Claire and Drew share their experience birthing at the Birth Centre

I woke up at 6.30am needing the toilet, and as I stood up I felt my waters break (although I wasn’t sure at the time) quickly waddled to the toilet and then text my midwife as I knew she was on a night shift, she then rang me back and said she thought it was my waters. So I asked Drew to run me a bath as at that point it was starting to cramp but wasn’t too bad, but then during my bath it was really painful and constant so we rang the hospital who said ‘nooo, it’s too soon, you’d be having a contraction right now if it was that frequent’ (Drew had said 4 in 10 minutes) and I said well I am having one! 

So she advised us to make our way to hospital so they could check. Annoyingly they were short staffed so we got there at maybe half 8, and it wasn’t until 10am that I was able to phone Drew and say to come in the ward as they’d established I was 4cm, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Once Drew was allowed in we were moved to the pool room, I kept going to the toilet as I was convinced I needed to go and the midwife really had to encourage me to move back to the pool! So I only had two actual surges when I was in the pool as he was out the second time I got in!

I only had gas and air once they’d established I was 4cm. Up to that I didn’t have any pain relief, and then once I was 4cm I just had gas and air and the pool. So it was exactly how I wanted it to be.

It was too fast to actually use any of your techniques! The bags were still in the car! But we did have music, low lighting and the pool. And I can now totally appreciate “my body and baby know what to do” I so appreciate everything you taught me! Definitely I was secure in my subconscious.

The labour has genuinely been the best bit of the whole experience. I had a stage 3 tear afterwards which so far has been okay! Had to have the pethidine and epidural for that but amazing not to have needed it during labour.