Bairbre - Three Vaginal Births, DOMINO Scheme, Stillbirth and Water Birth in CUMH
Diarmuid
I had my first boy Diarmuid in April 22. All classes were still online after Covid and my partner could only attend the 12 and 20 week scans. I had decided I wanted to go on the Domino scheme which is midwife led care. I found the domino midwives excellent and really took the time at each appointment to chat to me and listen to any queries or concerns I had. I also attended the live zoom domino antenatal classes.
I had heard about hypnobirthing and had seen some content on social media but most courses available at that time seemed very expensive. So I borrowed a hypnobirthing book from a friend and read most of it in my third trimester. The main thing that stuck with me was the BRAIN acronym.
As this was my first baby I didn’t expect to go into labour until week 41 or 42. I had been acupuncture to turn my breech/transverse baby and once baby turned around week 37/38, my acupuncturist started to work on getting my cervix ready for labour.
On my due date I attended the domino clinic and was offered a sweep which I chose to have. The midwife said she couldn’t perform the sweep as my cervix was still too high. She reckoned I had a least a week or 10 days to go.
I woke up that night around 3am with cramping similar to period pain. I assumed it was just from the exam that day. In the morning I still had that period feeling but again put it down to the exam or just late pregnancy. As the day went on it started to feel more like contractions which I assumed were braxton hicks but when the didn’t stop and were starting to get more regular by that evening I was fairly sure it was labour. I got on my ball and put on the Tens machine. I knew I wasn’t in active labour as the contractions were not that strong and weren’t very close together. However I had a really bad pain in my mid back on one side that would not let up and prevented me from standing or lying down comfortably.
At 3am I went to the hospital as I couldn’t stand that back pain. When I was checked I was only 1cm and was given some pethidine for the pain and admitted to one of the wards. I managed a small bit of sleep but was mainly on the ball all night. I continued to labour on the ward the following day and around 4pm the midwife reckoned I was about 3/4cm and admitted me down to the labour ward. After another few hours of labouring it was recommended that they break my waters to try and get this to progress. I agreed. I found the breaking of the water very uncomfortable and was a bit weepy after the experience as it felt so much more invasive than the internal exams.
Labour continued to progress very slowly and after another few hours it was recommended that I get the oxytocin drip to speed things up as baby was starting to get a bit tired. It was also suggested that I get the epidural at that stage as I had been in labour for over 24hrs. I held off of the epidural for awhile as I hadn’t wanted to get it. But after a few contractions on the drip I decided to get the epidural. I was really worried that it wouldn’t numb my back pain that I still had because I knew I was going to have to stay on the bed after getting it. I discussed this with the anaesthetist and she felt that because of where my pain was it was mostly likely the epidural would work on it. Thankfully she was right. Once that kicked in I had a much needed sleep and woke up an hour later at 9/10cm.
Everything went quite quickly from there as baby seemed to be getting a bit distressed so after a good few pushes, I had an episiotomy and he was helped out with the vacuum.
I was so delighted that baby was here safe that I hadn’t even registered if it was a boy or girl when they put baby up on my chest. A minute later the midwife asked me if I knew what I had and she had to lift him up to show me it was a boy. The relief and happiness that I felt that he was here safe and well was unbelievable. He arrived 26 hrs after arriving at the hospital and 50 hours after feeling those first period type pains.
While I hadn’t wished to have that amount of pain relief or interventions, I was happy that I had been consulted and made the decision to accept the recommendations at each step of the way. That’s where the BRAIN acronym helped and I felt empowered and in charge all the way.
Bláithín
I experienced a late loss in 2024. My baby had some chromosomal abnormalities - Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) which were only identified after invasive testing after the 20 week anatomy scan showed baby as small for gestation. I was induced and gave birth to my stillborn little girl Bláithín at 29 weeks.
Odhran
I had my second baby boy Odhran in May this year (2025). It couldn’t have been more different to my first experience. Baby was in correct position from 32 weeks and I expected to go into labour before my due date.
Having checked for chromosomal issues early on in pregnancy I was able to go back on the domino scheme again. It was so lovely to meet some of the same midwives I had met on my first pregnancy.
As I was over 40 now, I was informed that I wouldn’t be allowed to go too far over my due date before they would induce me. I was very much hoping to avoid induction.
At my 37 week check the midwife very gently spoke about my loss the previous year and how that might manifest in my body even if mentally I felt I was in a good place. I had planned on getting acupuncture again to try get labour started. I contacted my acupuncturist and booked in a series of appointments to work on any tension in my body from before that might be a blockage to labour and then we worked on getting labour started.
At my 39 week appointment I was booked for induction on the following Saturday at 40+3. At 40+1, I had my final acupuncture appointment and decided to try wrap myself in an oxytocin inducing bubble for the evening. I snuggled up with my toddler and partner on the couch, watched movies, and ate and drank loads of my favourite things. Chinese, chocolate, crisps.
When I went to bed that night, I felt some twinges but put it down to braxton hicks which I had been experiencing on and off over the previous few weeks. I woke at 1am and realised I was still having those pains. I started to time them and by 2am I knew I was starting labour. By 3am, I was breathing through them and they were about 3/4 mins apart. I called my sister to come look after my son and rang the domino midwives who told me to come to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 4.30am and contractions were getting more intense and were anywhere between 1 min and 4 mins apart.
I didn’t really have a plan this time, I just decided to trust my body and go with the flow. But I did want to get in the birthing pool if I could.
As there was no beds available in the wards I was admitted straight to the labour ward even though I was only 1-2cm at that stage but my midwife said that looking at me she felts things would go quickly. I got comfy on the ball and used the gas and air. At around 5.45am the contractions started to feel like bearing down a bit. The midwife decided to fill the pool at that point. At 6.30 I got into the pool at 4cm. The water in the pool felt amazing and I had no contraction for a couple of minutes. But after that they started coming hard and fast. I definitely went through that phase of saying I couldn’t do it. The gas and air made me feel nauseous at one point. But I felt everything happening. I knew baby’s head was crowning and yes that ring of fire!!
Once the head was out I knew one more push and my baby would be here. The midwife directed me to reach down and pick up my baby. I knew straight away it was a boy when he sat into my hands and it was the most surreal experience to have him in my arms. He was born at 6.53am so only 20 mins after getting in the pool. A total of 8 hrs from the first twinges! I did have a perineal tear which required stitches but my recovery was much easier than after the epidural and episiotomy. I was back home in my own bed on the Saturday that my induction was booked for!
Bairbre with baby Diarmuid, shortly after birth in CUMH
Bairbre and baby Odhran, in the pool at CUMH following her waterbirth.
