Homebirth Story (unplanned)

I was 40 weeks, 2 days and I had a pregnancy massage that day, during which my pregnancy masseuse showed me some acupressure points to help move things along. That evening she suggested for me have a bath and to get my husband (George) to do the pressure points on my ankles. Hopefully that would send me off into a really nice sleep. I thought that all sounded like a great plan. I had already started losing my mucus plug ever since the previous the Saturday and we were now on Wednesday evening. At around 10 o'clock I had my bath, George did my pressure points and then I noticed I had more water than usual.  Maybe my waters had started breaking a bit? 

‘I then felt this calmness and I just stood up and I didn't need to push, I just put my hand and I could feel I could feel her.  I could feel my babies head and I said to George ‘I can feel her head!’

I could feel leaking and a few contractions which were definitely not braxton hicks anymore. I went sleep and then woke up at 2am in the morning with these tightenings again and more water so I decided to call the labour ward. I explained to them what was going on and they said come in let's monitor you and see where we're at bring everything with you we might keep you in or we might send you home. 

I got to the hospital about 3:30am they popped me on the monitor and the baby was absolutely fine.  I contracted twice in the next 30 minutes that I was on the monitor. My cervix was completely closed through an examination but my back waters had started leaking so she said go home and if nothing happens by 3pm that following afternoon then come back in and we'll start talking about an induction. I was happy to go home, as I didn't really want to be in hospital and she said to me that once contractions are three minutes apart lasting for one minute and that I should go in.

We got home and I took some paracetamol at around five o'clock and then I started timing the contractions.  I was focusing so much on my breathing as we had practiced and was breathing through the contractions, I really wasn't taking that much notice of recording where they were.  I was going through the contractions in our bed and resting between them going through the breathing exercises.  George was giving me deep pressure in my hips and my lower back in the sacral area, which was where Claire suggested he did during our sessions if i needed it.  

I found that being on my side or leaning over my pillows on all fours was really helpful and then things ramped up very very quickly.  I said to George I think you need to call the midwife.  While George was on the phone, I had the need to push and I heard that she told George get me straight in.  My need to push was actually me emptying out all my bowels so at this point I had gone to my ensuite bathroom and it was a case of just going through the contractions, just breathing through them.

George was trying to help get me dressed to leave and go in but I kind of knew I wasnt going to be able to go down the stairs.  At one point I remember saying to George ‘I feel scared’ and I think the reason why I think I knew at this point that baby was coming here and we were not making it to the hospital.  I had this feeling when I was transitioning between active labour to birth where I had sort of lost it! I remember saying to George I don't know what I'm doing with myself! 

I didn't know what I should do and I was sitting down on the toilet and then standing up and sitting down.  I had this urge to really pull the towels on our towel hook.   I then felt this calmness, I just stood up and I didn't need to push I just put my hand and I could feel her.  I could feel my babies head and I said to George ‘I can feel her head’ George shouted out the window to my father who's on the drive to say call the ambulance babies coming and by the time George came over she came out and George grabbed her!  My hand was already there and I had literally felt her whole body turn and her shoulders turn and just basically stood and she slid out.  We had a moment of holding our breath waiting for her to cry. She cried and then the next thing I know I'm sitting back down on the toilet on the toilet lid with her. 

George had given her to me and we've made sure that the umbilical cord is not around her neck.  George is on the phone to the paramedics and they were basically guiding him with what to do.  They told him to get some towels, make sure her nose is clear of mucas, put a little hat on her make sure she’s warm and it was the most mental wild experience but it was also the most calm experience as well. 

‘it was the most mental wild experience but it was also the most calm experience as well’

I don't think me and George spoke that whole time, the only thing I remember saying to him was ‘I can feel her head’ and then after that it was silence, we didn't speak at all until she came out and then I was talking to her.  We didn't know what sex it was and so once it settled I looked down to find out what she was and I said “oh baby you know we've got another girl!” within 10 minutes the paramedics had turned up they were absolutely amazing they kept the calmness of the situation going, there was no panicking they were very discreet and apologetic like “I know you're in your moment but I need to check that you know that you're not bleeding too much” and it was just amazing! 

I got the delayed cord clamping that I wanted because everything was just really calm and the paramedics were happy with me and baby.  They cut the cord, they did ask George if he wanted to but I think by this point George was just like I've done enough today! 

Bearing in mind George is the most squeamish person that I've met so for him to basically deliver his own baby with so much different fluids and everything everywhere, it was absolutely amazing!  There was no rush I just got myself ready and then we got into the Ambulance to go to the hospital.  My placenta came and they checked the placenta everything was fine and then we made our way to the hospital in ambulance.   There were no sirens everything was very calm.  

What’s interesting is that I have always admired women but never thought it was for me I always felt very anxious about having home birth.  I always wanted to have that knowledge that there would be medics around if anything was to go wrong, so this for me was a home birth that wasn't intended but couldn't have gone any better! It was the most most mental but the most magical experience I have probably ever been through.   I feel quite emotional talking about it again to you Claire, because it was just it was just amazing.  

I felt so connected to myself.  I was so connected to George and so connected to our baby girl. I felt like the three of us basically did it together. It was a complete teamwork effort! I am forever grateful to my body to our baby girl.  

I thank you Claire as well for our refresher course because that really did make us focus back to birth again. Having a third baby you can very easily forget you get lost in parenting your other two, so seeing you and your calmness around birth and your amazingly calm voice was really needed.  It helped me & George connect to each other prior to birth.  You reminded us what we needed to do and I do believe that with those reminders along with the work that I did listening to all your MP3’s and with our two sessions we had with you, it really did help with me through active labour. It was just breathing and managing the surges with all the positive affirmations that I was saying to myself. 

It was so magical and I hope that this story can inspire others who wish for a home birth but who might not necessarily think it is for them. If we were ever to go for number four and I had low risk pregnancy with everything bring fine, I would definitely opt for a home birth now. Knowing the option of being able to be at home and then just going back into your bubble, into your nest, would be absolutely amazing and not having to go into the hospital.

Thank you for reading my birth story.

Maria x