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At about 11pm I had 2 braxton hicks really close together that felt more like contractions which were immediately followed by a show. Within 5 minutes of having the show my contractions started and were quite strong. We texted Nicky to let her know that things had started and she told us to try and get some rest and to let her know when things hotted up! We went to bed and I dozed on and off from 11pm to 5am. The contractions were quite strong and would wake me up - I found it really helpful using the golden thread breath for each one - I worked out that each contraction was lasting for 5 slow breaths, the peak being at breath 3-4 which was a good way of focusing my way through them. By 5am I felt like I needed to get up and move around. We texted Nicky again as the contractions were every 5 mins and lasting 1 min each. She said it sounded like it was time for her to come over! Nicky arrived at 6am and checked me to find that I was already 6cm dilated and that she could feel the baby's head with a balloon of water between his head and my cervix. We all decided that as I was already quite far along we should probably stay at home rather than try to get to the birthing centre.
During each contraction I was doing golden thread breath at the beginning and soup breath at the height of each one which really helped breath the pain away. At about 11.45am I put a TENS machine on to try and take the edge of the contractions as I was starting to get tired and very uncomfortable. I would really recommend using a TENS, it's a great way to take the focus away from the pain and onto a different sensation and it worked really well for me. My waters broke at 1.20pm - because there was a cushion of water between the baby's head and the cervix it took a little longer to get the last cm of the cervix dilated but as soon as the waters broke the last cm disappeared and I immediately felt the urge to push. Nicky had talked to me about breathing the baby out rather than pushing and we had decided that I was going to try this technique.
At 2.13pm the top of the head was visible and I reached down and touched it which was an amazing feeling and really helped me focus on the last bit. I was using soup breath all the time now, this meant that the head slowly came down giving my perineum the time it needed to gently open and stretch. By 2.22pm the head was fully out and at 2.23pm little Jack was born! I had decided with not to cut the cord straight away but to leave Jack and I connected until the cord stopped pulsating - this makes sure that all the goodness and blood that the baby needs makes its way through. This took an hour but it meant that Jack, Duncan and I could all cuddle up together in our nest at the end of the bed. The cord was then cut and Duncan got his first skin on skin cuddle with Jack. As soon as the cord was cut I started getting crampy feelings as my uterus got ready to pass the placenta. Doing it this way also means that you don't have to have the injection to make the placenta come out quickly once the cord is cut - it just seemed odd to me to have such a natural birth and then have drugs injected into you at the last minute just to get the placenta out quicker. I was also thrilled to be told that I hadn't torn during the birth, which I'm certain is down to a combination of perennial massage and the breathing the baby out technique! Jack was so content after such a gentle birth and I was over the moon to have achieved a drug free birth at home using all the techniques that I have leaned over the last few months. |
