My birth story about my completely uncomplicated birth of my 3rd child, which took place at home.

I was 40+2 and in the weeks leading up to the birth I had had days of regular contractions, which did not become more frequent. I was therefore very skeptical, but I began to believe it a little when the regular contractions continued and gradually became more intense when I went to bed. I could not sleep, and they were also uncomfortable when I lay down. So I got up after a while and woke my husband. Our other children were looked after by their grandparents, which gave us the peace and quiet we wanted.

My husband and I got up and went downstairs to manage the contractions. At 2am we decided to call the midwife, even though I still didn't quite believe I was in labor. She arrived an hour later and I felt comfortable and used a Pilates ball to ease my pain. I didn't want to be examined internally if I could avoid it, and she respected that completely.

Later I took a hot shower, which made the contractions more comfortable, although they came at longer intervals. After half an hour I needed a change, so I got out of the shower. I now wanted to be checked to get an idea of ​​where I was in the process, and I was 8 cm dilated.

After that it got more intense and when it got light outside we decided to break the water. It eased the contractions a bit and felt easier to handle, but after a while I started to feel push contractions. My midwife noticed that the baby was breech, which could delay the descent through the pelvis. She suggested I start pushing a little to help the baby down. It was hard work but I was guided by the midwife and supported by my husband.

Our baby pushed down through the pelvis and came out head first, followed by the shoulders and the rest of the body soon after. I picked him up myself and brought him to my chest. He was a little purple, but he was breathing and was awake right away. The placenta came out shortly after without any problems, and I only had a small grade 1 tear, which was a relief, as in my 2 previous births I had a grade 2 tear, and the positive difference was noticeable afterwards.

It was 7:21 a.m. when our lovely boy weighing 3910 grams was born. His heartbeat was fine, and I felt respected and informed throughout the birth. It was a fantastic experience to be able to go straight to our sofa and enjoy our baby without having to drive home from the hospital after a while. It was a completely fantastic birth and certainly not as tricky as the 3rd one can be once things really got going. It was definitely the most straightforward and uncomplicated birth I have ever had, and it was a wonderful experience!