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Kim Simpson’s Story

Hi Ann, here is my birth story as promised! Firstly wanted to mention that using all the techniques from your classes throughout my pregnancy were a great help and relief for aches and pains, anxiety and insomnia. Get on that birthing ball girls! I know Ann drills it into you every week and rightly so! Especially good during the nights when you are wide awake with thoughts rushing though your head clock watching… Get on the ball and do some alternate nostril breathing or golden thread breathing.

Ok so here it goes! Sorry I rant on a bit so feel free to read a shortened version in class as it could take the whole hour up!!

So on Valentine’s Day I was 6 days overdue and completely fed up! After an unsuccessful sweep day after my due date I was sad at the thought I would have to be induced on 16th if nothing happened. So on Valentine’s day we decided to do all we could to get things going with a 4 mile walk round new Brighton then for a spicy curry!

2am on 15th woke up with slight pain and discharge, and trickling of waters. Which then became bloody discharge. Called triage at 3.15 and they told me to lay down for 30 mins to see if more would come away, which it didn’t. So they asked me to wait until gush of waters breaking. Took 2 paracetamol at 4am.

6am-7am timed my contractions and they were every 5 mins or so. Then just after 7 waters broke. Called triage and they told me to have breakfast and go in. This whole time the only way I was getting through contractions was breathing techniques.

When I got to hospital around 8.30 I was put on monitor for 30mins. It was so uncomfortable laying down so asked to stand. Used wall to rest on while having contractions.

I hadn’t realised I would be on monitor for that long! After she examined me internally with a spectrum, this was very uncomfortable as she couldn’t find my cervix. She then concluded that I was not dilated at all so they advised me to go home and return in few hours if contractions had got closer or more painful. They gave me 2 paracetamol and 2 codeine.

Went home and tried to rest a bit between contractions , they were quite sporadic, sometimes every 15 mins then getting into a closer rather of every 5. I lasted until 7pm doing my breathing techniques and using my ball. I then ate some pizza and had a bath which did help a bit smooth the pain.

The contractions were coming now every 5 mins and lasting 40 secs on average so called hospital and told them I was coming in at 10pm. So off we went with everything crossed that I wouldn’t be sent home again.

Arrived 10.15pm After another examination I was delighted to hear I was 4cm dilated which was fantastic! So off we went to delivery suite with its own pool to set up camp! Still using my breaking to control contractions and stayed on my feet. Now one thing I am mad about is I forgot to take my birthing ball (should have known better Ann as you often mentioned it) and the ball they had was so soft I went to sit on it and the pain was excruciating as I it just sunk underneath me! So lady’s I cannot express enough how important it is to get it in your car!!!

After about 2 hours the contractions were just getting to painful to bear without some pain relief so onto gas and air I went! Never had it before and it made me giggle and talk a lot of rubbish!

At 1.15am Still on my feet contractions began to build to an extreme around 1am, lasting 1 min 40 secs coming every 40secs. I was In agony and desperate to get in the pool as I really wanted a water birth. The midwife was reluctant as she wanted to wait until my next examination which wasn’t due until 2.15am (4 hours after my last one) but my partner Phil put his foot down so I could get examined at 1.40am. Thank god because I was 8cm dilated and the pool needed 30mins to fill! So off midwife went to fill the pool! I got in around 2.15am, it was a slight relief but I think to be Honest I had gone to far for it to be much help. Still on gas and air until the pushing began!! I was pushing for nearly 1 hour, she was stubborn! But looking back I know I could have got her out quicker if I had been in kneeling position in the pool the whole time, I began like that but midwife moved me into a on my back positions it’s legs spread (if I had been on the bed this would have been the position they don’t want you in, flat on my back!) after pushing for nearly an hour, I just was in to much pain to change position (my partner was trying to encourage me back into it) I finally managed to get back into it and 4 pushes later the midwife told me to take my baby from the water, I looked down and floating up there she was! It was the most surreal, amazing moment of my life!

Looking back I cannot believe I managed it! The midwife son duty were very impressed with me as well which makes me feel even more proud.

Ok I will wrap it up now as I have ranted on enough! The key point I would like to get across is I could NEVER have done it without the skills I had learnt at pregnancy yoga, and my amazing birth partner Phil also says the skills he learnt at the birthing partner class were vital to help me through it. So Ann I cannot thank you enough! When I first attended your classes, after just moving to Wallasey and struggling with my anxiety which seemed to be increasing with pregnancy. Your classes not only helped me through the birth but it helped me from that day throughout my pregnancy to cope.

And not only that I met some other amazing women who I hope to keep mummy friends with!

Give my love to all the girls and wishing them smooth delivers! Use those techniques!

Kim Simpson

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