Kate & Ryan's Baby Choice Birth, Birth Story (Unplanned Beautiful Homebirth)

I woke up on Sunday  (31st March) with a few tightenings or niggles. I had been up to the toilet a number of times throughout the night, at about 6am I was dozing in and out of sleep and thought I felt what was a contraction, but I couldn’t remember if I was dreaming or not. I had a few more and was then woken up by Eddie. They were regular from the start and I was probably getting about two every ten minutes or so. I was able to breathe and talk through them. It felt very similar to the contractions I had with Eddie (posterior) as I mainly felt them in my back.

Ryan was rostered to work so he went as I wasn’t sure whether it would progress or fizzle out  ( I was still only 39+5). I told him I thought I was getting some surges but they weren’t close together or very painful at this stage. I tended to Eddie as he had been sick the night before so I was busy cleaning up after him. The tightenings/surges were still coming and probably lasting about 20 seconds. I didn’t want to time them as I knew this could put my head “out of the game”. So I just continued my surge breathing as they came. As I was essentially on my own I had no-one to time them for me. I thought it would be best to call my mum to come and get Eddie as I really wanted to focus and get things going!. Eddie and my mum left about 9 when Ryan popped home on his way through to his site (probably around 930). He had a ute full of work stuff that needed to be dropped off. I let him know that the surges were still coming but also still manageable and to prepare that he will probably need to come home at some point during the day. Ryan said OK but to make sure I was in actual labour (OK RYAN!)

 At my appointments with the midwife in the last trimester the baby was still felt posterior and at each appointment becoming more posterior!. I had been trying to do lots of things to get the baby to turn around but I am not sure whether this had worked.

I figured the baby was still posterior on the day of birth as my surges were felt mostly in my back. With Eddie gone I could really focus on my hypnobirthing techniques and put some things into action. I got the fit ball out and was swaying on that as well as listening to the surge of the seas track and birth affirmations.

Throughout the morning I was texting my friend who is a midwife and questioned when or if should ring my midwife/hospital. She went through what they would ask me over the phone. I still ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ a bit before calling them as I didn’t think I was in actual labour yet. Surges were still coming 2 every ten minutes and using my surge breathing it felt like they were over in 3-4 breaths. My friend suggested I lay down and get some rest. I called the hospital and the midwife I spoke to (not my regular midwife) thought I was still in early/pre-labour as I was still able to breath through the surge and stay quite calm on the phone. She advised that it was still too early to arrive at hospital just yet.

I asked if I should be calling my partner to come home and she suggested yes as it was going to be a special day. There was hardly any urgency in her voice and made it sound like it was up to me really. So I was still unsure whether to get him home or not.  

I called Ryan about 1030 and said for him to pack up and come home.

I went to lie down and continued listening to my tracks. This was when I felt like things started getting more intense. I felt like being a bit more vocal through surges while still trying to use the surge breathing.

I felt the need to go to the toilet about 11am and when I did there were a few drops of blood so I called back the midwife to let her know.

I really wanted to avoid Womens Assessment at the hospital as this is where I spent a number of hours in my first labour and felt it really slowed things down. As we were in the Midwifery Group Practice program My midwife was happy to come to the house prior to going up to the hospital. when I called her she said she would hop in the shower and be there is 20 minutes. Sweet, I thought as things had really ramped up and surges were increasing in intensity and coming hard and fast. It was around this time I also had a phone call from Ryans parents letting me know they were on their way  down to drop off some footy tickets. I was able to call Ryan and let them know to turn around and go home!

After I got off the phone to her, it felt like the next surge was really intense and there was a pop and my waters released all over the laundry floor. Looking back through my phone I think this was about 1130.  After that things just intensified x1000. I was bent over the sink unable to move as the waters were over the floor and really slippery. I knew I needed to get to the bathroom and into the bath. I was moaning at this point and started to feel the urge to push. I kind of lost my way a bit here and some of those hypnobirthing techniques went out the window. It was too intense for me to get on the phone to the hospital so I just had to wait for Ryan and the midwife to arrive. Ryan called me on his way home and I yelled at him to get home quickly!!

 I kept trying to breath through the surges which felt like they were coming back to back now and still felt the urge to push. Ryan arrived home about 1145 and I yelled at him to call the midwife/hospital and tell her to come quickly! There was a slight break in the surges and I was able to walk from the laundry to the bath and hop in with the shower on my back. Ryan was on the phone to one of the midwifes who advised him to call the ambulance given she could hear my yelling/moaning in the background.  He put the phone with the midwife next to me and I could hear her trying to talk me through what was happening. I was kind of listening but also not haha. The urge to push now was really strong and I had no control over my body as it had already started pushing. I knew he was close as I could feel that burning sensation.

While Ryan was on the phone to the Ambulance I had an almighty push and his head popped out at 1150. The ambulances told him to get as many towels as he could as he was probably about to catch his son! While he was getting towels the midwife arrived and Ryan yelled out that I was in the bath (if she couldn’t already tell where the yelling was coming from!)  Ryan tells me that she slid into the bathroom and onto her knees to catch our baby as he entered the world at 1152! Ari Jude Clark arrived in spectacular fashion weighing 3680gm (8p 1oz) and 50.5cm long.

I was able to have a physiological third stage and delayed cord clamping which I was so happy about. 

I think we worked out that active labour was probably about 50 minutes

The ambulance arrived shortly after and hung around but it was thought that I might not need to go hospital as everything was looking good.

I ended up having a postpartum haemorrhage of about 600ml so we ended up having to go to hospital to get the Oxytocin injection. I had 300ml more manually extracted and a catheter inserted as my bladder was not emptying properly. I had already been able to go to the toilet a number of times but when they scanned my bladder it was shown to have 600ml still in there. They thought this was stopping some of the clots making their way out so the catheter was inserted (which was more painful that the birth itself!!). 

We stayed 1 night in hospital but then able to go home the next day. I didn’t have any tearing or stitches, just a small graze. 

I really feel like hypnobirthing prepared me well for the birth as I was able to stay relatively calm (up until my water broke ). The surges felt extremely similar in intensity and length as when I was in labour with Eddie but because of the hypnobirthing techniques and preparation I was able to manage them so much better.  I really loved the hypnobirthing course and preparation in the lead up to the birth. I was unsure of how my birth story would pan out and whether my preparation would assist with an easier and calmer birth than with my first. I can easily say it did! I knew what was happening with my body and was able to use most of the tools provided in the course( obviously not the tools provided by the birth partner!! Although I was so looking forward to the light touch massage and anchor points!!)

I will definitely be recommending Nikki and the hypnobirthing to all expectant parents.

Thank you so much for all your help and guidance over the last few months!!

Kate and Ryan 

Don’t you just love it??? I definitely did! Thank you so much to Kate & Ryan for sharing beautiful birth story of Hypnobub Ari, shared with permission and love.

Nikki x