Fastest homebirth ever?!
Jadecatkins' birth only lasted 58 minutes, from start to finish.
Did the curry do it?
My due date was Monday 23 August but that passed with no signs of imminent birth. By Saturday 28 I was getting really fed up. I had tried the raspberry leaf tea, hot baths with lavender and jasmine oils, sex etc, so decided to try curry finally. I had a chicken Dansak for tea. Whether that was what finally did it we will never know.
I stayed up to watch a really crappy programme about horror movies and my husband came home from work about 2.00am. We had a chat and a coffee and finally went to bed at 3.00am. Absolutely no signs of anything happening yet. At 3.15am, I turned off the light and Drew patted my tummy and said "Not tonight, bubs, I'd quite like a lie in".
At 3.20am I felt the first contraction. Ten minutes later another one. I watched the clock closely: the next one was only seven minutes then only five minutes. I thought this was getting quick! I woke Drew up by telling him his long lie-in was not going to happen so he got up and made himself a coffee! He asked what he could do to help so I told him to phone the hospital and get the midwives out as we had arranged a homebirth. He spoke to the sister on the labour ward who said she would get the midwives to phone back. He then helped me put on the TENS machine then phoned my friend Claire who was to be helping with aromatherapy. The midwife on call then phoned and said she would be 45 minutes.
I could feel the top of the head!
The contractions were now two minutes apart. I got up to go to the loo and had one really big contraction, which the TENS machine only just helped me cope with. I had a feel down below. I could feel the top of the head. I shouted to Drew that this baby wasn't going to wait 45 minutes for the hospital to phone back. Meanwhile Drew was shouting it couldn't be coming. He spoke to the sister again, who called an ambulance. While he was talking to her I had two contractions in the bathroom, where I just had to push. Drew put the phone down and helped me through to the dining room, which we had set up with a futon and mats, etc, and where all the midwife's equipment was.
The ward sister phoned back and asked to speak to me. She got as far as saying "When you get the next contraction…" when I had to throw the phone down and start pushing again. When that one was over I picked up the phone again and she just said pass the phone to your husband and I'll talk him through what he has to do. We had completely forgotten until this point that the phone could be put on to speaker phone so now we were both able to hear her. Another contraction started and, as I was crouched on the floor, I started pushing again. The sister was telling me to control my breathing when I shouted to her that the head was out. She asked Drew if he could see the head and all he could say was "No, her legs are in the way". He was in tears throughout and couldn't even hold me, he was in such a panic.
I picked my baby up and said "It's a girl!"
The sister was still asking him if he could see the head when I announced that the baby was out! I picked my baby up and said "It's a girl. Drew then covered us both up with towels and blankets and the sister went on another phone to find out where the ambulance was. My gorgeous, beautiful daughter was in my arms.
The ambulance arrived ten minutes later, the midwives ten minutes after that, and then my friend Claire turned up. They had all missed it. From first contraction to birth it had taken 58 minutes. It took another 45 minutes for the placenta to come out. I had only a small graze so no sutures were required. Caoimhe Alexandra was checked over while I had a bath to clean up, then we sat down in the living room and she had her first feed. She was born at 4.18am and weighed 9lbs 1oz. We had tried to get her to feed to help get the placenta out but she was so relaxed she didn't want to. At 6.45am my son woke up and came into the living room where he saw me cuddling this baby and he asked, "Is that the baby that was in your tummy?". I said yes. He had wanted a sister all along and his wish had come true.Everyone who visited on Sunday said I looked like I had just been for a walk. I felt so relaxed and happy it just did not seem real. Caoimhe is feeding well, although prefers to sleep during the day and stay awake at night, but I don't mind as she is here and is perfect. Caoimhe is pronounced 'Keeva' and is Irish for 'beautiful beloved' (which she certainly is).
Where to next?
- Read the full birth story
- Read accounts of different types of birth
- Read accounts of other home births