I’d like to share my positive birth story, it’s been nearly a month now and I’m still in shock at how lovely and perfect it was. Sorry it’s a bit long!

With my first daughter I had to be induced due to ICP (cholestasis) at 38 weeks. I had wanted a natural water birth at Aboyne and ended up with a lengthy induction and a forceps delivery in theatre at AMH. I wasn’t that traumatised but just conscious that I didn’t want a repeat of the same. In my heart I wanted a homebirth but I was prepared that I would mostly likely get ICP again and need to be induced. I went to Jade’s HypnoBirthing classes this time and felt much more prepared regardless of how the birth would go.

The HypnoBirthing made me feel calm, in control and strong. My bloods were taken every two weeks to check for ICP as I was very itchy from about 14 weeks. I also met with a consultant to go over my first birth and she was so positive and lovely. She explained that while it took a minute to get me going, once I did start to dilate it was very quick so even if I was induced again, it should be a much quicker labour. How right she was! I started to think more seriously about homebirth and with the support of the amazing Inverurie and Kintore midwives started planning for it providing I stayed low risk. I quickly realised you have to be careful who you tell you are planning a homebirth! I had some terrible negative reactions but one in particular that nearly put me off, a big thank you to everyone who responded to Jade’s post in the Positive Birth Group Aberdeen with positivity. I can’t express how much those lovely positive comments got my head back in the zone and helped me focus. Any time I had a wobble I reread them and reminded myself that it wasn’t irresponsible, I had done my research and I was doing the best thing for my baby and myself. I did heaps of HypnoBirthing prep every day for the last six weeks, listening to affirmations while walking, positive visualisation of my labour, breathing practice and listening to the relaxation tape every night in bed.

On Monday the 29th of June I had reduced movements so went into the new assessment unit at AMH. It was quite stressful as it was their first day and they were having a few teething problems, took a while to get seen and I was starting to really worry but once I got on the trace it was clear my baby was fine and of course she started moving straight away! The doctor offered me an induction as I was 39 + 3 but after establishing there was no medical need for that and she was happy with the trace I stuck to my guns and said no. (I had decided in my head that I would go home this time but if there were any more reduced movements and I had to come back I would accept an induction)
The midwife offered me a sweep…a rather THOROUGH sweep….but I hoped it’d do the trick once I scraped myself off the ceiling and said thank you.

I went home feeling twinges and with a bit of a show and thinking it would probably start that night. My mum stayed the night in case. The pool was blown up……nothing. Not a sausage.

I was so gutted and grumpy so after doing the school run I went for a nice long walk with my friend to try and get it going. I had to breathe through what I thought were a couple of braxton hicks on the walk but felt no pain just a slight intensity. The braxton hicks continued all day but I was able to continue my day as normal so I was sure it wasn’t labour. I was about to take my daughter to parents evening at her school at 6.30pm when I had quite an intense braxton hick and decided hmmm maybe not, maybe that was a surge actually, perhaps it will happen tonight after all. Phoned my folks and told them I thought maybe something would happen in the middle of the night/early morning so could they come and get my daughter.

My sister in law popped round for a cuppa at 7pm and my folks arrived soon after. After much debate (with me worrying that we were doing it too soon and the water would get cold and what if nothing happened!) we decided to get the pool filled with the first tank of water. Just before 8pm I had to take myself away from everyone into my bedroom and get on my hands and knees to concentrate and breathe through a surge for the first time. No pain at all just intensity. My sister in law started monitoring my surges on an app but I wasn’t paying any attention as I was convinced it was the early stages and there was hours to go. I popped back into the bedroom for another surge and was on my hands and knees when my daughter jumped on my back thinking it was a game. At which point I decided that it was bedtime and asked my dad to take her away to theirs for the night! They left just before 8.30pm.

My surges were continuing but still no pain and a bearable intensity. My mum was saying I should pop in the pool and that maybe it was time to let the on call midwives know but I was sure we had hours to go. After another debate we asked my sister in law what intervals my surges were at…one every three or two minutes came the reply. Ooops! So I called Peterhead on call about 8.30 to let them know, explained I was HypnoBirthing and I wasn’t sure if it was starting as I was in no pain. I had to hand the phone to my sister in law twice though in a 5 minute call to concentrate so they got the ball rolling. I decided to get in the pool thinking that if everything slowed down I could always pop out again.

The first midwife (lovely Simone) arrived at 8.55pm, I wasn’t sure if I could feel the baby moving that much as all I could feel were the surges so I asked her to listen in. She did and took my observations and everything was great. The second midwife (lovely Fiona) arrived at 9.06pm at which point I felt the surges change from the upwards movement to the downwards pressure. I remember thinking, that shouldn’t be happening yet, I hope I’m dilated enough and then finally just deciding that my body knew what it was doing and to stop thinking about it.

The surges were much more intense with an incredible downwards pressure but still no pain and then at 9.15 I felt a massive pop as my waters went. I told Simone, she checked and they were nice and clear. She also then suggested calmly “maybe time to take your knickers off?”, I think that’s when it dawned on me that I was in actual labour!! I had a few more surges and had to use j breathing. I could feel my daughters head coming down, rotating and coming out. No pain just intense pressure. I think I managed to mutter THE HEAD! I heard mum saying ermm the head’s out to the midwives and then with the next surge I birthed her body at 9.31pm. Fiona caught her and handed her up to me. She went straight to the breast and latched beautifully. Straight away I could feel the surges for the placenta…first bit of pain! That was really nippy, I had done no visualisation or hypno prep for the placenta and it showed.

I stayed in the pool for skin to skin for about 15 mins but didn’t want Elodie to get cold so once her cord was white my mum cut it and then had a cuddle with her newest granddaughter. I got out to deliver the placenta, it came out without the injection as I’d requested. The only pain relief needed was an ibuprofen after the placenta came out as my uterus was still contracting and it was really quite sore. I had no tears or stitches and minor blood loss. I had more lovely skin to skin while Elodie fed, a wee glass of champagne and a bit of toast.

My dad came back to help sort the pool out and meet Elodie and he and my mum had the house back to normal by 11pm. The midwives were away home by midnight and I went for a shower and then to bed with my beautiful girl. My elder daughter came to meet her in the morning before school and I literally could not have asked for a more lovely birth. The midwives were amazing, my family were brilliant and Jade was a cracking teacher and support. I feel empowered and just so over the moon!

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