Katie's story, Wiltshire - arrival of 4th boy, weak but fast labour, 10lb 6oz natural birth!

Sweep Tuesday 10th January at about 9:00am, no contractions or show. Cervix posterior, soft and stretchy, 2 cm dilated. Nothing pointing towards labour. Waited all day for a sign and went to bed disheartened again.

Weds 11th January, some painful burrowing pains, couple of uncomfortable BH during the day – 5-6 by 15:45pm, period pain on and off but only mildly niggling. Just before 11am, lost some plug. Not sure if it was just dislodged from the sweep yesterday or whether it means I’m dilating.

Had a crying episode between 17:30 and 18:00pm, nothing happening (or so I thought).

18:45pm posted on FB: Feel sick and generally not quite right. Baby feels low but high up so I can't breathe, all at the same time?! Just had some tears too, stupid woman. Curry (a-bloody-gain), OBEM and bed. At least when asleep, our brains have a chance of getting some respite from thinking about sodding labour. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Around 18:50pm had a contraction. Another about 20 mins later. Third again, 20 mins after that. Seemed to stop at 20:40pm but started soon after and then kept coming! Fluctuating and irregular, getting down to 9 – 13 minutes apart, couple starting to hurt a little by 10pm. Lost large part of plug at 10pm, kept coming away so knew something was definitely happening. Have to go in at first sign of labour for Strep B antibiotics so rang RUH about 10:30pm for advice. Said to go in as 2 lots of IV antibiotics need to be given, 4 hours apart. Explained my last natural labour was irregular, 7cm at home, 10 minute dilation from 7-10cm once waters broke, so they knew my labour may not be straight forward.

Arrived at Bath RUH at 00:05am on Thursday 12th January. Urine sample given, showing protein but probably due to more plug coming away. Sent away for tests anyway. CTG started at 00:20am. Internal showed 4cm dilated, cervix still 2cm thick and mid-posterior, although personally felt much further forward than Tuesday, medium consistency. Baby 3/5 palpable still, fundus height 40cm. Question mark over established labour but MW happy that I knew my body and listened to what I was telling her was happening. Left on trace while spoke to Doctor about plan of action.

01:15am CTG discontinued, all fine, irregular uterine tightenings. Doctor came and explained procedure of strep B treatment. Plan is to mobilise for 2 hours then reassess.

01:30am Using ball, contractions pick up quickly, coming every 8 minutes, starting to become quite painful, having to breathe through them. Numerous trips to toilet, more plug coming away.

03:15am, MW came to check on me, can see in pain and that contractions lasting longer than 1 minute. Taken back to room, internal done, cervix mid-posterior still but 1-2cm thick now and soft, 5cm dilated. MW reviewed plan with doctor; 03:45 moved to labour room, yay!

Canula put in and first (and only) lot of antibiotics given. Using birthing ball, but doesn’t seem to help. Contractions at 5 minutess, painful, but quite manageable.

04:50am asked for gas and air; although could have managed without for longer, wanted a bit of respite from the pain.

05:05am pressure in bum! Baby moving down. Ball doing nothing, so decide to stand to move things along.

05:30am standing has sped things up a lot – contractions seem strange; one contraction, small amount of pressure, next contraction moves baby down and I’m bearing down, can feel baby moving down my pelvis at 05:37am. No urge to push yet but tell Ady and MW it won’t be long.

05:41am biggest contraction yet, ‘painful’ but more because of pressure than proper pain, if that makes sense? I’m quite with it, telling MW what is happening in my body, was expecting immense pain as with my other labours but this labour and sequence of contractions is an odd experience. Contractions stayed at only 5-7 minutes apart until now. Small amount of waters draining on pushing. First time ever for my waters to go spontaneously in labour. 2nd MW called for imminent delivery.

05:45am got on bed to deliver, on back and slightly upright but no contractions. I’m very conscious and perplexed that I’m normally pushing with no say in the matter by this stage!

05:50am kneeling over back of bed starts contractions again, 05:55am pushing resumes.

05:56am vertex just visible – 06:03am head delivered. Loads of pushing, felt like I was pushing for a good half hour just to birth his head, just didn’t feel like it was coming, but eventually I felt that stinging sensation and knew he was almost there.

06:04am body not delivering with pushes, moved onto back. Rest of waters went between head and body being delivered.

06:05am body delivered. No shoulder dystocia, but broad shouldered baby made it a tight fit for him!

06:09am placenta delivered.


Fully dilated: 05:56am

Pushing commenced: 05:55am

Head delivered: 06:03am

Body delivered: 06:05am

Placenta delivered: 06:09am

Duration of labour: 2 hours 44 minutes


The labour was really an odd experience – painful, but in varying degrees, nothing that was unmanageable and I could have done without the gas and air but it’s always nice to have some! The only really painful part was pushing the head out. Irregular contractions, never getting to more than 5 minutes apart until his head was being birthed. Contractions slowed and petered out in strength if I was on the ball or not upright. Not sure if it was to do with his weight or positioning? The amount of contractions was sparse and I just can’t get over what a weird labour this was! Even Ady was saying it wasn’t normal!

I’m really happy with my MW, she listened to my previous experiences and took notice of what I was saying my body was doing. Fab young lady who will be getting a thank you card.

Had a small 2nd degree tear but it doesn’t hurt at all. My pelvis is noticeably unstable so need to rest as much as I can really.

Marley had to have an antibiotic injection as I didn’t get my second dose in labour, heel prick test for blood sugar levels before every single feed for 24 hours and obs every 4 hours for Strep B, poor boy has heels covered in cuts and bruises. I have to inject myself with Fragmin for 7 days – all good practice for when I come to do it to other people!

Marley is in 3-6 month clothes – he isn’t excessively long but he’s covered in gorgeous soft fat. 57cm long, head circumference 37.5cm.

Marley was born at 06:05am weighing 10lb 6oz.

Clare's story, Basingstoke - first daughter, 41 weeks gestation

"I woke up at 6ish on a Sunday morning to mild but regular contractions. Got up and went into the spare room onto the PC. Hubby surfaced about 8ish, came looking for me and I greeted him with, "I've been having contrations for 2 hours". Probably the wrong thing to say as he is DS1's stepdad and this was his first labour experience. He immediately started panicing, getting dressed and grabbing the hospital bag, asking me how I was every 10 seconds, until it dawned on him I wasn't screaming, I wasn't moving and I wasn't even dressed! He stopped, slowed down and I told him it's not time yet, but either later today or early tomorrow I expect we'll be meeting baby! I had mild but regular contractions all day and nothing changed, went into maternity about 8pm to check progress, came home and took 2 paracetamol and went to bed. Woke up at 12.30am ish in agony, so bad I could hardly get out of bed and get dressed. Hubby was downstairs watching TV and DS1 was at grandmas for the night just in  case! He took one look at my face and resumed his earlier panicing! Rang labour ward to say we were coming back. Three hours of very intense pain later DD arrived, shocked at her arrival she took longer to start breathing than her older brother and I went to pieces as she was born the day before my best friend's angel baby's 1st anniversary. When she took that first wonderful breath I was shaking so much I couldn't hold her. I was on all fours and couldn't support myself. It worked out for the best though as hubby, who was petrified of holding newborns, saw I wasn't capable, and grabbed her! No messing with the time this time around, the midwife had it exactly!

She was 8lb 12.5oz, 03.49 am, 41wks gestation and a gas and air only baby."

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Clare's story, Basingstoke - first time mum, break in contractions

"DS number 1

I was 38+5 when I started getting period type pains and waters started leaking. It was my own fault as it was Thursday 12th and I'd said to my mum 'I'm not going anywhere tomorrow just in case'!!! Ha! Well I didn't technically go anywhere, unless you count from antenatal to labour ward! Anyway, I rang maternity and they said to come in as waters were leaking and it was my first baby. They said to stay in, although labour was not established, but waters were broken, they weren't busy and this was my first baby.

I got to hospital at about 10.30pm, had irregular contractions for most of the night, then DS decided it was time for a rest and went to sleep for a few hours and all the contractions stopped! Got going again about lunchtime and they took me to delivery about 1pm as I was dilating well. I had an 8 hour established labour which I was told was good for a first timer. Towards the end the midwife broke my waters as although they had gone the night before, the bag had sort of folded back under my cervix and stopped it from breaking properly. This frightened the life out of DS and he evacuated his meconium inside! Paed was called and present at the birth to check him over... he was fine. No-one knows the exact time he was born though as midwife deferred to the paed, who thought the midwife was doing the timing. They agreed it was about 8.20pm though. Paed rushed off as busy by now and midwife almost had to call her back as my placenta wouldn't come out, but she catheterised me and it came out soon as my bladder was empty!

He was 6lb 7.5oz at 38+6 gestation, 2 shots of pethadine overnight to help me get some sleep and the actual established labour on gas and air."

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The Arrival of Leo!

Huge CONGRATULATIONS to Caroline, Brett and Zachary on the arrival of baby boy Leo John on 14th July 2011. An excellent weight at 8lb 5.5oz. Many happy wishes and sleepless nights to you all!

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.

Kylie's story, UK - 27 weeks c-section due to pre-eclampsia

"It was a Friday morning, May 8^th 2009. It was unseasonably warm, as I remember, but at the time of my caesarean section I had not seen the outside world for over 24 hours. Two midwives came into the room, the delivery suite of our local hospital, and asked me “Would you like to walk into theatre, or would you prefer to be wheeled in?” I sat up high on the bed, looked at the drips in each arm, the catheter tube between my legs connected to a bag, and said “no I will walk”.

As I was led up the hall, I swallowed back tears. I was 27 weeks pregnant. I had signed a consent form for my unborn child to be treated, to do whatever it took to help him survive. My heart was heavy. Had I done the right thing? If I didn’t have surgery today, death would be imminent. I felt so angry. No one tells you that in 21^st century Britain you can still die in childbirth. I was cross. And I was frightened.

My husband had already gone, the consultant had taken him to scrub up and put his gown on. As I got into the theatre I was struck by how cold it was. My friendly anaesthetist sat by my side. “Please, Kylie, reconsider. I do think a general anaesthetic would be safer for you, you are quite big and I am not sure I can do the spinal”. Those tears that I’d forced down now were stinging my eyes. “Would you try, please, I really don’t want a general anaesthetic”.

My reasons were simple. My baby could die. I didn’t want to be asleep, for my husband to wake me to have to tell me, I wanted so desperately to be awake. Everything else had been taken from us. Pre eclampsia had stolen my natural birth, my third trimester, all I wanted now was to be awake.

Reluctantly, he agreed to try, I’d seen enough medical programmes to know what I had to do. I practiced my hypnobirthing and I pretended to be a cat. I curled my back. I thought about Atticus, our dear cat at home, how her spine curved. I stayed rigid. I heard a little “whoop” behind me. The anaesthetist came around and grinned! “Mrs Hodges, you are fat at the front but thin at the back, it’s in!”

I lay down and they started prepping me for the procedure. My husband appeared by my side, obviously trying to stay as positive as possible. He squeezed my hand and we started talking about our honeymoon. The team decided not to tell me what was happening. I couldn’t feel a thing. I had two surgeons, Charlie to my left and Dr K to my right. Dr K had the business end, I had felt my baby kick and swirl and move all night long. I had not been permitted to sleep the previous night, due to risk of seizure.

I saw a flurry of activity, and some people surge forward. I heard hardly a sound. The baby had been delivered and sent to the room adjacent. After a few minutes I heard a noise. I was angry. I turned to my husband “I am so sick of this, I heard labouring women all night and now babies crying. It’s too much”. I looked up and several pairs of eyes were smiling at me over the masks. My husband smiled. “That’s our baby sweetheart”. My baby. I hadn’t seen him, I didn’t even know his gender at this point, but he was alive. He was crying. My heart sang, and sank again. It would be a long time before I could see him, and an even longer time until I could hold him.

The mood in the room had totally shifted. People started telling jokes and talking about football. They completed sewing me up. The room emptied. I was taken to recovery. My husband finally appeared again, he’d gone into the ante room. He had seen our baby boy. He was buzzing with excitement. I was terrified. After a time I went back into the delivery suite room and got reattached to my drips. The risk of eclamptic shock lasts for at least 24 hours after delivery.

I sat that day, in my bed. There was no television or radio allowed. I couldn’t move. Our NICU was too small for a bed, and I wasn’t well enough to be put into a wheelchair. I was unable to read as the pre eclampsia was still affecting me, and I couldn’t focus. Thoughts turned to my baby. I began to cry. Charlie, my beautiful assistant doctor, came in to see me and in his big Ghanaian voice said “What is the matter?” I tried not to cry “I’m just hormonal, post-op blues, I will be fine”. He smiled. He said “You are not fine. You need to be with your baby”. I stared at him, my eyes open wide. “I will do something, if I have to carry you myself, you will see your baby today. You must”. He walked out purposefully.

I don’t know what he did, but by 6pm I was wheeled into the NICU unit in chair, with my drips and my catheter. I had walked past that unit so many times in my short pregnancy. And whenever I walked, I said a prayer for the babies and staff on the unit. Never in a million years did I think I would be one of those mothers, who waited, who worried, who cried. Never in a million years did I think I would be the mother of a 1lb 7oz miracle baby.

As I got to his side, I was amazed. I didn’t see machinery, I didn’t even really notice the plastic walls. My heart reached out to my baby, to Joseph.

I looked at him, I told him I loved him, and I smiled.

10 weeks later we finally went home.

And now, 2 years on, you would never ever know that my walking, talking, smiling, laughing toddler was that tiny little baby, so small and frail.

Sometimes I read birth stories and wish. I think “I wanted that story, the water birth, the home birth, the vaginal birth, the skin to skin, the breastfeeding”.

But I own this story, and it’s a special one. I may not have been the one I wanted, but it’s the right story for our family, and it has a happy ending, for which I am eternally grateful."

Kylie, Not Even A Bag Of Sugar

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Recent scan picture and NUB theory

Hi lovely followers and likers and unsubscribers alike! I am 14+2 weeks today and we had our dating scan a couple of weeks ago. Just wanted to add a picture here!

Has anyone heard of the NUB theory? I don't think you can make it out on these pictures, but I'm intrigued as to who has had an accurate NUB reading?