My Birth Story - Sarah & Stuart's Birth Story

Like most women, I was apprehensive about my labour and was actively not thinking about it before my hypnobirthing class with Nikki. Halfway through the first day I had completely changed my view of labour and became excited about it...and I only got more confident during the course and in the following months.

I was due to finish work at the end of week 37 of my pregnancy. Being over 35 and a first-time mother I had anticipated going over my due date so I assumed this time frame would give me two weeks + of time at home to 'nest' before going into labour. On the Tuesday of my last week of work I started getting very mild period pain that would come and go - very sporadically - and then in the afternoon I felt a wave of endorphins rushing over my body and my skin went all tingly. I thought something must be happening. I went home that night and went to bed.

The next morning (Wednesday) we got up before work to walk our dogs and I had very sore butt muscles...like I'd just done 100 squats (but hadn't). I just had a feeling that I was going to go into labour that day and decided I had to get to work, tidy up what I could as quickly as possible, and get home. I wasn't anxious, I was excited. 

I got into work at 8am and furiously typed up final hand over notes, sent a million emails and emptied drawers into a plastic bag and rushed out of there (thank god for a supportive team!)

I was home by 10am and by noon the mild period pain was coming and going in a regular manner. It started to occur to me that these may be surges (I had no idea what they would feel like before then). I spoke to my Mum who said that was exactly how her labour had started as well! So, I downloaded an app and started timing them and they definitely seemed to be getting more regular. 

By around 6pm I put on my TENS machine as I was told to put it on in early labour and was calmly breathing through each surge very easily. My husband and I decided to go to bed around 10pm to get a bit of sleep. By midnight I was awake again and the surges had completely stopped. I decided to get out of bed and sit on my fit ball rolling my hips in circles and they slowly started progressing again. Around 2am my husband got up and we called my mum who quickly came to our house. By 3am the surges were more than a minute in length and coming every 3-4 minutes. We called the hospital and they said to come in.

When in hospital the surges all but stopped and they checked me, and I was 1-2 cm dilated so they sent us home.

So, we all just relaxed that day at our house and the three of us were joking around in the living room. The surges seemed to be getting further and further apart so I decided to go into my bedroom by myself. I was in a dark room listening to my affirmations with my eyes closed leaning on the bed. They then quickly got closer and closer together and by 3pm they were less than 2-3 minutes apart, so we went back into hospital.

This whole time the surges were very manageable. I wasn't in any pain, just felt pressure. We were all very relaxed and calm which was amazing considering this had all been going on for 27 hours at this point. 

Second visit, the surges stopped when in the hospital! Again! They checked me again and I was only 2 cm dilated which was disappointing, but as it was very manageable, we handled it all well. They told me at this point that my baby was OP (spine against my spine) which is what they call 'back labour'. I had purposely not slouched or laid back in a chair for most of my pregnancy to avoid this so that was a little disappointing but I knew from hypnobirthing that I could still deliver in this way so I wasn't concerned - but I tried doing some positions to move the baby around (which unfortunately didn't work).

While being monitored my waters broke around 4pm... there was a lot of fluid ;)! We were sent home for the second time and told to come back when the surges were 3 minutes apart. We told the midwife they had been since 2am! So, she told us to come back when I couldn't talk through a surge, and to go home have dinner and a nap.

We got home and I tried to sleep. I laid down for about 5 minutes and the surges then stepped up about 20 notches! I couldn't lay down and was standing in the kitchen leaning over the kitchen bench for each surge. I laughed after one and my husband asked what I was laughing at, to which I replied, 'I thought I was in labour before! haha'.

We waited an hour and the surges were then 1-2 minutes apart we went to the hospital...for the third time. This time I had very intense surges in the car and they stayed at the same intensity when we arrived in the hospital. I was overwhelmed by emotion and started sobbing on the way in. I couldn't tell you why I was crying. The waiting room was crammed this time, but the midwives took me straight into another room, so I didn't have to labour in front of a room full of people. I was hugely grateful.

I was taken into the examination room (for the third time that day) and threw up almost immediately. I felt like the surges were so intense that I couldn't have been too far off. I was examined again and was 6cms dilated - so I went from 2-6cm in 2 hours (It was about 6pm at this point)! The midwife who examined me could see I was in pain in my back so she pressed my back very firmly just above my butt which was incredible - made it much more manageable - so from then on, my husband pushed my back every surge...could have been 200 surges or so...but he did it every time which was a necessity at this point! 

We were then taken up to the labour ward and they kept intensifying. By about 9pm my resolve to go natural was starting to waiver...the surges were so intense by this point that I started to broach the idea of pain relief. I desperately wanted to avoid pain relief but at the time it was becoming very difficult. It turns out I was in transition, but I didn't realise. The midwives were amazing and kept reminding me to breathe but said I could be in labour for another 12 plus hours - this was contributing to me thinking I needed pain relief as I couldn't imagine another 12 hours. 

My midwife said they'd examine me at 10.30pm and then we could discuss pain relief. They thought I was still a long way off as I appeared to be handling it very well...which is not how I was feeling! 

Just before 10.30pm the midwife said I should try to go to the toilet before the examination. I sat down to take a wee and there was a 'pop' and a release of pressure, and immediately the contractions stopped, and the pushing urge started. I should have gone to the toilet hours ago!

I yelled 'I'm going to shit out the baby'.

And I started loudly moaning...noises I had never made before. I sounded like a farm animal. 

The midwife responded very calmly 'Well let's get you off the toilet and take a look'.

I responded, 'I can't move'.

She said (again very calmly) 'Well you can't give birth to the baby in the toilet so up you get'.

My husband had to help me, and she just got me to bend over, and was shocked when she could feel the baby’s head with her hand barely inside me. There was then a flurry of activity and she had to get another midwife, the resuscitate machine, notify the staff, sheets etc etc. 

My husband started running around the bed from side to side saying 'the babies coming, the babies coming'. Both him and my Mum were so excited and encouraging. 

I was on the bed during this time (on my hands and knees) and was told to stop pushing while they got ready. I had no concept of time and this only felt like seconds, but my husband told me later it was about 10 minutes I was there not pushing.

Then they were ready, and the pushing started. It was hard!!! But as my husband and Mum were so excited, I pushed for them...they were hugely motivating. It all happened so quickly - about 4 minutes of pushing and she was out.

As she came out behind me, I couldn't see what was happening, but I could hear her scream immediately and felt such a wave of relief.

She was very slippery, and the midwife nearly dropped her. There was this funny minute where we were all trying to figure out how to hand her to me as the cord was short and I was on my hands and knees. She was handed through my legs and I needed help rolling over onto my back so I could hold her. We got there in the end.

Then I got to see her...our beautiful baby girl Olivia...born at 10.45pm. She was perfect! We had about 30 minutes skin to skin just gazing at each other. It was so peaceful and beautiful. The cord stopped pulsating after 5 minutes and was completely white, so my husband then cut the cord. I then birthed the placenta while laying on my back holding Olivia very easily. Barely felt that come out after pushing her out.

After 30 minutes she started mouthing so we got her to feed and she did it easily. Really incredible that this tiny and helpless little creature could know what the nipple was and could feed right away.

As soon as I had pushed her out, I felt great! I was on a massive high. I almost felt 100%.

Post labour I had zero pain. Just a little bit of pressure at times when my uterus contracted. I didn't need to take any pain relief and had one teeny tiny internal tear that required no stitching. 

Livvy was perfectly healthy and by 11am the next day we left and went home (13 hours after giving birth).

The midwife said she wished all labours were like that one. She said I was amazingly calm, and it was a beautiful experience for her.

While the labour was very long (if you start timing from the first contractions), it was an incredible experience. The last 6 hours were intense (from the time my waters broke) with the last hour and a half being quite painful, but we got there pain-relief free. I was so proud of myself!

I can't stress enough how important it was to have incredible support around me. I never felt more loved and supported in my entire life than during my labour. My husband and Mum were so important to the process (as were the incredible midwives).

I know I wouldn't have had this experience if it weren't for Nikki's class. I went into labour expecting no pain, was knowledgeable as to the process and what to expect and had zero fear (except during transition if I'm honest).

And I would do it all again!

Thank you so much Nikki!