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Birth Stories
Jake’s Birth Story
We had moved house two months before my due date and were in the process of completely renovating the house. I don’t think Anja could quite believe what awaited her on each antenatal visit, although she assured me it was all fine. I had been joking with friends that the baby would arrive when we ripped the kitchen out, and I was right!
Jake decided to make his entrance into the world on a Sunday afternoon, 9 days before his due date. We had had a lovely, relaxing day visiting family and having lunch out in Eastbourne. I had felt completely normal all day, and was really enjoying and savouring my last few weeks of pregnancy. I never imagined that a few hours later I would actually be holding my gorgeous baby boy. Ten minutes before we got home, I had my first contraction, although despite being my fourth baby, I was not convinced it was a contraction. Ten minutes later, I had another one, and after that they started coming fairly close together, although they seemed to be very mild. I was still not convinced that I was in labour and really thought it would all stop as I hadn’t had a show and my waters hadn’t broken. Steve, my husband persuaded me that I should give Anja a call to let her know what was going on. I think he was getting slightly worried that I would leave it too late and he would have to deliver the baby himself (even though he had been given a lesson from Anja on what to do if that happened!)
I phoned Anja and told her what was happening, but not to come over as I was pretty sure it would all stop. I told her I was going to have a bath and would call her again. The water was lovely and warm, and I instantly felt more relaxed and in control. The contractions didn’t stop but were still very mild and fairly unevenly spaced. We decided that Steve should inflate the birthing pool just in case so he left me in the very capable hands of my three daughters, Ellie, Grace and Maisie who were by now getting very excited. A short while later they all insisted that I ring Anja again. She asked me how long the contractions were lasting and how far apart they were, but I was so sure it would all stop soon that I hadn’t been timing them. I said we would do that and then call her again. Ellie started timing them for me as Steve was still sorting the birthing pool out and was quite alarmed when she discovered they were every 2 minutes and lasting 50 seconds. I was quite alarmed as well as they hadn’t really felt that long or frequent. Steve rang Anja again, but she must have had me pretty sussed as she was already on her way.
Very soon Anja arrived, and I was so pleased to see her. She was her usual calm, reassuring self and I instantly felt safe and looked after. I was aware of the girls asking her if she thought the baby would be born tonight and her replying yes she thought it would be. I, however, was still thinking everything would stop and it was a false alarm.
Pretty soon, Anja encouraged me to move downstairs and get into the birthing pool while I still could. I stood up and was hit by another contraction and had to get straight back in the bath, but then I put my mind to it and made it downstairs and into the lovely warm water in the pool. The contractions then seemed to pick up intensity and I went into my own little world to get through each one. The girls were all in the lounge and the youngest two had changed into swimming costumes so they could get into the pool afterwards. Unbeknown to me Steve had posted a comment on facebook that I was having the baby and all our friends were following my progress! Thank god Anja was there or I think I would have felt completely on my own!
I was managing to breathe through the contractions, but they were getting much stronger and closer together now. I remember thinking that pretty soon I was going to ask for gas and air as there didn’t seem to be any gap between contractions. I was feeling quite scared that I couldn’t carry on but Anja was reassuring me that I was doing fine and the need for the gas and air went. I think my older two girls got a bit worried at this point and went outside to make popcorn! Anja told me I could push when I felt that I needed to and very soon I was doing just that, grabbing onto Steve’s arm who was telling me to get a move on so he could watch Top Gear! After not very much pushing I felt Jake’s head crown and then out he came. I’d done it, without any gas and air and in time for Top Gear!
The girls reappeared and were very surprised to see me holding the baby. Grace got into the pool for a minute, while I fed Jake and we rang family and friends to let them know. Then Steve held Jake while I birthed the placenta. Anja checked it and explained how it worked. Then she noticed part of the membrane in the birthing pool which is apparently very special and supposed to mean that Jake will never drown, so we have dried it, folded it and put it in a box. Anja then weighed Jake and checked I hadn’t torn, and I went upstairs for a lovely shower and got into my own bed. I fed Jake with Maisie in bed next to me, while Anja, Steve, Ellie and Grace tidied things up downstairs.
I feel so lucky to have had Anja as our midwife. From the very first time I phoned her to see if she would come and meet us, I have felt cared for, safe and important. Anja is intuitive, calm, highly knowledgeable and believes passionately in what she does. I instantly liked Anja from that very first phone call, but over the course of our journey together she has become a very special part of all our lives. My youngest two girls keep telling me they don’t want Anja to stop coming because she is so kind, and I better have another baby quick so she can come back again! In fact I don’t want her to go either. Despite Jake being my fourth baby, I have found the postnatal care invaluable. Anja has given me the confidence to trust my own instincts, and embrace new ideas.
Jake’s birth has been an amazing and empowering experience. What better gift could I have given my girls than making natural, homebirth such a positive and “normal” experience. I was so pleased when my youngest daughter asked a friend where his wife was having their baby. When he replied in hospital, she said “Why?”! That says it all. I will never be able to thank Anja enough. Now I just need to convince Steve to do it all again!!!
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