Birth Stories

The Birth of Francesca Bell - 13 December 2006

Sam, Steve and Frankie’s story

If you are considering a home birth and live in Anja’s catchment area all we can say is don’t hesitate, book her!

Little did we know when I was 36 weeks pregnant and made the decision to go for a home birth (after watching a TV programme about the state of the NHS Midwifery care) that booking with Anja was going to be one of the most important decisions we have ever had to make, and one of the best decisions my husband and I have made together. The memory of this birth will be with us always and for that we can’t repay Anja enough. The added element that has made this experience extra special has been the postnatal care that Anja provides. Would you believe that when I was having difficulties with breastfeeding that she came to see us on New Year’s Eve! How many other Midwives would do that for you? She is an Amazing lady and this is the story she made possible:

At around midday on the 13th December (4 days earlier than the estimated arrival date of our little bundle) I called Steve to say I’d been feeling what seemed like period pains throughout the morning but that it was probably nothing (had similar on and off all week!) and to go to his client lunch as planned. We arranged to speak afterwards and for him to be prepared to come home early anyway just in case. I carried on with doing bits around the house to take my mind off the feeling in my abdomen (probably in denial at this stage still!) and made a fruit crumble. At around 2pm it all felt a bit more than just period pains and I was starting to hang on to solid objects (a nice warm towel rail in the bathroom, banisters etc) and to step rhythmically on the spot until the intense feelings passed. By the time Steve got home (4pm) I was stamping my feet with what was now definitely each contraction, and really hanging onto the favoured solid object (which was by that point definitely the towel rail)! They were every 7-10 mins or so and manageable but it was nice to have been on my on for the start of the contractions so that I was able to work out my coping strategy before Steve got back - it took all my concentration to work out what was best for me. This stepping/stamping is what I kept doing almost all the way through to 2nd stage and was really effective at distracting me from the cramping feeling in my abdomen.

I think that we called the Doula (Sophia Russell, who lives on our road) at around 8.30-9pm (it was all a bit fuzzy for me at this stage but I’ve checked with Steve and he confirms this!) and she came and observed a few contractions before saying to Steve that we should call Anja. Anja arrived at about 10pm (we had called her twice before this just to let her know what stage I was at, and it was on this third occasion she just knew it was time to come) and not too long after she arrived my waters broke and Anja said to get into the pool. (She did not need to do an internal examination, she just could see from my behaviour I was ready amazing!). There was a marked feeling of relief with getting in the pool, much like getting in a warm bath with back pain, it immediately relieves you. The water immediately took the edge off the impact of each contraction. It mellowed the whole experience for me from that point and I was able to almost flow with the water with each contraction to get me through them calmly. I was also able to go into myself a lot more, I faced a blank wall, and kept everyone’s faces behind me, meaning I could focus on what I was doing and just hear them for support when it was needed.

The baby soon made it known that this was the time to assist her down the birth canal. Although this took me a little time as I had a mental block about pushing her out, and had not really got my head around that idea before the contractions had started. Anja and Sophia were brilliant, saw that this was the issue and said a few perfect sentences to me that dislodged the mental block and hence dislodged the baby, and out she came.

At this point I still couldn’t believe we had done it, had our baby girl at home, with no pain killers, and it didn’t cross my mind to ask for anything either. I am not that great at dealing with pain ordinarily I would say, but with this experience, before I could really think that this was all going to get really painful at some stage, she was here and it was over. It really took me by surprise and made me realise what I had suspected, that we women are designed for this, and the majority of the problem with the thought of natural childbirth is in the mind, based on stories of many many women having traumatic hospital births. It doesn’t have to be like that if you have a good pregnancy and the right support. Anja was that support. She had no doubts that I could do this in the way I had hoped, and that does amazing things to your mental state. I fully believe that it was this that made it possible for me the birth my baby in exactly the way we had hoped we could.

Good luck and enjoy the whole experience!

From Steve:

Anja made me feel totally involved at every stage. Not once did I have that feeling of being useless that most men talk about when it comes to childbirth as Anja was really inclusive when she spoke with us, which was so great for me. I obviously could do little during the actual birth, but then Sam just wanted me to be present for assurance I could offer, a sense of our unity and of course to be a part of this incredible event. She needed little assistance up until the final stage when words of wisdom were offered by Anja and the baby came into our lives! I want to thank Anja for this incredible bespoke service that she is truly gifted at! If we have another baby would not change a thing the next time around.

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