Baby no. 2, second physiological birth at home in water, spontaneous onset of labour at 41 weeks, unmedicated birth, hypnobirthing, positive birth story, second degree tear - no stitches, physiological birth of placenta.
Short back story:
I’m grateful for my bodies ability to carry low risk pregnancies beyond 40 weeks but I really struggle at the end as most people do, and the surrender to baby comes when she is ready literally kills me especially when I get Braxton hicks every day and think too much into any feeling that may be labour.
I was 40+6 on Tuesday the 20 Feb 2024 and had cancelled an appointment made unnecessarily by the hospital for that day, I was back to the drawing board and decision making again, had my 41 appointment scheduled for 10:30 the following morning, 21 Feb 2024 and feeling a bit of pressure as to whether or not to ask for a sweep.
I had one on Alistair but I really just didn’t want to ‘choose’ this again.
My babies love my womb, what can I say - sometimes I wish I could crawl up in there myself 😂
On the 20 Feb, Tuesday night, made some luv, went to sleep (had a really good sleep) and was woken up at 02:40 by what I thought was a contraction but again couldn’t believe it as my history with Braxton hicks was too much 😂
and I wasn’t texting my midwife Ruth at 02:40 for Braxton hicks so I just tried to go to sleep again and rest.
Nope, felt them in my back and front as always but definitely stronger and peaking mid way more with an intense period cramp sensation.
Prostaglandins from intimacy definitely trumps prostaglandins from a sweep in my experience💁🏼♀️
I lay in bed just resting and then felt the need to poo, went for a poo at 03:20 and had a bloody show, right I’ll text Ruth in a bit because this is probably labour.
Shortly after that poo, I needed to go again (03:45) and my bowels were emptying like nobodies business.
More bloody show came too.
The excitement began 💭
04:00 jumped in shower, water on back for contractions was lovely - Let Ruth know it could be labour.
04:30 out of shower - (yes my mam and her electricity bill were the happiest they’d ever been when I moved out 😂), moving hips in figure of eight throughout each contraction, remembering: soft face, no curling toes, visualising cervix opening, affirmations (your baby girl will be here soon, this is the end of pregnancy 🙌, you can sleep on your back and belly again lol)
I went upstairs and started getting ready as if I was going to the airport lol don’t ask just taking myself to my happy places (visualisations are the best) listening to khalid, moving body intuitively and gently through contractions, they were coming every 3 - 4 minutes)
Baby movement was good this whole time.
We were both ready.
I called my mam around this time to come up for Alistair for when he was awake.
I felt really good, it was very manageable, excited for pregnancy to end and to finally meet my baby.
05:00 texted Ruth to ask to come for about 07:00 just incase things ramped up during rush hour traffic, I’d rather her here and go back home after than not be here at all - just as well I did 😂
Woke Sean at this time - I’m in labour 🥳 he’s been waiting for this moment for weeks now 😂
We left Alistair asleep and went downstairs to get the place set up, pool pumped and filled, candles and music, getting the vibe right 🔮
I felt like I could eat so I had a banana and toasted a bagel. I had the birth ball with me in the kitchen so when contractions came I would use my hypnobirthing UP breathing technique, sit on ball and rotate hips in figure of eight - this movement felt so right for me, again visualising my body opening and making room for my baby to descend as it was made to.
My mam arrived and Alistair was waking so she was keeping him busy or visa versa 😂 he was absolutely delighted to see Grammy here first thing in the morning 😭❤️
Photo Sean took of Alistair and I on my Polaroid just as a contraction was peaking 😂 soft face Hayley, soft face 😆
Went into the sitting room brought the ball in and was just chilling, really relaxed.
I was confident my body was doing exactly what it needed to at the pace that was just right for my baby and I.
Leaning into each contraction, welcoming it with calmness and smiles knowing she was going to be here soon.
I had just put the tens machine on approx 07:00am - didn’t use this the first time but found it brilliant this time! A great anchor for land labouring! I started vomiting into a pot at this point, another sign I knew things were moving swiftly.
Ruth arrived and started setting herself up as if she wasn’t going to be heading off home as I had thought 😂😂
At 08:00 I asked for my only vaginal exam and was delighted to hear I was about 5cm with bulging waters (although they stayed bulging until the end 🥲). I was managing really well to the point I was like this is way easier than the first time - and with good reason 😂
It’s great how Ruth knew she wasn’t going home before checking a vaginal exam based on my behaviours. Continuity of care at its finest.
She had called my second midwife & student midwife to come.
Alistair was present and pottering about the house happy as Larry and my mam - both incredible support ❤️
I didn’t mind him there in the labour - he was very calm, gentle and aware that baby sister was coming and super excited - so every time he was in the room when I was having a contraction, he would look at me smiling, say “mammy baby sister coming”, hug my belly and kiss me - am not suprised the labour lasted 3 seconds with the oxytocin hit I was getting 😂
Our last photo as a family of three, taken by Ruth
Alistair was also so helpful with Ruth and Sean helping them set up and fill the pool doing his hose inspections watching the water transfer in 😂😂 “MAMMY GET IN WATA”
I was really enjoying the tens I was using boost 13 but had the pulse on 9 in between contractions before I decided to get into the water. I initially had visualised a land birth in pregnancy but was confident in my water birthing abilities so didn’t mind if she decided to come in the water.
So with that, the tens was off my back and I was entering the water at approx 08:45, Alistair was delighted and wanted to get in 😂 but Grammy persuaded him to go to the shop to get snacks instead 🙌🙏 I gave Alistair a big hug before he left. He went to Grammys house for the day so I was happy to focus shift on the next stage - our lovely friend transition 😫😆
Photos just before I entered transition 🥰
Oh my god, I should say in my first labour I used hypnosis for the entire thing so I was very much in Lala land, labour land, on another planet 🪐 but this labour I didn’t use hypnosis as a tool and was very much present in the room, which I really enjoyed too. Hypnosis definitely helped me get through a really long first labour so I’m glad I experienced both ways.
However this transition was hard😂 begging her to come out I was 😂 thankfully I knew and recognised it was transition and I leaned into it.
Comfort measures we were using during this time: Sean and my midwives were holding my space, drinking icy labour aid, using positive affirmations, reflexology, the smiggles water mister fan (omg unreal) and Sean was literally arms deep into my bum cheeks with counter pressure 😂😂😂😂 which was incredible!
I kept reminding myself to wee because the thought of a catheter sends me 😂 genuinely one of my ‘whys’ for wanting to always birth unmedicated 😂
I forgot to mention It was nice to hear the midwives commenting on my purple line growing throughout the Labour so I knew I was getting closer.
It wasn’t long before the contractions shifted from up to down and my god it was some shift.
Again not being in hypnosis I was very aware that every time baby girls heart rate was being checked with the Doppler in the water it was moving lower and lower so this was nice to see, without having to have another vaginal exam.
The baring down started I’d say just before 10:00 and with every push my body generated I roared with it, I completely leaned in, my body was moving around the water in whatever way my baby was directing it, opening and moving my pelvis, working with her, I just leaned into every sensation, I knew that the more I worked with her the easier and gentler it would be on us both.
Yes it was hard, especially not being in hypnosis😂 but it was so empowering - fully in tune and connected to the sensations pulsing through my body.
I did not use the winner flow for pushing this time so I was much more vocal and allowing my breath and body to release whatever it needed. It was so freeing.
Very shortly after - just before her head was born my waters popped in the water mid contraction 😂 it wasn’t even a relief because I was still peak contraction, the pressure of it - those who work in engineering I could only describe as a what burst disc popping on a vessel must feel like 😂😂 my membranes must be on the thicker side I recon.
I really felt like I needed a big poo at this point and with that a big poo was had in the water and it felt bloody great.
Ruth suggested I feel for her head in the birth canal and that she’d be here soon.
Ruth was right - at 10:12 on the next contraction, her head was born, I felt the ring of fire with this birth - didn’t feel it with Alistair - again likely because I was in hypnosis.
It was intense, I knew I had to go with it and let go, stop resisting, thankfully I let go of my tearing fear in pregnancy and just visualised my body gently opening as it should to allow her to come. What will be will be.
Head born and no blood filling in the water - we are doing well I thought to myself 😂
Meanwhile Ludovico - Experience was playing in the background and everyone was really calm and relaxed as we waiting for the next contraction, 4 minutes later her body was born at 10:16.
Unlike Alistairs body that just flew out with that contraction, I felt I had to do a bit more work with her, I was thinking to myself: is there another head coming out she feels massive and well, her body was a beautiful lil chunky thing weighing 3.84kg so that explained it, she was clearly getting everything she needed from my placenta at 41 weeks 😂 working with the contraction I roared her body out of mine, moving my pelvis into the position that instinctively took over - fully listening to what my body and baby were communicating with me.
God, I bloody love physiology.
Before she was born I had ask Ruth to guide her to me once she was out so with her long and quick arms she did just that.
Both Isla and I covered in meconium, she let out her first roar 🦁 and we all couldn’t believe how much she looked like Alistair at birth.
It was incredible, she was finally here ❤️
Isla arrived 14 minutes before our 41 week appointment 😂
Ruth then asked if I wanted to birth my placenta in the water or get out and I wanted to get out, I birthed it in the water last time and it was not that comfortable for me so I knew I wanted to just be wrapped up on the couch all comfy as we waited for it to release and for a white cord.
Isla explored the breast during this time too & had her first latch - shortly after the placenta was birthed physiologically.
Sean then clamped and cut the cord 🩺🥼😂
Ruth gave us the grand tour of Isla’s lifeline for those 10 months and now it lives in the freezer 😂
Then I had the dreaded ‘check’ 😖 for tearing. I hate this part 😂 ah yes another second degree tear but this time no bleeding from it and it was very tiny and straightly aligned that I didn’t need stitches (the relief) but seriously the difference in recovery without stitches has been AMAZING. I don’t even feel like I have tear? Just brilliant.
Once that was out of the way 😂 we were all just sitting around the sitting room eating Belgian chocolate chip cookies and drinking tea having the best time relaxing, not rushing ❤️ eventually, Isla was weighed and after, I was supported up to the shower and had a good wash while Isla got cuddles from her Daddy 🥰 and after we went up to bed and spent the day (week) there 😍🥲
Photo of my birth support team - my mam and Alistair are missing from this photo ❤️
Sean, I am the luckiest woman in the world to have you. Thank you for holding my safe space always ❤️
I’m so grateful for the gold standard care I received once again with the HSE SECMs.
Thank you Ruth Banks, you will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
& Thank you so much to my student midwife Lauren and second midwife Eilis for your incredible support.
There is so much to be said for the word midwife.
Thank you to the three of you for truly being with women, and respecting them to birth in their power as it should be ❤️
Our bodies are incredible ❤️🤰🏼
I hope you enjoyed this story ❤️ thanks for reading 🥹❤️
Hayley x