Kodie's Birth Story by Sam
Listening to positive birth story’s has encouraged me to share mine. I love anything related to birth and baby’s. This image is of my fourth and most recent birth bringing our son Kodie earth side last October.
I have always been fascinated by birth my first and second baby's were both hospital induced births one with an epidural and one with trying gas and air when it came around to my third baby I was more educated on natural birth and knew there had to be another way we were home in Ireland and I was going for a home birth I had a lovely community midwife and she worked alongside me to educate me on having a home birth but it just wasn't meant to be firstly the laws in Ireland had changed and water birth for delivery wasn't an option I then ended up going 13 days past my guess date and started to labour at home but because I was 13 days over I wasn't covered by my community midwife so I had to go into hospital there was meconium in the waters so they needed to bring on labour and get my baby out . She arrived safe and sound but it was a scary enough experience it felt rushed and panicked and was not the birth I had envisioned as I had been hoping for a peaceful homebirth
Fast forward two years and we have emigrated to qld Australia and our expecting our fourth baby I know this time I do not want another birth to be interfered with so I look into a homebirth but in qld it is not covered under health care you have to go private and this wasn't an option for us at the time but I was very lucky to have got talking to the midwives in the hospital I was referred to and they educated me on ammifity midwifery which would mean I would get the same midwife for all my appts and labour and she would come to me for appts this was amazing as we were in a new country and didn't have the luxury of family to look after our other baby's while I went to any appointments. I was so grateful to have met a gorgeous midwife Sara who looked after me at home for every appt she would come and check in on me and baby my bigger kids would get to listen to baby's heartbeat and she listened to me as I told her my fears from previous births and what I wanted for this birth . I told her all my previous baby's had been what they called bigger babies and my body was capable of birthing.
So as I was more aware now I was not concerned after scans being told that my baby was measuring bigger and early induction would be needed. I knew my rights and I refused early induction. I got to 41 weeks and 4 days so 11 days past the guess date I was already starting to dilate and had been having mild cramping so I went into my midwife Sarah in the delivery suite and trusted her to break my waters. When she did there was meconium in the waters and for me this was my worst nightmare as I feared It would bring all the panic from my previous birth but it didn't. Sara reassured me that it was ok I could still have the calm natural birth I wanted. My husband helped me as we prepared the room for delivery we turned on relaxing music, I set out a birth altar of all the gorgeous gatherings from my mother blessing ceremony, Sarah had affirmations on the window reminding me I could do this, my body was capable and I was strong .
There were fairy lights in the bathroom and when the contractions really started to get intense I found myself seeking refuge in the dark dim area alone with my breath Sara noticed this and told me to stay in there for as long as I needed so I did I sat on the toilet doing some deep breathing my sounds obviously got louder and my hubby noticed and came in to check on me he told me afterwards that he knew I was in transition and baba was very close to coming and he was right just when I felt like I couldn’t do it any more he knew I was close.
My midwife asked did I feel like I could make it out of the bathroom but as soon as I started to walk I could feel the urge to push ( she then told me after she knew me changing position would help bring him down ) so by the time I took a few steps out from the bathroom I could feel his head I reached down and with the help of my midwife I was able to pull my baby to my chest and it was the most empowering amazing feeling . We were then left to enjoy this time with just us 3 my husband, me and our baby boy. There was no rushing to check weights or cut the cord. His cord was left till it was completely white and my husband got to cut it.
Kodie was here 9and a half pounds of him no stitches were needed and no pain relief our breath is truly a magical tool to use this big baby that some people would have been made to fear delivering was born safe and sound
This birth was everything I wanted, it was by far my favourite birth it felt so natural and empowering I felt listened to as I listened to my body and helped my baby come earthside .
It made me realise I didn’t have to have my baby at home or in water for it to be the birth I had dreamed of even though it was in a hospital setting it wasn’t like births I had before through educating myself having a fantastic midwife all the way through and having the support from my husband, it was made possible.
I would love for other women to be excited and supported into having the birth they want birth it shouldn't be approached with fear.
Hi I’m Sam I’m a mama of 4 wildings and I am passionate about other mamas having a positive birth experience and embracing motherhood.