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Sarah Ockwell Smith was determined to have her third baby at home and (despite the disapproval of her consultant) went on to have a positive, natural water birth under the watchful eye of her relaxed midwife, Penny.
I tried to have a home birth with my first two babies, though sadly didn't manage it ("failure to progress" with my 1st and Pre-eclampsia with my 2nd). When we found out we were expecting for the third time my husband Ian and I decided to have one last go.
As
expected, we had hurdles from day one. I was classed as high risk because
of "big babies" (9lb 12oz and 10lbs) and pre-eclampsia. My consultant
was very anti-home birth and at my first appointment scrawled all over
my notes "home birth not advised". My community midwives though were thankfully
un-phased and, despite the consultant's opinion, were more than happy
to go along with our home birth plans.
My pregnancy progressed smoothly until a couple of days before my due date when my blood pressure was unnervingly high. An investigation in hospital revealed I didn't have pre-eclampsia so I went home on daily monitoring. The doctor wrote "still wants a home birth after being advised of medical risks" on my notes but thankfully my midwives were still supportive of our home birth plans.
On the morning of Wednesday 12th January 2005 my labour began. I had planned to decide on the day whether I wanted my two sons there (aged 2.5yrs and 16mths) but I found I just wasn't comfortable labouring with them around and asked a friend to take them for the day. At about 11:30am the midwife, Penny, arrived.
We went into our study and I rocked around on my ball watching TV whilst Ian and Penny chatted and had some lunch, it felt so normal and natural, so different to my hospital births. At around 3pm my blood pressure was pretty high and I decided it was time for the pool. My Bp immediately lowered which pleased Penny Who commented "the pool is really doing it for you isn't it?" I love being in warm water in labour, in my own private cocoon, helped by Penny who was sitting quietly in the corner of the room in an old armchair, really hands off - just waiting for nature to take its course. I felt very safe, comfortable and respected.
Soon the contractions were stronger and Penny was great at keeping me calm and breathing through them. At around 3:45pm I told the midwives (a second one, Cathy, arrived at some point after I got in the pool) I was feeling some pressure and they asked me to try and examine myself, I couldn't really feel anything, but they clearly thought things were imminent as they donned their aprons and gloves. A short while later I felt something torpedo out of me, I bit down hard into the pool side and screamed. Penny told me my baby's head was born and asked if I wanted to touch it, at this point I considered asking to use the entonox but decided against it.
Penny, now at the poolside, told me to get on all fours and push hard, I'm sure I didn't push but I did scream an awful lot (oh the shame!). At 16:13 my baby, Rafferty, swam quickly into the world. I scooped him up in shock that we had finally had our dream home birth.
Penny let Rafferty and I bond in peace and suggested we get out of the pool around 15 minutes later. Once the cord was cut, we passed Rafferty to Ian (how nice that nobody else apart from me and my husband had touched our little boy for the first half hour of his life, again a far cry from our hospital experiences). Penny asked if we would like Rafferty weighed (how novel to be asked my permission!) we knew I was expecting a big baby but everyone was surprised when he tipped the scales at a massive 11lb 3oz! Both mine and Penny's biggest baby!
Then, whilst Penny and Cathy cleaned up, I had a lovely hot lavender bath - in my own clean bath. By 6:30pm Penny and Cathy were gone and our other two children were back home, a little bemused by the fact that a baby had somehow appeared in our house since they had been out. By 11pm we were all tucked up in bed (my own bed and no plastic fishbowl in site!), after the best tasting Indian takeaway I'd had in ages!
Midwife Caroline Flint comments on Suzanne's birth:
Sarah shows one side of the story when women want to have a home birth - they must be determined. The Consultant's discouragement of home birth would have frightened many women not made of such strong stuff as Sarah. Luckily Sarah met the other factor in a successful home birth - encouraging and supportive Community midwives.
It can be very difficult for midwives if a senior colleague has come down very hard against a home birth and they have to be strong to stand up to the pressure against a home birth which can prevail in some Maternity Units, this is where the determined woman comes in. If the midwives can truthfully say "Oh well Mrs X is SO determined she will ONLY have a home birth" that is very strong ammunition for them and gives them the support they also need to support you
Interesting that Sarah's blood pressure went down on entering the pool and how she describes the sensations of being in the pool as being "in my private cocoon". The benefits of deep water in labour are many.
Deep water seems to help the pain of labour enormously, being in the pool increases a woman's sense of privacy (very important to us mammals), as Sarah says it is like being in your own little cocoon. Water has other benefits, besides lowering blood pressure the extra buoyancy enables women to take up weird and wonderful positions which in turn stretches and opens the flexible pelvis, giving the baby extra room to emerge even when the baby is not in the most advantageous position.
Sarah was ashamed of making a huge roaring noise whilst she gave birth. Opening your mouth and roaring/screaming enables your pelvic floor to open fully and opens your vagina to its utmost. Don't be ashamed if you make a noise - it is instinctive behaviour - you are a mammal after all and it is helping your body to give birth effectively - well done!
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