MY PERFECT WATER BIRTH. ❤️

I wanted to write this because I really did have such an amazing and perfect birth. I can not fault it in any way and it was truly amazing! 💋

I have two other children and both their births left me scared in different ways to give birth this time.

My first - I went into labour naturally but had an episiotomy and in the end forceps were used.

My second - I was induced which was horrific for me, and had an epidural which failed even after them redoing it for the second time.

I had to have stitches both times.

Anyway, this time I was reading up on hypnobirthing, which tbh I had no idea if I believed in the power of the mind and everything it was suggesting. I didn’t go too deeply into it or attend classes or anything, but after reading books on it I started to come round to the idea of being positive about the experience to come was only going to be a good thing.

I wanted to go to my local birthing unit where only gas and air was offered, and use the pool. I’ve heard water can be a great way to reduce pain and also help you relax.

So I was 7 days overdue and had my sweep booked that day for 9am. I had woken up at 2:30am and 3:30am that morning anyway with a couple of cramps, nothing major or worrying. I then woke up for the day at 6:30am and between then and my sweep had another couple of these cramps. So after my sweep at about 10am, the cramping had come on a bit more. I still continued to soldier on and take my two children to their activities for the day.

At lunchtime they were still manageable but this was when I decided to call my Mum for her to be there with me and focus on the children so I could use my birthing ball.

By 3pm, after a nice bath and an hour or so on the birthing ball, we’d arrived at the birthing unit.

I was given the usual initial check, only to find out I was already 7cm! 💪🏻 I was so happy that I’d got that far all by myself at home with no pain relief.

Not going to lie, by that point I was asking for gas and air and for the pool to be filled up.

Once I got in the pool it felt amazing! I felt like a weight had been lifted and the contractions became so much more bearable. I didn’t even want for more pain relief. I was in there for a couple of hours before I felt the urge to push.

It was such a different experience to my first two; there was no rush or panic from the midwife to check me or make sure I was at the right stage to actually be able to push. She let me get on with it and said if I feel the need then just go with it.

I pushed just a couple of times. It was so quick that the midwife and baby’s Dad were not even in the room when my girl arrived!

I remember the midwife leaving to literally pop to the toilet. As soon as she left I felt my baby actually move down the birth canal - this was a truly amazing feeling. I felt no pain, just her movement. So I shouted ‘she’s coming!’ With that, my baby’s Dad ran out the room to try and find the midwife. The next push and she come flying out and across the pool! I was in such a shock that she’d come out so fast and pain free that my first reaction wasn’t even to grab her out the water! I was just like OMG, I’ve delivered my own baby!

When the midwife and baby’s Dad come back in the room, I was just sat there in the pool holding my baby! They were just as shocked as I was.

They were both gutted to have missed her birth after leaving the room for all of a minute or so.

My little girl arrived at 6:10pm, just 3 hours after arriving at hospital.

I love my birth story.

I wish I had a more positive memory with my other two but I’m glad to be ending my child birthing experiences on a high.

It really was just in a different world to the other two; no needles, no drugs apart from gas and air, no stitches, tears, no doctors in and out or stress. It was so relaxed and I was left to just get on with it. The atmosphere was so calm and natural, I loved that it didn’t feel like I was in a hospital - which was a big thing for me, as being in a hospital scared me with the other two.

I cannot recommend a water birth enough, it was just wonderful experience and I’d do it all over again tomorrow.

Feeling her move down the birth canal is such a surreal feeling I will never forget, but for all the right reasons. ❤️