Annie Cadman's Story

I hope that this birth story isn't too long, and if it looks too long to you, don't dismiss it, keep reading! It's only long because I have had such a good experiences - on both occasions - that I have to tell you all the details! I started off very much going down the 'hospital is best for me' route and it was only once my lovely midwives asked if I had considered a home-birth, that I did!

I did a lot of research into homebirth and came to the conclusion that I would feel far more comfortable in my own surroundings and not just that, but that since I love water, I wanted to give birth in a pool, so having convinced my husband of this way of giving birth, the midwives delivered a pool to my house two weeks before the birth of my first son.

Ok, so I had not given birth before, but I figured that I ought to be able to do it, and so had confidence in my body's ability, so when, at 4.30am I started to get strong period-type pains, I was excited, although afraid too! When the contractions came regularly I started using breathing as a technique to get through each contraction. My hubby had started filling the pool as soon as I went into labour - talk about keen! He had also been to Blockbusters to get out a movie to keep us going through the many, many hours we had heard it would take to have a baby! It did take 10 hours for me, but believe me, I don't know how other women do it, but the last think I wanted, was to watch TV!! Anyway, back to my hubby, he was so keen he went at 8.30...came back empty handed - they don't open that early!

I found that breathing through my contractions and focussing on that meant that I could cope with the contractions quite well and other than that and a paracetamol, the only other pain relief I used was the warmth of the pool water. When I got in the pool it was lovely and warm and the weight was totally off me.

I felt the urge to push before I got into the pool. Just before that I had climbed into the bath, which is when the bearing down sensation started. I had to come back down the stairs, which was agony, in order to get into the pool. I found that being on my knees in the water was the most comfortable position, I tried other positions, but always came back to my hands and knees. About an hour before the birth of my son I was convinced I was doing a poo! But was reassured that I wasn't and that it was just the baby pressing on the nerves which make it feel like a bowel movement.

At one point the baby's heart rate dropped and took too long to come back up to speed after contractions and the midwives were concerned. I was told that if it were to persist this way, I would be going to hospital. This was the last thing I wanted and so my mum and husband prayed for the baby, and following the next and all other contractions, his heart rate was normal and the midwives were happy to let us stay at home.

It was amazing to feel my baby's head when he had stopped slipping back after every contraction. After a few more pushes the baby's head was out! In between that contraction and the one which bought the rest of him out he was moving his head and he was opening his mouth (I saw the photos afterwards which were amazing - I am so glad I had asked for photos to be taken during my labour and birth).

Finally after he slid out with the next contraction, my husband caught him and passed him through my legs to me, I held my baby boy! It was all worth it! He was beautiful and he changed from a rather odd looking purple colour to a lovely pink colour remarkably quickly. His head was an odd shape from sitting in the birth canal so long, but by the evening it had sorted itself out beautifully. I cannot say 100% accurately how absolutely AMAZING it is to hold your baby for the first time, its like being in love all over again with someone you have known all of a couple of seconds and all of about 8 months too…it was like nothing else I have every experienced, and it wasn't any different the second time around!!

The birth of Ethan, our second child, was much quicker…2 hours and 50 mins in total…after having had ineffective contractions early in the morning, I was desperate to get them going again, so on Easter Monday when I thought it was a decent time to call my midwives, I did. They suggested that I take a walk. So off I went to Asda with my mum….5 mins into the walk I started to have contractions which were around 7 mins apart…my mum was concerned, but I felt totally in control and happy to continue to Asda, occasionally sinking down on the verge to breathe through a contraction. Once in Asda the contractions varied from 3-5 minutes apart and my mother was extremely worried, but we just took a break for coffee and some cake and walked back in between strong contractions.

Once home I instructed my husband to fill the pool as fast as he could and to call the midwives. When they arrived, the pool was ready and I got in, and in less than an hour Ethan was born!! It was quite fast, but I felt happy with the rate at which it was progressing, I wanted this baby out (I had a babysitter for my other son, didn't want to waste that!!). In fact, I asked my husband to tell me jokes because whenever I laughed it would bring on another contraction! This time, with each push, there seemed to be much more progress, he didn't slip back as much as Jude did, so he came out quicker. When he was born, my husband, caught him under water and passed him to me through my legs (once again I had found that being on my hands and knees was the best way for me). This time, the umbilical cord was shorter than with Jude and it was a little awkward to hold him! But it was still the most magical moment when I first saw Ethan! After the placenta had been delivered I went and lay on the sofa in the lounge and fed him (breast feeding is the thing I find most difficult, but the midwives were so helpful and with perseverance I got through the first couple of rough weeks and I was so grateful I had pressed through).

So there you have it, some people say I am 'hard' or an earth mother….whatever that means! But really, I feel I have faith on my body and in God. My difficulties, as I said before, lie in breastfeeding, and so where I used no pain killers for birth, I used them every 3 hours for breastfeeding. It was worth pressing though the hard times, breastfeeding is convenient!