A wonderful first-time birth

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At 1pm on a Thursday, my waters broke. As a first-time mum, I didn’t quite realise what was happening, so I texted my midwife to double-check. Yes, definitely my waters – but where are my contractions?

I went about my day as usual, after my midwife told me to just relax and she’d be on standby. At around 5pm, I started getting niggles, so got in touch with my sister and my family to let them know things were starting.

My sister came over, and at about 7pm, as she was bathing my one-year-old niece in the kitchen sink, things got real – BOOM! Contractions started!

I told my sister and my partner that I thought we’d better make a move soon, and at about 7.30pm, I decided it was time to go. I called my midwife to let her know we were leaving home and on our way to the birthing centre, which was about 30 minutes away.

During the drive, my contractions became intense and labour had well and truly set in. We arrived at the birthing centre and I can’t even make it to the door, as I needed to stop and crouch down during each contraction in order to manage the pain.

Fortunately, the staff were expecting me, and I was shown to the birthing room. The bath was nearly full, and as soon as it was completely filled, I got in.

My midwife arrived shortly after I got into the bath. By then it was 8.45pm and I was in full-blown labour. I told the midwife I couldn’t control it any longer, and I needed to push!

As I was pushing, the pain seemed unreal. But pushing felt less painful than simply letting a contraction just happen, so I went for it. As my baby’s head crowned, I felt such relief that the end was near and I could soon hold the baby boy I’d been waiting nine months to meet.

My final push took place at 9.13pm, and my baby was born! I grabbed him straightaway – he was so warm and perfect. My partner and sister were alongside me, witnessing the birth of our healthy, six pound 14 ounce baby boy, Lincoln.

In an instant, the pain was gone and nothing else matters – before this it had felt like I’d been in unbelievable pain for hours, but really, it was only about an hour from the time things got intense until my son arrived. I couldn’t believe it – things happened so fast I didn’t have time to think about any pain relief.

I had skin-to-skin contact with my baby before pushing the placenta out. I didn’t have any tears or complications, and was blessed with not only a perfect little boy, but also a wonderful first-time birth experience.

When people ask me about my birth story, I always tell them not to let other people’s horror stories put them off – believe in yourself and your birth will be amazing

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BUMP & baby is New Zealand’s only magazine for pregnancy and early babyhood. Our team of mums and mums-to-be understand what it’s like to be pregnant in this connected age, and that’s why BUMP & Baby online is geared toward what pregnant women and new mums really want to know.

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