The pregnancy had been very similar to my first. The first 3 months were tough with the tiredness and having a cold/cough for over a month! It was made even tougher having to look after a toddler too.

Around 36-37 weeks, baby dropped significantly and I found it very difficult to move around a lot or for long periods of time. I had seen a chiropractor that had really helped my right hip but this I knew she would not be able to help with. Moving around at night was a particular chore.

From 37+3, I began getting more intense Braxton hicks with period pains every evening. It felt a lot like labour with my daughter. I would then go to bed and they would die off.

At 38+5, I woke up and went to the toilet and found that I had passed an enormous show. I let Tanya and Deana know. That night around 19-19.30, I started having more regular intense tightenings, which were actually getting quite regular. I said to my husband to get the pool sorted. They then began to slowly die down. I again went to bed and they did completely.
I woke up the next morning with a horrible cold and feeling awful. I hardly slept that night as I could hardly breathe. I was still getting bits of show every time I went to the toilet.

At 39 weeks, I was still full of cold and feeling even worse. I felt I couldn’t do anything; my energy was so low. That evening I had a few intense Braxton hicks but I didn’t think anything of them.

That night, I woke up to my waters breaking at about 23.50. It hurt a lot; it felt like someone had punched right through my cervix. I managed to get to the toilet without it going everywhere and confirmed it was definitely my waters. I had a small tightening on the toilet, which felt intense and then another soon after. They were very short. I then I had to go back into the bedroom and wake my husband to go and get everything ready. My husband was in a daze and didn’t really know what was happening. He said I needed to call Tanya.

At 00.06 I txt Tanya to say that my waters had broken and that I was having tightenings every couple of minutes.

At 00.10 I decided to call her, as I presumed she hadn’t read my txt. I said I’d call back when I needed her. The tightenings were becoming more and more intense and I wanted to get into the pool. Friends were helping my husband fill the pool. They were intermittently rubbing my back, as my back seemed to hurt the most.

At 00.20 I asked my husband to call Tanya, apparently she was on her way already.

I think I got into the pool around 00.30. There was only inches of water in it but I was desperate to get in.

Tanya came around 00.45.

Around 00.50 I felt an urge to push and felt like I was going to open my bowels.

Deana got there at around 01.00.

My son was born at 01.04 and I was soooo relieved!!

The placenta was delivered around 00.25. I then moved to the couch, where I was a lot more comfortable. I had painful after pains for the next couple of hours, so Tanya and Deana let me lie on the sofa with my son until I felt a bit better. My daughter slept through all of it, which was a weight off my mind!

This labour was a whirlwind and very intense. I had no time to concentrate on my hypnobirthing, as the contractions were so full on so quickly. It was a very surreal experience and I was aware of exactly what my body was doing, which I hadn’t felt last time.