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Terri Walker’s Story

“Sending you this email from my bed at arrowe park with my gorgeous little boy edward philip walker by my side. Just thought i would update you and the girls on my birthing story. Ed was born yesterday at 1746 hrs and weighed 8lb 3oz. And came 3 days early… Very dramatically!

My contractions started slowand steady at 0130 in the morning. I managed to stay in bed til 6 just doing some slow and steady controlled breathing. I got up and had a bath at 6 and got my little boy off to school then me and simon had a cheeky mcdonalds breakfast. My contractions were manageable just by keeping moving, being over my ball and controlling my breathing. They were very erratic though going from 20 mins to 8 mins and back again.

I decided to see the midwife at 2.30 and things moved at the speed of light from there on in! She gave me an internal at 3 and told me I was 2cm and completely effaced. She said it was very early labour and could take two days to deliver. We headed home with plans of pizza and bending over my ball for a good few hours. However by the time we drove the 20 mins home I’d had 3 contractions. They started to come every few minutes so I rang labour ward and they told me to have 2 paracetamol and a bath and wait for an hour of contractions coming at 2 mins apart. I tried to get in to the hall to get up to the bath but only made it to the first stair. I had my straw in my mouth doing my straw breathing but suddenly i felt lots of pressure and pain and an urge to push.

Simon tried to get me in the car but I couldn’t move. We argued for a couple of minutes about him ringing an ambulance but then I realised I needed one and he was right (first time for everything!!) the operator told him to get me on my back as I lost control at this point screaming and needing to push. He was amazing and quite calm considering he was being talked through how to potentially deliver his baby! The ambulance arrived just in time and with some shouting screaming and gas and air they managed to get me on a trolley with only a blanket to cover my dignity from the neighbours! The shame! We arrived at hospital at 5.15 and edward was born at 5.46. He has been a little dream and has taken to breastfeeding really well.

Thank you so much for your support over the last 26 weeks. It has been invaluable. And I know everyone says it but the breathing techniques are the thing that will get you through not only labour but breastfeeding and those horrible afterpains no one really tells you about. Good luck to all the other girls in Thursday night’s class. It has been a pleasure to get to know you all and I look forward to reading your stories on the site soon.”

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