Beau Mikey Scott Hann’s birth story

On the 22nd of December we were due to have our midwife appointment at 8am. After the appointment we were planning to set up the birth pool that we had picked up the day before for a trial run and to cook some meals for post birth.
However, 10 minutes before my midwives rocked up, I needed to pee. When I was finished in the bathroom, I walked out and it still felt like I was peeing. I was unsure what was happening, so I ran upstairs and grabbed another pair of underwear. I then realised I was leaving a trail of ‘liquid’ behind me. I rushed back to the bathroom as it constantly felt like I needed to pee. My midwives arrived and I was trying to keep my cool as I wasn’t sure if I just peed myself or if my waters had broken. I then explained to them what just happened and they were so shocked but also relieved as our plan to have a water birth at home was still possible as I was 37 weeks pregnant that day. We had our appointment and they sent us to Flinders hospital to confirm my waters had broken. With Joel jumping around with excitement, all I could think about is what my birth photographer said “as long as you don’t have bubs before Christmas” HAHA.

We were then informed that if we didn’t go into established labour within 24 hours, we wouldn’t be eligible for a home birth due to the risk of infection. We left Flinders to go home to do every wives tale in the book to get into labour naturally.
On our way home we stopped off at a Thai place to have a hot curry which was very, very hot as I had not had spicy food all pregnancy. We got home, put some clary sage and lavender in the diffuser, experienced hand expressing for the first time, ate some pineapple, and tried the acupressure points and light touch that we learnt in Hypnobirthing. I played around on the fitball whilst listening, dancing and singing to our favourite music. We then went for a walk along the beach squatting and lunging along the way as well as walking up and down the stairs.
We came home and did it all again while watching a romantic movie to get the ‘oxytocin’ hormone going. I had a visit from my two best friends who were going to be at my planned home birth.
Throughout the night and morning I only felt a few contractions, it definitely wasn’t the established labour we were hoping for.

We then went to the hospital on the Friday morning of the 23rd of December. We discussed our options and decided it was time to meet our baby. We also asked if we could have a bath as we wanted a water birth. The midwives said they would see if there was one available. A little later on I was started on an antibiotic drip at 10am. I had a stretch and sweep at 12pm and I was 3cm dilated. By 12:30pm I was on the syntocin drip to help bring on the contractions and the doppler was used for constant monitoring.
I was able to breathe through my contractions using my hypnobirthing techniques while Joel was using light touch and acupressure points on and off. I was still able to eat and enjoy a burger between the contractions, although it didn’t taste as good the second time around HAHA.

The contractions were bearable, however because baby was in a posterior position (a non optimal position-his back against mine) I was feeling excruciating pain in my lower back in every contraction. I was doing figure eights on the fitball, leaning against the fitball with a heat bag on my back, standing up and trying to move around which was difficult due to the drip stand, as well as using the TENS machine to relieve the back pain. Nothing was helping. The midwives offered the sterile water to help relieve the back pain and so I consented. Although, this did not help at all. At 4:30pm they did another check and I was 4cm dilated. At this time they attached a Fetal Scalp Electrode as the Doppler couldn’t get a consistent reading due to me moving around.
Joel continued to use the acupressure points to help spin the baby, while keeping in contact with our birth photographer.

Throughout the whole labour I constantly needed to go to the bathroom for wee’s and poo’s, I was on the toilet at 5pm with Joel helping me breathe through the contractions. They were becoming a lot more painful and very close together. I got to the point where I couldn’t breathe through them anymore so at 5:12pm we decided it was time to get back to the mat on my hands and knees, with a rush of midwives running in. A few pushes later at 5:18pm our little man entered the world! Beau Mikey Scott Hann on the 23rd of December 2022.

All midwives were shocked with how quickly things progressed, going from 4cm to baby in 45 minutes, they didn’t even have time to run the bath.
It was unfortunate my birth photographer missed the birth but was able to get there after to capture some gorgeous photos.

Although this birth was definitely not what we had in mind, as it wasn’t in the comfort of my own home or a water birth, also couldn’t have my two best friends and my mum supporting me. It was still an amazing empowering experience with no further intervention; we couldn’t be more blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby. Baby Beau thank you for choosing us to be your parents, we can’t wait for this adventure.