Home Birth or Hospital Birth? A Surprising Birth Story.

From the moment we found out we were having our second baby, I was absolutely thrilled at getting to experience birth all over again.

But the journey to birthing her was not straight forward, it was actually a really rocky path, full of difficult choices, (but loads of personal growth and a-ha moments.) I spent a lot of time vacillating between having a home birth (my first baby was born at home) and a hospital birth (for medical reasons), only to discover that…

… in the end, we would have neither of those! But I won’t skip to the punchline just yet – first let’s start at the beginning.

*Trigger alert – if this story brings up personal birth trauma or memories for you please seek support. I have deliberately written it as gently as possible, while sharing the truth of the event.

I had a big lead up to the birth just after Christmas and Boxing Day, and thought I was going into labour on the 27th of December 2021. But the surges settled down and I rested for a few more days (as much as I could while still being mum to my six year old!)

I was tired and had injured my coccyx so I was feeling really ready to birth! But luckily I didn’t have to wait too long. Our baby girl came on one of her scan-projected due dates – the 31st December – (apparently this is rare with only a 5% chance of being born on your due date!)

So, where were we – yes – on the 30th of December the surges started up again with more intensity and I started preparing to bring our babe into the world.

(In saying that – I had been preparing meticulously for the whole 9 months, and had read ALL the birth books, and had a whole folder full of lists, from birth preferences to early labour preferences, postpartum preferences, – C section preferences… you name it!)

I realised about 10.30pm I was not going to be sleeping that night, and felt the birth was coming closer. I called our beautiful birthing doula and she came over at midnight. My husband went to bed to get some rest while he could – we all felt it was going to be a long night / day ahead.

My doula was a great support, she helped me have a snack, made a big flask of birthing herbal tea, and supported me as I breathed through the surges using hypnobirthing and a TENS machine – something I was super keen to trial personally for relief. (I have recommended and taught hundreds of women how to use TENS in labour – so it was great to experience it firsthand!)

Hypnobirthing was wonderful for my mind and body, to help me breathe through the surges and keep relaxed.

After many hours of resting I decided to get off the couch and change positions – bub moved and jiggled and was all of a sudden very ready to come.

I had thought about hopping in the bath or shower at one point for pain relief – but there was no time for that now! I knew it was time to go to the hospital – the sense of urgency was strong.

We woke my husband, quickly packed the car, hopped in and drove straight to the hospital.

I was literally pleading with her to wait at this point! “Please babygirl, not yet, just a bit longer!” It was highly emotional.

At one point, I seriously thought I was going to have her on the freeway while driving 110 kilometres an hour.

Because the surges had really intensified so fast, we almost considered the idea of free birthing at home with our doula – something we were not planning for! But I decided firmly that I wanted to go to the hospital for the midwifery support – even though at some points I felt we wouldn’t make it in time.

We drove…

I breathed… and prayed (and may have dropped a quiet profanity or two.)

Because the feeling she was ready to come was so strong now.

It was a balmy summer night and despite the craziness of it all, I actually had some quiet moments watching the stars and Aussie bushland whiz past as we raced to the hospital.

Looking back I realise what a profound anchor nature was for me in those moments.

My husband was also a beautiful help and rubbed my back soothingly as we drove to the hospital at full speed now.

We pulled up, illegally parked, at the front door and the midwives were waiting right there for us (thanks to our clever doula who phoned ahead!)

“What would you like to do?” They asked. Can you walk inside?

“No.” I said calmly. “The baby is ready – I’m going to birth her here.”

I was sitting in the front seat of the car with door open.

I felt so relieved to have made it!

We were parked right underneath four beautiful elm trees, with the leaves gently rustling in the warm breeze.

It was lovely to be outside, and feel connected to nature in that moment – (birthing on the land was something I had sort of, wistfully dreamed of in the later months of my pregnancy.)

“Alright.” they replied, “Let us help you.” Then one skilled, gentle midwife proceeded to help me breathe baby down and out in just 3 swift pushes.

Yes. That’s right.

I had baby girl in the front seat of our Honda at 4.29am on New Year’s Eve, 2021.

With my husband by my side.

While breathing in that balmy night air, and listening to the rustling of leaves.

It was magic!

We went into the birthing suite after she was born for support and care. I honestly don’t know how I got there. (I was probably in shock.) I found out afterwards they put me in a wheelchair.

The staff were amazing considering they were shocked too. There wasn’t even time for them to listen to baby’s heart beat with a doppler – not even once! (Something midwives usually do every 15 minutes during a birth.)

We had the folder with all of our birth plans and lists. And all of my wishes were honoured once we entered the hospital.

Birthing my placenta turned out to be longer and more challenging than birthing my baby! But I declined intervention and used herbal tinctures to release the placenta – which worked brilliantly in the end, along with lots of skin-to-skin, quiet time and breastfeeding! Syntocinin wasn’t required for this 3rd stage which was a relief for me, (for some context – my 3rd stage went pear-shaped in my last birth.)

Our time at the hospital was brief, we were in and out before lunchtime and didn’t need to stay overnight which was always my preference.

While it may not have been the peaceful waterbirth that I had hoped for… or a homebirth, I was happy.

We had zero interventions and a drug free physiological birth, while being able to gently and mindfully breathe baby out – which was my solid intention! Even though it was a bit of an intense evening, (when is birth not intense?) Ha ha, yup.

Thank you to my husband and doula for being there for me.
Thank you to the staff at Mount Barker Hospital for being wonderful.

And thank you for reading this!

P.S. YES I am wearing sunglasses. No, it was not sunny. #birthingweirdness #Ihadmybabyinthecar