MY BIRTH STORY

Click here for my husband, Charlie's Birth Story

I had reached 41 weeks pregnant and in the early hours of Friday morning the 25th July 2008 I started getting contractions every half an hour or so. By 6am they were getting to be about every 5 minutes and then they just died off. I had nothing else for the rest of the day but I knew with such certainty that they would start up that night again. It was so wonderful to know that I was going to be holding you in my arms really, really soon. I had been looking forward to my labour with such excitement almost from the moment I knew I was pregnant with you. I loved my labour with your big brother, Charlie and I knew without a doubt that I would cherish every moment of my labour with you.

I had decided way back in my pregnancy that I wanted to deliver you myself in a birthing pool in our home. Everybody, including your Daddy felt very nervous about this, so, I asked a friend who is also an independent midwife to be present, but I still wanted to do everything myself.

Daddy put your brother, Charlie to bed and I started to feel niggles again on Friday evening. Daddy and I went up to bed at about 10:45 and I got my first proper contraction at 11pm. They came on with such speed and strength; I knew this was not going to be a long labour. I asked Daddy to put the TENS machine on my back which helped so much and then we went downstairs at about 11:30.

The contractions were coming really quickly now and were so powerful. I loved every single one of them. I rocked my hips from side to side in a birthing dance that only you and I could hear the music to. Daddy was pottering around downstairs topping up the pool, setting up the video camera and putting the birthing music CD on that I had created for this very beautiful and special occasion.

When I listened to your heartbeat I heard it so low down in my pelvis that I knew you would be in my arms very, very soon. At midnight, I asked your Daddy to phone your Nanny as she really wanted to be at the birth and I called Amelia.

I started using the Entonox at about 00:15 and really focused on each contraction. They were so powerful and all consuming and I loved the feelings of being in such harmony with you, my beautiful baby daughter. We were doing this together and I felt like you and I were the only ones in the whole world; nothing else mattered. I could feel you moving down; you were in such a hurry to meet this world.

Your Nanny arrived at 00:30 and I think she was so surprised and taken aback to see how calm I was and how beautiful and peaceful the room was. I know she really wanted to be there to see you being born. She stayed in the background and just let me get on with birthing you. I remember so clearly though, going so deep into myself with each contraction and shutting out the whole world and as soon as my contraction was over, I was able to chat and laugh with your Daddy and Nanny as she made some sarcastic comment about me enjoying the pain.

At about 00:50 I knew that I had to get into the pool and that you would be here very soon. I told your Daddy that it was not long now and that I thought that you would be born before 01:30. I still remember the shock on his face, he thought it would be a good few hours still.

Amelia arrived at 00:55 and I had already started pushing with my contractions. The urge to push was just so strong and uncontrollable. I tried so hard not to push because I felt you shooting out like a little rocket. I put my hand on your head as you were coming out to try and control you coming out too fast.

I remember saying ‘I’ve given birth to her head’ and literally a second later, your body shot out and I gently raised you out of the water. You were born at 01:10 on the 26th July 2008 to the song ‘Somewhere over the rainbow’ one of my most favourite songs.

As I looked down at your beauty I saw that the cord was wrapped around your neck twice and was very, very tight. I stood up in the water, lowered your body and took the cord off. You started to cry very soon after and within about 20 minutes you were breastfeeding so beautifully. I could not get over how beautiful and perfect you were. Because you were born so quickly, your face was not squashed or bruised and you were absolute perfection in my arms.