Kelly's story, US - a video of home birthing and re-birthing

This is Kelly's tranquil video story of her home birth, subsequent hospitalisation and re-birthing journey. Click the YouTube logo to view.

Melissa's story, Darlington - baby number 2, home birth

"2nd baby - 14/01/05 - Home Birth

I knew straight away that I wanted our 2nd baby at home.

This time, we were settled in our own home and since being pleasantly surprised by my 1st birth, knew it was the right thing to do for our little family. Gas and air bottles were delivered and I picked up a prescription of Pethidine to keep in the fridge in case I needed it.

So, yet another normal, problem free pregnancy saw me to my due date of Thursday 13th January.

I remember sitting down that night and watching Question Time - feeling my first contraction during shouting at the TV! Didn't think anything of it and just like the 1st baby, went to bed for a sleep.

Didn't wake at all through the night, woke normally at breakfast time and felt contractions were coming quite close together. Called the midwife quite early who came out to the house and examined me, I wasn't quite as far along as I first thought so she left again and told us to call her once they got a bit closer together and longer.

In the meantime, my husband took our now 4 1/2 year old Alex to nursery and my Mum came over to the house.

I sat on my big, bouncy birth ball in my lounge and watched TV - just rocking back and forth through contractions and chatting to my Mum in between them.

By 12pm, husband had picked up Alex from nursery and contractions were quite close and long so midwife came back and brought 2nd midwife who just happened to be an old childhood friend of my husband, aswell as a student midwife!

The next time they examined me I was 8cm and felt like I need to be on my bed. As I did so, the midwives had to bully me into going for a wee as it seemed to preventing me from getting to 10cm! So I went and had a wee, when I came back they broke my waters and bang! I was 10cm!

Ready to push I felt like trying a bit of the gas and air again, just for fun! It was great but only had a couple of mouthfuls before baby's head was out.

All the while, in my room, were the 3 midwives, my husband, my Mum and my little boy (he was lying on the bed next to me).

At 3pm and after just a few pushes, our little girl Maisie Natasja was born, weighing a whopping 9lb 6oz! My son was the 1st to see her head (apart from midwives) and he was just the proudest big brother ever!

Again, no stitches, no tears, nothing - simple, straightforward, relaxed birth.

Now I sit here on my due date with baby number 3 - I hope that this next home birth is just as nice and easy - it better be as I haven't even bothered ordering the Pethidine this time!"

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Jane's brother's story, Warwickshire (2nd baby) - brother's perspective, almost unassisted home birth!

"Delivering my nephew

By seven o'clock on Friday morning my sister Jane's contractions were coming every four minutes. Her daughter, Aimee, arrived in just four hours and as second babies are faster the hospital had recommended not even trying to move - the midwife would come to her. But four minutes wasn't critical yet - there was time to get people in place. So she phoned my Mum, who headed over to the house, promising to call me and Dad when things were properly kicking off.

Twenty-five minutes later she arrived to find Jane in full-on labour. This was happening fast. Mum called the hospital, then let me and Dad know to come over right away. And at this point I was full of the joys of life. When Aimee was born I headed to the hospital and after 20mins was taken in to see my beaming sister holding my new niece. It was lovely. So, being male and naive, this time I drove over with a big smile on my face. And then I walked in the door to see Jane in screaming agony on all fours on the lounge floor, and everything stopped being fun. But it got worse: there was no sign of the midwife, and Mum had just spotted the baby's head becoming visible and dialled 999.

I've obviously seen births on TV. And I remember a no-holds-barred video in GCSE science. But these didn't involve my sister. I couldn't comprehend the pain she was in, and everything was happening incredibly quickly. But there was no time to think. Mum was relaying seriously important instructions from 999: "support the head", which my Dad rushed to do, and then, "if the head's in place, she has to push". I went to help.

Jane later said the instruction to push was redundant - she had no choice. The contractions came and she pushed with everything she had. And the baby's head was crowning. And nothing was coming. And more contractions came. And Jane's screaming. And there's still nothing happening. And then the midwife's car pulls up at the end of the drive. And the midwife only has to get out of her car and into the house. But it's all happening now and there's another contraction and Jane's in agony I can't even imagine and the baby's head comes out. And Dad's there and in control and holding it. And the head is the colour of ash. And we're all in shock. And Jane's boyfriend rushes out to the drive shouting, "he's coming out!". And the midwife is running. And Jane has one final contraction and my nephew, Benjamin Ian Walker, slips out into the world, and I catch him. And Mum's relaying the biggest, most important 999 instruction of them all: "don't drop the baby!". And he's grey and red and still. And the blue cord is around his neck. And I start pulling it off but I don't know what I'm doing or whether this is the right thing to do but all I can see is a cord around his neck and then the midwife's there and we get the cord off and he starts crying.

We lowered him onto the floor, and the midwife took over. She cut the cord (I later found out it wasn't looped around his neck, just caught from the back) and after a quick check on the baby it's all Jane, who just gave birth without pain relief in 1 hour and 40 minutes and needs serious attention. But she's doing ok, if shell-shocked and hurting. Dad and I had been in the room for maybe seven minutes.

We both later admitted that the relief at seeing the midwife's car arrive was tinged with a slight disappointment. We were both there, after all, and all ready for the event, but it didn't seem likely everything would happen in the next 10 seconds. But it did. Dad did a brilliant job supporting Ben's head throughout, which was the most important thing: Ben's middle name is after his grandfather.

Two more midwives arrived, and Jane was patched up while Ben happily went to sleep in his little white romper suit. Mum made tea and we passed him around - I had a hold, which was nice as I'd been too scared to with Aimee (nowhere to sit down in case I dropped her). He was 3.67kg - about 8 pounds 1 ounce.

I was shaking for quite a long time. And my jumper needed a wash. But it was a hell of a morning.

Jane was amazing throughout. I don't know how you come out of that with such poise and elegance. And somehow, unbelievably, she never actually swore. Congratulations, sis - you did good.

Note: I have read articles in which people get sniffy about women who request c-sections. Other than an aversion to sniffy commentators, I've never formed any particular opinion on this matter. Now I have, and those people can, to put it in the politest possible terms, go screw themselves. The evolutionary hackjob that is childbirth is way more brutal than I could possibly have imagined. I mean, holy mother of god. I am now and for evermore entirely in favour of women having any and all help they want."

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Lauren's story, Coventry - unplanned home birth!

"My unexpected home birth!

So, its Thursday 21st January 2010, 4 long days over my due date and I have an antenatal appointment with my midwife. I sit and wait to see my midwife and finally go in about an hour late and she can tell I am about at the end of my tether, she does her usual checks and all seems well with baby number 2. She then offers me a stretch and sweep (joy) so I immediately accept. I never had one the first time as baby number 1 was early, and it really hurt!! In a haze of pain I vaguely remember my midwife saying that I was 2cms but at this point that did not go in as I had a very dull ache in my tummy, like a period pain that was all I could think about. The midwife said to me she had definitely dislodged my 'plug' and that hopefully this would be the start of my labour. I leave the midwife with everything crossed (well not my legs as I really, really wanted this baby out!) and still with the ache in my tummy, I get in the car and go home to my Mr who is waiting to go to work and my lovely daughter who is waiting for her tea. I had a quick conversation with my Mr before he shot off to work and told him what the midwife had done and that I had this pain in my lower tummy but he didn't really get it and went off to work. I carried on as normal, made mine and my daughter's tea, washed up, etc. I had a phone call from my sister about 6pm as she had been ringing everyday since a week before my due date as she was desperate to meet her new niece and I explained to her what had happened and having 2 children herself, she assured me I was on my way.

By 8pm the period type pain in my tummy had gone and I was soooo disappointed as I thought I was on my way to finally having my baby so I went to bed (in a strop) as normal. My Mr worked 2pm-10pm shift at that time so by the time he had got in from work and watched telly for a bit and whatever else he does before bed it was exactly 1:30 am when he came to bed as I remember waking up and looking at the clock. He got into bed and nodded straight off but I was awake now so I sat up to go to the toilet. I suddenly felt a bit of a 'gush' and I thought my waters had gone so I shuffled along the landing to the toilet to try and see if they had but as I sat down I had my first contraction. It was short and sharp and not too bad so I tried to carry on trying to go to the toilet when the 2nd contraction came, again short and sharp so I called out for my Mr who was sound asleep and couldn't hear me the first time! I shouted him until he woke up in typical man style, 'what, what, what's going on?' and I told him what had happened. He lies there for a minute while I get off the toilet and attempt to shuffle back down the landing when another contraction comes. I get back into the bedroom and another comes. My Mr soon sits up in bed and starts to take notice when I start shouting, 'ow, ow, ow, ow'! I tell him to start timing my contractions to see how long and how fast they are coming. Well I then have a huge contraction that just came out of the blue, nothing like the short sharp ones I had been having only minutes before. I tell my Mr to ring the babysitter (who was coming to look after my eldest daughter while we were at the hospital) and he replies with, 'are you sure it's time?'. I shout at him that yes I am sure, so he gets on the phone and starts ringing when another big contraction comes and I'm shouting again in pain and he says I have to go downstairs as the last thing we needed was our eldest waking up (suppose he was right). So I waddle down the stairs and make it to the bathroom downstairs just as another big contraction comes and I remember hanging off the door frame as my Mr is running down the stairs on the phone to the babysitter whilst throwing clothes on. He comes to me in the bathroom and says he is going to get the babysitter and he would be as quick as he could, as I have another contraction. I tell him I'm running a bath because that's what they tell you to do to ease the pain and I tell him to go and be as quick as he could. So off he goes and in the bath I get with contractions coming quicker and longer with every one.

It feels like an eternity has passed and he is still not back so I ring him to see where he is and he has only just got there to pick her up!!! So I scream at him to hurry up as I'm having a contraction as I'm on the phone and I slightly over react by telling him I'm 'dying' and that he needs to hurry up. I decide in between contractions that I would ring the maternity ward at the hospital and let them know what's going on and to ask their opinion. Well a very nice midwife answered just as I'm having yet another contraction and I have to let that pass before I can speak again. The lovely midwife on the other end tells me to get to the hospital as soon as I could so they could check me over. I thank her for her help and hang up from her and get out of the bath as I feel that I need to go to the toilet. As I get up out of the bath I notice that the bath has gone green but another contraction comes and I'm starting to feel out of it from the pain so that doesn't really go in. I now know that was probably when my waters went when I was in the bath, not when I was upstairs as originally thought. I make it to the toilet and I have this overwhelming urge to push so I do a little bit and I reach down and I can feel my baby's head!!! So I phone my Mr again to see where he is and he tells me he has just pulled back onto the drive and that he's home. He rushes in to me in the bathroom and I tell him to ring an ambulance because I can feel baby's head and that I am starting to push. He again asks if I'm sure for the second time that night and I scream that I am sure and show him all the blood that is all over the bathroom floor and he goes a bit of a funny colour and grabs the phone. By this time I'm practically out of it because of the pain that I'm in from the contractions and I only vaguely remember this part.

I remember my Mr running back into the bathroom on the phone and telling me to lie down; I do so by lying on the bathmat and then I get cramp in my leg and cant open my legs so he can't see what's going on down there. I remember him telling the person on the other end of the phone I couldn't open my legs because of the cramp, God knows what they said but I remember him pulling my legs open and him saying, 'I can see the head!'. Then I remember him saying, 'is the ambulance here yet?' to the person on the phone and I'm guessing they said yes as my Mr ran out of the bathroom. I remember shouting to him as he ran off, 'make sure they have drugs for me'. The next thing I knew 4 ambulance crew were in the bathroom with me and one of them gave me some gas and air, sweet, sweet gas and air, that I had for about 20 seconds before one of the woman ambulance crew members pulled the tube off the mouthpiece and said I couldn't have anymore because I had stopped pushing and was doing better without it, what a cow! Anyway the next thing I can remember was her telling me to push then telling me to pant then one big push and then I felt the pain go as I gave the last push and then there she was, my beautiful baby girl! At this point I still felt out of it and I could just about see my Mr's face as he wiped away tears and smiled at me. I looked down and there she was, my beautiful little girl being cleaned up by the ambulance crew. Then they handed her to me and one of them said, 'there she is, your little girl born at 2:42am'.

2:42am! That's 1 hour and 12 minutes since I had woke up!! Was that all? It felt like hours to me. The ambulance crew had asked my Mr to go and get something to put the baby in to keep her warm so he had gone off upstairs to get some towels and my bags that were supposed to have come to the hospital with me and I remember sitting on the bathroom floor holding my baby with a towel round her when one of the ambulance crew asked if they wanted them to cut the cord or if my Mr wanted to do it. I said that my Mr had wanted to do it as that's what we had planned in my birth plan but he was still upstairs at this point so we waited for him to come back down and then asked him. I think the stress of the night's events had got to him and he couldn't do it so the ambulance crew did it in the end. I remember my little girl going off for a cuddle with her daddy in the living room while I was still sat, stark naked due to being in the bath earlier, on the bathroom floor, because the ambulance crew could not deliver the placenta as they were not skilled enough to check if it was all there. They informed me though that the community midwife who was on duty was on her way and she would deliver it when she got there. One of them got me my dressing gown to put round me as it was January and I was sat on a cold wet bathmat on a tiled floor and said to me that I had done brilliantly; that is and probably always will be one of the nicest and appropriately timed words anyone has ever said to me! At some point not too much longer after that the midwife arrived and came in and gave me my injection in my leg to deliver the placenta and it was delivered and all accounted for! She checked me over and said I seemed OK, I didn't need any stitches (which was a huge relief as I had had 15 with my 1st) and that I could get up and sort myself out now. I remember thanking the ambulance crew and apologising for the fact they would probably be haunted by the image of me giving birth for the rest of their lives! They said not to be silly and congratulated me and went on their way. The midwife then checked my baby over and weighed her, etc and all was well with baby. Baby weighed 9lb 5oz!!! 9lb 5oz with no drugs and more worryingly no stitches either, and delivered in 1 hour and 12 minutes! The midwife finished off her paperwork and then went on her way as well. The next thing me and my Mr were looking at each other as if to say, did all that really just happen? Then we looked around and we had our 2nd beautiful girl asleep in her moses basket and somehow our eldest one still asleep upstairs in her bed!

It was the most bizzare thing to ever happen to me in my entire life and even now when I think about it I feel in shock that it happened so fast and there I was just at home with my baby as neither of us had to go to hospital and we were just there and had to get on with it. I feel that I missed out on that bit you have when you have your baby at the hospital where the midwife gets your baby their bottle and you get your lunch brought to you and the midwife helps you with a few things and it's just like a little bit of relaxing time after giving birth before you go home. I was just at home and less than 2 hours after giving birth I'm standing in the kitchen sterilising bottles. It was just madness but I wouldn't change it for the world! The ambulance crew were fantastic and I wish I had caught their names as I can not thank them enough, my partner either because if they had been 5 more minutes getting there he would have had to deliver our baby himself! By the time morning came my Mr was at the shop buying the newspapers from the day our baby was born, the headline on the front of our local paper was 'Baby Born on the Bathroom Floor' - a similar thing had happened in our city to someone else only days before!!"

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Jade's story, Thurrock - twins with a very fast unaided home delivery!

"31st August 2010 I had a normal hospital appointment. Well I say normal, this was like my 100th one because I was carrying twins. I was 36 weeks pregnant and was really hoping that they would induce me. I layed on the bed and got that little excited feeling I always got when hearing their heartbeats, then mine skipped a beat when he told me he wanted to do a quick scan to see how they where laying. I thought this was it... he was going to tell me that he was going to induce me. I was bitterly dissapointed. Another 4 weeks at least he said. They didn't look ready. Sitting indoors, I was upset. My back was killing me, I hadnt had a decent nights sleep in months and I longed to see my baby boys. Even on the TV, soap stars where having their babies. Off to bed I went with a heavy heart.

2.30am. Woke up with a bad belly ache. I remember thinking about what I had eaten that day and what could be causing it. Food poisoning was all I needed! Spent about 20 minutes on the toilet. Diarrhoea... nice!!! Went back to bed and closed my eyes, but five minutes later I was back on the toilet. I was starting to worry that I was seriously ill and called my partner. That's when I realised there was blood on my tissue. My bloody show!!! It had never occured to me that I was in labour. We knew we had to get to the hospital. My parter woke our two year old girl and had just removed her nappy when I felt something drop. I called him to come quickly and asked him what was happening. I think I nearly passed out when he told me he could see a head! I just remember him saying to get off the toilet as he didnt want his babies falling in there!

I only made it to the floor when I knew I had to push. My partner had rung an ambulance and was still on the phone to the operator who was guiding him through what to do. I had to push, there was no stopping it. As I was pushing I felt my waters break and the floor felt flooded. I was uncomfortable and wet but kept on pushing. Then 2 minutes later out popped Max. Looking at my partner I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had the phone propped up against his ear, our new born son in the other and he was fighting back the tears. Then it started all over again. The ambulance hadn't arrived yet and the second baby was on his way. We tried to juggle around in our small bathroom. Me propped up against the toilet while my partner was by the door getting ready to bring the next baby into the world. I started pushing, and the babys head had just popped out when the ambulance arrived. Well, two ambulances and a fast response car! My partner took our little girl into the next room while the paramedics delivered Aiden. I remember crying because I couldn't hear him crying. I just wanted to see him too. Why wasn't he crying? The paramedic then told me that he was still in his sack and it took them a minute to get him out and place him in my arms. 1st September 2010, At 2.30am I went into labour. By 3:50am Max (6lb 9oz) was born and five minutes later along came Aiden (5lb 5oz). I hadn't realised I was in labout until ten minutes before they where born. I guess they wanted to see us as much as we wanted to see them!"

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Amy and Lily's story, Felixstowe - sweep and a natural home birth

"Wednesday 28th October 2009

Well, feeling thoroughly fed up and sore with my ribs, SPD and just general hugeness I went off to see my midwife on 27th Oct (the day before my due date) for a sweep. All my BP and urine was fine and baby had moved from back to back to the front so I was really pleased about that. Then she did the sweep and said although I was about 2cm dilated my cervix was still quite high and posterior, midwife didn't think anything would happen for a while. I was gutted and went home and burst into tears.

Pete was on nights that night so was home during the day; we decided to go for a walk to get some fresh air to make me feel better, so we went down the beach and walked along the front. I was still feeling disappointed when we got home so after dinner I suggested we had sex before Pete went to work, just in case it helped!!! I started having a few niggles that evening and was having a few strong contractions but they didn't have a pattern and stopped by the time I went to bed.

On 28th Oct I woke up at 1.33am and my waters had gone. I got out of bed and they gushed, went to the bathroom and just sat on the toilet while all this water was pouring out of me! (Midwife had said I had a lot). I phoned Pete at work and told him to come home, although I hadn't had any contractions. At 2.10am I had my first contraction. Pete got home and put the TENS machine on for me and went down to start filling the pool.

I rang my best friend Katie who was also my doula, and she came round with her 5 week old baby. Then I rang my midwife at about 3am. I was coping fine with the tens machine and after having all my obs done Louise (my midwife) said she would do an internal to see what was happening. I was about 5cm so decided to get in the pool. Things carried on going well; I did have all my contractions in my back which were very painful but I managed by breathing through them and holding on to Pete and Katie. At about 6.30am I started to feel a bit pushy but wasn't actually pushing. The second midwife had arrived and was sat talking to Louise. At about 6.45am the midwives realised I was pushing a bit so started to get ready. Just then I had a massive urge to push and her head came out. I think I was shocked because I thought I would be pushing for a lot longer; at 6.55am Lily was born.

As soon as I saw her I thought about how much she looked like Josh and as I was convinced I was having a boy I didn't even look. Katie asked me if I was going to look as she had seen when she had come out. I was shocked to find I had a little girl. I was so happy as deep down I wanted another girl but had come to accept it was a boy (even though we never found out).

I got straight out of the pool because of what happened last time and lay down on the sofa with my baby girl who started to feed straight away. I had another strong contraction and my placenta was delivered followed by quite a bit of blood. I think Louise panicked a bit and decided to give me the Syntometrine, but I was fine and didn't feel faint at all. The midwives got tidied up and left us to it, I had a quick bath and got into bed with my new baby which was lovely as I didn't get to do that bit last time because of going into hospital. Katie said she would take Rubie for us so we could get some rest (Josh was still on holiday with mum and dad). So the 3 of us snuggled down in bed and within minutes Pete was snoring! I was on too much of a high to sleep but was lovely to lay in the quiet with Lily on my chest!

Time in labour: 5 hours 30 mins."

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Amy and Rubie's story, Felixstowe - home birth with hospital transfer for fainting

"Wednesday, 24th October 2007

It all kicked off on Tuesday 23rd Oct '07. I started having mild contractions in the afternoon which started to get stronger so I got Pete to put my TENS machine on. I had a few false alarms before so wasn't expecting it to be the real thing, even though I was 6 days late. Well at 10pm everything stopped, what a surprise! So feeling a bit upset I decided to go to bed.

I then woke up just before 2am on 24th to go to the toilet. As I got up I heard a little pop and as I walked to the bathroom my waters started trickling. At 2am I had my first proper contraction. I woke Pete and told him this was it so he put my TENS machine on again and went downstairs to get sorted and start filling the pool.

At about 3am I phoned my mum who was going to be with me aswell, my contractions were starting to get really painful so when my mum arrived just after 3am Pete phoned for the midwife.

Sarah, a lovely midwife, arrived at 3.40am, my contractions were right on top of each other and I was still just using my TENS machine. Sarah checked me and I was 8cm!! I couldn't believe it, so I got into the pool at about 4.15am which was lovely.

I breathed through my contractions and Sarah phoned for the second midwife. I decided I would like some gas and air. At about 5am the second midwife arrived (also called Sarah) and after 20 minutes of pushing Rubie May Fisk was born at 5.25am, exactly 1 week late.

We sat in the pool for about 30 minutes with me holding my new baby girl and waiting for the cord to stop pulsating. I felt great but it didn't last long. Rubie's cord was clamped and cut and Sarah wanted me to get out of the pool so my placenta could be delivered. I felt a bit funny but started to get up on my knees ready to get out. The next thing I know I am laying on the floor next to the pool. I had fainted and started to go under the water so the 2 Sarah's and my mum had had to drag me out!

I lay on the floor for a while, but every time I tried to get up I kept fainting so the decision was made to call an ambulance. I was so disappointed after having such an amazing birth but I knew I needed to go in.

Rubie still hadn't been weighed so once we got to the hospital they checked her over and weighed her, 9lb 2oz, where was I hiding that!!!! We were discharged at 7pm that evening after me having IV fluids.

So all in all I had a lovely birth but unfortunately didn't go to plan after but I have my beautiful little girl who was worth every bit.

Time in labour: 3hrs 40 mins."

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