Dear Kat,

Thought you’d like to hear my birth story! And share it with others if it would be useful…

Eva Alice Clark was born last Saturday, at home after an easy, happy labour. I was 6 days beyond my “due date” and starting to feel uncomfortable in the heat. We were at home watching the football when my waters broke just as Ghana scored a goal. They came in gushes over the course of an hour or so. My surges began at the same time – like period cramps but accompanied by terrible nausea and diarrhoea. I felt like my body was emptying itself out so it could focus on the birth. I tried to do surge breathing with each surge but the nausea made it hard. We played the recording of birth affirmations throughout this time and they kept me calm and focused.

My midwife arrived a few hours later when my surges were more intense and frequent. I got into the birth pool and felt immediate relief. I stayed on all fours the whole time I was in the pool – a position that felt totally natural and necessary. We played the hypnobirthing music quietly in the background and Duncan and the midwife stayed very quiet and calm. After about 2 hours in the pool I felt the baby moving down and I reached the moment when I felt I couldn’t take another surge. I knew this was the transition to the second stage and sure enough I started to feel an urge to bear down. The “j” breathing helped me control that urge and focus on each surge. I began to make low, animal like noises I thought were very loud, but Duncan tells me it was more like vocalised heavy breathing. My midwife poured water over my back and Duncan pressed hard against my sacrum.

It took a while for the baby’s head to be born as she had her hand over her ear (a position I had felt in the womb and she adopts all the time now). My midwife kept telling me not to push but let my body gently move her down. I managed to hold back from actively pushing and very happily avoided any tearing.

She was born into the pool at 5.33am, 8 hours after my waters broke. I lifted her between my legs and onto my chest. I was utterly convinced she was going to be a boy, so it was quite a shock to see she was a girl.

My placenta took 3 hours to deliver. My midwives let it come naturally – I took a raspberry leaf capsule and walked around to encourage it to descend.

Throughout my labour I did not have any internal examinations. My midwife was able to judge how I was progressing from observing me. The only “medical” procedure that she performed was occasionally to check the baby’s heart rate. I am certain that the positive attitude and relaxation encouraged by hypnobirthing made a big difference. I felt very confident I could do it naturally and just allowed my body to lead me through it.

Eva is a such a calm baby. We put that down to the way she was born. So thank you Kat for all your guidance!

Love,

Elizabeth x