Verity’s birth story: A birth with gestational diabetes
My Birth Story:
From the day I found out I was pregnant, I repeated to myself, “I trust my body knows what to do”. Whether this was the morning sickness I endured for the first 16 weeks, the ligament pains I developed as my body grew my baby, or how it safely delivered my beautiful baby girl at 39 weeks and 4 days. I trusted in my body, in the amazing ability it had to do exactly what it needed to do for me and for my baby. That mantra, repeated again and again, became so powerful and positive to me during labour, that I had the most positive and empowering birth experience. One that I will treasure forever.
My birth story started on Thursday 28th September following my 39-week scan appointment. Having had gestational diabetes and with concerns that I had potentially developed pre-eclampsia, the doctor advised that I was induced and was booked for 2 days time. I had wanted to avoid this but the risk to my baby and how unwell I had started to feel at the end of the pregnancy, made it clear to me it was now the safest option. Whilst at the hospital, I went to the assessment ward for routine monitoring. I asked the midwife for a membrane sweep to see if labour could start naturally.
She told me that my baby was sitting low and I was 2cm dilated. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions on and off for the last 2 weeks and this gave me hope that my body was starting to prepare for the birth. I went home and continued to try everything; walks, expressing colostrum, aromatherapy and using my birthing ball to start my labour.
The next day, there was no sign of anything happening.
Then, at 2 a.m. on Saturday, I started having contractions every 7-8 minutes, which grew stronger over the next few hours and started to last longer each time. At 9 a.m. I decided that I wanted to fuel up for delivery and went out for breakfast. The waitress thought I was crazy to be out and not headed to the hospital! At the table we started to track the contractions as they were still varying in frequency but happening often.
However, once I got home, my contractions stopped. I didn’t have any contractions for the next 8 hours. I phoned the ward for advice and they asked me to wait at home rather than come in at my planned induction time to see if labour started up again and come in that evening. I was so relieved to hear this as I had wanted to remain at home for as long as possible. I went on a few short walks alongside using some massage oils on my back and bump thinking if I had to be induced so be it but wanted to try start the labour again. The hours passed and nothing was happening so decided to rest. My induction was likely to happen after all.
But on my way up that evening, the contractions started and things then progressed quickly. My contractions were coming every 2-3 minutes and lasting more than a minute. I was put on the monitor for an hour to track the contractions and then was told I didn’t need to be induced. Labour had started! Just before 12 a.m. Sunday morning, I was moved up to the labour ward.
I had opted to have an unmedicated birth so I used breathing techniques, aromatherapy oils and hypnobirthing techniques throughout my labour that I had practiced. I also used a tens machine and birthing comb to distract myself during the contractions. These were amazing! Especially that the comb had my mantra engraved into it. With every contraction, I focused on breathing and repeated my mantra whilst visualising my baby in my arms. Using the hypnobirthing helped me stay relaxed and in control as labour progressed.
In 6 hours, I went from 4cm to 9cm. However, as my contractions grew stronger and closer together, my baby’s heart rate started dropping with the contractions. I had stayed mobile as much as possible and kept trying different position to see if this would help. But the doctor asked that I lay down now to stabilise baby’s heart rate. At this point my waters hadn’t yet broken and the pressure in my back grew. I felt like I was waiting forever for them to break. It was uncomfortable to be laid down so I stood up to go to the toilet and as I did, they finally broke. Then came the urge to push. To help the midwives monitor my baby’s heart rate they attached a wire to my baby’s head. I was so ready to meet her.
It took all of my mental and physical strength to push for just over an hour and a half. At 08:31, I safely delivered my beautiful 7lb 1oz baby girl. She had a full head of hair and I held her skin to skin soaking up how beautiful she was; that she was finally in my arms. It was the most incredible feeling and I was completely in love with her. It was a truly magical moment.
Throughout my whole labour the midwives were incredible at facilitating my birth preferences. They enabled me to have such a positive birth experience and I will be forever grateful to them.
After all, I knew I could trust my body to know what to do.