Sacha’s Birth Story

After an uncomplicated and actually quite enjoyable pregnancy, I made it to 39 weeks and went on maternity leave. Fast forward to 41+5 and my little man was showing no signs of appearing.

I had previously consented to a sweep at 41+2 and 41+4 as although I trusted my body and my baby to kick start his impending arrival in their own time, I was curious and in all honesty, a bit frustrated at the wait.

I had been booked in for an outpatient induction at 41+5 after discussing with a midwife my options. It was a Monday morning and I casually strolled in to the labour ward with the idea of discussing having a final sweep and thinking I need to drop by M&S after. I was really sure that this was going to be it!

After popping me on the monitor to check baby’s heart, it was picked up that his heart rate was dropping when I was having a contraction. I was advised to stay in over night and they would look to break my waters. I was assured it was nothing to worry about but keeping me in over night would help monitor the situation. I immediately felt comfortable with this and knew it was what I wanted to do, but I still used B.R.A.I.N. This really helped the consultant and I have an open and honest conversation.

Later that morning I consented to having a pessary as my midwife was unable to break my waters. This brought on a little pain, a lot of blood and slightly stronger contractions. I also thought I felt my waters. Laying on my left hand side seemed to appease the baby so I took this opportunity to nap as much as I could with my boyfriend by my side. Although I was in a hospital, surrounded by equipment and machines, I felt safe. My baby was constantly being monitored and that made me stay positive.

Fast forward 24 hours and I was 2cm. Concerns around passing too many blood clots meant I didn’t have another pessary and the midwife went to break my waters. Instead of finding the amniotic sac, she could feel his hair. My waters had broken the day before but wasn’t tested for. I was advised to start a syntocin drip - the very last thing I wanted. Again, I used B.R.A.I.N and immediately felt in control of the situation. I told my midwife my fears and she was incredible. So understanding and sensitive. In fact, I discussed it with every midwife and doctor who came in to see me. Asking a lot of questions really helped both my partner and I feel in control of something which we knew could quite easily spiral. We went for a walk around the local park and stopped off for a coffee and cake. This wasn’t the experience we had hoped for but we were still excited - we felt educated and armed with our hypnobirthing tools and techniques to stay positive.

5pm, 32 hours after waltzing in for a third and final sweep, I was 3cm and put in a room. I had been on syntocin for a few hours and was hooked up to the machine for constant monitoring. I was still able to stand up and use a birthing ball and my boyfriend set up fairy lights. We had music playing and we were snacking on all the chocolate.

4ish hours later and the vibe totally changed. Baby was unhappy in any position I was in, including stood up, so I had been lying on my side for a while. At this point the thought of giving birth in this position was beginning to upset me. The syntocin had been turned down, my cervix wasn’t dilating and I was frustrated! I wasn’t really feeling pain from contractions. This was going to be a long night…

Suddenly, my midwife told me that in a few seconds if my baby’s heart rate doesn’t increase from where it is then she’s going to press an emergency button and several people will run in to the room. She told me to remember my hypnobirthing techniques and thenshe pressed it.

It felt like something on Grey’s Anatomy. Out of nowhere it seemed 7, 8 maybe 10 people appeared from the cupboard, under the bed, from the bathroom. I had never felt fear like it, but I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. They asked to put a monitor on my babies head to gauge a better reading of his heart - I consented. The next 10 mins was a blur. My boyfriend was back by my side, reading my positive affirmations and a consultant was explaining why she thinks an emergency caesarean would be the best route.

I had zero hesitation consenting to this. I was told my baby would be delivered in the next 20 minutes and that we had time. He was okay, but the stronger my contractions were getting the less okay he’d be so delivering vaginally would be putting him at risk. We were taken into theatre, our music still playing, surrounded by a medical team who were chatting away to us, keeping us super calm.

And then he was here. Just like the consultant said, 20 mins later, delivered safely at 9:15pm. My boyfriend took pictures. We have the moment he’s born still attached to me by the umbilical cord to treasure forever.

He was born with a ‘cone head’ which tells us his head wasn’t in the right position, and was getting squeezed when I was contracting.

So, I didn’t get to deliver my baby the way I wanted, I didn’t get immediate skin on skin, I couldn’t use a birthing pool and I was on constant monitoring - in fact everything that I didn’t want to happen, happened.

But my induced, caesarean birthing experience was by no means negative. I felt safe, empowered and educated. I accepted that my birth plans were out the window and breathed my way through to another plan, which was to surrender wholly and be present. To accept that this was always the way my baby was meant to be birthed.