An inspiring birth story highlighting how thorough preparation helps both mum and dad recognise signs and phases of labour so they engage with birth confidently and calmly. Thank you for sharing with us Catriona and Mike and welcome to the world Dylan!

“Around 10am on June 7th, I started getting mild but regular back ache which I suspected might be the start of very early labour. I was booked into the hospital to get some acupuncture at 2pm as apparently there is evidence it helps speed up birth. I made them aware that I thought I was in early labour and they said that this was not a problem and could help move things along.

After the session, I went to the loo and noticed quite a bit of blood (much more than the ‘show’), so as I was already at the hospital, I thought there was no harm in going to triage to get checked out. The triage nurse was pretty dismissive. After telling me I was only 1cm dilated and that the blood was normal, she then proceeded to offer me a sweep ‘to get things progressing’. I told her that I thought things were progressing nicely already and declined. She then brought in a doctor who started talking about inductions as Dylan was 7 days ‘overdue.’ Again, I told them, that I felt things were moving and there was no need. I was then told to ‘go home, take a paracetamol and come back tomorrow’. I remember feeling very calm and in control in dealing with them and very confident that my body was getting ready. All of this happened from around 3-4pm.

Once home from the hospital at around 5ish, things progressed rapidly. The surges were very intense which I managed through relaxation techniques and breathing. At this point, I felt a bit scared. If this was the intensity of early labour, then how was I to cope with a whole evening of this and then into active labour? I then got in the bath and used the breathing technique, wave visualisations and pictured my cervix unwrapping. Despite telling Mike that I thought my surges were 10-15 seconds long but fairly close together, he started to measure them. In fact, they were around 45 seconds to a minute long and coming every 2-3 mins, so he decided to call a taxi and the birth centre. I remember telling him that we should cancel it as we would only be sent home as I could only be a few centimetres more dilated. Mike said that at this point it was obvious, I was in some kind of zone and was not thinking rationally. Just before we left, I felt an overwhelming pressure down below, which I now know was moving into the 2nd phase, so I am so glad that Mike made the decision he did (the next day Mike checked his phone, he called the taxi at 6.55 and Dylan arrived at 20.03, so we weren’t too far from having him at home!).

When we arrived at the hospital, we headed straight for the birth centre. Another good decision as had we gone to triage for ‘assessment’ as we were supposed to, this may have delayed things. At the birth centre, a midwife took one look at me and told me to get on the bed. There was no time for the planned water birth. I was fully dilated and ‘baby was coming’. Over the next 40 mins, although I would describe the surges as painful, I managed to stay calm and breathe through them. At this point I used the affirmations to reassure myself that I could do this, to trust my body, and that the pain I was experiencing was not harming me. I used the breath down techniques and with every surge, I felt like I was working with the baby to move him down the birth canal. Mike fed me blueberries and strawberries and gave me water during the breaks. Mike told me at this point that all the midwives were very impressed that I seemed to know just what to do. I was made aware that gas and air was available but I didn’t want it in case it distracted me. The midwives were excellent. Despite arriving just as they were changing shifts, they were very respectful of our birth plan, discreetly checking the babies heart rate every so often and offering direction and encouragement when needed. We also had a student midwife ‘deliver’ the baby.

As my waters had not broken until the very end, Dylan was born in the caul and the midwives peeled back the membrane before handing him to me. A fitting entrance, as his name is associated with the sea.

We were very pleased to have had him at the birth centre as the midwives and the facilities there were excellent. Although I didn’t use all of the hypnobirthing techniques in the way I had imagined as the birth happened so quickly, I couldn’t have asked for a more positive birth experience.”