The Birth of Arlo

This birth was everything I wanted, and more!

I didn't get a chance to do my Refresher course but I am so grateful to you [Jess] for teaching me everything I know which allowed me to experience such a beautiful birth.

I woke up around 1:30am on Friday the 16th with cramps. I put on the TENS machine and tried to go back to sleep but by 2:13am I was like 'there are contractions'.. so I woke Justin up as they were like 5-10 mins apart. I tried to sleep more.

We had breakfast as a family and during the day my surges got to every 4 mins. I had my birth playlist on and was just taking deep breaths and laying on my side with the peanut ball, swaying etc. Then by midday the surges went back to 10 mins apart. I did child's pose and ended up laying on a mattress of the floor with Tully, and we watched a movie and both had a nap.

By 1:16pm the surges were between 1 1/2 - 3 min apart, so I got Justin to message the midwife. Our midwife told Justin to start running the birth pool. Our midwife arrived, then our photographer. I was swaying at this stage at the kitchen bench with the TENS machine and Birth Comb, breathing with every surge while Justin did light touches on my back.

Our midwife whispered in my ear that the birth pool was ready if I wanted to hop in, so I took the TENS machine off and just sunk into the side of the pool with my face and had both my arms over the edge of the pool with my eyes closed. I kept thinking in my head "each contraction is one moment closer to holding my baby".

I continued taking deep breaths and breathing down. I had the Birth Comb in the pool in my hand. I felt a pressure pop which was my waters releasing in the pool. I had the urge to bear down and push. I reached down and felt his hair and then he was born into the water at home at 3:28pm on May 16th.

I pulled him up to my chest and rubbed him. I lay in the water for some time while we did skin to skin, delaying the cord cutting and just soaking in the special moment. I then birthed the placenta which we had floating in a dish in the pool. We transferred to the lounge chair and snuggled under warm towels and blankets.

Midwives : New Life Midwifery

Birth Photographer: Nurture and Bloom Photography

Many thanks to beautiful family for sharing their story: Gabby, Justin, Tully & Arlo