I have no words!!! Which makes it really difficult when you are trying to write a story 🙂

I decided to have a homebirth even before I got pregnant. No reason in particular, apart from the fact I like to try different things and it just seemed right!

Maybe I should let you know that I have wanted to be a mother since I was 15, when the time to apply for uni came, I decided I did not want a formal education, because my goal in life was to be a full time mum... Yes, I didn't know if that was ever going to happen, but I'm a hopeless romantic...!

That being said, it made total sense to me, that I would have to go through this experience as natural as possible. It would be my graduation to finally get my dream job!

Before I start telling you my story, I must warn you!! You may be disappointed :/ there is nothing here that will scare you, nothing that will make you go home and think that maybe you don't wanna go through it after all. That happened to me while pregnant and believe me, it sucks! Because right now, it's too late to go back 😛

So here we go:
On Thursday night, when I went to bed, I felt a faint heat in my belly!
During my pregnancy, I never experienced a Braxton hick or any kind of contraction, and during my life, never had period cramps, so I thought that I was at a disadvantage not knowing what to expect, but you know what they say: Ignorance is bliss!! 🙂

Doing yoga during pregnancy, made me well aware of my body and all the messages I received where loud and clear. That heat had to mean something, after all I was 40+2.
I felt excited, but at the same time, I thought I could be in for a few days journey of that heat coming and going, so I decided to go to sleep... Little did I know!!!

On Friday the 3rd at 6.30am, I got up and made my way to the loo. When climbing back in bed, the faint heat had turned into a spectacular bonfire!!!!!!!!
OMG!!! My hubby and mother where still asleep, so I texted my cousin who just had a baby a month ago.
She said I should time them, just out of curiosity... They were 5min apart.
She replied, THAT is not irregular!!!!

Oh boy! Suddenly, I decided to shut down, every time a contraction came, I would breathe through it, making sure I would not panick.
After a while, hubby woke up. Why are you breathing like that?, he asked.
I laughed, What do you think?!

So here we are! I'm guessing I was a lucky girl, I never experienced back pain during the whole thing, or actual pain for that matter. It was only in my belly.
A contraction ladies, is like a tornado!!!
It takes over you like nothing else you've felt before, so the sooner you let it do what it's meant to do, the quicker it goes.

I can tell you now, what I did for the whole time I was in labour for... Because that is the only thing I did. I used all of the breathing techniques I learned, and honestly? I think I even invented new ones 😉
And my face was always loose, that was all I thought about, and in between contractions, I dozed off every single time. I was loving it!!! Wow!!! This was something I could not control, me being a bit of a control freak, and it feels liberating.
I actually don't want to control it, because if I do, I'm not sure what I have to do!

Midwife came to the house and examined me at 2pm, I was 3cm. Ok, that's acceptable! She told me she was leaving, because I could be another 2, 4 or even 6 hours till things picked up, but for sure my baby was coming that night! Ahahahah what a thrill, finally I was going to be a mummy 🙂 maybe I could bake a cake, go for a walk?! Hummm, here comes another one!!! They were strong, all I could do was get on my knees, and let go.

I tried the TENS machine, it was entertaining for a while, but after a couple of hours, it was just annoying, so I got rid of it.
And I kept breathing and sleeping and opening, the whole day.
I started having this urge to push, I mean, I wasn't pushing, my body was... With each contraction, there was an urge to get that baby down.
We asked the midwife to come in, she examined me at 9pm...
Wanna guess?!? 😛
At this point my excitement went through the roof, I remembered all of the stories I had heard in class, of women being 3cms after 36hours!
And here I was, after 14 hours... What was my story going to be? This was the big moment for me!

My loving midwife said:
You are 7cms!!!!
Whoooohoooooooo!!!! YES, YES, YES!!!
I can't believe this!!!
We can go downstairs into the pool, when you're ready, I heard.

Oh come on!! Is this really happening? This is it?! 😀 this is too much fun! Am I dreaming??

My waters broke, right before getting in the pool. My playlist was on, the lights were dimmed, and the water felt like a holly balm. Wow!!! I'm loving this 🙂
I have no idea how many hours I stayed in the pool, a million perhaps, with a gazillion contractions on the side 😉
It wasn't going very fast, apparently... They said I should get out of the pool for a while, so things would get quicker. I was getting tired. Unfortunately, I had absolutely nothing to eat all day, not my choice. I mean, try breathing through a contraction with your mouth full of bread LOL not pleasant!

Got out, to sit on the loo. Girls!!! Contractions at this point were overwhelming, the power they send down your body. No words, gotta feel it to understand!
Again no time frame... Didn't really care! I started to get a bit frustrated. Surely, if I was 7cms before getting in the pool, my baby should be out by now...!!!

Ah! Little did I know... I started feeling what I thought could be a ring of fire, so I told the midwife, and she confirmed: Let's get back in the pool, we don't want this baby to be born in the loo!

In I went, and another billion hours came, when is this going to end???
I remembered I hadn't taken any paracetamol in the beginning, and right now I could see the gas and air bottle in the corner of my eye, tempting!!!
But then another rush would come, and I forgot about everything.

Labour is a long journey ladies. Specially if you're on "your own". No drugs to help speed up or stop the pain so you can have a rest!
It was the longest walk ever!
Finally, a head started to appear... But it went back in EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!! AAAAARRRGGGHHH! What is going on?!

Nice and slow, they told me! You are doing great!
I made a joke, Oh there it is! Oh back again...!
Boy, did I regret when that head did not go back in ahhaah ooooohhhh!!!! But then I knew, HE IS HERE!!!

It took a long time, and getting that head out, when a little hand decided to come along was hard work! Amazing, unbelievably hard and exciting all in one!

I felt him rotating, that was sooo special! He's moving, I shouted. And then again, push!!! At 3:46am, I picked him out of the water and immediately he started screaming the most beautiful song eheheh my son was here in my arms and I had made it! In my home, on my own, all I had dreamed of, for 9 months!

3rd stage was also long, I was knackered! And the loss of blood made me a bit woozy. But eventually, we made it to bed.
And with my beautiful baby in my arms, both in our nappies, we slept safe and sound in our own bed with daddy.
It felt like heaven!

After 2 days in bed, Elliot was latching on to my breast completely on his own.
Yes, I couldn't believe it myself!!! The truth is, I just let nature take it's course. I did not stress about the fact he wasn't feeding at first, I mean I was sooo tired, I knew my baby was probably even more, squeezing himself out to the world.
Since he was born, he sleeps in my arms, with my nipple in the corner of his mouth, like a true milk junkie. But I don't care, I can see it in his face, how content he is, knowing that even though he now needs to breathe on his own, we are still attached in every way, and I'm not going anywhere!

He is so adorable! I never thought possible, that I would have the strength to  birth a 3,780kg boy!!! But i did, and you can too!!!

I remember saying in our last class:
I know everything!!! And I had a surprised look from one of the girls loool
I didn't mean it like that. Yes, I like to think I know what I'm doing, cause even if it's the wrong thing for some, sure is the right for us. And everytime I touch my baby, he is calm and happy (well, he does scream like a crazy man, when changing his nappy, but I also love that lol) because what I'm telling him with my confidence, is that he does not need to worry. I will take care of him the best I know, and I just let him sleep! Because I know once he wakes up, he will move mountains!! And I will be there watching him, every step of the way, feeling amazingly proud, and knowing in my heart that I have given my sweet baby the best start possible.

Have the greatest time of your lives! It will never be the same again!