Beautiful Birth Story

Our Story - Sophia and Nika Ostara

STM

Known baby girl - Nika Ostara 

8lb 7oz - no tears 

39 ± 6 

Gas & Air 

I woke up on Tuesday morning about 8.30/9am having mild contractions, this had happened a few times over the final weeks so i didnt give it much thought. However as my morning went on, getting up, making a coffee etc and getting my little one up they didn't fade away after being like they had on previous occasions so I knew something was different. They were coming about every 5 minutes and lasting around 45 seconds but were totally managable and pain free. On a trip to the loo I realised lost my plug and started leaking water gradually.

I decided to call the midwives and let them know thimgs were starting, I'd promised my community midwife and partner I wouldn't leave things too late and I knew today was the day. 

My eldest daughter was a quick labour at 4 hours so I was expecting similar. 

We packed my 3 year old off to her Nanny's completely unaware of what was happening while I had a bath and at about 10.30 am 3 midwives arrived with all their kit ready to deliver baby! I was having regular contractions but managable and I felt abit awkward like I'd wasted their time. Everyone was sat around and not much was happened other than me breathing through really manageable contractions which had sped up to every 3 mins. I decided to ask for a VE, because I wanted a gauge of where we were at as a starting point, I was only 2cm and still a very thick cervix. However knowing how quickly that can change and how quickly I had gone from 1 to 7 in my previous labour I wasn't discouraged. 

Said they'd stay half hour or so see what happened and told my partner to set up the pool. I sat on my birth ball and had a cup of tea, with each contraction I told myself "she's coming" and used the mantra "relaxed, calm, open" with the visualisation of a hole (almost like a black hole) expanding and opening wider and wider.

Just after 11am I got up for a wee and a walk around and my waters went in an almighty pop. Standing up definitely amplified my contractions and I could feel my waters bulging and with the most intense contraction while standing up poolside they exploded! Suddenly everything amped up. For some reason I felt the need to announce my waters had just gone but I think in hindsight it had been blatantly obvious to everyone.

My partner got me a towel and confirmed the waters were clear! 

The next contraction came fast and the intensity had gone through the roof! 2 contractions later and I knew I needed the pool to cope and got straight in while it still filled. Being in the water was fantastic and my mind relaxed into the contractions which was coming so quickly now and so intense! Another 2 contractions in the pool and the urge to push was there. My mind had a little panic - no way it can't be already I've only been in the pool 5 minutes. I moved around the pool with each contraction trying to find my most comfortable position it felt like it must be too soon to have the pushing urge but I just had to trust my body, I kept reciting my mantras in my head, "she's coming" "I can do this" and reminding myself to relax my face and shoulders because i kept catching myself clenching and tensing. 

My partner was fantastic and I held his hand over the side of the pool and he and the midwifes were great and just gave me the quiet, calm space I needed. 

I was struggling with the intensity at this point and asked for gas and air which the midwives prepared and got to me super quickly. With each contraction I resisted the urge to push and breathed down my body, visualising her getting closer to me. Like my previous labour I knew for me resisting that urge to push as long as I could, until i couldn't anymore was the way for me to go. At some point the midwives wanted to do obs on me at this point I wasn't really sure what stage of labour we were at, having been less than an hour since I was 2 cms and while I knew things could change quickly I wasn't expecting so quick.

I heard one of the midwives comment to the student midwife that they could see the purple line and her quietly explain it to her. Overhearing this my brain was like "Ok, lets do this", I remembered seeing videos on Instagram about KICO (knees in, calves out) being best for giving baby room to come out so I assumed the position now feeling confident we were close. The next contractions came and I continued to breath down and now I could feel her. My first came out in one go and I was adamant I was going to breath this baby out with control. Well I did and it felt like it took an age! But I felt in control and powerful through the pain and she slowly with each contraction breathed down my body and out she came! She was born at 12.01, just about 45 minutes after my waters had broken. Seeing her at the bottom of the pool staring up at me, I felt like a warrior woman!

My established labour was noted as 51 minutes nearly the same about of time the placenta took. 

My third stage was 39 mins. 

I absolutely loved my home-birth and I am so grateful I got it!  

I spent most of my pregnancy this time and last time writing positive affirmations and mindset makes such a huge difference, I'm very blessed to have had 2 very calm, quick and safe water births, one at MLU and one at Home, anymore babies will definitely be born at home! 

The best bit had to be less than 2 hours after birthing my lounge was back to normal, i had my pjs on, baby in my arms feet up on the sofa ordering a pizza!