We went to bed approx midnight on Saturday 3rd June and I was finding it hard to settle with period like pains, woke Nizzy up at 1;30 and we came in the living room to just stretch and walk around a bit. We went to bed around 4am then I felt a pop and a gush and knew my waters had broken! So we called my mum and she came round straight away. We called labour line twice and told no midwives were available and that if I went to hospital there was a high chance we’d get sent home. So I spent majority of my labour at home, switching between sitting on the toilet and kneeling over the sofa in the living room. From the hypnobirthing class I remember how important breathing is and how much stronger of a painkiller it is than any medical painkillers. So I was focusing so intently on my breathing, also ensuring I wasn’t tensing anywhere coz floppy face floppy fanny lol! 

Eventually we called 999 as I was throwing up whilst contracting and shouting / screaming with the pain (at this point I’d only take 2 paracetamol which I ended up throwing up anyway!). The lady on the 999 call heard me shouting and advised my mum this may end in a home birth and to get towels down in case! The paramedics arrived with gas and air (life saver!) and I bit the bullet in one of my contraction gaps to run to the ambulance. I really didn’t want to be laid on my back at any point in my labour but I had to be to get to the hospital. When we arrived approx 7:15am I was lightly examined and told I was 8cm! Then I was basically left to it - midwives were barely in the room with me, just me mum and Nizzy which I loved. I think at one point a midwife checked baby’s heart rate which was fine and pressed on my belly for some check to which I told her ‘that’s enough now’ lol (I blame my rudeness on the gas and air!). I told the midwife I felt like pushing but then didn’t. I tried once to get onto my side as I remember from the class that a spooning position is good but I just physically couldn’t. Then at 9:39am with just mum and Nizzy in the room I did one huge push and there Eliyanah was on the end of the bed! Midwives heard my scream and came rushing in to catch her lol. 

One midwife said about putting a hat on her so I said no I just want skin to skin to interruptions. And by this point Nizzy had put some really calming love music on which just made me feel on such a high. We had the skin to skin then midwife said to Nizzy about cutting the cord, I asked if cord was white and she said yes but I  double checked with Nizzy and he said yes. And the delayed cord cut was influenced by the class! I wanted to do it anyway but didn’t realise the statistic you mentioned - 30% of the flow is cut when the cord is cut! Straight after Nizzy cut it I was offered the injection to birth placenta which I refused as wanted to birth it naturally. Whilst I was up and walking around to get it out nizzy was having skin to skin and mum was having cuddles. After 1 hour placenta still wasn’t out so midwife tugged a tiny bit on the cord then it came out. After lots of cuddles everything was fine for us to leave at 4:30pm to go home! Was the most surreal experience.  

I’m so glad I attended your class as you made it so clear that this is MY birth and midwives are only there to advise, not instruct. So I didn’t actually feel too rude or bad telling midwife to stop with one of the examinations, or that I didn’t want Eliyanah to wear a hat at first, or declining the placenta jab or about if the cord was white - this was my body and my choice. I am so proud of how focused I was on my breathing - I’ve been told I was pretty silent during the whole labour except when I was throwing up at home and for the one push lol. I’d definitely recommend women / couples to attend as it gave me so much confidence in my body and my rights! Thank you so so much xxx

I received a phone call from the hospital to say I had suspected pre eclampsia so I needed to be induced the next day. 

 I went into hospital on Thursday to discuss with the consultant about pros cons of induction, & possibility of c section. After MANY conversations using BRAINS (which I am so grateful I knew) we asked for a planned c section. We had to wait to speak to a doctor at 10pm to put the final plans in place (as there was a change over of doctors). The new doctor finally told us he was not happy to authorise a c section. He said that the consultant has to authorise it and they weren’t in until tomorrow morning. 

We arrived back at the hospital in the morning, this consultant was a lot nicer, and she provided us with all the information. The medical staff kept pushing for me to have a natural birth. The midwife with my permission examined me & I was dilated over 1cm. The midwife felt that 2 x gels would probably induce labour. So together George and I decided to do it. 

 After 1 gel not a lot happened. Second gel 4 hours later…. Woah….. everything happened so quickly. My waters broke after 1 hour. I was having full on contractions.  

 The contractions were intense. I was using the breathing techniques you had taught me. After 2 hours, I was having contractions every 2 mins, the baby’s heart beat was lost on 4 occasions. The medical staff were debating on letting me carry on pushing, knowing the heart beat had been lost on 4 occasions. 

 George pushed back & said to the medical staff that’s it, she is having a c section now as we originally wanted. I had gone from 2cm (when waters broke) to nearly 7cm in 2 hours. George really put his foot down. Then they started agreeing. 

George said after seeing you, he felt so empowered to tell them to stop and ask for a c section. 

When I woke up George was holding Sonny who was happy and healthy. George placed him on my chest and I felt pure love.

 Thanks Laura. You have been really kind and caring. George and I both appreciate your support.