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18 Feb 2022
Our beautiful, calm home birth
It was 3.50am on the 17th February and as I turned in bed I felt a gush of water and instantly knew this was it. Strangely at the exact same time, my 2 year old shouted from his bedroom ‘mummy I’ve been sick’. Turns out he has norovirus - great timing kiddo!
I couldn’t get back to sleep - I was a mixture of excitement and nervousness that very soon I’d be meeting my baby.
I had mild sporadic surges for a few hours so I had a nice long shower, washed my hair and put on a good comedy to get the oxytocin flowing.
By lunch time I was experiencing lower back pain and the surges were more frequent, but not as fast as I had hoped.
We had planned a home water birth but as time was going by I realised that if baby did not arrive by 3am the following morning, I would have to go into hospital for an induction due to the risk of infection.
I think this raised my stress levels so in the early afternoon the midwife visited me and told me to pop some clary sage in my bra, go for a walk and believe it will happen.
At this point I messaged Anna for advice and she told me to let go of any negativity and use those affirmations that ‘it will all be okay’.
By 7pm I was bouncing on my ball and the surges ramped up, but I made sure I had my hospital bag by the door just in case.
My husband made me a bowl of pasta for energy; I had a lovely candlelit bath and listened to my Hypnobirthing track.
Suddenly my surges were coming every 2 -3 minutes so my husband got the birthing pool ready in the lounge with some twinkle lights, music and aromatherapy oils going and we called our midwife to come round.
After she arrived I got into the pool which gave me some relief, but the surges were so strong and so fast that after 45 minutes our midwife suggested I walk to the toilet to change position. No sooner had I sat on the loo, but a head popped out! How I got off the toilet and back into the lounge is beyond me, but just as I knelt over the sofa I gave one big push and little Jude was born at 3.07am.
By 5am I was sitting in my bed with a cup of tea and Jude in my arms - bliss! It was a beautiful, calm experience and I would do it all over again tomorrow.
Jen & Charlie - Worcester, Worcestershire