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Amy Uzokwe: My birth story

The quickest ending to a very slow labour!

Author Amy Uzokwe
Categories   Birth Stories

The Edit

Finding out we were pregnant with baby number two was super exciting, especially as we found out on my husband’s birthday – which was also our 12th anniversary!

I loved every second of my pregnancy – our first was during covid, so it was great having a pregnancy I could share this time around. Despite having my first on Christmas Eve during lockdown, I actually really enjoyed labour, so was looking forward to going through it again, but this time with knowledge on what to expect. 

Heading into the final weeks of pregnancy everything was going to plan, but it felt like our little one was getting lower and lower. At 34 weeks I had an appointment to double check my waters weren’t breaking. It was all confirmed everything was OK, but that baby’s head was fully engaged and they expected her to make an appearance very soon. 

After being told this, I was super excited and on high alert. Every twinge had me thinking it might be the start of everything. The following four weeks were full of Braxton Hicks with no signs of any arrival, which was just exhausting. At 38 weeks I had an episode of reduced movements so I popped into our Day Assessment Unit and the staff suggested I should consider being induced. Induction wasn’t something I was keen on having, so I asked if I could have a stretch and sweep to see if that would help at all, but to everyone’s surprise I was already 3cm dilated!

When I got home I had quite a big show and a few cramps. I thought this had to be it surely. In the coming days I had a few occasions where I thought labour was starting and had my mum on high alert, as she was looking after our daughter, and my sister as she was my other birthing partner. One night my mum even took our daughter overnight as we were sure labour was starting, but it was another false alarm. 

After a week of this I was mentally exhausted, so my mum booked the day off work to take me out for a coffee to take my mind off everything for a while. A new store had opened so we said we’d have a walk around there first. Whilst there I had tightenings again and just thought “here we go again”. I started timing them on my app as I had all week, but didn’t even mention them to my mum as I thought it was just another false alarm. I managed all the way around the shop and when we got to the car they were still ongoing around every 4 minutes, but still very light. I mentioned them to my mum, and she suggested getting some tea and toast just in case.

I drove over to Tesco and the tightenings seemed to wear off again. Just another false alarm, I thought. As I sat in the cafe with my tea and toast the tightenings came back. Every 4 minutes. Then every 3 minutes. Then every 2.5 minutes. There still wasn’t much pain but at around 11:30am my mum suggested getting my husband to drive me down to the hospital, again, just in case. 

We arrived at the hospital at 1pm and headed to the delivery ward. My hope was to go to the birthing unit, but due to staff shortages it was closed and there were no beds on delivery, so we were taken to the waiting room. We let my sister know as she was an hour away, but told her not to rush as we were still laughing and joking in the waiting room. 

Forty-five minutes later the receptionist and midwife came to check on us and gave us the wonderful news that they were opening the birthing unit as there were still no beds. Finally, I was getting the water birth I had dreamed of. 

The birthing unit was a short walk from the delivery suite, and I said to the midwives I could take a slow walk down myself as after an hour sat in the waiting room, finally moving around felt so good! I told my husband to update my sister on where we were, and we would meet her there. Halfway down the corridor, my waters decided to go, all over my trainers and across the hallway! The midwife joked and said “It’s not like you’re feeling pressure or anything yet, so we’re good.” It was at this point that  I realised there was quite a bit of pressure, but I was still OK walking. Cue the midwife running behind me with a wheelchair in case I couldn’t walk anymore. 

We got to the room which was lovely and bright and I asked if we could get the pool filled up ASAP. The midwife asked if she could do a quick check and then she would start filling it up. I got onto the bed and to everyone’s surprise she said I was fully dilated and free to push whenever I wanted. In a state of shock, I got off the bed and all of a sudden my body just started pushing.  Within minutes our baby girl’s head was here, just in time for my sister to walk through the door. By the time she had popped her bag on the floor and turned around, Alyssia Remi Uzokwe had been born. 

It was the quickest and most surreal ending to the slowest labour ever!

12pm – Eating tea and toast in Tesco Cafe
1pm – Arrived at the delivery suite waiting room
2pm – Start walking to birthing unit
2:19pm – Waters break
2:24pm – Told I’m fully dilated
2:31pm – Alyssia Remi Uzokwe was born 

Our absolute whirlwind girl.

Author Amy Uzokwe

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