16/11/2025
We continue this evening with this beautiful birth story - with huge thanks, as always, to the family for allowing me to share.
Our next term of Birthing classes starts Monday 15th December 7-8.30pm for 6 weeks (no class 29 Dec) - perfect if your baby is due in Feb or March.
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"A week before I gave birth I was in latent labour, I was contracting/tightening on and off for the whole week.. I thought “this is it” every day. It wasn’t.
I went in to the hospital for reduced movements on that Wednesday as I thought the tightenings were maybe making the baby move less, it turns out baby was fine.
The midwife there decided to give me a sweep - having researched “get this baby out of me” previously I knew it could help things along and I eagerly agreed. It was uncomfortable but not too bad. I was dilated 2.5 cm at that sweep but didn’t give birth until 4 days later.
On the 21st May my waters broke at 8:30am as I got out of bed, it went with a pop (like everyone tells you it does). My partner and I made our way to Kingsmill hospital in Mansfield and I was told my contractions weren’t close enough together and that I should walk around the hospital until they got closer together and that I should keep coming back to check in with them.
By 6pm that evening I was in pain, more than I had been before but still not contracting enough. As my waters had broken that morning we were offered a room on the ward ready for an induction at 8am the next day which sounded so scary. My partner got to stay with me which made things easier.
It was around 3am on the 22nd of May that contractions really ramped up, neither of us had slept a wink but they were getting stronger but no closer together. I was hanging over my bed, up against the sink and on my hands and knees to relieve the pain.
I didn’t call a nurse until 5am when the contractions got unbearable, that’s when they told me I was at 6cm and nearly ready to have my baby. They took me to the delivery suite in a wheelchair and I can’t imagine the amount of new mums I must have woken up on that ward.
I pushed for what felt like forever on my knees against the back of the bed, with my partner offering up the gas and air.. futile really.
I finally gave in and tried my side, I was adamant I wasn’t giving birth on my back because I’d heard some horror stories about tearing and even in that moment that’s all I could think about.
The midwife and student helping me suggested that for the last few pushes I get onto my back, still adamant about not doing it I told them absolutely not.
After a few more pushes I didn’t care and complied with them, 4 more pushes and she was out. The cord was wrapped around this very purple baby’s neck just slightly, but it was screaming away nonetheless.
We chose not to find out the gender of our baby, so my partner looked at me with utter love and cried “it’s a girl”, which made me so happy.
My lovely girl was born at 8:51am on the 22nd May without any pain relief other than that gas and air which I was terrible at using. She was 8lb 2oz. I didn’t tear at all, just had a few minor grazes and we ended up leaving at 9:30pm the same day.
The student midwife let me know that B was her last delivery before she qualified fully, which was lovely! Her and the other midwife were incredible and it was a wonderful experience to let my body do what it needed to do."
Get in touch to find out more or visit the website to book.
07918 040246 (WA, text or call)
katy@the-babybarn.co.uk
www.the-babybarn.co.uk
