Birth Stories
I've had three wonderful births...
I feel very lucky as I have had three wonderful births – all of which have been very different, but which without water would have been quite different. My daughter Ella was born in May 1999 and I knew nothing about birth but the use of water appealed to me after having done a bit of reading. I hired a pool and waited for her to come. She was nearly 2 weeks late and after labouring for about 15 hours with a TENS machine and using yoga as pain relief I finally got into the pool. I stayed in the pool for 7 hours without getting out, except for during transition when I genuinely believed I wasn’t in labour anymore and that everyone could go home! The following 2nd stage lasted around 3 hours and had I been in hospital I’m quite sure it would have been an assisted birth with either ventouse or forceps. However, Ella was simply taking her time and as she progressed down the birth canal she gently made her way into the world without causing any tears, which the water greatly helped with.
My second birth in February 2002 was incredibly quick. I had bought the birthing pool franchise but due to limited space decided against setting a pool up beforehand, seeing as my last labour was 24 hours long. Little did I know! As Ella had been so late I refused to believe I was in labour for quite a while until my friend insisted in calling the midwife. We proceeded to fill a pool but Theo was born an hour later after a two hour labour with a pool still filling downstairs. I found the use of a birthing ball invaluable and the presence of my friend very calming, but missed the use of water. After the birth I used the pool to establish breastfeeding as the warm water and the buoyancy it provides is ideal for both mum and baby during this special time.
In October 2006, with the due date of number 3 coming quickly I set up a pool with the heater and filter and had my own hot tub – in which I spent my evenings reading or watching television. During a film in the tub one evening I realised that the pre-labour pains I’d been having for a week or so hurt a bit more. I got out of the pool and decided to try to get some sleep – which I immediately realised would be impossible as the contractions were strong enough for a bit of moaning. I spent the following night pacing and waiting for the quick labour I was expecting to come. It didn’t and after 5 hours of really irregular contractions I called my friend who was to be my midwife. We decided to wait for the contractions to become more regular until she came over but they never did and so about 4 hours later she came to see me. I discovered that I was 5cms dilated but that the little one had decided to spin round into an OP position – with the head facing the wrong way and flexed back. I knew that this would mean a more painful labour and that I would need to dilate more to be able to deliver. I decided to get into the pool and what bliss! I waited in vain for my waters to break so that the contractions would come more often but they never did. Owen was born after a thirteen hour labour still in his waters – which broke as he came out – facing up instead of down. However, he was tiny so it didn’t matter and for the third time no tearing! This time I had quite a painful 3rd stage and the pool was invaluable during this time. After this I had a quick bath and soup with my midwives thinking that a fourth labour wouldn’t be too bad!
It's definitely the best experience of my life so far!
My due date was 11/11/07. Nothing happened until the 17/11/07 when I had a show and was also booked in for a membrane sweep at midday. The midwife was extremely thorough (thought I was going to give birth then and there!) and immediately started to have quite strong contractions from then on. I picked up my other daughter from nursery at 3.30pm and by 6pm had to phone my brother for him to come and pick her up as my contractions were pretty strong. My husband set up the pool and heated it up. By 7pm he phoned the labour ward who wanted to speak to me (I suppose to gauge how strong the contractions really were). So between contractions I spoke to her and asked for a midwife to come to my home asap. I was given her mobile and carried on working through contractions watching 'Six Feet Under', very excited but having no idea what was about to happen. I wanted to check out the pool so I got in and immediately the contractions died down. At this point the midwife called saying she was doing her shopping at the supermarket and would be with me within the hour. I told her that I was in the pool and felt much better as the contractions had died down! She said in almost a shout, GET OUT, you're slowing down your labour!
So I did as I was told and from this moment on the contractions came back with a vengeance. When finally the midwives arrived at about 8.30pm (our flat didn't show up on her sat nav!) I was clenching onto the side of the pool in our front room in a kind of arched position, no longer taking any notice of the tv. They were great, set up their few pieces of equipment around what space was left in our small front room and chatted to my husband about the likelihood of me giving birth that night. The midwife said I was only 2cm dilated which I was at midday. This was a massive disappointment as I thought I was almost ready.
June the main midwife said I was arching over too much and why don't I lean against the wall instead. After about three more contractions like this, which were so much more intense, (I had tears running down my face) my waters gushed from beneath me and then I it felt like the baby's head had slipped down into the birth canal. From this moment on I was making noises only farm animals make and the midwives jumped up and started to gather their gloves and other bits. I said I needed the loo but they said I was in transition and needed to get into the pool. As is only right, I shouted I need a poo and marched off to the toilet, they rushed after me and layed out their birthing kit at the toilet door. As only midwives know, I didn't need a poo so rushed back to the pool and got in. Here, although I was only minutes away from giving birth was an amazing retreat, where I was in my own warm, watery space. I felt completely in control as I clenched onto the side, on my knees. The midwives were saying push Caroline push, but I was roaring so loudly I couldn't hear so had to shout and ask if I could push. I felt her head coming and wondered if I could push again, they said yes so I did.
After two major pushes out she gushed and rolled around in the pool a few times before we could catch her and up she came into the world. She was a bit blue and the midwife almost gave her oxygen but after 30 seconds of moving her about she started crying and was given to me where we sat both in the warmth of the water, me completely overwhelmed and exhilarated at the thought of what had just happened. She was a perfect ball of baby.
Caroline
“I think my waters have broken”
“M…., M….., I think my waters have broken” I heard the rather plaintive cry from J in the bathroom, cutting through my deep sleep. It was 1am, and 3 days early. I went to confirm: yup, no doubt about it. All clear, which I seemed to remember was a good sign.
Our hearts were set on a home birth, but we lived outside our preferred hospital’s home birth catchment area, and so had signed up with the Birth Centre (www.birthcentre.com) a private midwife service. We decided to page them immediately: better to warn them early rather than wait four hours and find ourselves in an emergency. They called back with a promise that Emma would visit at 9am.
We had indications our baby might be in a hurry: the head had been well and truly engaged for almost three weeks, and a ‘show’ had persuaded us to take a slightly early delivery of the birthing pool from BirthWorks. Our first baby together, J was apprehensive but had steeped herself in moisturiser, exercise and the hypnobirthing relaxation CD. The pool had been filled and ready, but J felt no urge to try it out. The evening before, I had changed the water.
Contractions went up to every ten minutes in the hour between 4am and 5am, then subsided, and by the time Emma arrived they were back down to every 20 minutes or so. J and I had only managed to sleep a bit, but all in all things were looking good. Emma said a midwife would be around again at lunchtime, but to call if necessary.
After Emma left, things started to speed up again. J found the Tens machine distracted from the pain without diminishing it; we had a Swiss ball which helped her too: but J stayed out of the birthing pool as we had heard that early use can delay the development of labour.
By one o’clock (12 hours in) the contractions were every 3-5 minutes and getting longer and stronger. I called the midwife number and they asked J to hold off getting into the pool till a midwife could get to us. But J could not wait and was soon in the pool. I was saying the hypnobirthing mantra with every breath during the contractions – which J says kept her calm and focussed, and she never felt the panic which she had feared so much.
At 2pm Carol, another midwife, arrived and she was with us for the rest of labour. She was delighted and surprised by the progress J had already made. For the rest of the afternoon we carried on the pattern, J in the pool, some of our favourite music on quietly and me repeating the mantra during contractions. J was drinking vast amounts of Coke, and I was on the Relentless®! Carol had brought gas and air with her, which Jules took in voraciously with the contractions. By 6pm another midwife, Sally, joined us.
By 8pm, J was through transition and into the second stage almost without realising it. Where J found her energy I don’t know: I was knackered and had done nothing.
By 9.30pm she was almost there; Carol warned J that she would need to bring the baby to the surface, but J looked blankly at her – the idea there would actually be a baby at the end of it all seemed almost bizarre.
And then at 9.46pm, two massive pushes from J and I saw the baby, under the water. “Pick the baby up, J! Pick the baby up!” J took seconds, which felt like forever, to react. Then it burst through the surface, in her arms, and immediately let out a loud, healthy cry. J and I took a further age to work out that we had a girl, and then I got to cut the cord.
After hearing so many birth stories where plans went awry, I can only say that we were very lucky. But J had worked hard for her luck. And the result was for both of us an incredible, intense experience and one which we do not think could have been better.
Thanks so much to Sam and BirthWorks – so cheerful, encouraging and obliging always. Our pool was immaculate, her instructions clear and we would definitely go back to BirthWorks.
I was only actually in the pool for about 20 minutes, but had a wonderful delivery into the water.
It started at 1.30am when I felt the trickle of my waters breaking. We phoned the midwife 10 minutes later. No contractions (or openings as I like to say) had started at this point so we went back to bed. This lasted about 10 minutes until I became too uncomfortable to lie down and so I started to walk around the bedroom and did a few silly walks. Every now and then I felt the need to lean on a chair and breathe. At about 2.15 I really felt labour had kicked in fully so Simon phoned the midwife. She said she was on her way. By 2.25 I started to feel a bit 'pushy' during one contraction. Simon phoned the midwife again to ask if I could get in the pool. She said 'yes' so I went into the baby bedroom where the pool was set up, and got in. Rather than being soothing, though, as I had felt for my other 2 births, the contractions became stronger immediately. Very soon after I had a very strong pushy contraction. I put my hand down and felt the head crowning. I knelt back into a half squat as I had decided I wanted to see this one come out. One more contraction and the head was out. The midwife phoned to say she was at the door. One more and out slipped her body. Leila Ann was born at 3.01am. I leant down, picked her up as she floated out, and held her to my breast. She was perfectly calm and wonderful.
The Story of Toby’s Birth
My other two sons (aged 4 and 2) had been born in hospital. The births had been straightforward with no pain relief stronger than gas and air but I hated the “factory farm” feel to giving birth in hospital, so decided to opt for a home birth with baby number 3. Also, my second labour only lasted three and a half hours, so I didn’t think I’d get to hospital in time if my third birth was any quicker.
After lots of research, I’d wanted to try a water birth with my first two babies, and although I’d laboured in water with my first baby; lack of resources at the hospital meant I had to give birth on a hospital bed, so I decided to hire a birthing pool for my planned home birth this time.
The pool was lovely – a good size, with padded tops to the sides. Guy (my husband) found it pretty straightforward to put together and the filtration and heating system meant that once we’d assembled and filled the pool, we just put the cover on and it was ready to use at any time. We got the pool three weeks before I was due, and in the run up to my due date Guy and I spent a few evenings sitting in the pool watching DVDs – it was a lovely way to relax and relieve the weight of my enormous bump.
My first two babies were born on their due date and I was so cross and frustrated when the day came and went with no arrival. I’d been having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks, but not even a twinge on that day. I was so disappointed and my poor husband didn’t know how to comfort me; in the end, I went and sat in the birthing pool, watching “Little Women” on DVD and blubbing my heart out, which in a funny way made me feel a lot better. Four days later and at 8.30am I was trying to decide whether or not I could be bothered to take my sons to their swimming lessons that morning, when I realised that I’d had about four “twinges” in a row. I called Guy, who’d just arrived at work, to tell him that it may be a false alarm, but I thought I was probably in labour so could he please come home. I also called my in-laws who were going to look after my sons. I tried to call the mid-wife, but couldn’t get through, eventually reaching the delivery suite at about 9am. I told them that my contractions were about four minutes apart but getting stronger quite quickly, and they said they’d get the community mid-wife to give me a call.
My in-laws arrived and started tying balloons to the hedge in front of my house so that the midwives would know where to go. My mother-in-law said they would stay until either Guy or the midwife arrived, which was sensible, but I think I’d gone into a sort of animal-like state and wanted a bit of privacy so went and shut myself in the bathroom to have a shower. Apart from sitting on the loo a couple of times, I stayed upright and paced around during my contractions which maybe sped things up a bit, to the point that Guy arrived home at about 9.45 and came upstairs to find me gripping the top of the bathroom door and bellowing through a contraction before shouting at him to call the midwife again. I have a strong memory of Guy looking quite worried and saying into the phone “Yes, I think she’s quite far along…”
I sat on the loo and then suddenly realised that the urge to go was actually the baby’s head descending. I flopped forward on to my knees on the floor, positioning myself over the bathmat because I was worried about any mess. Guy crouched infront of me, asking “Do you want to get into the pool?” but I couldn’t move and just said “No, the baby is coming now”. Another big contraction and woosh! My waters broke and the baby’s head arrived. Guy reached down and held the baby’s head and said “What do I do?” I said “I don’t know…you looked this up on the internet…just don’t pull”. “Guy said “I’m not pulling, and um…the cord isn’t around the babies neck… you’re doing alright…don’t worry” Another big contraction and the baby’s body slithered out into Guy’s hands. He was quite blue, as lots of babies are at first, but he started crying pretty quickly and we held him on his front so the gunk could drain from his mouth. I cuddled him and started laughing – I felt so exhilarated that we’d done it on our own! The phone went and Guy explained to the midwife on the other end that the baby had arrived and seemed OK. He laid a trail of towels down the stairs for me and I carried my baby boy down to the birthing pool and we had a lovely warm bath and his first feed. The midwife walked through the door five minutes later “Well, congratulations!” she said, and I think she could tell by looking at us that we were all a bit shocked but absolutely fine and very happy. She was joined by a colleague a few minute later and they helped deliver the placenta before checking us both over thoroughly.
So, I didn’t actually get the birth I planned, and I still haven’t given birth in water. I have three beautiful, healthy sons, and don’t plan any more children, but I think giving birth to a 10lb baby on the bathroom floor without a mid-wife and without any pain relief is an impressive story but not one that I think Guy would like to repeat!
I have experienced both hospital and water now and I know which one I would chose every time.
I had planned to have my first child in water but after 12 hours and not much action in the dilation department I was taken into hospital where after much interference by the hospital staff my son was born a further 12 hours later. Having hired a Birthworks pool for this and having had the benefit of the five star option and relaxation beforehand it was not wasted.
When I was pregnant with my second child I was a franchisee for the company. I therefore had full use of one of my own pools. My daughter began to arrive at 4 in the morning and by 9.30am I was in the pool. It was amazing as I had not laboured in it with my first. I was relaxed and although spending most of it on my knees there was only one point right before she was born that I thought I cannot do this.
The water was really calming and as a result she was born 2 and 20 minutes after entering the pool. The best thing was that she and I were reasonably clean and I did no tear like I did with my first.
I have experienced both hospital and water now and I know which one I would chose every time. I was able to get into my own bed and feed my daughter just 10 minutes after birth. It was the best experience apart from breastfeeding that I have.
Jo Rundle