Birth Story - The Birth of Lucas - Homebirth

One of my wonderful mums who I supported as a birth Doula wrote her birth story and I am very grateful to be able to share it here:

Elizabeth and Jamie with baby Lucas at home in the birthpool.

On the 2nd September 2022 I was a week overdue & even though it was our third baby, I wanted them here. I had been told by my midwife that in her personal & professional experience third babies are stop start, stop start then really quick. I’d also read a lot about this online & how third babies are “tricky”. Over the previous 2 days I’d been for a couple of walks with my husband Jamie, my Mum & our 4 year old & 2 year old boys. Walking clears my head & is my happy place, plus watching my boys play brings in all that oxytocin so I knew this was exactly what I needed. These walks had resulted in 2 nights in a row of surges but really far apart & completely stopping by the morning, I used my breathing techniques I’d learnt & managed them comfortably.

On the evening of the 2nd I was over my Mum’s house with Jamie & boys, we decided to have fish & chips for tea & just relax at my Mum’s. My Mum & Jamie went to get the food leaving me with my boys & my nephew. It got to 18:00 & suddenly out of no where I had surges coming less than every 5 minutes. I was sat in my Mum’s house playing with the 3 boys waiting for my husband to come back with food as we needed to go home. When they got back I was stood having surges, no tens machine, no birthing comb, nothing I’d planned just using my breathing to get through. We packed up the food & headed home as I knew things were progressing. We rang the midwives & my doula Virginia to get them to get to our home asap.

Luckily a few days before Jamie had set up the birthing pool & my happy relaxed area in our living room. We had fairy lights, positive affirmations, candles, photos of family & friends all around so I could see them to make me smile. Particularly important to me I had lots of memories of my Grandad who unfortunately had passed away 9 days prior. We had the whole room set up & all the things I needed & remembered from our previous home birth that made the whole experience magical.

We put Friends on the TV & I set up the tens machine, got my comb in my hand & just breathed through the surges as they were so close together. Virginia arrived & began helping Jamie to fill the birthing pool. She was amazing as whilst Jamie filled the pool she talked me through surges, made sure I was drinking water, kept checking on me & eventually my waters went on my living room floor. With every surge my waters kept constantly going all the while I was stood up watching TV desperately wanting to get in the pool.

The first midwife arrived & was asking questions which I felt able to answer in between surges, Jamie & Virginia helped to answer some as well. I had minimal interference from the midwives & constant support from Jamie & Virginia. I kept looking at my photographs & breathing through each contraction, Friends had become background noise but I was still laughing at the jokes. The pool at this point was just at the minimum line but I knew I wanted another water birth so Virginia & Jamie filled it with bucket runs as well as the tap running. I asked the midwives if I could get in the pool as at this point the second midwife had also arrived with gas & air & I knew it wouldn’t be long until baby was here.

I got in & kept telling myself to keep my lower half in the water as much as possible. The surges were so intense I couldn’t take a breath of gas & air so just breathed through them & made sure not to tense up. Jamie placed a flannel on the back of my neck, Virginia again made sure I was hydrated & I knew our baby was coming. I pushed with one big surge & babies head was out, I knew just one more surge & push then we could meet our new addition. I pushed, they were born & I moved backwards to hold them out of the water, looked down & said Jamie we have another baby boy. We waited for the cord to stop pulsing & go white, then it was clamped & Jamie cut the cord. After some cuddles & skin to skin while I delivered the placenta I passed him over to Jamie for some more skin to skin whilst I was checked out. I had a shower got myself sorted then went downstairs for more skin to skin & began breastfeeding our son & just took all in. Doing a Hypnobirthing refresher with Hannah helped settle my nerves & reassure me I’ve got this, I was worried as it was our last baby that it wouldn’t be the birth I wanted, where as it was my dream scenario.

Hyponbirthing just puts you in a great headspace, gives you some tools & knowledge to make informed choices & Hannah even came with goodies for me & to meet the little man a few days later.

We had our third little baby boy Lucas Jamie Brian Wood, born ‪20:40 (2hr 40mins after my first contraction),‬ weighing 8lbs 8oz & with the name Brian after my Grandad. Our perfect final piece to our puzzle.

P.S I still got to eat my fish & chips

Postnatal visit - first time seeing baby Lucas since the night he was born. I’ve become part of the furniture - I’m being tickled by the eldest who I’ve got to know pretty well as you can tell!