I did it!!
- had 2 successful sweeps (Monday and Wednesday) but was only 1cm at both appointments
- Lost mucus plug Wednesday morning
- Bloody show was ongoing from Thursday morning
- went out for brunch on Friday (40+4) and was so uncomfortable at certain parts of the drive which were ten minutes apart
- went home and had consistent contractions 6 mins apart for hours
- went to Birth Centre Friday at 10pm due to extreme discomfort during contractions and was told they weren’t consistent enough to be in active labour
- requested a vaginal examination to check if I was dilated at all. Turns out I was 8cm dilated!!!
- midwife was absolutely gobsmacked
- spent 3 hours in the birth pool then eventually got out due to lack of gravity to support birth positions
- my waters only broke 5 minutes before I got out of the pool
- 1 hour of pushing upright on the bed and gave birth with no pain meds used throughout the whole thing as I had set my birth goal to be as low intervention as possible
- had a second degree internal tear which was stitched up and a labia graze
Remember to trust your gut and if you think your body is feeling something, even when this doesn’t line up with traditional recommendations (for example don’t go in until you’re having contractions 3 mins apart that last one minute each). If I hadn’t requested a check then I would have been sent home in a lot of discomfort and likely given birth at home.
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Amazing!!! Congratulations :) water births are amazing
Well done you! Sounds like a lovely birth story x
I love stories like this 🫶🏼 it’s our bodies, we decide and we know what’s right and what is happening to our bodies.
I had a 9h labour from waters breaking to giving birth, secondary test and graze too and stitches
Congratulations ❤️
Well done! Congratulations!!!
Amazing! Sounds like an incredible birth story, well done for listening to your body 👏🏻👏🏻 huge congrats 🥳
How was the pain level for your natural birth? I'm interested in pursuing natural birth too but also scared
Congratulations 🎉
it’s hard to describe it as a level of pain that would compare… my baby was back to back so my biggest pain during Labour was I couldn’t stand or sit because of pressure on my coccyx and bum. During the pushing phase you will be aware of every sensation but I wanted that feeling of ‘control’ and awareness so I found it painful but bearable. My birth plan had always been to try to be as low intervention and medication based as possible and it took willpower to get it done, but it is definitely doable if you have your heart set on it!
I also remember every detail from the birth which includes the good when my husband started to cry as baby’s head came out and I could reach down and get her by myself as I was lucid. Definitely a feeling beyond compare and a memory I will keep forever
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