THE BIRTH OF LUCAS
I previously supported Liz and Jamie with the birth of their second child, Tobias. They had a gorgeous home birth back in 2020, you can read it here. I was honoured to be asked to support them again with a hypnobirthing refresher session for the birth of their third child. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.
On the 2nd September 2022, I was a week overdue & even though it was our third baby, I wanted them here. I had been told by my midwife that in her personal & professional experience, third babies are stop start, stop start then really quick. I’d also read a lot about this online & how third babies are “tricky”.
Building the happy hormones for birth
Over the previous 2 days I’d been for a couple of walks with my husband Jamie, my Mum & our 4 year old & 2 year old boys. Walking clears my head & is my happy place, plus watching my boys play brings in all that oxytocin, so I knew this was exactly what I needed. These walks had resulted in 2 nights in a row of surges, but they were really far apart & completely stopped by the morning, I used my breathing techniques that I’d learnt & managed them comfortably.
Labour quickly begins
On the evening of the 2nd I was over my Mum’s house with Jamie & the boys, we decided to have fish & chips for tea & just relax at my Mum’s. My Mum & Jamie went to get the food, leaving me with my boys & my nephew. It got to 18:00 & suddenly out of nowhere, I had surges coming less than every 5 minutes. I was sat in my Mum’s house playing with the 3 boys waiting for my husband to come back with food as we needed to go home. When they got back I was stood having surges, no tens machine, no birthing comb, nothing I’d planned just using my breathing to get through. We packed up the food & headed home as I knew things were progressing.
The home birth environment
We rang the midwives & my doula Virginia to get them to get to our home asap. Luckily a few days before Jamie had set up the birthing pool & my happy relaxed area in our living room. We had fairy lights, positive affirmations, candles, and photos of family & friends all around so I could see them to make me smile. Particularly important to me I had lots of memories of my Grandad who unfortunately had passed away 9 days prior. We had the whole room set up & all the things I needed & remembered from our previous home birth that made the whole experience magical.
We put Friends on the TV & I set up the tens machine, got my comb in my hand & just breathed through the surges as they were so close together. Virginia arrived & began helping Jamie to fill the birthing pool. She was amazing, whilst Jamie filled the pool, she talked me through my surges, made sure that I was drinking water, and kept checking on me.
Labour progresses….quickly
Eventually, my waters went on my living room floor. With every surge, my waters kept constantly going, all the while I was stood up watching TV desperately wanting to get in the pool.
The first midwife arrived & was asking questions which I felt able to answer in between surges, Jamie & Virginia helped to answer some as well. I had minimal interference from the midwives & constant support from Jamie & Virginia. I kept looking at my photographs & breathing through each contraction, Friends had become background noise but I was still laughing at the jokes.
Breathing through surges
The pool at this point was just at the minimum line but I knew I wanted another water birth, so Virginia & Jamie filled it with bucket runs as well as the tap running. I asked the midwives if I could get in the pool, at this point the second midwife had also arrived with gas & air & I knew it wouldn’t be long until baby was here. I got in & kept telling myself to keep my lower half in the water as much as possible. The surges were so intense I couldn’t take a breath of gas & air, so I just breathed through them & made sure not to tense up.
“I knew our baby was coming”
Jamie placed a flannel on the back of my neck, Virginia again made sure I was hydrated & I knew our baby was coming. I pushed with one big surge & babies head was out, I knew just one more surge & push then we could meet our new addition. I pushed, and they were born & I moved backwards to hold them out of the water, looked down & said “Jamie, we have another baby boy”.
After the birth…
We waited for the cord to stop pulsing & go white, and then it was clamped & Jamie cut the cord. After some cuddles & skin to skin while I delivered the placenta, I passed him over to Jamie for some more skin to skin whilst I was checked out. I had a shower, got myself sorted, then went downstairs for more skin to skin & began breastfeeding our son & just took it all in.
How hypnobirthing helped during the birth
Doing a Hypnobirthing refresher with Hannah helped settle my nerves & reassured me “I’ve got this”, I was worried as it was our last baby that it wouldn’t be the birth I wanted but it was my dream scenario. Hyponbirthing just puts you in a great headspace, gives you some tools & knowledge to make informed choices & Hannah even came with goodies for me & to meet the little man a few days after the birth. We had our third little baby boy, Lucas Jamie Brian Wood, born 20:40 (2hr 40mins after my first contraction), weighing 8lbs 8oz & with the name Brian after my Grandad. Our perfect final piece to our puzzle.
P.s - I still got to have my fish and chips
Liz and Jamie - Wakefield 2022
