My history:
DD1 2004 Hossy water birth
DS1 2006 Home water birth
DD2 2008 ELCS after planned vaginal breech birth - but waters went and birth hadn't started 4 days later so I opted for the section.
Baby 4 - my birth story from 6 weeks ago today:
Tuesday night my waters broke. No reason, they just went - as has been the start with all 4 of my births.
But then nothing. For 2 days despite my best efforts.
6:10pm Thursday night I had a bit of an upset tummy and then I felt a tiny niggle.
Then 6:12, 6:16, 6:19, 6:22, 6:23, 6:27, 6:29, 6:31, 6:33. Oh regular niggles!!!!!
Hhhhhmmm called Paul upstairs told him we needed to monitor things to see whether this was a false alarm or was going to progress into labour, and that we should get the kids oout of the house so he could be there for me. More waters flooding everywhere now.
6:35 Called mum to come and get the kids as I was a bit shocked incase things were actually happening and happening so quickly.
I turn on contraction master:
6:43:44 PM 6:44:12 PM 0:26 2 m, 7 s
6:41:37 PM 6:42:29 PM 0:51 2 m, 54 s
6:38:43 PM 6:39:29 PM 0:44 1 m, 50 s
6:36:53 PM 6:38:40 PM 1:45 1 m, 9 s
They weren't contractions, but they were tightenings, and every minute or two seemed - well - quite close.
6:44 Mum was out at a pub for dinner a few villages 30 mins away WTF? Ok, called best mate who arrived 3mins later and herded them off.
6:45 Maybe I should let a mw know? Should I/shouldn't I? Has only being going on a few minutes and could be due to the upset tummy - but then I do labour quickly and if it does turn into labour and they have a job getting hold of the mw on call, I could be in a sticky situation? I weigh it up and I call delivery suite.
What an easy call that was. Took my name,and that it was a home birth, and the name of my named mw, asked how often I was contracting, her voice changed when I said every minute or two and said she would contact my mw to call me straight back. She did to say she was on the way.
Niggles were now early contractions and all across under the bump. I was taking my own temp and babys heart rate every 15 mins (had been doing this anyway since waters went on Tuesday) and we were good. I move downstairs and we start readying the birth room.
Still clicking contraction master...
Start Time End Time Duration Frequency
Stopped Stopped Stopped Stopped
7:02:59 PM 7:04:01 PM 1:1 1 m, 47 s
7:01:12 PM 7:02:07 PM 0:54 2 m, 38 s
6:58:34 PM 7:00:11 PM 1:36 1 m, 56 s
6:56:38 PM 6:57:36 PM 0:57 1 m, 52 s
6:54:46 PM 6:55:44 PM 0:58 1 m, 43 s
6:53:02 PM 6:53:52 PM 0:48 1 m, 33 s
6:51:29 PM 6:52:24 PM 0:53 7 m, 46 s
7:03 Mw arrived, I bring her up to speed with what has happened so far, she brought her things in and got set up. She is happy with mine and babys vitals and I decline an internal. Paul infaltes the pool.
Tens went on at 7:15 as we were game on now and niggles were becoming contractions. Pool starts to fill. OMG how slowly?????
7:30 Mum arrives with my aunty to join the birth party. Boy this labour is going some now, have to concentrate and stop talking during contractions.
7:35 I want to get in the pool now but the pool is filling too slowly. Mw rings 2nd mw, and student. I ask for gas and air now as I can't get in the pool yet.
Mum and aunt start bringing bowls and kettles from all the bathrooms in the house aswell as the hose already filling the pool. I need to get in but can't. Oh well, I am so glad that I'm finally in labour that I just don't care lol. Really, ME, not care about my pool - how's that for a turn up!!
Anyway pool ready at 7:45 and I get in. No stopping this time, still cracking on. Didn't even have time to strip naked, so bra stayed on (I realise later).
8:00 Paul asks what I want to do about the children - I tell him four is definitely enough. I then tell him I would like them back (it was my plan to have them in the house for labour and birth if they wished, but I had wanted them gone earlier).
8:02 He calls Sarah and she brings them straight round. Kids are amazing and watch the last 10 mins of my labour, coming to talk to me in between contractions for a few seconds. My 3 yr old gets his goggles on ready :-D
Mum has been handed the camera by this point and is filming. I feel a head moving down. The gas and air stops working, oh great talk about good timing!!! I tell the mw who is about to change the cylinder, but then I tell her no - come back the head is coming.
8:12 So I am now 100% sober and alert and now I have to deliver what I can feel is a HUGE head, with no pain relief. Oh well, there is clearly no going back so best get on with it.
8:16pm Head is out, a body, a BABY :-D
I reach down and catch my baby, turn over and lift it to the surface.
The children are in awe and immediately are reaching into the water stroking the baby. I lift the baby up high so that they can do their "job" at the birth and they look and announce that they have a brother.
All is right with the world. The children reach in to feel his hands, hair and anything else they can reach lol. All three of them are delighted with the new addition and are desperate for a cuddle.
8:20 Student mw turns up.
We enjoy some more family time and the DD1 aged 5 and DS1 aged 3 ask a million questions about the cord, vernix, and above all can they cuddle him NOW? lol. We have been in the pool about 20 mins and the cord has stopped pulsating so I tell them that yes they can cut the cord and take him for a cuddle while I climb out of the pool. They do and are delighted to do so.
8:45 Placenta slips out and dops on the floor as I lift my leg out of the pool.
Job done.
2nd mw arrives about 5 mins later. Kids are intrigued by te placenta and want to touch it. Louise the mw tells them all about it and does the checks on it with them helping lmao!
Bit more family time then my mum invites the older two for a sleepover and Paul and I chat with the mws and DD2 (20 months) plays with baby (Her favorite game was licking his toes which she found completely hilarious???) and eats most of the mw's biscuits.
By 11ish everyone is gone and we are alone, elated, and shattered. What an amazing night.
Oh forgot to say he weighed 10lbs 13oz. Head circumference of 37.5cm and a length of 58.5cm.
Obviously all births (including VBAC's) are different, but I did TONNES or research and felt this was the best way for me. It was a beautiful and straight-forward birth, at dinner time we were a family of 5, by bedtime we were six :-)
I hope this helps x