Hi. We are Lucy and Cameron. Lucy works in Marketing and Cameron is a self-employed Carpenter. We are parents to Charles, known as Charlie and also have a black cat called Tag. We took the Happy Parents Happy Baby classes in Tunbridge Wells.
Other than some pretty bad nausea in the first 14 weeks, my pregnancy was pretty plain sailing luckily. But I was uncomfortable and slept poorly. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and have my baby in my arms!
Both Cam and I are the oldest children of our generation in our families and the first of our friends to have kids, so we didn’t have much experience at all with how to look after a baby.
We joined the HPHB antenatal classes and found them to be incredibly informative for all avenues and choices that surround childbirth and caring for your baby. We had a lovely class tutor, Hannah, who is also a midwife, and she was always on hand to answer any extra questions. The HPHB classes first introduced me to Hypnobirthing, and I soon decided that this was my aim, along with giving birth at a birth centre, in the water pool. I was determined to do the best I could do with this, and did not want to use any pain relief beyond gas and air, trusting that my body knows what to do.
In the end, I was 41 + 4 weeks when I gave birth, so I only just made it to the birth centre after my 2nd sweep kick started my labour. I even had my induction booked and waiting for me at the end of that week.
Through techniques I had learned in HPHB and then researched further, I laboured at home for as long as I possibly could. I used a birthing comb, Tens machine and birthing ball, a bath, as well as hypnobirthing breathing techniques and counter pressure on my hips from Cameron. As the baby was back to back, my contractions went up a notch as my uterus tried to turn him, and I was having them in rolling batches of 3 before getting a break to catch my breath. This was very challenging, and I knew I’d reached my limit for labouring at home.
At this point Cameron called Maidstone birth centre and they told us to come in. We arrived to a full water pool, and upon examination I was 5 cm dilated and therefore in established labour! Getting into the warm water was the most blissful part of my labour, it was the best pain relief I had. Two hours later I asked for gas and air, and I continued with this until the end of my labour.
When I was examined 3 hours later, I was 10cm dilated and ready to start pushing! Although rather unexpectedly, this didn’t take me very long at all, and much to everyone’s surprise, 14 minutes later Charlie was born at 9:23pm! This was a bit too quick and poor Charlie was in a bit of shock when he emerged, so his cord had to be cut immediately and he was rushed away to the resus table. Because his first apgar score was so low, we had to be transferred to Pembury Hospital.
However Charlie did improve quickly and we were able to do skin to skin and I fed him for the first time at the birth centre. Then Charlie went in one ambulance, I followed in a second, and Cameron followed in the car. Thankfully after observations in the neonatal unit Charlie was cleared as a healthy baby and we went home later that day.
Breathing techniques – 4/5, helped me stay calm and focus rather than make any loud noises.
Water pool – 5/5, helped relax my hip and back muscles and was the best pain relief I experienced.
UFO positions – 5/5, the only position I wanted to be in was all fours. Midwives tried to encourage me to move but I was not having it!
Tens – 3/5, this was useful in early labour to distract me from the contractions, but became ineffectual as I progressed.
Birthing ball – 3/5, the same as above, useful in early labour.
Birthing comb – 3/5, I used this throughout labour and it helped to channel any tension into my hand rather than fighting the contractions.
Gas and air – 4/5, this definitely made me a bit spacey and I was biting down on the mouthpiece all the time! I did my breathing through this, and did not want to have it taken away from me, so it must have helped!
I was in awe and shock when Charlie was born.
Unfortunately because he was whisked away to be resuscitated, everything got a little scary for a while and it wasn’t until 15 minutes later when I actually got to hold him that I was able to soak in the bliss of our baby finally being here.
I was also incredibly relieved that my contractions had stopped!
I think HPHB best prepared us for all the little things about caring for a baby, we’d never changed a nappy before this! But we had learned how in our classes, as well as how to properly wear a baby wrap (which was lucky because Charlie would not be put down to begin with!).
We were incredibly sleepy deprived at first, and were more reluctant for visitors than we’d initially expected. HPHB taught us how to set boundaries with our family, which we were grateful for as it gave us confidence when eventually inviting people to meet our little one.
My top triumph was utilising all my learned birthing techniques to labour at home for as long as I could, and continuing my labour at the birthing centre with only gas and air for pain relief. This was my aim for labour, and I am pleased to have succeeded. I also think I triumphed in choosing such an excellent birthing partner in my husband, Cameron. Without his continual and unwavering support, I have no doubt I would have found labour 50 times harder than it already was!
Sleep deprivation!
Introducing our gorgeous little boy to our family and friends.
We have since set up a mum’s chat with all the women from our antenatal class, which is so useful for getting recommendations and sharing any concerns, to just knowing that someone else is also awake at 3am!
Frida Mom disposable underwear. So comfy!
Sushi!
Nappies! We go through them faster than we ever anticipated.
Muslins.
Protect your bubble, focus on your baby, and sleep when you can! And if baby won’t sleep in his next to me cot, try him in the moses basket at first, the next to me might just be a little too big for them to begin with.
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