A fantastic birth story from Sarah (Tiverton) and a comparison with her first birth, which I hope will be very encouraging for second time mums :)

I had a little girl, Hannah Elsie on Friday 29 June, 8lb 11oz

My labour was super fast, I had a sweep on the rsday (and used your breathing techniques during it!) the midwife wasn't convinced it would be successful as my cervix, although favourable was far back so she couldn't 'sweep' she just gave it a pull (!)

On Friday I woke up crampy but just put it down to the intervention, I carried about my day, taking Emily to her 2.5 year health check, tescos etc but by 4pm I was having contractions so I sat on my birthing ball, rotating to dilate, daisy birthing music on doing my breathing. Rob came home and rang Exeter who said we could come in but if I wasn't in established labour I'd have to go home, not a journey I wanted to do in rush hour!

By about 6:30 my contractions were coming thick and fast so we got organised and got to Exeter about 7:30, by this stage I was contracting every 1 min 30! I had 8 contractions between the car park and the labour ward!

Hannah was delivered at 9:18, using just gas and air and daisy breathing techniques. I did panic a few times as it was very intense and fast but I can honestly say the breathing you taught me brought me back in control.

I didn't need any stitches and after a bath and some paperwork we came home just a few hours later, it was lovely to get into my own bed! Also it meant when Emily woke up she could come in and meet her new sister in a familiar environment. Rob and my mum were both with me the whole time, it was perfect.

Oh, Hannah came out back to back, the midwife said if she had of been the right way round she doubts I would have made it to hospital in time! I didn't even get my hospital bag open or my cheap delivery nightie on!

(In comparison, my first labour I started having strong contractions at 9pm on the monday evening. We went to Tiverton Birthing Unit (midwife led) around 3am on the Tuesday morning but was only 2-3cm dialated, I laboured with just gas n air and TENS until 9:30am but when I was told I was still only 2-3cm the real panic set in, I was exhausted and couldn't cope anymore so I was transferred to Exeter by ambulance. 

About an hour after I got there I was given a shot of diamorphine to calm me down as I was pretty hysterical, and an hour and 20 minutes later, Emily was born weighing 8lb 9.5 oz.  I don't remember much of her first few hours as I was still away with the fairies on the diamorphine :o(

The midwife said that I was so frightened and the loss of control meant I was stopping my body doing what it needed to do, I wasn't in control of my breathing and also I lay on the bed on my left side the whole time, they couldn't get me to move round so made life very very difficult for myself.

Albeit most people say 2nd labours are easier I totally believe the daisy breathing and visualisation techniques and the rotate to dialate made my second labour a totally different experience than the first time, plus with not needing pain relief other than the gas n air, after a few normal breaths I was 'back in the room' and able to enjoy our new daughter as soon as she was placed on my chest :o))