My Birth Story - Part Two
[I have split this story across 2 Blog Posts - or you can read this on my Instagram page @alice_kingsnorth]
10 days old, Lima, Peru
FEBRUARY 2024
It was now 8pm on my due date… I was feeling super calm and could feel my labour progressing, but now felt like the right time to head to the hospital, as I wanted to adjust to the new environment a little before my contractions got more intense.
Having had a tour of the labour ward in the weeks prior (another action I took to empower myself), I knew exactly what to expect in terms of the room set-up, facilities and the staff, which helped me to adjust pretty quickly when I arrived.
However, when we arrived at the emergency entrance, the staff didn’t think I was very far along in my labour, as I was calmly breathing through each contraction, making no noise at all. So, they left us waiting for what felt like forever in a side room… until my husband put more pressure on them to take me to the labour ward.
This experience of not being believed felt so similar to my first birth, but now I was SO in tune with my body and its power that I just knew I was going to be giving birth really soon, so other people’s opinions didn’t phase me (this time).
The nurses taking me to the labour ward (upstairs) wanted me to sit down in a wheelchair. This was not possible AT ALL. I literally couldn’t sit down and this time I was listening to my body no. matter. what.
After asking me a few times, they eventually realised I wasn’t going to follow their request, and so I said I would walk (very slowly). That’s when they said they’ll take me on a bed, so I got on my all-fours, with my arse in the air, instead... (thankfully, a nurse threw over a sheet for decency!)
As soon as I got to my room on the labour ward, I agreed to an internal check by the nurse, who couldn’t believe I was at least 7cm dilated. My doctor also thought I had a long way to go and so she was still at home…
In the meantime, my request to continue labouring alone with my husband was respected and so I held onto his shoulders, swaying side to side, as the contractions were becoming more and more intense (note: they were never painful!).
My doctor arrived and, not long after, my waters made a dramatic POP! sound all over my husband’s shoes. That’s when everything ramped up! I then had a nurse take my hand and begin to attempt to put an IV cannula in – this must’ve been a “routine” move as she didn’t stop to ask.
I told my doctor I didn’t want it (due to discomfort), but she tried to encourage me to accept it - I could tell everyone on duty was fully expecting me to end up in emergency surgery (again) and so they wanted to be prepared (I was also told not to eat anything in case, too). I absolutely knew that I was delivering my baby naturally, so I declined the IV and continued to labour standing up.
Very quickly, I could feel my body automatically wanting to push down – and so I simply allowed the power to move through me. I told my doctor and, within minutes, there were about 15 people in the room (no exaggeration), including students with their notebooks… I would later understand why this was so, but for now, I didn’t care at all that everything was on show for the world to see – I was so in my zone and just couldn’t wait to meet our baby!
Time definitely isn’t linear when you’re in labour, so I couldn’t tell you how long the “down/pushing” stage was for me, but what I can say is that... having your birth partner have you drink water in between those final contractions, whilst saying the most encouraging words in your ear was everything I needed. I’m SO grateful my husband knew all of my preferences and exactly how to support me, which is what guided the content for The Birth Partner Edition, a mini-guide that comes as a bonus with The Powerful Birth Guidebook.
At 11:46pm, our second baby boy arrived, flying out in one go!
Just writing this out brings back that rush of oxytocin – I DID IT!!! I BLOODY DID IT!!
I don’t think I’ve ever felt SO powerful in all my life.
12 hours after birth, Lima, Peru
Our baby boy had arrived ON HIS DUE DATE! I couldn’t believe it – I was so mentally prepared to wait another 10 days, so the last 24 hours really took me by surprise, especially knowing I had a lot more pressure to give birth in Peru sooner, which for many women coud easily delay their labour even more because stress = cortisol = not safe to give birth.
We asked for delayed cord clamping and my husband cut the cord. My placenta then came out within 10 minutes by itself - it was all so quick! I had a 2nd degree tear - probably because baby came out in one go - so I had the skin-to-skin and fed baby whilst I was stitched up. I actually felt the last stitch go in (as I declined additional anaesthesia) and that was the only painful part of the entire experience - labour itself just increased in intensity, but it was never painful.
Having created the birth I have always dreamed of, despite the odds, and even the doctors’ disbelief, a huge wave of pure BLISS came over me. I didn’t get to experience this with my first son at all, so this was a very welcome gift that I anchored in right then and there.
That’s when it really hit me that the way we give birth has such a HUGE impact on everything post-birth – the way we feel, our physical body, our relationship with our baby and so much more. I’m truly grateful for the emergency C-Section because, not only was my baby delivered safely that way, but I can speak from experience about the difference in my mental, physical and emotional health that this birth made.
What I didn’t realise until after I had given birth was that my doctor had never seen someone give birth without any medication before – no pain relief, no gas & air, nothing. In fact, I was the first person for ALL the doctors and nurses on duty that night, which is why they all gathered in my room to watch me.
I then had another nurse say the next day that I must have a very high pain threshold, which again only reinstated the beliefs these medical professionals carry – that birth is painful and it’s unheard of to give birth without any medication.
As I spent the next 36 hours recovering in my own room on the ward, all the inner work I had done to activate my power to make this happen came flooding to the forefront of my mind – “wow, I’ve got to share my story with other C-Section Mums”, was what I kept thinking!
Given how important this creation was for me, I asked my husband to film the final part, just as our baby was about to arrive, and I’m so glad he did because my doctor asked if she could use our video for her students, so that they can see, with their own eyes, what else is possible.
If my birth video can change the way doctors and nurses in Lima perceive birth, just imagine the ripple effect this will have on so many women and their families in Peru. Just this thought alone makes my entire experience, from C-Section to VBAC, worth every single second.
P.S If you’d love to know more and want the full inside scoop of ALL my pre-birth recommendations, as well as my birth preferences plan, tips for the big day and many more natural birth questions answered, you can check out The Powerful Birth Guidebook here.
And if you want to heal from your previous birth experience/s and let go of the beliefs and emotions that are causing you unnecessary pain and struggle, check out Reclaim Your Birthing Power here for all the details.
10 days old… with his baby Peruvian hat <3
Now, let’s chat about the recovery stage…
because not enough emphasis is put on the importance of this for both the Mother and baby’s wellbeing, not just in terms of the 4th Trimester, but the impact this can have on our health and happiness for years to come!
In Lima, you typically stay in hospital for 48-72 hours if you have private health insurance, depending on the type of birth you have. After my C-Section in London, I dragged myself, literally, out of hospital after just 1 night, as I was by myself on a shared ward (lockdown rules) and just wanted to be in the safety of my own home, with my husband. So, this time around, I felt a lot happier knowing my husband could stay with me the entire time AND I’d get my own room!
Mentally, I felt clear-headed, present with my baby, but, of course, very very tired!
Beside the tiredness, my first birth recovery was the total opposite; I was in a complete haze, probably still in shock of how everything changed so quickly, and, of course, I was adjusting to all the medication and not being able to feel my legs right afterwards still, which was tough! I also didn’t even realise at the time I had a catheter in, and I had to be reminded to breastfeed my baby – that’s how mentally foggy I was.
Emotionally this time, I was in a BLISS BUBBLE and absolutely nothing could burst it! For me, this feeling and memory will stay with me forever – I now understand the euphoria some women speak of post-birth, which I definitely didn’t have after my emergency C-Section in 2021. Back then, I spent the next few weeks crying, a lot, and felt so angry for not trusting myself and my power. This is where all the work I did to heal from my first birth experience paid off, massively – I don’t think this VBAC would have happened in the way it did if I hadn’t fully processed my emotions from that time in my life.
Physically, I was pretty swollen down below and numb, initially. I was nervous about tearing, but after having a 2nd degree tear, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as I imagined it would be. Within a week, I was surprised by how much better I felt – although I definitely had to walk slowly still – I think my thigh muscles were recovering more than anything, as I had been standing, swaying for at least 10 hours! For my first born, I couldn’t even lift him up or change his nappy myself for the first 10 days of his life as I was in too much pain – and I didn’t realise how much this impacted me until this second birth. To be able to freely lift up my baby and bond without any limitations was a big deal for me, and just another reason why I didn’t want a C-Section again.
As I wrap up my birth story, remember that it’s always entirely within your power to change your story – but you have to let go of the story you’ve been telling yourself to date, which includes all the emotions and beliefs you have wrapped up in it. If you would love support with this, comment “RECLAIM” and I’ll share the details for my brand-new experience that takes you through the process I used to release the trauma I was holding onto, which enabled me to create the birth experience I really wanted.
If you’re also keen to know more about my recovery, what my recommended post-birth must-haves are, as well as my breastfeeding journey to date, you can find all of this, plus so much more (including my birth preferences template), inside The Powerful Birth Guidebook. Just click the button below to grab your copy!
