Birth Stories: Lacey's birthing journey

Words by Lacey, mum to Goldie and her big sister Myla

The story of Goldie’s home birth

I was 40+4 and taking every extra day to prepare for the arrival of our baby. At 12:45 Myla woke up from her nap. Brent and I were sitting on the lounge watching a movie and Myla was snuggled up to me.  I had a dull ache in my bum cheek and Braxton hicks tightenings. After we had some lunch I was sitting at the dinner table the Braxton hicks were getting tighter, I couldn’t sit still and I felt like I had to go to the toilet.

At 2:30pm I left home and went to Woolworths just up the road to get some top-up groceries and some food as Mylas 2nd birthday was the next day. At the time I thought labour might have been starting but I was going about my day as normal hoping it would progress steadily and I felt comfortable.  At Woolworths, I had what I still thought was Braxton hicks with light period pain in my lower abdomen and I continued to shop and took and little break when I had a tightening. The tightenings I was feeling felt like intense braxton hicks where my skin was going really tight short sharp and quick.

When I was in labour with Myla muscles down near my public bone would go tight slowly then peak and relax in a wave. At 3:10 I left Woolworths and downloaded a contraction timer for what was to come. As I got home I noticed that the Braxton hicks turned from just skin tightening to muscular surges but still felt much different to what I had with Myla so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I had a shower to try and relax and get into the labour zone.  Myla came into the bathroom with my phone pretending to talk and pressing all of the buttons and I couldn’t concentrate and called Brent in.

Shortly after I got out of the shower and laid on the bed and Myla asked if she could have a boobie. She fed for about 2 minutes and I had my first really intense contraction that made me cry out. I called my midwife Alex at 3:30 pm because I didn’t know what was happening and why the contractions were so intense so quickly. I remember looking into the mirror and seeing my belly go rock hard. I began to doubt myself thinking how the hell am I going to put up with labour if this is just the start. Alex told me to run a bath and just try to relax, she was just down the road seeing a lady and would be over soon.

I started to run a bath and got into about 3 inches of water for a few minutes before I had another intense contraction.  I remember holding onto the bathroom sink and as I yelled out from the intense pressure. I wasn’t comfortable in the bathtub and I couldn’t relax. I asked Brent to get the birth pool ready. Poor Brent was running around like a madman trying to complete all the orders was tasking him.

I moved into the bedroom and kneeled next to the bed leaning over it. I had another contraction which was about the eighth intense one and my water popped with such force and went all over the carpet. I felt relief and the pressure subside. I had a slight urge to push. Ironically I didn’t get to use the contraction timer after all. I got Brent to call Alex again and I told her my water broke and I felt like I needed to push.

Alex arrived less than 10 minutes later and I was pushing with every contraction. Alex kneeled down beside me and I grabbed onto her hand. She said she could see some of the baby’s hair already. I asked her to call Chloe our photographer as it completely slipped my mind. Myla came into the bedroom and stood right next to me rubbing my back and cuddling me on occasion. I felt so peaceful and relaxed. I could feel my baby make their way down and twist into position and I could feel the head crown as I reached down.

At 4:36 pm after about 40 minutes of pushing our daughter Goldie was born on the floor of our bedroom with daddy catching her and passing her through to me. Big sissy Myla watching on and loved every minute. I couldn’t believe that she was here in that short amount of time.

I got up into the bed and Alex noticed that my membranes hadn’t come out intact. She tried to get them to release naturally but I decided to have an injection to help things along. She put a catheter in and drip in my arm to help assist if I started to bleed. Brent made me something to eat and drink and we sat on the bed soaking up our baby girl. 

It was the birth we had hoped and worked for. Although it was fast it was truly amazing and relating.

I am so thankful for Alex and Jannie for their work throughout my pregnancy helping me heal from previous birth trauma and giving us the birth we wanted. Myla has been birth-obsessed since seeing her baby sister come into the world. 

“It was the birth we had hoped and worked for.”