In the summer of 2018 my husband and I began trying for a baby, in early 2020 I fell pregnant but unfortunately it ended in missed miscarriage at 11 weeks. We then embarked down the route of IVF, but because of my age, and my husband had children from a prior relationship, we were not eligible on the NHS. We underwent 5 rounds with 2 private clinics over the course of 4 years, and thankfully the 6th transfer was successful! By this stage I was 45 and because of the IVF and my age I was told to see the paediatric consultant. He insisted I should be induced at 39 weeks but I was very reluctant, I didn’t have any health conditions, so why should I be induced because the text books said so! Because of the hypnobirthing course I did with Colleen, and other research I had done, I felt confident to stand my ground. We came to a compromise that I would start membrane sweeps at 38 weeks and if that was not successful I agreed to be induced at 41 weeks. I was so hoping my baby would come naturally before that, and that she did!
So, I wish I could say that some elements of the birth plan were followed, however our little lady had other plans!!
Wednesday we went for our routine 39 week scan, baby had been quiet that day, and the sonographer said they had only seen a couple of small movements. So as we were there, we decided to go up to Tambootie ward at Darent Valley hospital to be monitored (for the 3rd time in 2 weeks) due to reduced movement. All was well on the monitor, however we were offered an induction again and decided to arrange one for Sunday 16th at 39 + 6.
I was at the point where my anxiety about getting baby here safe couldn’t take anything else, as I had been repeatedly told by the healthcare teams of the risks of pregnancy at my age via IVF. Before we left I asked them to do a sweep, this was my 4th attempt with no success as I wasn’t dilated, even though the midwife did manage to massage my outer cervix. With mild backache we went home and off to bed at 12am. Shortly after at 12.30am, still not able to sleep due to stomach and back ache, I had a wave of pain that made me feel nauseas. By 1am the pains were 5 mins apart, but only for 30 seconds, which according to Dr Google wasn’t very long for first stage labour. I started to pace the upstairs of my house, stopping in the bathroom at each contraction to lean on the sink.
By 3am they were 3-4 mins apart and still 30 seconds long, and even with my hypno birthing breathing techniques, and the apparent high pain threshold I’ve been told I have, I was beginning to panic how on earth I would cope with full blown labour pains!! At 3.45am I woke my husband and said he needed to time everything as I could no longer concentrate on that whilst still googling if this was actual labour!!! At 4am I lost my mucus plug, 4.15am my waters broke and were full of meconium. We called the hospital, I haven’t felt baby for 2 hours and this is stressing me out. The midwife suggests a bath and some paracetamol as it sounds like I’m in early stages of labour, either she hasn’t heard me that there was meconium in my waters or I had bypassed this rather critical information in my state of confusion. At this point I have another contraction and feel the urge to push!! The midwife changes her mind and tells me to come straight in and to call 999 if I’m at home with another urge to push!!!
My husband is still packing his bag, also wondering how on earth I will cope if this is how much pain I’m in already!! He calls my parents to tell them what’s happening so they can collect our dogs, and my mum can hear my next contraction and thinks the same as me, that something is going wrong or I’m in the final stage of labour, because I’m almost crying in pain!
4.40am bags bundled into the front seat, and me on all fours on the back seat and we are on our way to Darent Valley. Five contractions later, the last 2 of which I’m sure baby will be born in the car, we arrive outside the hospital. We make our way through the double doors, I get as far as the seats at M&S and have to stop and take hold ready for another contraction. A cleaner and a security guard come to ask if they can help and proceed to get a wheel chair, I feel a pop and I said to my husband the head is out!!! The cleaner, Magda, asks if I can sit so they can wheel me to the delivery unit, and I’m adamant I can’t sit as the head is out, my husband telling me it can’t be!!!
Magda calls the maternity unit, whilst I tell my husband to pull down my bottoms to check for the head, which he then can see crowning and proceeds to hold!! 3 minutes later 2 midwife’s carrying bags and a Dr come flying through the doors at the top of the stairs like the Calvary!!! The midwife takes over from my husband supporting the head and I tell the midwife I need to push again. As she quickly assesses the situation, she tells me to do so, and with that the baby is out!!! The Dr announces the arrival of our precious little Gracie at 4.59am!!!
Not quite the calm, relaxed labour we had hoped for, as many midwife’s have commented, the hypno birthing obviously allowed me to labour without any pain relief and only an internal tear, all pretty much at home. Colleen had taught us being in an upright position helps baby transcend the birth canal, and I hadn’t sat down from the first contraction until Gracie was born, which I am sure assisted in such a quick labour. I wouldn’t change our story for the world, and I’m so grateful we didn’t have to endure the potential lengthy process of induction. To this day I swear I was in a state of shock and denial from the onset, that I was actually in labour that soon after not being dilated at all, even though I was fully aware it was possible. I had fully expected to be overdue and give birth after an induction. Thank you Colleen for your hypno birthing classes, yoga techniques and general birthing advice over the last 6 months of my pregnancy, it has been more helpful than you could ever know!! X
