27/06: Birth Story – Mummies POV

Jessica Bibi Hope Rafiq, born at 11:22 (what a magical number!) weighing in at 6lb 12.5oz. 27th June after a birth that has left me totally euphoric!!

I woke up at about 4am getting stonger than BH but not quite strong to convince me contractions. I woke Akeel up at about 5am and we went downstairs to start timing them but they seemed to stop so we went back to bed. By about 9am though, I was bouncing on my ball waiting for the midwife to come and do an assessment, still not convinced though and certain she would say it was a false alarm.

Bouncing at 9am….

At about 10am, she arrived and examined me….I was 4cm dilated and went to 5cm as she was examining me. So Akeel started filling up the pool while I was still bouncing and rocking

I got in the pool about 11am, and after a couple of contractions started feeling like I wanted to push. I told the midwife, who said it wouldnt be time yet and it was just my bowels or the baby coming down ready. I knew though

Chilling in the pool 12 mins before she was born….

I said I might need some gas and air soon as I was starting to think things were about to start getting harder and I was expecting to be pushing for a while. But there was no time!

I suddenly felt her head coming down into the birth canal, and started saying ‘oh my god, oh my god, shes coming’. I was thinking ‘ok this is where its going to start to hurt..relax relax relax’ and forced myself to relax and breathe and accept the pain when it came. The midwife said ‘just take your time’ and then started explaining how the head would come first and then she would check the cord wasnt around the neck, and then a few more pushes and her body would follow.  I smiled and said ‘ok’ then I felt my body wanting to push so I closed my eyes, put my head back, let out one low grunt and went with my bodies urge to push. It didnt hurt, it felt amazing. I felt everything. I felt her body come down through the birth canal and just slip out into the water in one small push!!

The midwife was in shock and so was I lol. I got away with a very small tear that wasnt worth stitching.

We had a lovely cuddle in the pool straight away, then she went to Daddy while I got out ready for the 3rd stage, which was also completely natural and happened nice and easily and quickly

Daddies 1st cuddle…

Then more skin to skin and I breastfed her successfully yay!

I cant even begin to describe how I feel. I had the birth I wanted and it feels amazing! I never thought it would happen like that if i’m honest, but it did and baby Jessica is just perfection

Here are some more pics of her first few hours….

I am  so totally blissed out by her. She is amazing! She is so content and chilled out and only cries a little when she is hungry. She spends most of her time scrunched up on my shoulder asleep or laying beside me looking around. We are doing everything as naturally as possible and she has spent all of about 5 minutes in her basket lol…she wants to be with me all the time and I am more than happy to giver her that. It feels right.

I have asked Akeel to write an account of the birth from his point of view so that should follow shortly