30/11/2025
✨ B I R T H S T O R Y ✨
First baby, 39+4, spontaneous labour, poolbirth
“Thoroughout my pregnancy I always said I didn’t want a water birth but wanted to deliver vaginally with only gas and air. At 39+4 around 4:30pm my cramping became more regular and feeling more like contractions. After a shower and some rest on the sofa with contractions getting stronger, longer and closer together, I started timing them and when they were 5 mins apart lasting 60 seconds at 12.06am I rang the hospital and they advised staying at home until they were closer together or until I felt I needed to go in. I rang them back at 1:44am as they were more painful and regular. They said the labour ward at Lincoln was full and asked if I would be okay going to Boston I said yes and we got everything ready and in the car and headed to Boston. We arrived at Boston at 2:55am and were greeted by the most lovely midwives on a calm and peaceful labour ward. At 4:18am I was 4cm dilated, contractions became more irregular since going to hospital so went for a walk around and walked past the room with the birthing pool in and me and my partner said how nice and calming it looked. At 5:15 my contractions were more painful and I couldn’t get into a position that was comfortable so I asked for some paracetamol and codeine. At 6am the pressure was getting worse and I just couldn’t get comfortable sitting or laying in any position. My midwife asked if I wanted to try the pool and if I didn’t like it I could always get out, I said yes as I was really starting to be in a lot of pain. Once we got in the room they put the monitors on me and at 6:20am I got in the pool and the relief was instant and indescribable, I could just relax and float in the water. I started to feel the need to push and the midwife told me to just go with it and I did. I listened to what my body was telling me and pushing felt effortless in the water. At 6:59 my waters broke which relieved more pressure and from then my contractions only got stronger and I was pushing with each one. I remember just being laid in the pool with my eyes closed feeling so calm just doing what my body said and then little did I know she was very nearly here at 7:32am I delivered her head and at 7:34am my beautiful baby girl Amiya was born.
We went home with our baby at 1pm thanks to the amazing midwives at Boston hospital.
I am so glad I decided to get in that pool it was honestly like magic how much it got rid of the pain, I could just focus on what my body was telling me to do instead of the pain, I didn’t even think about using the gas and air as breathing and the relief from the water was enough. When I was pushing her out it was less painful than my contractions were before I got in the pool. I would 100% recommend a water birth to anyone and everyone as my labour wouldn’t have been as perfect as it was without going in that pool.
Student Midwife Zofia asked if I could be part of her caseload and so I met her several times in pregnancy and she was there for the birth. She spoke about the benefits of water during labour at my appointments but every time I shut her down and said I wasn’t interested. Seeing her face when she walked in to the room and saw me in the pool was so funny, I remember just turning around to her saying ‘you were right, this is amazing’.
The biggest thankyou to Mandy and Student Midwife Zofia for being the best midwives throughout my pregnancy and it was so special for Zofia to be the one to deliver my baby.”
Thank you to Jasmine for sharing her lovely birth story 🩷 if you’d like to share your birth story, no matter what sort of birth you’ve had then please send us a message!
