Birth Stories

Sasha’s Induced Hospital Birth

I wanted to thank you so much as our course with you really gave me the confidence to have exactly the birth I wanted and even though there was a slight change in plans I was still able to achieve...

26/03/22

Sasha’s Induction Hospital Birth

From Sasha’s lovely mummy, Emily:

I wanted to thank you so much as our course with you really gave me the confidence to have exactly the birth I wanted and even though there was a slight change in plans I was still able to achieve that! An incredibly positive experience and you definitely contributed hugely to it! So thank you!

Will definitely be in touch for baby no 2!

Emily x

My story started on the night of my due date when I started to get twinges coming regularly through the night. These weren’t enough to make me think they were contractions but did give me confidence that my body was beginning to do something.

These came again and increased in intensity on Wednesday and Thursday night, to the point where I was timing them on Thursday night but by Friday morning they had gone.

I had a midwife appointment on the Friday morning (40w+4) and between them and the scanning team I was advised that my baby was measuring small and that I should be induced asap. This is where I used BRAIN as all other tests had been fine, including the functionality of the placenta, fluid and bloods etc. I asked if it would be possible for me to wait until Sunday evening to be induced and to try a cervical sweep in the meantime. My instinct was telling me that my body was already in the process of getting started and I wanted to give it the best possible chance of doing it by itself.

On Saturday evening I went and had a sweep and the midwife said I was already 1cm dilated which felt positive and affirmed the mild contractions I had already been having! I was up all of Saturday night having stronger contractions that were timeable, about 4/5 mins apart at the peak but they slowed down from about 2am onwards, never becoming further apart than every 15mins. Ben and I passed the time that night with watching a couple of films including the Will Ferrell eurovision film and I turned on my TENS machine to the lowest setting, thinking it would be good to get my body used to the sensation.

During the day on Sunday my contractions continued and were gradually increasing in intensity. I went on a few walks with my partner and also walked the half an hour to the hospital for my scheduled induction. Throughout this entire time I kept the TENS machine on, doing its thing in the background. When I arrived at the hospital they said I was still only 1cm dilated but that my cervix was 80% effaced so progress had been made and they inserted a pessary saying that they would examine me again in 24hrs.

I stayed in hospital overnight so they could periodically monitor the baby to check it was coping well with the pessary. My contractions gradually became much stronger over the 24hrs but never got closer together than every 5/6 mins. This was slightly disheartening but I kept telling myself that my body knew what it was doing. Without Ben being allowed in the hospital I had a couple of wobbles in self confidence over this period but kept breathing through the surges and trying to keep as upright as possible, pacing the hallways and leaning over the side of my bed. Counting my breaths throughout the surges really kept me going. I made sure to keep relaxing my jaw and shoulders. Also the TENS machine was still enormously helpful, giving me something to focus on throughout each surge.

24 hrs passed and by this point I had intense pressure both in my pelvis and I was sure I felt pressure on my bum which made me both excited but also I did not want to get my expectations up! When they examined me they said I was 4cm so officially in active labour! I was so over the moon. Not only had I avoided the need for someone to manually break my waters and an oxytocin drip but I was allowed to be transferred to a private room and Ben was allowed in the hospital. It honestly felt like the biggest achievement to have got to that point!

As I was officially classed as high risk because of my baby measuring small I wasn’t allowed into the midwife led unit but I thought it was worth anyway asking if there was any way I could have a blow up pool in my room. The midwife was incredible and just said ‘leave it with me’. She came back about 30mins later and said that the room was ready. She explained that the team had never actually used the blow up pool before but she had read some instructions and they had sorted it for me! The team also made the room so lovely with electric tea lights and dim lighting. Ben and I said it felt like we were at a spa!

I got in the pool with special water proof monitors strapped to me so that they could continue to monitor the baby and I felt like I had made it! They also gave me some gas and air at this point which helped a lot with the intensity.

Before I had got in the pool my surges had really ramped up and actually the water slowed them down a little which was a bit of welcome relief. Almost immediately however the pressure in my bum intensified and I knew we were getting close.

The surges changed after about an hour in the pool and I felt the need to start pushing. The midwife said she’d do an internal examination to see how dilated I was and she said she could feel the head! It was an amazing sensation to feel the body just taking over. The pushing stage was quite intense and Ben kept reminding me to remain calm and in control. My baby’s head started to crown and after a couple of pushes the midwife got me out of the pool to finish as the heart rate was slowing a bit.

There was an inelegant shift out of the pool with a baby’s head between my legs up and onto the bed. Then on the next push she came out! Ben cut the cord after some delayed cord clamping and we were home that afternoon!

Thank you so much Emily for sharing your story!