Charlotte's story - Theo's birth at home at 42 weeks

I was fortunate enough to have my first baby at home and I knew I wanted to do exactly the same when I found out I was expecting baby number two. I trusted my body more than ever and spent my time during the pregnancy doing online yoga classes and listening to my hypnobirthing tracks. 
I had reached 42 weeks gestation and the pressure was building for me to consider induction. I knew from my midwife checks that baby was happy and healthy and he was still moving around lots, so I wasn’t concerned he’d missed his “estimated” due date. I knew he would come when he was perfectly cooked and that he sure did. 

My surges woke me up around 2.30am and I knew with the regularity of them that I was going to meet my baby boy very soon. 

I woke up my partner and told him to start filling up the pool and he helped me put my tens machine on. My chosen place to set up the birth pool was in the lounge by the fireplace. It felt private, safe and warm there. 

I called the labour ward straight away as even though my waters hadn’t broke I was having a couple of surges every 10 minutes. I was relieved when they said they would get a midwife sent out to me as I know it’s been rather uncertain having staff available to attend homebirths during the pandemic. 

I decided to get myself as comfy as possible by kneeling on my yoga mat and leaning over my birthing ball. This position felt great to let my hips move freely with each surge and the importance of being upright & forward.  I put on my hypnobirthing tracks on and zoned out concentrating on my breathing, keeping my jaw soft and my shoulders relaxed. 

I embraced each surge knowing my body is moving baby down and each one is bringing me closer to meeting him. After an hour I recall the midwife entering the room but I didn’t look or speak to her as I didn’t want to interrupt my flow. I remember her checking his heart rate with the doppler and thinking wow it’s so strong and clear. It filled me with confidence that baby was happy and my body was in complete control. I declined any vaginal examination. 

 


As with my first home birth, we ran out of hot water pretty quickly. So my partner was back and forth to the kitchen filling up kettles and pans, but as it was a mini pool it didn’t take as long to fill this time.  As soon as the temperature was warm enough I was desperate to get in. The hot water on my back was so soothing. I remember leaning back in the pool making the most of the breaks in between my surges and making sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

The pressure below was really building and I still didn’t think that my waters had broken.  It was early sunrise when my body decided to start bearing down. I recall the sunlight coming through the curtains. I heard my three year old waking up upstairs and felt relieved hearing my partner take him into the kitchen for breakfast. I knew he wasn’t at all distressed which allowed me to really start bearing down and let out a few roars. The pressure was immense and it turns out my waters hadn’t broken and his head emerged in the amniotic sac which apparently is very lucky. His body followed quickly afterwards and I brought him up through the water onto my chest where he let out his first cry. I felt so relieved to finally meet him and marvelled at his long dark hair, just like his brother. 

After some skin to skin in the pool and once my umbilical cord had stopped pulsating, my partner cut the cord and I got out to deliver the plecenta and had a natural physiologically 3rd stage. I needed a couple of stitches to my perineum which the midwife was able to do whilst I laid on the sofa and Theo had skin to skin with his dad. 


My 3yo then came in to meet his little brother for the first time which was really magical.  This was my second home birth and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m still very much feeling on cloud nine and wanted to share my story with other mum’s to be.