released I felt an intense pressure, my body and baby bearing down and I recognised that feeling from Henry’s birth. This was my body’s way of getting the baby out - the fetal ejection reflex. Knowing how the uterus works and what each contraction is really helped me, understanding the science behind it all helped reduce any nerves and turned it into excitement - I knew each surge was one step closer to meeting my baby!
I got into the pool at 4:15 and almost instantly my body started pushing. I used the gas and air which really helped work through each surge and pushing sensation. With each surge and push, I could feel baby’s head moving down and eventually out. Once the head was out I put my hand underwater and I could feel a whole head of lovely hair; feeling this and knowing how close we were to meeting our baby was so exciting!
With a few more pushes baby GIRL was born at 4:44 into the water; I reached down and pulled her onto my chest - I HAD DONE IT, I had birthed our daughter in our living room just like we’d hoped. The feeling of relief and accomplishment was incredible, Sam and I were both crying as we realised our new baby was here. I stayed in the pool for around 15 minutes while the cord continued to pulse and she got all of her lovely blood from the placenta, with Sam cutting it once it turned white.
I felt like superwoman
You cannot beat that feeling! I felt like absolute superwoman, and just couldn’t get my head around how quickly it had all happened - only a couple of hours ago I was getting a few feelings and Sam was still asleep, now I was lying on the sofa in our front room with a gorgeous little girl on my chest after the most perfect birth!
Chloe stayed for around an hour after this, we all had a cup of tea and some biscuits while she wrote up her notes. Even though she was the only member of the Lavender team we hadn’t met during our pregnancy she was incredible, the perfect midwife to have with us during out birth (even if she was only there for 45 minutes before Maisie was born!)
Given how quickly Maisie decided to appear, the second midwife who was called didn’t even make it before the birth - I was still in the pool holding Maisie in my arms when she arrived!
Chloe was so friendly and warm, and left us to birth quietly in our own little bubble. She gave me encouragement when I needed it but mainly let me get on with it and listen to what my body told me to do. She left around 7am and then it was just the three of us - me, Sam and Maisie to enjoy lots of skin to skin and try and get our heads around this quick new addition!
The best techniques I used in Maisie’s birth were:
Hypnobirthing breathing techniques.
Hypnosis tracks to keep me in my birthing zone.
TENS machine for distraction during surges.
Birth pool and the warm water to help with the sensations.
Vision board to keep me positive and have something to focus on during labour.
Dark, dimly lit birth environment.
Home environment with all my home comforts.
Staying upright and active, I don’t think I sat or lay down at all during labour.
Visualising going up and down a mountain during surges / contractions.
Just being at home and not having to travel anywhere / get in a car!
Knowledge of everything my body and baby was doing!
Without a doubt everything we learnt during our antenatal hypnobirthing course when we were pregnant with Henry helped us with Maisie's birth too (we did the Ultimate Hypnobirthing Course with an amazing local instructor). I know first-hand just how transformative this birth prep and education is, which is why I love teaching it now! Check out what I cover in this course here). We did some refresher learning and brushed up on our skills which really helped. Even to this day I use the breathing techniques I learnt 5 years ago when times are stressful - these are life long skills you’re learning!
I hope you enjoyed reading this birth story - it was the most incredible birth and I hope it gives people more confidence that birth can be so positive and powerful. Get in touch with me today if you want help preparing for birth.
Come along to my Positive Birth Masterclass on Friday 4th October in Hartley Wintney to start your birth prep journey! FREE tickets are here!
Thanks for reading
Fi x
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