First time Mam, 39 weeks, positive home birth, 4.3kg baby, client birth story
Hi Hayley
Just wanted to let you know how things went for us. Baby Jack was born at home on 11 January. I’m feeling very grateful that it went to plan and I was able to use all the tools in my toolkit to have a positive birth experience.
As you know I did a good bit of preparation in advance of the birth. I used to listen to my Hypnobirthing tracks from about 4/5 months. Even if it was just while walking to work I would stick them on! My favourite track turned out to be the positive affirmations which really surprised me; I would have been sceptical about positive affirmations before starting my birth prep but I think they really made a difference. I also enjoyed spending time working on my music playlist for the birth. I used to practice my up and down breathing as well as using my winner flow device. Another very important part of my prep was reading and listening to positive birth stories and watching birth videos as well as general research around the birth process. I turned into a major birth nerd for a few months!
First signs of labour for me was a very strong nesting instinct! I was deep cleaning the kitchen, stocking the freezer and doing trips to the dump in the days leading up to the birth, all the while telling my husband that I DEFINITELY WAS NOT NESTING because I was only 39 weeks and would surely go past my EDD as it was my first! 🤣
Then the morning of the 10th I had my show. I went about my day and noticed those period like pains from time to time. In the evening as things ramped up I called my midwife who came over around 8pm. I had set up my house with my favourite positive affirmations and fairy lights dotted around the living room and bathroom. I lit my favourite candle and put on the playlist which I had been listening to for the last few months. My husband set up the birthing pool and with his help I moved between the pool, the living room floor and the bathroom to labour. Our midwife Ruth kept an eye on us and was great for suggesting new things for us to try. I needed hip compressions from my husband to get through the surges. I also used my tens machine when I wasn’t in the water. Things were progressing well for a time but then there seemed to be a plateau which was very worrying for me as I was concerned I would have to transfer to hospital and leave our little bubble. I had to put those negative thoughts aside and come back to the present moment. As always Ruth was brilliant with the suggestions and encouraged me to try the winner flow device. For some reason I had been putting it off as I felt it would just be complicating the situation even further but it was great. I went back to the bathroom to labour on the toilet with the winner flow and it helped to intensify the surges and move the labour along. My husband Joe and Ruth kept my energy levels up by bringing me drinks and little snacks along the way. Even though I said I didn’t want them, when the snacks appeared I wolfed them down so obviously needed them!
When we finally got to the pushing stage I was on all fours in the living room holding on to my husbands arms. Their words of encouragement really helped me in those last moments to keep going. At some stage the second midwife joined us and I rocked back and forth on all fours to encourage the baby to come down. Ruth reminded me of “knees in calves out” - even making that tiny adjustment to my position at that stage felt like climbing Everest! - and eventually Jack was born around 7am weighing 4.3kg. I had some light tearing which the midwives were able to suture.
The midwives helped me onto the couch with Jack where we had skin to skin and first attempts at breastfeeding during the golden hour. They then left us alone for a bit to decompress and get to know one another! After that I stood up holding the baby and with a few pushes and using the winner flow again the placenta was born. Joe got to cut the cord. I had the best shower of my life and Joe helped brush my hair which was like a birds nest after our crazy night! Then we climbed into bed for the day which was absolutely magical. I had a chicken fillet roll from the petrol station for lunch which was seriously the best thing I’ve ever tasted!
So thank you once again for all your incredible help on this birthing journey; your course, the content you put out on insta and all your words of encouragement to me made a massive difference and I’m so happy with how things went.
Shared with client's permission