An empowering water birth…

We wanted to tell you about the arrival of our beautiful daughter Clara, I hope our story empowers others.

I have only ever heard negative birth experiences and I wondered how I could make sure I had a positive one. I think it’s important women know what it is possible and birth will be what you let it be.

Everything kicked off at 2am on Good Friday. I awoke and felt the contractions start. I didn’t wake my hubby as per your advice, I just went back to bed and tried to ignore it. (That was easier said than done as I was getting excited that we would meet our baby in the not too distant future).

Things slowed down that day but were still ticking along in the background and picked back up in the late afternoon. Later Friday night I had a bloody show and it was on!

I tried to go to bed Friday night but by 11:30pm I couldn’t lie down anymore. I pottered around the house, tried to nap, used mindfulness, sat on the ball and by 2am I needed to get the tens machine hooked up.

By 6am I was convinced that I needed to go to hospital so called my cousin who is a midwife she was a support person for both of us. She knew I was nowhere near ready for the hospital but came and joined us for the rest of the journey.

She kept us calm, kept me moving and trying different positions for contractions to make sure that baby had a nice tucked chin and was descending into the birth canal properly.

Man was I unaware of the strength it would take me to get through the day.

By 2pm I was in established labour and I found myself singing to my labour playlist between contractions and pacing around and then clinging onto the kitchen bench saying to myself ‘calm, strong, you’ve got this , you can do it’ during contractions.

We went to the hospital when I was 8cm dilated and I remember clinging onto the walls during contractions trying to get to birth suite.

Once in the room with my midwife I hopped in the bath and my waters basically broke straight away. (That’s a weird popping sensation)

In the bath I wasn’t really aware of everyone in the room. I closed my eyes sung along to my music and just focused on my body and how it was changing.

I knew when it was time to push there was a massive shift in my focus and how I handled contractions. I pushed for 12 minutes and all at once little Clara was in the bath. In what felt like the longest few minutes of my life which was probably only a few seconds I just stared in shock at her in the water with everyone telling me to pick her up… I just wasn’t ready for her all at once.

What an amazing experience the water birth was and it wasn’t even part of my birth preferences.

I don’t think anyone can prepare you for labour and birth but I really surprised myself at how I got myself into a mental state where it was just me and my body working through every moment with one goal to have our little girl in our arms.

Our birth story was straight forward and beautiful. It surprised me and I was overwhelmed at times but I had so much support, encouragement and love around me to give me the strength to trust my body and birth our baby.

Now we are into long sleepless nights of restlessness, lots of breastfeeding, doesn’t want to be put down, trouble pooping, and night parties… where I find myself using my mental strength and focus in a different way, those cuddles are amazing!

And that’s our journey to welcome Clara into our lives.

PS I count us very lucky to have had such a positive experience.

I remember after doing the Calmbirth weekend saying we can do it drug free and we did! Of course we were prepared for all outcomes but to be able to let my body do its thing was amazing!

You are very welcome to share our birth story, I have only ever heard negative birth experiences and I wondered how I could make sure I had a positive one.

I think it’s important women know what it is possible and birth will be what you let it be.