Amelie Esme was born nearly a week early on the 4th August at 1045am.

On Saturday (3rd August) I woke up having mild menstrual cramps which lasted all day long, they didn't keep me from my normal routine and because they were somewhat irregular and so weak, I didn't think too much about it. I hadn't had Braxton Hicks all pregnancy so I figured this must be what they are.

I went to sleep fine that night but got woken up at 330am with the cramps now quite strong/painful and when I timed them they were 5-6minutes apart. This is my first baby so I still wasn't 100% convinced that this was the real thing and didn't want to act too quickly, so I just paced around the house and didn't say anything to my husband. Even though they were stronger, I was still able to cope easily, and was talking/watching tv through contractions.

Within a few hours, the contractions were now much stronger, and down to 3 minutes apart. At this point I figured I better let my husband know, and also call the midwife. At this point I knew myself that this was the real thing, but I know that both my husband and the midwife did not. The midwife told me to see how things go and she'll give me a call to check up at the end of her shift (4pm). I knew this couldn't be right as things were already moving quickly, but again I figured maybe she was right as I know most first labours do last days, plus the ever common 'false labour' so I said okay and hung up.

At 8am I attempted to rest by laying down in bed and almost instantly, I heard a 'pop' and with it, a huge gush of water poured out all over the bed. Within a few minutes of my water breaking, the contractions started coming a minute apart and extremely strong. I turned to my husband and told him he needed to set up the pool - now. Because things were moving so fast, and we really weren't as prepared as we probably should've been, my husband was busy running around filling the pool and getting me things while I labored on my own in the bedroom. I had assumed that I was really going to want his support, and not to leave my side, but actually I preferred being by myself and was so 'in the zone' it was hard to concentrate on anything outside of my body.

I had done a lot of preparation for the birth, knowing I wanted a home water birth without any pain medication, so I did my best to use my breathing and other mechanisms I had practiced so many times, but the pain was really challenging for me. My saving grace was knowing so much about the actual birth process, that at the point where I was telling myself I couldn't do it, I knew it was the 'transition' phase and that it was the worst part and meant she'd be here soon. With each contraction, I changed positions from standing to squatting, to lying on my back but the only thing that eased the contraction was sitting against the bed and starting to bear down. At this point, in my head I was prepared to have this baby on my own on the bedroom floor and I really couldn't see myself making it to the pool. Because everything so far had moved so quickly, it was only at this point that my husband had a moment to call the midwife back and tell her that she really needed to come now. He explained the situation (much to her surprise), and she said she would be 30mins and started explaining to my husband what to do if she didn’t make it in time. Luckily my husband has been prepared all along for this situation, but I don’t think he ever dreamed it would actually happen.

My husband knew how much I wanted my water birth, and at this point it was filled up enough that it was ready for me to get in. It took quite a bit of convincing but he got me downstairs and into the pool. Getting into the water came as a huge relief to the pain and I instantly felt more confident. With each contraction, the urges to push became stronger, and pushing was the best form of relief I had, when I could push the pain transformed and became tolerable, so even though I thought I probably shouldn’t be, I pushed with each one. I could feel the head descending and this motivated me even more. Luckily, as this was happening, the midwife arrived and did nothing but encourage me (knowing that I really didn’t want any interventions at all). Because of how progressed I was, I avoided all internal examinations, which I am so pleased about as I was quite uncomfortable with the idea from the beginning but couldn’t see anyway around it. I could tell the midwife was a bit taken back by how quickly I had progressed, she even had to show up in her dress and shoes as she didn’t have time to change.

Not long after she showed up, I had pushed a bit of Amelie’s head out and could see it which was so surreal. From seeing the head come out, my concern moved straight to tearing and the thought of the rest of the head coming out actually scared me quite a bit. As comforting as pushing was, I then became hesitant and started holding the pushes back a bit. I think this was the most focused I was throughout the whole process, and felt completely in control. I slowed my breathing down and didn’t force anything. I could feel the ‘ring of fire’ but to be honest, it was hardly even painful, in my experience, this wasn’t bad at all. After doing so well going slow, a huge contraction hit and at this point, I just went with it and pushed until I felt her whole head pop out. I felt a huge relief knowing that the head was out and before I had time to breathe, I felt her arm shoot out as well which led straight into the rest of her slipping out. I instinctively reached down and picked her up and put her on my chest.

I remember being so overwhelmed with the birth that I just held her with my eyes closed and it actually took me what felt like ages before I took my first look at her. Holding my own little baby was the most amazing feeling. She was born at 1040am weighing 7lbs, just over 7 hours after being woken up from the first major contractions. I was lucky enough not to have a single tear (didn’t even sting with my first pee), and unless I didn’t notice, I didn’t poo either!

Because I had planned my home birth for so long, the thought of pain relief had never actually been an option for me, so I never gave it much of a thought. I think if I were to have been in hospital and the idea presented, I may have gone for it, but having said that I had gas and air at the house and never even thought to give it a try. The labour was something I knew was going to be a challenge and just had to get through in order to hold my baby.

Because we had her at home, I was able to get out of the pool, sit on my sofa with my husband cuddling out little baby while my mom was in the kitchen making us breakfast. I was able to go into my shower and get changed and within an hour of her birth it was just our new little family being cozy in our home. It truly was the most amazing experience and I can’t say enough how much I recommend home births. My mom was against the idea in the beginning but she cried afterwards saying how wrong she was, and how she can’t see it being done any other way.