My name is Aimee, I’m 25 and I have a beautiful 8 month old daughter, Ruby. I have never done anything like this before, but when I was pregnant I did A LOT of Googling and got really into reading pregnancy and parenting blogs.
After seeing the lovely Emma was putting together a birth stories feature on her blog, I thought I’d give it ago, and Emma has been kind enough to let me!
It all started on Thursday 23rd May 2013, I was 39+4 weeks pregnant, I went to bed early with a hot water bottle tellingGav (hubby) that I didn’t feel right. I had been having period type cramps for a couple of days and a severe aching in the bottom of my back. I had also had my show the day before and got all excited, but after a phone call to the midwife she had told not to get excited, it could still be days or even weeks before little one made an appearance.
I actually slept quite well that night and woke at 4am to go to the loo and felt the cramps had got worse, but put them down to Braxton Hicks. I tossed and turned until 6am, when I wokeGav up and told him I thought this was it and the baby was coming!!! The cramps (which were contractions!) were around 15/20 mins apart. I phoned the labour ward, and they told me as this was my first baby and my contractions were so far apart to have a warm bath, take 2 paracetamol and all being well until then, ring my midwife when she came on shift at 9am.
So, I spent what felt like forever in the bath, I bounced up and down on my gym ball, I took 2 parcetamol, I tried to move around, I tried to lie down.....the contractions kept getting more and more painful! 9am came and I rung my midwife. Although the contractions were painful, they were still about 15 mins apart and my midwife felt I was coping well so she said she would call in late morning/early afternoon. So I carried on, luckily Gav had decided not to go to work and was very attentive (although all I wanted was to be left alone!!) Eventually he could see I was in a lot of pain and he phoned the midwife and asked could she please come ASAP. She got to our house at around 11am. By then my contractions had got stronger and closer together. She took me upstairs to examine me, and she could not believe I was 9.5cms dilated!!!! She actually told me afterwards that she had only expected me to be about 3 or 4cms, so it was a good job I have an assertive husband!!!!
I’ll never forget that moment she told me I would have to have my baby at home, something I hadn’t even considered! I pleaded with her to go to hospital but she told me we just didn’t have the time. We had to be resourceful and the shower curtain (!!!) and old towels were put on the bed. I begged for some pain relief but midwives don’t carry any around with them!! It didn’t feel like long until I was pushing, I remember it feeling like the hardest thing I had ever had to do, but Gavwas there holding my hand and at 1.14pm on the 24th May 2013 weighing 6lbs 2 and a half ozs my gorgeous baby girl was born. It had all felt so quick!
I loved the experience of having her at home, but unfortunately I had quite severe tearing and had lost quite a lot of blood so had to be rushed to hospital. This was all a bit of a blur, I felt really light headed and woozy, and was rushed to theatre for stitches and a blood transfusion, leaving my baby and Gav. I was so gutted I had managed to give birth at home with no pain relief and then need an epidural for the stitches, and I wanted cuddles with my new baby! Surgery didn’t feel like long, I was well looked after and I stayed in hospital that night.
Despite what happened afterwards I loved having a home birth and the moment that will stick in my mind forever is being wheeled back to recovery and seeing the look on Gav’sface as he held our beautiful baby girl Ruby is his arms, and I knew it had all been worth it. And every day for the past 8 months Ruby shows me more and more how much it was all worth it.
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