# I got my homebirth!! Story and photos enclosed!



## Greta Chick

The first photo was 1 minute after delivery, the second 2 hours later, the third 2 hours after delivery and the 4th was when we went up to bed at 12.30am.

I've got a baby!!!!! :cloud9: :baby:

Well it's quite a quick story lol.

I was awake all saturday night/sunday morning with a stomach pain that wasn't coming and going, it was there all the time but I couldn't sleep so spent my time wishing it would either start into labour or go away.

Sunday morning I woke up after eventually nodding off for a couple of hours and no pains whatsoever.

At 1pm I got my first "hmmm, I wonder if this is something starting?" tightening. I then had 4 more, 20 minutes apart lasting approximately a minute or so. After that they went erratic to every half hour, every 20 minutes etc and I was rocking through them. By 5pm I was breathing slightly through them sat on my ball, breathing in my aromatherapy. Hubby was out at the tip with my dad so I got J and C's teas ready in between contractions. During one they brought me a packet of baby wipes and when I asked what they were for they said "to clean the baby up, we thought you were in labour." How incredibly sweet and gorgeous are my two :flower: :hugs:

Hubby came home with my dad and he asked me if it was ok if my dad stayed - for hubby's support as he was still anxious about us having a homebirth - too late mate lol! I'd ordered them both a take-away which came shortly after hubby put J and C to bed at 6.30pm (by which time I was breathing a bit heavier through the contractions and inhaling my aromatherapy oils whilst leaning over our new swivel armchair in the living room lol).

By about 7.10pm the contractions were every 5 minutes and lasting around a minute each so I rang the labour ward who said they'd ring the community midwife who would then ring me back. By the time she rang me back the contractions were every 3 minutes lasting a minute or so each so she said she was on her way.

The take-away and the midwives arrived at about 7.30pm so my dad took his upstairs to watch tv in our room in case J and C woke up needing settling (they didn't, they slept right through) and the midwives introduced themselves to hubby while I was in the middle of a contraction.

When I came out of the contraction she did my bp and baby's heartbeat etc and asked if I wanted her to examine me - I did. She examined me and asked how far along I thought I was, I said I'd better not be 3cm and she said I was a good 7cm at least and baby was so far down she could hardly feel it's head anymore. Excellent I thought! :thumbup:

I got on with contracting every 3 or 4 minutes, now listening to my natal hypnotherapy tracks and breathing my aromatherapy whilst stood rocking backwards and forwards with one leg in front of the other holding onto the armchair (now with the shower curtain and towels underneath me lol). Hubby was fantastic, I'd told him I'd like him to press the small of my back as my contractions were like a band all around me rather than just stomach pain which I had with C (it was all back pain with J, no stomach pain at all and this time it was both at the same time lol). He also made sure he and the midwives spoke really quietly and didn't try and talk to me while I was contracting as this is what I'd said I wanted.

At about 8.40pm I started feeling pressure in my bum and said so, so I changed position to being on my knees leaning over my birth ball. In between contractions I asked the midwives if they wanted another drink and hubby said he'd make it which he did. Just as the kettle boiled I felt a lot of pressure and groaned quite loudly. He brought the drinks through then knelt up next to me and I rested my left arm on the ball and held round his waist with my right, while holding onto his arm. My body started pushing but not as severely as with C so I felt I still had some control over it, plus I felt my aromas and hypno were helping massively to keep me calm and in control so I went with it. I pushed once and felt baby move right down then made the usual "I can't do it." comment to which hubby said quietly and calmly "yes you can, you've been fantasic, you're doing so well." The midwife said she could see baby's head so I thought there's no way I'm letting this bit drag on when I've stayed so calm during the rest of it and hubby's and her comments spurred me on.

I pushed again and it felt like baby was crowning so I stopped and waited for the midwife to tell me to pant but she didn't as baby wasn't actually crowning, so without a contraction I pushed again as hard as I could and her head was born. The midwife told me to wait for the next contraction but I wanted it over with as this was the really painful bit and I didn't want it dragging on so again without a contraction I pushed as hard as I could and baby's body started to come. The midwife told me to pant while her shoulders were born so I did then she said give me a little push which I did and baby's body was born! The midwife caught Skippy then moved baby underneath me so I brought baby up and onto my chest myself. She fed within a couple of minutes then we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before hubby cut it. I could feel the placenta moving down so I gave a little push and it came out fine. The mw checked it and gave hubby a biology lesson in it :winkwink: then I had a small 2nd degree tear so the mw stitched me up while hubby had some skin to skin with baby.

He made us all a drink and they cleaned up and completed my notes while I fed baby again. The mw asked if I was ready for baby to have the checks done and I said yes so she did those while hubby got my dad to come downstairs then they left us on our own a little while later :flower: :cloud9:

Our little girl who we've named I s a b e l L u c y J a y n e T........ was born at 8.45pm weighing a very tiny 7lb 8.5oz! She's smaller than both J and C and I can't get over that shock of how tiny she is, I expected her to be bigger than C but she's almost a full pound lighter.

J and C are thrilled with her and can't stop looking at her, talking to her, kissing her and stroking her.

I didn't tell anyone at school (where I work) that we'd had our baby as I wanted J and C to know first, so in the morning when they woke for school I got them to choose one of the photos we'd taken and I wrote the details on so they could feel special telling everyone. 

To say hubby was amazed is an understatement :happydance: He has been telling everyone how fantastic it was, how quick it was, how calm I was and what a brilliant experience :happydance: Considering before the mws got to us he was still anxious and unsure about homebirth, he's now very happy with how it all went :flower:

The birth centre re-opened 10 hours after I gave birth, but I don't feel like I missed out on going there or having a waterbirth at all as I's labour and birth was such an amazing, calm, empowering and absolutely wonderful experience :flower: :baby: :cloud9: :hugs:

My milk has come in now but DD is a complete cuddle monster and hates being away from hubby or I which is hard during the night when she won't go in her basket. She starts rooting as soon as we put her down then calms down straight way when we pick her up.

Sorry it got so long but thank you for reading! 

xx
 



Attached Files:







Isabel 5mins old.jpg
File size: 30.5 KB
Views: 329









Isabel+mummy 2hrs old.jpg
File size: 25.5 KB
Views: 260









Isabel+daddy 2hrs old.jpg
File size: 34.6 KB
Views: 243









Isabel first night.jpg
File size: 24.6 KB
Views: 271


----------



## Bournefree

WOW that is fantasic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brilliantly told; I was there with you.

Well done mumma, what gorgeous pictures! thrilled for you!
XxX


----------



## kiwimama

congrats on the birth of little Isabel! She's beautiful. 
What a wonderful birth it sounded like you had - well done!
Let me know the date she was born and I'll add her birth to the front page.


----------



## Jenniflower

What a beautiful birth Greta!! I'm so happy it worked out so well for you as I know how much you were going back and forth because of the birth centre. Sounds like your hubby was amazing in supporting you! I'm just so happy for you! :hugs:


----------



## shellbelly

congratulations hunny, bless you all :) xx


----------



## pinkmonki

Congratulations! What a wonderfully positive home birth story :)


----------



## Mervs Mum

Fantastic!!! So pleased you got your happy home birth!! :cloud9: Well done! x


----------



## Ouverture

What a beautiful story! Congrats on the beautiful new babe :)


----------



## minibeast

well done! beautiful little baby !


----------



## Anababe

Congratulations!! Beautiful baby :D xx


----------



## Linzi

Gorgeous photos & amazing story. Your LO is beautiful, so teeny!!

Congrats to you & your family :hugs: xx


----------



## Mum2MJ

Well done you!! She's gorgeous :)


----------



## snagglepat

What a beautiful story, and a beautiful baby. Huge congratulations!

Gina. x


----------



## PeanutBean

Congratulations!!


----------



## luna28

congratulations, what a beautiful birth story! The photos are lovely.


----------



## Kitten

Awww congratulations!! Sounds like a fab labour/birth experience, well done to you and hubby :D


----------



## NaturalMomma

Congrats, love the photos!


----------



## smam

congratulations!!! what a wonderful story,name and pics! xxx


----------



## Janiepops

Amazing story! Congratulations :D xx


----------



## Greta Chick

kiwimama said:


> congrats on the birth of little Isabel! She's beautiful.
> What a wonderful birth it sounded like you had - well done!
> Let me know the date she was born and I'll add her birth to the front page.

Thank you! :flower: She was born on 23rd January. How do I add a "home birth achiever" or "my baby was born at home" type of thing to my signature at the bottom please?

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Thank you so so much for all of your congratulations messages :flower:

Although my little milk/cuddle monster won't let me on here long enough to reply to everyone individually, I really appreciate every one of your messages, they're so supportive :flower:

I'm still absolutely amazed, thrilled, proud and overwhelmed at how I's birth went :happydance: :cloud9: :hugs:

She was weighed today and was 7lb 7oz so she's only lost 1.5oz since birth which the midwife said was fantastic for a breastfed baby :thumbup: She's got a bit of jaundice but although her eyes and gums are a bit yellow the midwife said it will go as long as I keep bfing her and putting her in the sunlight etc.

My nips are quite sore as I wasn't opening her mouth very wide at first, but since my milk came in on tuesday night she's been feeding better. I've been using lots of Lansinoh on them but they're still a bit sore when she first latches on - how long will that last as I never had it *at all* with C.

Also, is it normal to have swellings in your armpits when bfing? I don't remember it with C but each morning my armpits have had visible swellings (2 on each side) which are tender and it's hard to put my deodorant on lol. Throughout the course of the day it goes down a bit but then is there again first thing in the morning. I forgot to ask the midwife when she came today.

Thanks in anticipation, and thank you again for all of your lovely messages :flower:

xx


----------



## PeanutBean

Greta there are lymph nodes in the armpits, perhaps the pressure of your mammary glands are inflaming them? Do they hurt if you lift your arms? Boob tissue can certainly extend under your arms. I'm guessing here though!


----------



## Jenniflower

Greta Chick said:


> kiwimama said:
> 
> 
> congrats on the birth of little Isabel! She's beautiful.
> What a wonderful birth it sounded like you had - well done!
> Let me know the date she was born and I'll add her birth to the front page.
> 
> Thank you! :flower: She was born on 23rd January. How do I add a "home birth achiever" or "my baby was born at home" type of thing to my signature at the bottom please?
> 
> xxClick to expand...

https://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz112/SiggyStoreUK/bnbhomebithacheiver.png

CODE: https://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz112/SiggyStoreUK/bnbhomebithacheiver.png[/IMG and add a ] on the end


----------



## Bumpontherun

What a lovely story. Made me feel really strong about giving birth:flower:


----------



## TwilightAgain

Lovely story and she is beautiful! Well done :flower:


----------



## mom22boys

That is beautiful! Congratulations!!!


----------



## MummyMagoo

Congratulations hun! So happy you got the birth you wanted x


----------



## pea-in-pod

what an amazing and beautiful birth story! thank you so much for sharing, and huge congratulations!!


----------



## Greta Chick

PeanutBean said:


> Greta there are lymph nodes in the armpits, perhaps the pressure of your mammary glands are inflaming them? Do they hurt if you lift your arms? Boob tissue can certainly extend under your arms. I'm guessing here though!

thank you so much, it's been better as my milk has settled down a bit and i don't have the lumps anymore although my pits are still slightly tender.

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Jenniflower said:


> Greta Chick said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kiwimama said:
> 
> 
> congrats on the birth of little Isabel! She's beautiful.
> What a wonderful birth it sounded like you had - well done!
> Let me know the date she was born and I'll add her birth to the front page.
> 
> Thank you! :flower: She was born on 23rd January. How do I add a "home birth achiever" or "my baby was born at home" type of thing to my signature at the bottom please?
> 
> xxClick to expand...
> 
> https://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz112/SiggyStoreUK/bnbhomebithacheiver.png
> 
> CODE: https://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz112/SiggyStoreUK/bnbhomebithacheiver.png[/IMG and add a ] on the end[/QUOTE]
> 
> that's great, thank you. i'll try it now
> 
> xxClick to expand...


----------



## Greta Chick

Bumpontherun said:


> What a lovely story. Made me feel really strong about giving birth:flower:

awww thank you :flower: i hope your birth goes as well :thumbup:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

thank you so much everyone :flower:

i'm still in awe and am still so high from her birth now, 12 days later :hugs: :flower: :cloud9:

xx


----------



## Jenniflower

It's good to see you about again Greta, been thinking about you and how you were getting on with your whole pits problem, haha. Glad to hear it's sorting itself out. Hope your LO is doing well. :hugs:


----------



## RoxyRoo

Beautiful story, you did so well!

Congratulations :)


----------



## bathbabe

Congratulations! X


----------



## Greta Chick

Jenniflower said:


> It's good to see you about again Greta, been thinking about you and how you were getting on with your whole pits problem, haha. Glad to hear it's sorting itself out. Hope your LO is doing well. :hugs:

lol thank you :haha:

we're doing fab thank you, she's absolutely adorable :hugs:

xx


----------



## Jodie.82

lovely birth story :) x


----------



## Blob

Beautiful story :cloud9: well done sounds like you did an amazing job!!


----------



## Freya

What a fantastic experience for you all, and very inspiring to me as a hb hoper.

Xxxx


----------



## MermaidMom

amazing!!!! congratulations to you and your family!!!


----------



## Samantha675

An amazing and beautiful birth!! Congratulations.


----------



## Greta Chick

Jodie.82 said:


> lovely birth story :) x

Thank you, it was amazing :cloud9:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Blob said:


> Beautiful story :cloud9: well done sounds like you did an amazing job!!

Thank you, it was just the most amazing experience of my life :cloud9: :thumbup: :happydance:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Freya said:


> What a fantastic experience for you all, and very inspiring to me as a hb hoper.
> 
> Xxxx

Awww thank you :flower:

I really wish I'd got hubby to film the birth as I never want to forget it, it was just the most amazing experience of my life :cloud9: :thumbup: :happydance:

I would say you need determination, focus and confidence in yourself and your body because as well as the natal hypnotherapy, those are the things that got me to ensure I stood my ground in having a homebirth and I'm sure they all helped it to be the event that it was.

Lots of luck for your homebirth :flower:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

MermaidMom said:


> amazing!!!! congratulations to you and your family!!!

Thank you very much :flower: It really was the most amazing experience of my life and I *so* wished I'd got hubby to film it :cry:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Samantha675 said:


> An amazing and beautiful birth!! Congratulations.

Awww thank you :flower: It really was the most amazing experience of my life and my only regret is that I didn't get my hubby to film it :cry:

xx


----------



## E.murray

Hi Greta. 

Your story sounds fantastic. Would you be interested in talking on the radio about your experience of home births on the radio? We are local and I see you live in East Yorkshire! Message me if so and glad it went so well!

Emma


----------



## jewelia

Amazing! Congratulations and well done to both you and DH!


----------



## fides

awww, congratulations!!! :cloud9:


----------



## madasa

Gorgeous story, thank you for sharing! :)


----------



## Nyn

aww wow what a wonderful birth!! you must be very proud :) congratulations!!!


----------



## AngelCyrus

Wow how fantastic! Well both of you!!


----------



## La Mere

Greta Chick said:


> The first photo was 1 minute after delivery, the second 2 hours later, the third 2 hours after delivery and the 4th was when we went up to bed at 12.30am.
> 
> I've got a baby!!!!! :cloud9: :baby:
> 
> Well it's quite a quick story lol.
> 
> I was awake all saturday night/sunday morning with a stomach pain that wasn't coming and going, it was there all the time but I couldn't sleep so spent my time wishing it would either start into labour or go away.
> 
> Sunday morning I woke up after eventually nodding off for a couple of hours and no pains whatsoever.
> 
> At 1pm I got my first "hmmm, I wonder if this is something starting?" tightening. I then had 4 more, 20 minutes apart lasting approximately a minute or so. After that they went erratic to every half hour, every 20 minutes etc and I was rocking through them. By 5pm I was breathing slightly through them sat on my ball, breathing in my aromatherapy. Hubby was out at the tip with my dad so I got J and C's teas ready in between contractions. During one they brought me a packet of baby wipes and when I asked what they were for they said "to clean the baby up, we thought you were in labour." How incredibly sweet and gorgeous are my two :flower: :hugs:
> 
> Hubby came home with my dad and he asked me if it was ok if my dad stayed - for hubby's support as he was still anxious about us having a homebirth - too late mate lol! I'd ordered them both a take-away which came shortly after hubby put J and C to bed at 6.30pm (by which time I was breathing a bit heavier through the contractions and inhaling my aromatherapy oils whilst leaning over our new swivel armchair in the living room lol).
> 
> By about 7.10pm the contractions were every 5 minutes and lasting around a minute each so I rang the labour ward who said they'd ring the community midwife who would then ring me back. By the time she rang me back the contractions were every 3 minutes lasting a minute or so each so she said she was on her way.
> 
> The take-away and the midwives arrived at about 7.30pm so my dad took his upstairs to watch tv in our room in case J and C woke up needing settling (they didn't, they slept right through) and the midwives introduced themselves to hubby while I was in the middle of a contraction.
> 
> When I came out of the contraction she did my bp and baby's heartbeat etc and asked if I wanted her to examine me - I did. She examined me and asked how far along I thought I was, I said I'd better not be 3cm and she said I was a good 7cm at least and baby was so far down she could hardly feel it's head anymore. Excellent I thought! :thumbup:
> 
> I got on with contracting every 3 or 4 minutes, now listening to my natal hypnotherapy tracks and breathing my aromatherapy whilst stood rocking backwards and forwards with one leg in front of the other holding onto the armchair (now with the shower curtain and towels underneath me lol). Hubby was fantastic, I'd told him I'd like him to press the small of my back as my contractions were like a band all around me rather than just stomach pain which I had with C (it was all back pain with J, no stomach pain at all and this time it was both at the same time lol). He also made sure he and the midwives spoke really quietly and didn't try and talk to me while I was contracting as this is what I'd said I wanted.
> 
> At about 8.40pm I started feeling pressure in my bum and said so, so I changed position to being on my knees leaning over my birth ball. In between contractions I asked the midwives if they wanted another drink and hubby said he'd make it which he did. Just as the kettle boiled I felt a lot of pressure and groaned quite loudly. He brought the drinks through then knelt up next to me and I rested my left arm on the ball and held round his waist with my right, while holding onto his arm. My body started pushing but not as severely as with C so I felt I still had some control over it, plus I felt my aromas and hypno were helping massively to keep me calm and in control so I went with it. I pushed once and felt baby move right down then made the usual "I can't do it." comment to which hubby said quietly and calmly "yes you can, you've been fantasic, you're doing so well." The midwife said she could see baby's head so I thought there's no way I'm letting this bit drag on when I've stayed so calm during the rest of it and hubby's and her comments spurred me on.
> 
> I pushed again and it felt like baby was crowning so I stopped and waited for the midwife to tell me to pant but she didn't as baby wasn't actually crowning, so without a contraction I pushed again as hard as I could and her head was born. The midwife told me to wait for the next contraction but I wanted it over with as this was the really painful bit and I didn't want it dragging on so again without a contraction I pushed as hard as I could and baby's body started to come. The midwife told me to pant while her shoulders were born so I did then she said give me a little push which I did and baby's body was born! The midwife caught Skippy then moved baby underneath me so I brought baby up and onto my chest myself. She fed within a couple of minutes then we waited for the cord to stop pulsing before hubby cut it. I could feel the placenta moving down so I gave a little push and it came out fine. The mw checked it and gave hubby a biology lesson in it :winkwink: then I had a small 2nd degree tear so the mw stitched me up while hubby had some skin to skin with baby.
> 
> He made us all a drink and they cleaned up and completed my notes while I fed baby again. The mw asked if I was ready for baby to have the checks done and I said yes so she did those while hubby got my dad to come downstairs then they left us on our own a little while later :flower: :cloud9:
> 
> Our little girl who we've named I s a b e l L u c y J a y n e T........ was born at 8.45pm weighing a very tiny 7lb 8.5oz! She's smaller than both J and C and I can't get over that shock of how tiny she is, I expected her to be bigger than C but she's almost a full pound lighter.
> 
> J and C are thrilled with her and can't stop looking at her, talking to her, kissing her and stroking her.
> 
> I didn't tell anyone at school (where I work) that we'd had our baby as I wanted J and C to know first, so in the morning when they woke for school I got them to choose one of the photos we'd taken and I wrote the details on so they could feel special telling everyone.
> 
> To say hubby was amazed is an understatement :happydance: He has been telling everyone how fantastic it was, how quick it was, how calm I was and what a brilliant experience :happydance: Considering before the mws got to us he was still anxious and unsure about homebirth, he's now very happy with how it all went :flower:
> 
> The birth centre re-opened 10 hours after I gave birth, but I don't feel like I missed out on going there or having a waterbirth at all as I's labour and birth was such an amazing, calm, empowering and absolutely wonderful experience :flower: :baby: :cloud9: :hugs:
> 
> My milk has come in now but DD is a complete cuddle monster and hates being away from hubby or I which is hard during the night when she won't go in her basket. She starts rooting as soon as we put her down then calms down straight way when we pick her up.
> 
> Sorry it got so long but thank you for reading!
> 
> xx

Congratulations!! She's a beautiful little girl and such a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing!:kiss:


----------



## Greta Chick

E.murray said:


> Hi Greta.
> 
> Your story sounds fantastic. Would you be interested in talking on the radio about your experience of home births on the radio? We are local and I see you live in East Yorkshire! Message me if so and glad it went so well!
> 
> Emma

I've just messaged you. So sorry for my VERY late reply, I hadn't seen your message until just now!

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

jewelia said:


> Amazing! Congratulations and well done to both you and DH!

Thank you so much! :flower:

xx


----------



## Greta Chick

Wow, thank you so much to everyone who has sent me congratulations messages in the last few months, I'm so touched! :flower: :flower:

I've only just seen all of your messages as I haven't looked at my original post in a very long time, so I apologise profusely for my VERY late reply :blush:

Even now, almost 10 months on, I'm still in awe of my baby girl and her amazing labour and delivery :happydance: :hugs: :cloud9:

xx


----------



## bbyno1

Congrats on your LO and home birth!
Sounds as if you managed to stay so calm:)


----------



## dustbunny

I've just started looking into home birthing and thus far have only managed to find the 'horror' stories but your's is so lovely! It has made me want to have a home birth so much and congratulations on having such a beautiful baby girl :hugs:


----------



## Greta Chick

dustbunny said:


> I've just started looking into home birthing and thus far have only managed to find the 'horror' stories but your's is so lovely! It has made me want to have a home birth so much and congratulations on having such a beautiful baby girl :hugs:

Aww thank you so much! :flower:

I really would have 100 babies just to give birth again, it was so amazing. If I can help you with anything please let me know. Send me a private message in case I don't see a general one on here.

xx


----------



## lousbear

Amazing story!! Thanks for sharing!!


----------



## wannabubba#4

Many congrats on what sounds like a wonderful perfect home birth <3

Your daughter is beautiful - well done mumma and well done to daddy too xxx

Fab story , am emotional reading it xxx


----------



## iBeach

Congratulations!!! Beautiful story with even more beautiful ending. Baby as well as you look gorgeoooous!!!


----------

