Lizzy shares her birth story following a high risk pregnancy and gestational diabetes diagnosis
"Due to risk factors including family history and high BMI I was referred for an oral glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes in our local maternity unit which confirmed the diagnosis of gestational diabetes which led to a need to immediately receive education on managing the condition with lifestyle changes and monitoring.
The diabetic midwives had to explain all of the risks associated with the diagnosis which was hard to hear as someone who can go down worst case scenario thinking but I wanted to be as informed as possible to make the right decisions for me and my baby.
I was faced with the advice I should be induced at 38 weeks due to my gestational diabetes which meant my due date became 2 weeks earlier than expected which threw me a lot!
I spent quite a lot of time weighing up the pros/cons of either an induction or planned caesarean section when I knew I was not going to wait and go into labour naturally hearing horror stories on both sides so I did a lot of reading, thankfully directed to good sources with the support of Emma.
I came to the conclusion an induction would be best for me for various reasons. But feeling happy with my decision and able to visualise what the admission would look like for the induction and potential interventions that come with this so that could all be built into my birth plan.
My induction date arrived and after packing/unpacking/repacking my hospital bag for the millionth time I was on my way into the maternity unit.
At 3pm I arrived, was checked in and things got started.
As far as inductions go I feel very fortunate my body responded well to what was happening to bring on birth sooner than planned so after a sweep a few days prior to my induction and just one pessary on arrival for induction within a few hours my waters could be broken and contractions kicked straight in!
Gas and air became my best friend and as planned I wanted an epidural placed ASAP which the midwife arranged. While the epidural happened things were ramping up quickly and it turned out I was fully dilated and ready to push before the epidural even kicked in.
Pushing with an epidural was tricky and went on for 2 hours but with some coaching from the midwives, some motivational music from my playlist and plenty of support from my birth partners I was able to birth my baby just before interventions were brought along to help us.
We did not know the sex of our baby so being told I had a daughter was a very special moment as she was placed on my chest immediately. I felt a love like nothing I have ever experienced as she was absolutely perfect.
I feel like everyone needs an 'Emma' on their side when being faced with the lifechanging event of getting pregnant and having a baby. Having someone who can support you through that with Emma's experience/knowledge/care is invaluable. Thank you!"
Who am I?
Hi, I'm Emma. 5* rated Hypnobirthing and antenatal teacher and the founder of Blooming Births Hypnobirthing.
I pride myself on offering honest, bespoke and evidence based antenatal courses, developed after years of extensive training.
After giving birth to my own two babies, I continue to work closely with the Newcastle Maternity units and stay up to date with current working practices so that you are well informed about what to expect from your local trust.
I'm also an affiliate member of The Royal College of Midwives and a breastfeeding peer support volunteer. I'm continually updating my knowledge, including training with the UKs leading midwives, doulas and birth rights consultants.
Looking for an antenatal course? Wondering if Hypnobirthing is really for you?
