It all started on the 2/5/22 I was 41 weeks and 5 days.
I found it hilarious I was in labour on Labour Day. I had my first surge at 6:30am but it felt just a strong Braxton Hicks. It kept happening every 10 minutes. I didn’t feel uncomfortable. Then at 8am I woke my husband Alex saying
"Today is the day".
My surges were still 10 minutes long and last 1 minute but still felt like period cramps.
I messaged my midwife Meg to let her know what was happening. I kept her posted all day. Then I messaged my photographer Kirby from Olive Juice Photography to keep her in the loop as well.
By lunch time after I put my 20 month old son Benji down for a nap, it started to get a little bit more intense, so I ate ice cream to help. My husband Alex thought it would be funny to make a joke right when I was having a surge, it made that contraction very easy but the one immediately after was twice as intense 😅
Benji woke up from his nap and he was a little silly and crazy. I thought I wanted him there for the birth but he was running around too much and kept asking me to follow him around the house, even though I couldn’t. So I called my mum to pick him up, my sister came and before I knew it, he was in the car and happy to go to his grandparents place. I messaged Meg to let her know that, and she said she was heading to her course she was teaching. I was still fine not having her there yet, so I said you go and I’ll call you when I need you.
By 5pm my contractions were intense enough that I had to really breathe through them, so I realised it was nearly time; I called the photographer Kirby, and then the Midwife Meg to come over. Both of them arrived around 6:15pm. I was still talking and laughing though my whole labour. Then I said to Alex and Meg I feel like I have to poop {like actual poop} so I went to the loo while still having surges, which worried me 😅 OMG such an uncomfortable thought. After going to the loo, I went back to the couch for a bit before wanting to get into the pool.
I was not in there very long before I started bearing down and my water released. I was unsure and said "I think my waters released, how do I know?". At the same time Alex said "Did it feel like a gush?" and Meg said "Did it feel like a pop"? and I said "Both" 😂.
I continued bearing down and I remember baby coming down, almost out, and then just shot back up like "I’m not coming on earth yet mum" and I was thinking I had the baby asking "Meg is the baby out?"
Meg laughed "no sweetheart" but it definitely felt like it. Then the next push or 2 baby shot out. Alex thought I had a leg twitch but no I was just catching the baby. I pulled baby up slowly out of the water and as I did it, I sobbed as I looked up and asked "Where’s Mae't?"
Meg said she on her way. "She missed it! ðŸ˜" I was a little upset she had missed it. I pulled baby out of the water and before I could even see the gender Alex said "It’s a girl!"
Omg my face when he said that was like 😩
I was over the moon! For 9 months I kept saying it was a girl.
After about 5 minutes maybe I asked Alex to come into the pool to hold her because I had the shakes and felt weak so he jumped in. I was still having surges and I had to birth the placenta, which I felt took so long!
After I had birthed the placenta I was helped to my room and it felt so amazing to hold my sleeping little beautiful girl in my arms.
Photo credit Olive Juice Lifestyle Photography
Hypnobirthing Practitioner Mother Moon Hypnobirthing