Mama N says “What a very eventful Friday night -our baby girl arrived unexpectedly at home! I have to give a huge thank you to you for the classes as, once again, the yoga & breathing etc. kept me calm & focused on the job at hand & coping extraordinarily well with the pain”

Hi Claire,

Thought I’d drop you a line to say thanks for the amazing yoga again. My little girl made a pretty dramatic surprise arrival on Friday evening… in my lounge!

I had a scan, consultant appointment and sweep at the hospital on Friday. The sweep happened at midday and I was then booked in for my induction for Tuesday this week. I had a few lower back cramps in the morning and this continued throughout the day with no real regularity or concern to me as I had similar braxton hicks with baby number one after 2 “failed” sweeps.

Around 8pm (just before the treat night pizzas arrived) the cramps ramped up a bit and I started timing them, just in case I was in labour – although I “knew” that I couldn’t be. I didn’t fancy the pizza and was finding it hard to sit at all as baby was in an “odd position this evening”.  So I did some breathing and stretching etc. I decided that my partner should call my parents around 9pm.  I was concerned that,  if this was something, our 3 year old may need looking after and I would rather that they were here and not needed, than not here and needed! They jumped in the car and set off from Sussex. I took 2 paracetamol as I was feeling quite achey from the lower back cramping. My lovely friend was called to pop over and sit for our son until my parents arrived.

Around 10pm I asked my partner to call the consultant unit to ask if they could suggest any pain relief or if I needed to come in to be assessed. Whist he was on the phone I felt the urge to start pushing. I kept thinking in my head “but sweeps don’t work! I bet this is just cramps and a pooh! I’ll be mocked for this!!!”
The hospital told luc to hang up immediately and dial 999 and that the Midwife Led Unit would send the on call community midwife over. At 22:30 Pete and Pete, the paramedics arrived and gave me some much appreciated and needed gas and air. At 22:45 the midwife (who happened to be my amazing community midwife!) arrived. This gave me so much solace and trust! I was on all fours at this point, in my lounge on a blanket of towels mooing and sighing well! So … 22:45 the midwife arrived and quickly followed by her number 2. They, supported by the paramedics, assessed me and quickly realised that going to hospital was not going to be an option and started to coach me through my pushes. At 23:09 our baby girl was delivered! All 8lb 12oz of her!

In the next couple of hours we were both checked over.  I had 6 superficial skin level stitches whist sat on my sofa! and the lounge was tidied etc.! My parents arrived just after 1am to a very shell-shocked household with an extra arrival that was most definitely not expected!

What a very eventful and unexpected Friday night! I have to give you a huge thank you Claire, for the classes as, once again, the yoga and breathing etc. kept me calm and focused on the job at hand and coping extraordinarily well with the pain.

From a stretch and sweep “that wouldn’t work” at midday to a baby born in my lounge at 23:09! Shiiiiit!

I never did eat my pizza! Lol!

But I did get my much wanted midwife led birth in the end despite being “consultant led” ha ha!!!