Tracey's birth experiences

Tracey has had four children, one in Derriford Hospital and the following three at home. Here are her home birth stories:


2007
Tuesday 20th February 2007 (babies due date). It started like any other day. My husband (Colin) and myself were at home with our 2 and a half year old Liam, when just before lunch time I had a show. I began to feel really excited and after lunch I began contracting about every 5mins. Colin rang the midwife line and was told that I’d have to go in as they did not have any midwives available. I became a bit upset and didn’t want to go in. But finally we received a call to say they had a midwife on her way.
Liam went next door to play and at 2pm a midwife arrived. I was then examined and I was about 5-6cm dilated she began setting everything up. My labour was progressing nicely and with the use of a tens machine I was doing well. By 6pm the 2nd midwife arrived as I was fully dilated and ready to push. My waters had still not broken so the midwife decided to rupture them. the contractions became really intense and the tens machine no longer did the job. By 630pm I was pushing with each really strong contraction. The baby started crowning and I was giving it everything I had. Finally bang on 7pm bailey was born weighing 7lb 13oz. I was having a lovely skin to skin whilst the placenta came out and I was stitched after a tear. Liam came back in after I was bathed and all was tidy to meet his new brother, and it was one of the most memorable times of my life.

2008
Monday 2nd June 2008 4am in the morning and I woke up feeling uncomfortable so I went to the loo I noticed I had a show I went back to bed but could not sleep so I woke my husband (Colin) up and told him. We both went downstairs about an hour later I starting contracting about 5-6 mins apart. As I was 3 days over, my midwife was due at 10am to give me a sweep so was hoping to have her. We rang the midwife line and one came out to see me. In the meantime Colin woke the other 2 children up, fed them and dressed them. Colin took one to nursery slightly early but they were fine with it and wished me good luck! The younger of the two went to spend the day with a friend. Shortly after 830am my midwife arrived after she got a message that I was in labour. She examined me and found me to be 7 cm. I asked her to break my waters but she wanted me to become a bit more dilated and she was hoping that my waters would go on their own. My labour was going nicely, contractions were getting more intense, still waters had not gone but I felt like I wanted to push. It was now 10am, I was fully dilated but waters were still intact so she broke them for me and all of a sudden I had urges to really push so I pushed and pushed. As I was pushing at the last minute the baby turned and must have caught a nerve in my back as I had a sudden pain shoot up my back. I started to feel tired and in a fair bit of discomfort in my back. The midwife was getting a bit concerned and was considering a tranfer to hospital. But finally at 1040am, after a few really hard draining pushes, Rhiannon arrived. She was a bit blue as the cord was wrapped around her neck. The second midwife took her and gave her a bit of assistance. After what seemed like a lifetime, there it was, the newborn cry I was longing to hear. She was perfect and weighed in at 9lb 2oz.


2010
Sunday 21st February 2010 I was getting twinges all day but I didn’t think much of it as the past few days I was getting them. But this time they didn’t seem to stop they seemed to get stronger. We began to time my contractions and by 1030pm they we getting a bit stronger and more intense. I knew my midwife was on call that night I rang the line and explained I was in early stages of labour. About half an hour later my midwife rand back to say she going to come out. She arrived just after 1130 and examined me I was about 3-4 cms but she was going to stay as I have fairly quick labours. She began to set up and sent Colin (my husband) out to the car to fetch bits. The living room was all set up with sheets etc and I began walking up and down the room with my tens on shortly after 1am I was examined again and I was 6cm so it was progressing nicely. I could tell I was getting near being fully dilated as by this time my contractions were coming thick and fast and more and more painful. Then something strange happened as I was walking around; I fainted. I was helped to sit up and the baby’s heart was listened to. All seemed ok I was told to eat something so I had some toast and some juice, i felt much better. For the rest of my labour I remained on my knees resting on the sofa. The babies heart was being listened to every 15mins or so. At 3:25am I was examined again and was fully dilated and she decided at that point to call second midwife and when she arrived they decided to break my waters. As soon as they went I was ready to push. After about half an hour of pushing the midwife suggested I try some gas and air so I took hold of it and with each contraction to took in some I was feeling a bit lightheaded but I knew this baby was going to be here shortly and finally at 4:55am Haydon arrived into the world weighing 8lb 15oz. Colin wanted to cut the cord so the midwife let him cut it. He was placed on my chest and I delivered the placenta and received a few stitches due to a tear. After I had a bath and all was tidy, Colin went to wake the other children and it was a really nice family moment to see the children’s faces when they saw their new little baby brother.