On 30/8 I had a scheduled stretch and sweep at 40+3. I was 3cm dilated by 1.5cm. She gave a good sweep and I walked out of there contracting!
Came home to rest, did some pumping, bounced on the exercise ball, went for a 5km beach walk 😅
At 6pm I called my midwife to tell her contractions were beginning to become regular – 3 in 10 lasting over a minute. Ran myself a bath, relaxed for a bit there, then on the couch and back into the shower.
Mitchell called the midwife again at 8:30 to tell her I wanted to come into hospital as I was no longer comfortable at home.
Arrived at 9:30, met my Midwife in the carpark and went up to the ward. She check my cervix at my request and I was still 3cm dilated but was now fully effaced.
Hoped straight in the shower where I stayed for almost two hours, then onto the bed kneeling over the bed head. At midnight I was ready to give up. Felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere and requested to be checked again. I was 8cm.
My midwife ran me a bath and I stayed in there for the next 2 hours. Sometime between 12-2 by membranes rupture (in the bath). I had a little mini freak out because I thought that would make my contractions more intense and I already felt like I wasn’t coping.
Around 2am my body starting involuntarily pushing. I didn’t want to deliver in the bath so after a few sets of my body pushing during every contraction, I got out.
I moved between standing leaning on the bed to kneeling on the floor beside it.
After a quick check my midwife noted that her head was down really low and that with  a few active pushes she would be here in no time.
We decided to use the birth stool, with Mitchell sitting behind me for support and a mirror on the ground beneath me for motivation.
I began actively pushing just before 3am and at 3:22 she was born!
No pain relief, a 6 hour active labour and an intact perineum!!!
I had two labial grazes and a small gutter tear that required suturing, but was discharged 6 hours later and have been living the dream ever since.
She is a great babe! Sleeps amazing, we’re doing really good with breastfeeding and is generally just really easy! Honestly could not have dreamt for a better pregnancy, labour or postnatal period