'One word sums the whole experience up for me - amazing!'

Rachel and baby Luka

Luka was due on the Sunday and we had a wedding on the Saturday which I was really looking forward to. On the Friday morning I started to have period style pains but went into denial as I was determined to go to the wedding! However, by lunchtime, the midwife had confirmed they were real contractions and I was in labour. My friend was popping in for a coffee and she helped me rig up the TENS machine. It was a very hot day and being massively pregnant, I ended up wearing a strappy maternity nightshirt with all of the TENS wires hanging out - quite a sight!

My husband Chris came home from work early and we were both very calm - everything was packed and ready, and I was totally chilled out. I was having contractions every few minutes but they were only about 10 seconds long. As the evening progressed the intensity increased, as did the length. By 3am they were always over a minute so we headed off to the hospital. I found the TENS machine brilliant, so between that and the breathing exercises learnt with Rosa, I was very calm still.

When examined, I was a good 5cm dilated and hence could get into the birthing pool. The rest is a vague memory (again the words used in our course was "trance-like state" and I would agree with it) - I used gas and air and breathing to get through each contraction and managed to stay on all fours in the pool as upright as possible. My waters broke at 6.30am. I had always wondered how that would be and whether I would know but it was very obvious in my case.

I found the pushing part the hardest and towards the end did struggle - partly due to lack of sleep after 24 hours of labour, and partly due to burning pain which I had not expected to be so bad. It turned out to be Luka's arm which he had helpfully got above his head like Superman! At 9.34am, he came out into the water and we had skin to skin contact. My first memory is of him scowling and looking disgruntled at being pushed out!  The midwifes were fantastic and I had a brilliant experience. It was certainly very surreal being home later that day with a baby, when only 24 hours before I had been sat there with my friend drinking tea! I definitely believe Rosa's course helped me to stay calm, and look at it as a journey, and achieve a natural birth.