My contractions started around 1.45am on Thursday morning, and by 1.09am on Friday morning, I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl (4 days after my ‘due date’) feeling like an absolute boss!

When my contractions began, I used my breathing techniques (and grabbed onto my comb!) to get me through to the morning without waking my Husband so that he was completely at his best to support me when I really needed him.

When he woke, we stayed active by going for a walk, I then had a bath and visited my midwife (as I was booked in for a sweep on this day anyway) who said I was 3cm dilated and that I could have a sweep on Sunday if I was still waiting for baby to arrive! I knew that there was no way that I was going to still be waiting by Sunday, my body and mind were gearing up!

In the afternoon, I used my birthing ball, a tens machine and continued breathing techniques. We phoned the hospital when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart because the journey for us is quite a long one. The midwives advised me to have a bath and phone again when my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart. I therefore did as they suggested, had a little bite to eat and phoned again, requesting a room with a pool.

My Husband said at this stage that I was completely in ‘the zone’ as he referred to it.

The journey into hospital was a blur, and when I got to hospital about 9.30pm the midwives examined me and said I was about 5cm dilated. I gave them my birthing plan and they ran the water for me. I got in, completely naked (I had no interest in wearing the bikini top I had bought especially for it!) and they left me to it - as requested in my plan.

After about an hour or so, I had really had enough (probably the transitional stage as I reflect on this now). I was desperate for more pain relief, but my Husband was literally the best support I could have asked for. He knew that it was my dream to be in the midwife led unit and to have a water birth, so in the nicest possible way, he didn’t let me give in!

All of a sudden, my waters broke in the water and I then had an urge to begin pushing. It was all a blur but then the midwives said that they could see the baby’s head. It was the most surreal experience pushing the head out! The midwives then said on the next push, your baby will be here and we will bring her between your legs so that you can bring her out of the water.

I was completely overwhelmed bringing her out of the water, it was literally the most incredible experience and I couldn’t believe that within less than 4 hours of being in hospital that I was holding my baby girl!