Ember Mawson

My second child was born at the birth centre - when it was in the old hospital building. The birth centre then had 3 rooms and only one with a pool - my dreams of a waterbirth were once again shattered as I turned up in labour not only to find that the room with the pool was in use but infact there were no spare rooms at all. I gave birth to my second child in the office!

With my third child I was once again lucky enough to get into the birth centre... here is my story...

My little one was now a week overdue and I was beginning to think I would be pregnant forever.

I woke early in the morning with an intense pain that made me leap out of bed.. ah yes I remember now. It had been 10 years since my last child so memories of labour were all a bit hazy!

I waited for the next contraction which came in 5 mins and then another!

I woke my partner up.. and rang my midwife Jo -we decided I would time the next few contractions and call her back.

I rang her 20 min later having already had another 4 contractions.

Meanwhile - my loving partner had decided to make coffee and sweep and clean the kitchen. I remember looking up while I was in the middle of a contraction and thinking.. I can’t believe he’s sweeping the floor - Is it too late to get a new birthing partner? We need to leave NOW I told him... I guess he must have been expecting a long slow process.

After a short but incredibly uncomfortable trip to the birth centre we arrived - another contraction in the front of the hospital - and another in the lift (which I think freaked the other passengers out a little!)

We finally made it to the room and the lovely Jo arrived.

It wasn’t long before I was in the pool. It felt so much better to be in the warm water with my weight supported - this allowed me to focus on the job ahead of me.

Jo asked if a trainee midwife could be at the birth - initially I was reluctant not wanting any strangers there... I soon realised the importance of it and agreed and i am so glad I was able to give her that experience.

The next couple of hours went by just dealing with one contraction at a time as they intensified. Resting on my partners lap as he sat on the edge of the pool and stroked my head. All the while I was concentrating on my breathing an trying to visualise my cervix thinning and opening with each contraction. Knowing that with each one I was one more contraction closer to meeting my baby.

Finally the contraction came where I could hear a grunt in my voice at the end - I was close to pushing. A few more contractions and I felt no closer to pushing.. at this stage I started to worry as my waters hadn’t broken and I felt as if it was slowing the process down. Although I couldn’t actually verbalise this my partner knew what was concerning me and expressed my concerns to Jo. She told me that everything was normal and - she suggested I change position. At once I felt a much stronger urge to push and and 2 short contractions later I felt the head crown. (A much less intense experience in the water than with my other 2 births). As soon as the head was out my little one didn’t want to wait for the next contraction and out came her body - still in the sack - membranes unruptured.

The midwife pulled off the membranes as she emerged from the water and placed her in my arms. I must have been in shock for a while because I had to be reminded to check the sex - we had a little girl.

A short while later the placenta was delivered without the need of drugs and my partner and I were tucked up into bed with our beautiful new baby.

My birth experience couldn’t have been better and the support I received from my midwife was amazing. I will never forget her and the confidence she gave me to give birth the way I wanted to.

Our gorgeous little girl Ember was born on International Day of the Midwife.. 5th May 2010. Now three weeks on I feel fantastic and my baby is beautiful and calm. I have no doubt that this is partly due to such a positive birth experience.

I can’t speak highly enough of the Birth Centre and all the beautiful women that work there.

Thankyou,

Naomi, Mark & Ember

When a baby is born in the sack it is called being born in the caul - and the babies are called caulbearers... it is quite rare and in medieveal times it was considered a sign of good luck. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caul