Ella

                                                                           

                                                                               

                                                                               

Cloudea, Ella's second daughter was born quickly and easily, at home in her bedroom. Here Ella tells us her good birth story....

My contractions started on Monday morning, coming on quite intensely just as they did with my first daughter.  However,  I knew it wasn't established labour, as once my toddler woke up things slowed down and  I had the latent phase everyone talks about.

I spent the day doing all the things that you’re supposed to do to pass the  time... I had a bath, went for walks, I even baked a cake!  And then I went to bed.

Between midnight and 1am I had some strong contractions and then suddenly, a very big one that made me scramble on to all fours. 

I went to the bathroom and soon I was standing over the bath, gripping on to the edge with a relentless cycle of intense contractions.  

My partner was trying to time them, but since it was hard to tell when they were starting or finishing, she called the hospital.  A midwife said she'd be with us in half an hour.

I really wanted to get to our bedroom, where we’d set up a nest.  Like last time, the contractions came on quite violently and suddenly, and I was struggling to find something to hold on to – in both the physical and psychological sense.  But once I managed to get to the bedroom,  I was able to shut everything else out and focus on my breathing.  Now I was anchored. 

The midwife arrived at 2.15am and wanted to examine me and listen to the baby’s heart beat.  I was kneeling on the floor with my elbows on the bed, and she asked me to lean back on the floor.  Every time I tried to move the contractions became more violent, but I eventually managed to sit on the bed, and when the midwife found I was already 8cm, she went to the gas and air, which I'd asked for.

I was able to get back into my kneeling position and the midwife could check the baby’s heartbeat without disturbing me.  In my birth plan, I had said that I would prefer to stay in my zone, and asked that any communication be done through my partner.  I carried on riding out my contractions using my breathing and the gas and air when they were really strong, and then my partner whispered in my ear .

“The midwife is worried that the baby is getting tired, so you need to push on the next contraction”.  I sat up and said “What?!”  I couldn’t believe it was time. 

I remember reaching down and feeling the top of her head and feeling incredibly excited – so spurred on to push her out. The midwives guided her down but left her between my knees, for me to pick up.  It was so amazing and exciting reaching down for my beautiful baby.  I held her to my chest and she grabbed on to me with both hands and I thought I’M IN LOVE!

It only  took a couple of pushes and she was here, born at 3.30am!  A two hour labour! 

The midwives helped me to get comfortable, went and made me a cup of tea and then left me, my partner and our baby.  It was amazing – the middle of the night, all was still and peaceful and we were able to enjoy the first magical moments with our new daughter, in the comfort and privacy of our own bedroom. 

I thought my first daughter's birth, also at home, was amazing and I really hoped to be able to give me second daughter as good an arrival. Her birth was even better... it's not often that you hear words like 'peaceful' and 'exciting' in birth stories, but that is exactly how we describe this birth. I almost wanted to push her our again!

How I love Ella's nest. She couldn't have highlighted the most basic need of labouring women better. A private place, with utter peace and quiet to retreat to. And as soon as she got it,  now that she felt 'anchored' as she put it, her body could do it's thing. There was nothing for labour to snag on, no disturbance to derail it's flow....right on cue, with her body's needs met....the labour powered off and her baby came.  Honour the physiology, help the hormones flow, and birth can be simple.