Many couples I teach hope for a birth pool. I used to wonder how they were so often available when birth pool numbers are limited at the hospital, but I think it is mostly Hypnobirthing parents that like the idea of them and many other parents aren’t aware of their benefits.
Usually, when I receive a birth story it comes from mum. On this occasion, the birth announcement and birth story came from a daddy who’s obvious pride in his partner just shines through.
It is with equal pride, that I share this beautiful birth story of Indie’s speedy entrance into the world and her incredible parents, whose support and excitement for their birth radiated through, from the moment I met them.
Due Date minus 2 Days
Alex and I went for an early walk at about 08:30 around the village. We came back early as Alex needed to wee. As she went to the toilet, her plug fell out and we knew the birth could be round the corner.
I had to leave for work at 11:30 and I was working until 9pm. I made sure my phone was on loud ALL day! On coming home, Alex was fine, but her stomach was tingling and Braxton Hicks surges were getting stronger. We slept ok that evening.
Due Date
I was really hesitant to go to work today, I just didn’t want to be away from Alex at all. There was an enormous amount of guilt as I left for work. At 6pm I got home and Alex thought she needed yet another wee. It turned out, it was actually her waters trickling down her leg. She called the hospital and told them what had happened and they asked her to come in with an overnight bag. Our hearts were racing as it was now….it was really happening!
Alex had a shower and shouted from the stairs….OMG, my waters have properly broken. It was all over the carpet!
We got to the hospital and the staff were lovely. They examined Alex, but couldn’t see how many centimetres she was dilated. At 21:00 they sent us back home, as we weren’t in established labour.
Home Again
At home, neither of us slept. Alex’s contractions were getting stronger and then she had a bloody show. We called the hospital again and they told us to come straight in. Little did we know, that was the last time we were leaving the house as a couple.
Here We Go Again
At the hospital once more, Alex was assessed. She was 5cms and we both smiled at one another.
We showed our birth notes to our midwife and explained we were Hypnobirthing. We also explained we would like a water birth. This had been in question previously, due to Alex having low iron levels. Thankfully, her iron levels were now good enough. They said there was one birth pool left, which was amazing to hear.
Due Date Plus 1
We went into the pool room, put some music on and I created that birth environment. Alex got used to how the gas and air worked and they started to fill the pool up. This was at approx 12:30am. We knew we had missed our due date and we were now into Thursday.
Her next assessment was at 04:30 and the surges were getting stronger. She was now 7cms.
Established Labour
The next steps were the hardest. I’ve never seen a stronger woman in my life and I couldn’t be more proud of her. Alex used gas and air the whole time, kneeling over the pool with her hands in mine. Using the breathing techniques we learnt in our Hypnobirthing classes with you Leanne, I gently coached her through.
I felt as though I played a huge part in her pain relief. I kept asking her to look me in the eye and I was just smiling back. There were moments when I was running to and from the sink rinsing a cold towel to put around her shoulders.
She was now in serious labour and everything was a slight blur from now onwards… however there were some important moments I recall.
The next examination for Alex was due at 08:30 but they got her out of the birth pool early, our midwife could tell the baby was near. I asked the midwife to tell me how dilated Alex was, as I did not want her to be disappointed. She was fully dilated. I told Alex this and kissed her on the forehead. She knew she was near….from then, it happened so quickly.
Breathing Baby Down
The midwife told Alex to let her body now do the work, and this is where her breathing changed. I suggested to her ‘let’s change it to breathe out from the nose’. At this time, anything goes and most of her breathing was done by the mouth. She was making some noises I never knew existed…haha!!
Alex did not manage to get back in the birth pool after her examination. She started to give birth on the cushion bed next to the birth pool. The midwife said she could feel the head was near and it started coming.
Everything Changed
Now here is when panic set in. Our midwife, Tracey, was amazing. We were told she needed a second opinion on something, so she asked for some help.
Help – the whole bloody hospital and their dogs arrived! 9 ladies entered the room and I’ll be honest, we shat ourselves. Indie’s heart rate dropped quite a lot, but came back up.
The second time, it stayed low, so they had to act quickly. I tried to keep Alex calm still, as she was pretty out of it. I was amazed at how professional and how quickly the hospital staff made critical decisions.
They asked Alex to get up off the cushion bed, but she couldn’t. A wheelchair was sourced for her, and with a little assistance Alex was whisked her down the corridor mid-contraction, with no pain relief. They took us from the midwife led unit to the delivery ward.
Midwife Unit to Delivery Ward
Alex was helped onto a proper bed, legs in stirrups. We were told our baby’s shoulders were slightly twisted, so she didn’t have enough room to descend. This was causing baby to panic. A midwife made a small cut to give our baby some more space. Another midwife asked Alex to now breath in, chin on chest and pretend she was having a big poo. I reminded Alex, breath out from your nose.
Three….Three massive pushes and she was out. We were parents. Our daughter was born at 09:49 and weighed 7lbs 7. Due date plus 1.
I was so proud of Alex and our daughter Indie. It must have been hard for her inside, trying to come out too.
After our birth, Alex decided to stay in overnight. She didn’t feel comfortable coming home after all the exhaustion. I came home, but could not sleep or eat, I was just thinking of them both constantly.
At 9am on the Friday following a few successful breastfeeds, we headed home. I drove at 5mph all the way home.
Read more stories like this…
Did you like this birth story? Want to read about other birth pool births? Or maybe other births where the birth plan changed completely?
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