BUMP + BEYOND : JENNY’S BIRTH STORY
Before I begin I wanted to tell you why I’m sharing my birth experience. For many of us the process of giving birth has been guided by what you may watch on tv (which by the way is very much false advertising!) or see in the media. Although my labour was by no means a breeze in the park, I feel that by sharing my story it may support others (maybe like yourself if you are pregnant reading this) and shed a little light on the truth about labour, feelings and emotions and act as a real reminder that every birth is unique and magical in it’s own way - and that no matter how your baby arrives at the end of the day the safety and health of you and your baby is your ultimate priority.
This whole journey from conception to delivery has been amazing, intense and emotional. Its such an important part of so many women’s lives and here at Balance + Glo we want to support YOU through pregnancy, birth and beyond. We are SO excited to announce that we are now working with the team on creating a Balance + Glo ‘ Bump and Beyond’ Wellness Package for anyone who is pregnant or just become a mum. This will include pre and post natal yoga and fitness classes, educational videos from the experts, amazing mum and baby friendly recipes and so many self care and wellness tips to support you through pregnancy and beyond.
If you are interested in finding out more about our upcoming ‘Bump+ Beyond’ Wellness Package then please sign up to our mailing list via balanceandgloonline.com - more information to be released very soon!!
My Birth Story
It’s a little long, so get a cuppa and have a read! I would love to hear from you if you have any questions or want to share your stories too.
My due date past by, 41 weeks past by and I started to wonder whether baby Freddie was actually ever going to arrive! Mentally that last week felt pretty tough, not only physically was i feeling super big and heavy but every time I stepped outside someone would comment, give me a recommendation for induing labour (I’d been trying EVERYTHING!) or ask about the due date. I know people meant well, but it became a little tedious and by the end I was avoiding really going to many places where i would see lots of people! This really made me think about how I’d text people in the past saying ‘has baby arrived yet?’, ‘where is baby’ and not really thought about how it could make someone feel. I think looking back, I’d started to feel like a bit of a failure even at this point because despite doing everything I could, I just couldn't seem to get this baby moving along!
I’d obviously been doing yoga throughout pregnancy and I’d also done a hypno-birthing course too (I’d very much recommend!). I’d also written a birthing plan, but to be honest i’d been so set on having a water birth that as I approached 42 weeks and I was due to be booked for an induction, I was still thinking in the back of my mind that the water birth would happen! As part of the course I had written a birth plan, which had included alternative options if things didn't go to ‘plan’, so it was good to know that I already knew my options before we even went in for an induction meeting.
However, on the Thursday evening (41+ 5) I started getting very mild cramping. Trying not to get too excited that I may actually being going into natural labour I just continued with my evening. I managed to sleep through the little contractions and sometimes they faded away but in the early hours of Friday morning, the surges started ramping up a little and I started to time them with the Freya App (this app was downloadable with the hypno-birthing course)
I got on with my Friday as usual - saw some friends, saw my mum and did a little bit of work - not mentioning to anyone about the contractions apart from my husband as I didn't want to jinx it. As the day progressed into the afternoon and eventing the contractions started to get stronger but I was using the golden thread breathing technique and up breathing on the Freya App whilst bouncing and leaning on my birth ball. As the evening progressed, I turned on my tens machine to help with the back pain I was experiencing (which is definitely recommended!) and was watching episodes of Friends whilst the contractions started to get even stronger. Soon I was getting 3 contractions lasting 45 seconds in every 10 minutes and the Freya App said I was in established labour. I rang the hospital about midnight and they said to stay home a little longer until the intensity increased. By 3am we were in the car on the way to the hospital - the journey wasn’t too bad at all and I continued to breath my way through each surge.
When we arrived we were taken to a lovely private room on the maternity ward. After a couple more hours of contractions, bouncing on the birthing ball, and my husband Alex making us do laps of the room in different birthing positions (I wished I’d filmed our circuits challenge!) , I was examined at about 6am and was told I as 2cm dilated. Progress and they said we could stay at the hospital to keep progressing!!
At about 4pm on Saturday I was examined again and was told I was at the magic 4cm dilated and could go to the birthing pool room in the labour ward. I got into a wheelchair and was wheeled round to the pool room (contracting on the way!). Honestly Alex said the relief in my face when we got to the pool was just one of pure happiness that I had made it there. Getting into the pool felt amazing and I can only suggest to anyone who enjoys being in the water to definitely consider a water birth as an option. The room at the hospital here on the island is so calming and beautiful, you feel instant relief being there.
After a little while this is where contractions got more intense and I decided to try gas and air. For someone who had never really considered anything like this - I found it honestly an immense relief and it gave me something to focus on with each contraction. Alex was by my side the whole time, being absolutely amazing guiding me through my breathing, I feel so grateful to have had him there throughout the whole experience.
After about an hour in the pool, the midwife checked my temperature and I had a raised temperature so she asked me to step out of the pool so they could just check everything was ok. Getting out was quite difficult but there is a lovely big bed in the room too so I headed straight there. I was examined again and unfortunately was told that I was now only 2cm dilated!! No one is entirely sure if someone had previously got it wrong or my body actually went backwards. To be honest this was one of the hardest parts of the labour, mentally it kind of broke me and I remember just breaking down in tears. At this point I’d been in labour for about 36 hours and having not slept I was on the point of exhaustion.
As we had reached Saturday, which was technically my induction day, I was given some alterntive options. I think the midwives could see that it was perhaps time to consider intervention. As much as I had desperately wanted to do this naturally, my body and mind had taken a lot and I felt I’d gone as far as I could. Having laboured for this long, now being in pain and having not dilated any further (and even having gone backwards!) at this point Alex and I decided that the best thing for both me and baby would be to start the induction process - get my waters broken and hopefully speed up the labour before I reached a point of absolute exhaustion.
We got moved to a different room and within a few hours my waters were broken. This involved two attempts (little Freddie was obviously stubborn!) by two different doctors, and on the second attempt I even managed to chip my tooth on the gas and air from biting down on it! I was so exhausted by this point, I had to ask myself why I hadn’t opted for more pain relief by this time - I think my desperation for having a ‘no pain relief birth’ had honestly got in the way of me listening to my body. It was here I opted for an epidural to help with the pain and I got hooked up to a machine for synthetic oxytocin to help speed things along now that my waters were broken. Honestly the epidural, although a strange feeling, was exactly what I needed - my body and mind needed a little rest bite at this point and the epidural provided this. No one told me about the shaking though - I did get the full on shakes at few points - I think from a mix of the epidural, adrenaline, exhaustion. Once you’re on the epidural you also can’t eat anything so just something to bear in mind if you are planning this pain relief - make sure you’ve fuelled up!
It was at this point that as they ramped up the synthetic oxytocin to get things going. However little Freddie’s heartbeat which was also being monitored, started dropping from 160 to 60 beats a minute every so often. The medical team decided to turn down the synthetic oxytocin at this point, to see if it was affecting baby Fred. This was a little worrying but the team was so reassuring that at this point I didn’t feel like it was time to give up. However, as they turned the oxytocin down, this meant that my progression really stalled. A few hours later I got examined again and was no further in dilation. I was disappointed but to be honest at this point I was just totally exhausted (and hungry!) and just wanted to make sure that Freddie came out safely. In the end that was all that mattered!
It was then I was presented with the option of continuing for another 8 hours on the oxytocin (this was the limit due to my waters being broken) or a c -section. The team were now concerned about Freddie’s random dropping heart rate- as were we and we all decided the safest and best option for us all at this point (about 50 hours from first contraction!) was a gentle c section. The surgeon was absolutely amazing at answering all my questions - this was my first ever trip into theatre so I had a lot of questions! I really wanted to keep this as gentle as possible, so I asked for dimmed lighting, delayed cord clamping and skin to skin - all of which was agreed too.
Because I already had the epidural in, it was a much quicker and easier process and within 30 mins I was being wheeled into theatre and Alex was getting changed into his scrubs! I was at this point just so excited but also so nervous (the shakes had started again!) that I was going to meet my baby - little Freddie was coming!
The team in theatre were incredible, telling me what was happening the whole way through the process. The whole c-section process took under an hour. At 11:05am on Sunday 2nd May, Frederick Arthur Stewart was born!! When we heard Freddie cry on his way out it was honestly the best moment of relief knowing he was here and ok. Alex was by my head the whole way through and holding (gripping) my hand too. As Freddie was passed over the curtain and placed on to my chest , we both just broke down in tears and cried with happiness. He was the most gorgeous little human we had ever seen. Even writing this I’m starting to well up just thinking about it!!
As I got stitched back together, which honestly took very little time, the surgeon and her team told me I had such a strong core (thanks Balance and Glo!!) which was honestly the best compliment you could receive after surgery!
Freddie and Alex went to the recovery room where I was wheeled into and Freddie latched on straight away which was absolutely amazing. I was given drinks and toast and honestly I just felt so happy. The surgeon came and saw us a little later, and told us that Freddie’s cord had been coiled tightly around his arm so with each contraction and when his arm moved he was stopping the blood flow to his heart which is one of the reasons for his irregular heartbeat earlier in the process.
We stayed just one night in hospital and then headed home - it felt so good to get back to my own bed. I am so glad that we opted for a section when we did. I never want anyone to feel that their decision is the wrong one and to just know that EVERY BIRTH is amazing no matter what or how your little baby comes into the world.
I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to the whole team at St Mary's Hospital. I can honestly say I felt so supported by the maternity and labour teams at the hospital the whole way through my labour, they are just an incredible team of people. Sending so much love to them all for supporting me through this insanely amazing journey.
If you are interested in finding out more about our upcoming ‘Bump+ Beyond’ Wellness Package then please sign up to our mailing list via balanceandgloonline.com - more information to be released very soon!!
Next Blog Post Coming Soon… The first few weeks of C- Section recovery + new born life!