At about 11:45 am I got the first contraction. It lasted about 20 seconds. I thought it was Braxton-Hicks as I didn’t have any other contractions for another hour and never had any Braxton Hicks before.
I also figured that I still had a few days to go even though I was in week 39 of the pregnancy. I was under the impression that your first born would be after week 40 as that was what I had been told by others.
It turned out that it was actually a contraction and from the next contraction onwards they came at around 15 minute intervals and becoming more frequent as time went on.
I was around 4 contractions in I realised I was in the start of labour.
I found thinking about being able to meet my baby for the first time helped distract from the labour pain. I was excited to find out the gender of the baby I had been carrying, what he/she would look like – would he/she look more like me or my husband? Would he/she be bald like I was when I was born or have a head full of hair?
I also took solace knowing that many other women throughout history have experienced labour and made it through, and have had multiple children meant that the joy of motherhood would far outweigh the discomfort during the duration of labour.
I bought a bunch of string lights and battery operated candles to take to the birthing suite to use while in the bath but didn’t get a chance to use them as when I got to the hospital the midwife checked me and I was progressed too far.
The midwife seemed shocked and raced me up to the birth ward. My baby was coming NOW! There was no time for pain relief, so I didn’t end up using any. Not even gas like I had thought I’d use.
Ivy was born less than 2 hours of being in the hospital.
The birth was so easy compared to the lack of sleep these past few weeks! Haha.
Images and birth story shared with permission.