This week’s birth story comes from a lovely couple Lacey and Troy who attended a TCBS Hypnobirthing Course as well as weekly relaxation classes with Tatiana Walker of Nova Vida Birthing, covering Melksham, Trowbridge and Chippenham.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with is!
Thursday 6th August 5pm I had a sweep – 6 days overdue, Friday morning I lost my mucus plug. Saturday 2am I woke up with bad period pains, by 5am I was in the bath and my husband was timing my contractions. They seemed very close together and according to the Freya app I was in established labour, quite quickly after using it. I managed to stay at home until 9am and then decided it was time to get to RUH. When I got there, I felt so deflated when I was told I was only 2cm dilated. I was offered a paracetamol which I took and the midwife suggested I go back home or sit in the car or have a walk around the grounds. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sit in the car or walk round the grounds as it was the hottest day of the year reaching over 30 degrees, so back home it was with a quick stop at Maccy Ds drive through, because my husband was so hungry!!!
I laboured at home again until 4pm and decided now was really the time. My mum got lots of wet flannels to take with me for the journey and I made my way to the assessment ward to be assessed again. I was absolutely devastated when I heard the words again:… 2cm!!! How could this be??!! I refused to go home this time as I couldn’t face another car journey. I sat in the assessment bay until 7pm on my own whilst hubby waited in the car. I was assessed again at 7pm and consented to a sweep at the same time. As the midwife did the sweep my waters broke and confirmed I was 4cm and my husband could join in a delivery suite! Hallelujah!! We had a lovely midwife, called Zoe, who started her night shift at 8pm.
My husband Troy made the room cosy. I started on the gas and air which I surprisingly liked and used it to its full potential, together with my breathing that I had learnt in hypnobirthing. I got to 6cm and Zoe and I discussed taking Pethidine, as I had learnt it could make baby drowsy. Zoe confirmed that as I was 6cm it wouldn’t affect baby as I was a while away from pushing still. So I decided a dose of Pethidine would be a good idea. It made me more relaxed in between contractions. I still hadn’t eaten anything since my meal on the Friday evening. So I tried a few Jaffa cakes which stuck to my mouth like cement because the gas & air made my mouth so dry. We did have a giggle as I couldn’t swallow it. I was drinking loads, but unfortunately, I found it very hard to empty my bladder in labour so I had a catheter twice. By 6am on Sunday I was fully dilated….. 28 hours after my first contractions started. Troy got very emotional at this point and a few happy tears appeared. As I started pushing, it was reaching 8am and Zoe was supposed to finish her shift, but she agreed to stay on to see baby arrive. By 8.15 they asked to do an episiotomy of about 1cm, so on the next push we could get baby out. I agreed and as they did it, baby came straight out. When the midwife held baby up and that’s when my world was complete, a baby girl! She was placed on my chest for skin to skin, with a very good set of lungs. I couldn’t believe my eyes as I was convinced I was having a boy. A nice bath and off to the ward we went, to then be discharged only 8 hours after birth. The safe but long arrival of Maiga River Catley on 9th August 2020. The birth was everything I had hoped for, I know people say things never go to plan but for me it really did, apart from being long. Thank you to Tatiana for gearing us up with all the knowledge we needed to have a positive birth experience.
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