Homebirth in South Glos

Rosie & James worked with me on Wombside to Earthside as first time parents, they were looking for in depth antenatal education that they vibed with. Which they got! They then returned for their second pregnancy to figure out if homebirth was for them, by coming along to a Home Sweet Homebirth meet up, I’m super honoured to say this is their story through both pregnancies, birth and parenthood 💞

Two births, two very different journeys 🤍

During my first pregnancy, I avoided thinking about labour until about 30 weeks. I was scared, and genuinely believed that if I ignored it, it might somehow go away.

I’m so grateful that I eventually chose to get informed, because there is no way I would have had the experience I did without that knowledge.

I felt my first contractions around 11pm, just as I was getting into bed. Things were slow to begin with, but my body had me up to the toilet constantly through the night. By 3am I’d put my TENS machine on, and I kept it on for most of the next day.

I laboured at home throughout the day, and by evening I was pacing around the kitchen table, mooing my contractions away. By 8pm, I called the birth centre to say I felt things were progressing, but they suggested a bath and some paracetamol.

In my experience, lying down was completely the wrong position for me, so the bath felt horrendous and I got out almost immediately. Kudos to James, though, for lighting candles and doing everything he could to help me relax.

Around 10pm, I decided I wanted to go in. We were told there wasn’t room at the birth centre and that we’d need to go to the delivery suite but thankfully, by the time I arrived (wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night), a room had become available.

I had originally planned to avoid vaginal exams. However, I was told I needed to be 4cm dilated before I could use the pool, so I agreed to a check.

I was 8cm.

I felt so proud of myself for getting that far at home and suddenly so excited that I was well into active labour.

I laboured there for around eight hours. The change of environment probably slowed things down, and once I reached second stage, things started to feel like they were going “wrong.” I pushed for over two hours before coached pushing was suggested. Out came the TV-worthy chair with stirrups which was unsuccessful and I was eventually transferred to the delivery suite.

On went the sunglasses again. I wasn’t about to let those contractions stop now.

We were told they would attempt a forceps delivery, and if that wasn’t successful, it would result in a C-section. Thankfully, my contractions stayed strong and Ethan was born at 8:39am, weighing 4kg.

Afterwards, I reflected a lot. It hadn’t been as straightforward as I’d hoped, but as a first-time mum I knew the statistics weren’t entirely in my favour. The likelihood of intervention is higher the first time and yet I also knew I had done everything I could to minimise that risk.

We had our birth plan memorised.

We stayed at home as long as possible (James even drove reeeeeally slowly to the hospital in the hope a birth centre room would be free by the time we arrived).

I wore sunglasses like a complete twit in the middle of the night to keep the lights out and stay in the zone.

And I was proud of that.

When I fell pregnant with my second, I knew immediately that I wanted a home birth.

Over the previous two years, I had continued educating myself on the nuances of birth. I’d listened to countless stories the good, the bad and everything in between and I felt so much more confident in my body after having done it before.

Fast forward nine months.

At 40+3, I spent the morning walking around IKEA with my mum. I felt my first surges in the car on the way home about seven minutes apart. Not wanting to alarm her, I kept quiet… though I think she knew. My first baby had also been born at 40+3, so we had suspected history might repeat itself.

Once home, I went for a brisk walk around the block with my husband. By the time we got back, we called the home birth team to give them a heads-up.

James got to work transforming our living room into a spa-like birth space birth pool up, smart lighting set, a 10-hour YouTube lava lamp video playing. Sofas were covered, the coffee table was converted into a makeshift resus station, and towels were stacked high.

Within an hour, we called again and asked for a midwife to come out.  The first midwife arrived quickly, quietly set up her equipment in another room, and essentially left us to it. It was exactly what I needed.

I laboured mostly rocking on my ball before eventually getting into the pool. I don’t remember what time it was only that it got dark at some point. I asked for gas and air, which for me felt more like something to clutch onto than actual pain relief.

Some of those contractions were grim.

I didn’t remember them being quite so overwhelming with my first, so I was genuinely surprised when the midwives told me I wasn’t yet in second stage. To me, it felt like I had been pushing for ages.

My waters eventually ruptured in the pool. I decided to get out as I was feeling hot and wanted to move. I also spent some time sitting upright, backwards on the toilet which turned out to be a very good move.

The biggest difference this time was how comfortable I felt in my own body. I was confident enough to examine myself. I could feel the top of her head and knew she was still quite high.

Then, while rocking on the ball, one contraction felt like a sudden thud and her head was right there. I almost panicked, terrified she’d move back up if I changed position, but thankfully I was encouraged back into the pool to deliver her.

After around six hours of intense, excruciating contractions, I can honestly say I didn’t feel pain during her actual birth. I was overwhelmed with emotion that she was going to be born at home, in the pool, in my living room exactly as I had hoped.

I delivered her myself and lifted her up onto my chest in absolute awe.

It quickly became clear why labour had felt so intense she had been back-to-back (OP) and was leading with her forehead, her head tilted upwards. Suddenly, everything made sense.

But she was here. Perfect.

We have friends who work in maternity care who were genuinely baffled that I delivered her at home in that position. I know that had I been in hospital, the outcome may have looked very different and that makes her birth feel even more powerful and special to me.

I’m so grateful that I eventually chose to get informed, because there is no way I would have had the experience I did without that knowledge.

We signed up to the moon and lotus birth prep "wombside to earthside" and it was beyond anything I could have imagined in terms of how much information we were given, how much support we were given, how much we were encouraged to trust ourselves and my body and encouraged to ask questions! Sam very much became a key part of our journey she made sure we understood our rights and gave us the statistics in plain english so we were able to make informed decisions about our care. After the course, I wasn't scared anymore; I was empowered and ready!

Two births.

Two completely different journeys,both hard, both beautiful.

Both mine 🤍