Third Birth – The one where I didn’t want to go to hospital.

If you have stuck with me through the pregnancy – most of you lovely people have – you will know that from week nine (yes, the book in) my Midwife had me down for a hospital birth. I had said no, that wasn’t going to be happening as I wanted to birth at home – like last time.

Home is my happy place, I’m relaxed, happy and have the people I love around me. One might say – the perfect birthplace.

Anyway, as we progressed on we were tested for Gestational Diabetes, I failed. Boohoo. From then on I was told that I wouldn’t even be able to labour at home. That I would be started off on week 37, that I could have the most natural birth possible, free to move around, use a pool and generally be relaxed just needed a little help in the cervix area.

We got to week 37 and I was told ‘See you at week 40 for your induction, the one with the pessary, waters breaking at 1cm and a drip. BYE.’

I cross referenced that with another Midwife and was informed that the person who told me ‘most natural birth possible’ was wrong.

My induction was booked – I was horrified. This birth was everything I had never wanted in a birthing experience. I’m not hospital-phobic, I’m not anti-NHS or anything like that, I just wanted to give birth in my own way.

I believe that being calm, relaxed and very importantly comfortable will give way to a more relaxed and enjoyable birthing experience.I also believe that if you get told enough that your baby will more than likely need help at birth you listen and believe it.

So the day of the dreaded drip arrived! I wanted to share it with you all on twitter. So I did. I skipped out the 30 minutes or so between waters being tampered with and her arrival. Typing during this time seemed inappropriate somehow.

 

 

Then suddenly! We had a sweep as we had hit 3cms – with no huge effort really, just a lot of waiting around.