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Birth stories ‘My baby was born on Mother’s Day’ Meet Caroline Pears, who became a mum on this extra-special Sunday Edward having a well-earned snooze! Caroline and Edward, back at home WORDS RACHEL TOAL Clutching the card and chocolates I’d bought for my mum, I waddled around the shopping centre. There were just a couple of days to go until two significant events – Mother’s Day and the date I was due to be induced with my first baby. And it was only then that I suddenly made the connection. ‘Ooh, I may have a Mother’s Day baby,’ I thought, excitedly. But I still didn’t really think about me being a mum. When the day arrived, I popped round to see my Mum as my husband Ben packed my hospital bag into the car. We’d recently moved CAROLINE PEARS, 34, AN IT PROJECT MANAGER, LIVES IN YORK WITH HUSBAND BEN AND SON EDWARD, EIGHT MONTHS to a house just nine doors down from Mum’s – we’re really close, and she’d been there for me every step of the way through my pregnancy. As I kissed her goodbye and wished her a happy Mother’s Day, I felt a pang of excitement at the next job on my to-do list. We arrived at the maternity ward at midday. I was 12 days overdue and had been hoping for a natural start to labour. But it wasn’t to be, and I put my apprehension about the induction process to the back of my mind. It was important to stay positive, I knew. And seeing all the people carrying flowers and cards on their way to visit their mums in 36 | April 2018 | motherandbaby.co.uk
Bump&Birth hospital reminded me how lucky I was to be expecting a Mother’s Day baby. After being shown to our own room, a midwife examined me and inserted a prostaglandin pessary to try to artificially dilate my cervix. The process was fine, and not painful at all. After that, it was a waiting game. Ben and I went for a wander round the hospital and I tried not to get impatient when contractions didn’t start immediately. That afternoon, a midwife placed a monitor onto my bump to measure the baby’s heart rate. It was surreal watching the lines on the trace – they showed I was having minicontractions, but I couldn’t feel a thing. The midwives reassured me that this was quite common in the early stages. It wasn’t until teatime that I felt the first twinges. They came on slowly, like mild period pains, each lasting about 30 seconds. Gradually, they became more intense, until I had to breathe deeply to manage them. There was only one thing for it – I messaged my mum for reassurance. ‘Relax and keep breathing,’ she texted back. It felt good to have her advice. By now the intensity was ramping up, and I gratefully accepted the gas and air that was on offer. When I was examined, I was told I was 5cm dilated and in established labour. It was exactly the news I had wanted to hear. Despite being uncomfortable, I reminded myself that each contraction was part of the process, and every one would bring me closer to the end. It all started to become a bit blurry after that. I remember being on all fours on the bed, swaying gently through each contraction. I’d done pregnancy yoga, so I remembered the breathing techniques we’d practised. Plus, I’d been fit and healthy before I got pregnant, and I’m sure my strong core helped me cope with the contractions. Ben busied himself, offering me sips of water and dabbing my brow with a flannel. It was almost as if he was part of the midwife team! Later in the evening I opted for a Meptid injection, which is a bit like the painkiller pethidine. It was really effective: I knew it was working because I started chatting and joking with Ben again, in between contractions. By 7pm, I’d reached 9cm, and the midwife said she’d leave us to it for another couple of hours. She seemed to know instinctively how long my labour would take. And one moment I was thrilled that the end was in sight, and the next I felt overwhelmed by the feeling I couldn’t cope. ‘I can’t do it!’ I cried. Ben squeezed my hand, I focused on my steady breathing, and moments later felt calm again. It was lovely being on our Three things I’d tell my friends I drank two cups of raspberry leaf tea each week from the 36th week of my pregnancy. It’s supposed to help tone your uterus and make contractions stronger, and I’m sure it helped with my labour. Always follow the instructions, though, and don’t try this until the end of your pregnancy. Everyone talks about slow, calming music helping labour, but I found familiar upbeat tunes helped my stamina towards the end. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack gave me just the boost I needed. Try milder pain-relief methods, such as gas and air and Meptid, as a first step. They really had an effect, and I still felt totally in control of my labour. The perfect Mother’s Day gift own after that. Ben turned on the television to discover that my favourite film, Dirty Dancing, was on! I love the soundtrack and, although I was too distracted to concentrate on what Patrick Swayze was saying, the music gave me a real energy boost in between contractions. As I swayed to the beat and puffed on the gas and air, I willed the baby to arrive before midnight. I really wanted my Mother’s Day baby. The midwife came back in after two hours and, as promised, announced that I was ready to start pushing. I was so impressed at the accuracy of her timing! Still on all fours, I mustered up all my strength, determined to put everything I had into the task. I felt a massive low-down pressure, as if a giant ball was trying to escape from my body. ‘OK, push,’ the midwife said. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but at last the contractions felt productive. Knowing I was almost at the end felt so good. It only took eight massive pushes before I felt an overwhelming pressure. ‘You’re doing so well,’ Ben whispered. Squeezing his hand, I gave another almighty push and the baby’s head came out. After a break of a minute or so, I pushed hard again and the shoulders and body followed. I lay back on the bed, eager for a cuddle, and the midwife handed me baby Edward. As I held him close against my skin, relief flooded through my body. Inspecting each and every one of his tiny toes and hands, I felt so happy. Once we were settled, I called Mum to tell her the good news. I was a mum, with a Mother’s Day baby, and despite my concerns about induction, all baby Edward needed was a little kick-start. I’ll never have a better Mother’s Day present. SHARE YOUR STORY Tell us about your birth experience facebook.com/ motherandbaby motherandbaby.co.uk | April 2018 | 37
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