A speedy yet ‘calm’ birth to meet our little baby girl

Story by Paige & Tom

A stunning birth story from Paige and Tom who attended Calmbirth with us recently. Congratulations and thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story. Birth was with SCUH Birth Centre Midwifery Group Practice.

Our beautiful little girl made a VERY speedy entrance into our world on the 31 January.

We were very open to however our birth was going to pan out. We had some wishes but we know birth will happen how it happens. We were just excited to meet who we had made! We were enjoying our Sunday, went out for breakfast and did our grocery shopping and took our weekly photo of my belly not knowing it would be our last one of her in my belly.

I went out for lunch with my friend and came home to nap on the couch, when I thought I had literally wet my pants at 38 weeks, I didn’t think too much of it. I walked to the bathroom and my mucous plug came out, not thinking too much of it as I know this can happen and labour still be a little while away, I stood up and my waters broke. We both had a giggle and said, well it could be hours so let’s just keep going about our Sunday jobs. I started vacuuming the house and was getting cramps and not even 45 minutes later I had my first contraction.

We called our midwife and let her know and she said continue at home as long as you can it could be quite a few hours. About an hour after the phone call, I was getting constant contractions with no real break in between, I was swapping between the shower and leaning over the bed. I remember saying to Tom, this isn’t normal I thought I was meant to get a break in between these.

Little did I know our little girl was just in a rush to meet her parents.

Tom called the midwife again and she advised us to come in to check how I was doing. It took Tom a very long time to get me from the shower into the car (apparently, I’m stubborn).  I closed my eyes and stayed in my zone the whole car trip and when we got to the hospital, I kept telling Tom I have the urge to push! We finally got up to the Birth Centre at 630ish and I was 10cm dilated and the midwife said you will meet your baby soon. I thought THANK GOD for that. I jumped into the bath and was using deep breathing and moaning to get through with Tom reminding me to keep breathing deeply and putting pressure on my lower back. At 7.59pm our gorgeous little girl was born (a surprise to both of us – she had us convinced she was a boy).

We had uninterrupted skin to skin for nearly 3 hours and she had her first feed and Tom got skin to skin as well. We did have a complication post birth, I had a PPH but this was my birth journey and I don’t see it as a complication I see it as my birth and it was beautiful.

We both cannot thank you enough for giving us the skills and confidence to birth our beautiful baby. Tom felt so informed and ready for the birth and I felt knowledgeable and powerful and ready to bring our girl into the world. We have sung your praises to absolutely everyone we know and think it should be an essential part of the birthing journey.