Erin's Birth Story by Ella

Here is the birth story of my first baby, a daughter called Erin, after over a decade struggling with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain.

I had my endometriosis diagnosed and excised in 2018, and have been going to pelvic floor physio ever since to help relax my muscles.

After a fairly typical pregnancy and the all clear to attempt a vaginal birth, I decided to be induced at 39+2. Already 3cm on my own, I had a half dose of the prostaglandin gel. My body immediately took over, marking the beginning of a quick 5 hour labour! 

I hired an obstetric TENS machine, and found it really helpful in early labour. After asking for a cervical check, I was shocked to find I was 7cm! Suddenly, I was struggling to find a comfortable position, and my amazing midwife threw a mat down as I felt the need to get on the floor. Before I knew it, I was in transition.

Physio taught me to relax into the pain, not tense against it. I quietly rode the intense waves of transition, hitting the “I can’t do it” point, but kept leaning into the experience. Soon, I had the uncontrollable urge to push. I found the side lying position most comfortable.

I called out, thinking her head was coming, but it was actually my amniotic sac / “forebag”. My forewaters hadn’t broken, and had come out before baby, forming a bubble that acted like a window. My husband filmed her head descending and being born out into the sac.

Again, extensive physio made the pushing phase very manageable, as the stretching sensation felt familiar and I wasn’t scared of the pain. After some more quiet pushing, simply breathing and following my natural urges, Erin was was born, and the sac finally burst with a gush!

My OB happily announced “your perineum is intact!”, meaning I had no tearing and also no pelvic floor muscle damage. I couldn’t believe, given my history of chronic pelvic pain, that I’d had such a smooth birth! 

Breastfeeding is still going strong at 13 months, my pelvic floor health is better than ever (after that epic stretch ), and I feel really positive about my hospital birth experience.

Natural, vaginal birth, forebag birth, first baby, endometriosis, induction, hospital, midwife and OB, Tasmania Australia.
@ellas_endometriosis