My pregnancy was really easy compared to most. It started off rocky with an early scare of miscarriage at 8 weeks, which turned out to be a haematoma and all was OK. This probably made the start of the pregnancy the worst part as I feared to go to the toilet every moment of the day for more bleeding, I also struggled with believing everything would be OK and I would have a healthy baby.
My other struggles included body change at the start and giving up my running and fitness, something that is a part of my everyday life. Towards the end my decision was to do no exercise as it was far too painful for how low he was and how weak my bladder was. As an active person I believe my day-to-day life was busy enough to keep me as fit as I needed to be, and I hardly gained any weight during the pregnancy even after eating what I wanted most days to an extent. Again, no real cravings, just terrible nausea and migraines up to 20 weeks where a switch flicked and I was back to normal. This part became the best, I just secretly feared every day something bad would happen which is something I never expected to feel.
As soon as we were pregnant, we knew hypnobirthing with Leanne was something we were interested in and after quite a terrible experience with the midwives due to staffing problems, we really needed this extra support and education. Leanne quickly became someone I texted as soon as I had an irrational fear or question and I didn’t know who to go to. She never left me unanswered and always was only minutes away with advice!!!
My birthing plan before hypnobirthing was to wing it!!!!! I had no idea what I wanted and didn’t want until we attended the classes, and it became very apparent I had a specific birthing plan I wanted — I just didn’t know until my options were given to me.
We felt empowered to decline the induction knowing this wasn’t the birth we wanted for our son.
Leanne’s classes gave us the confidence to make informed decisions and control a situation in the lead up to the birth of our baby after being told I needed an early induction with no real medical reasons to back this up. We felt empowered to decline the induction knowing this wasn’t the birth we wanted for our son. We left the hospital at midnight and four days later my labour started at 9pm naturally.
Not knowing I was in labour, it started off quite steady and easily controllable. I went downstairs at 1:30, had a large pasta dish luckily a friend had made for me the evening before, and before long I got myself in the bath ready to fight the contractions for as long as I could at home (again something we had learnt at Leanne’s class).
With the support of Derby Birthing Centre on the other end of the phone they said to come in when I couldn’t cope anymore and by 5:30am this was the case. We got there around 6 and they offered me some oramorph and said to get in the birthing pool as it was helping at home. Unknowingly the midwife had put the pool to a dangerous temperature which led to the new midwife at changeover an hour and a half later getting me out of the pool and assessing the baby’s heart rate, which was worryingly high. After what seemed like an eternity in another assessment room and some very cold and painful contractions, I was eventually allowed back into the birthing centre suite which we were so happy not to lose as the facilities were incredible!!!
As my contractions were still coming thick and fast and the pain not becoming any more manageable, they offered me a small dose of pethidine to see if I could sleep in between my contractions. This and the gas and air definitely helped me get through the next few hours, but I wouldn’t suggest pethidine again if you don’t like the feeling of being spaced out as it definitely took me to another dimension and the sickness I felt was terrible with every contraction.
At 3pm there was another handover of staff and the new midwife came on who really stepped up the game altogether. She ordered me to drink a full bottle of water every hour and Jake to the shop for sugary snacks. I couldn’t eat though and lost my appetite for around two days after too.
When the pethidine had worn off I could go back into the pool and this time it was a nice temperature. I was told not to push even though my body was telling me to as at my last check I wasn’t far enough dilated. I trusted my body and knew something had shifted, my body was convulsing in a new way and with every contraction I pushed twice. Once in the pool time lost track, but I was told it was around 45 minutes and with my partner up top counting with the midwife the timings and checking the baby’s heart rate through every contraction, it was time to meet our son.
He was born in the water with gas and air, but I didn’t want to be out of it so used it more for something to bite on. As he came, I was reminded to catch him myself and they helped me onto the side of the pool chair to rest and take it all in. Daddy cut the cord and we were given time and the midwives took photos and just kept congratulating us and saying how gorgeous he was. It felt like such a team effort — we were elated, and I couldn’t believe I had done it all.
After, I went onto the bed where I was given the option for the injection to bring on the placenta. For me this was amazing as it came out easily and comfortably and I didn’t really notice it was happening, I just got to take in the moment of meeting Reid.
The midwives checked me and I had torn which led to surgery and a spinal block, which then led to a night on the maternity ward with my baby on my own. Something that might have been daunting but it helped me so much as I learnt quickly what I needed to do, and only with the use of my arms as I was numb waist down. We were allowed back home the following day at 5pm and my partner only allowed to visit at 3 due to Covid restrictions — but again, more time to work out our new life together as mummy and son.
Thank you to Leanne for all the advice, support and guidance throughout the 9 months. We really feel like we learnt what tools we needed to get the birth we wanted and left out what we knew we didn’t need. For us the course gave us strength and so much information to be as prepared for childbirth as you can, and mixed with the incredible care we were given by the NHS and Derby Birthing Centre we had the most positive experience you could want!