Birth Diaries: ‘I’ve Given Birth To 3 Beautiful Boys But Never Had A Single Contraction’

My eldest was breech. I wanted to go for a natural birth, so the consultant tried to turn him but he wasn’t budging. I didn’t want to go ahead with a C-section – I was convinced I could have a natural birth – but my husband and mum said I should go with what the doctors said. A safe delivery was more important and I knew deep down it was what I had to do. 

Doctors encouraged me to go for a C-section for my second boy, too, but I put forward an argument quite strongly that I wanted a natural birth. They said they’d let me try despite it being less than two years since my first. This time I was two weeks overdue – and I was induced but nothing happened.

We all got a bit hopeful at one point, thinking there was some movement, but it was nothing. I ended up being in hospital for 48 hours, in a room where other women were being induced, meeting their babies, experiencing that joy. I found it really hard. People were crying in pain and I kept thinking: ‘That’s all I want!’ When still nothing happened, they booked in the C-section.

Second baby and I still hadn’t experienced labour or contractions. My boy was healthy, yes, but it wasn’t the way I wanted to have him. 

And then came number three. My third boy. I pushed to have a natural birth, again. I managed to convince them, again. I genuinely had a really supportive consultant. It was my third child and I thought,  right, I’m not leaving anything to chance. Everything I can try to help me go into labour, I will try. I had reflexology as soon as I could in my third trimester and saw somebody every week because I read it helps prepare your body for labour. 

At 38 weeks, very late on, I saw an acupuncturist too. I even tried to look for natural remedies in a health food store (but soon realised it was probably not a safe option). My problem was that I’d never gone through contractions or labour, so I felt like my body didn’t know how to do it.

I thought: I’ve got to try everything because I’d hate not to have tried. What if it really did make the difference?

[Read More: What Does Childbirth Actually Physically Feel Like?]