With warm water, horse breaths and acupressure labour balls in her hands, Brit welcomed her daughter in a fast and powerful natural birth.
Brit welcomed her baby girl in hospital after a fast, natural and unmedicated labour supported by her partner, her midwife, warm water, horse breaths, and our acupressure labour balls in her hands. Looking back, Brit says she always hoped for a natural birth. “I planned for a natural and unmedicated birth which is what I did.”
What makes her story even more incredible is how quietly it all began. In fact, Brit didn’t even realise she was in labour at first.
“My early labour began unbeknown to me as I woke up feeling pretty ordinary — as I had been leading into the last week of pregnancy — so I really didn’t think too much of it.”
Like many women approaching the end of pregnancy, she had already been riding waves of good and bad days in the final stretch. So when she noticed some mild cramping, she simply carried on with her plans for the day.
“I got myself ready to head out to brunch with the girls and was noticing some mild period type pain which I ignored because I had been having waves of good and bad days with feeling yuck for the past week or more.”
She met her friends for brunch as planned and mentioned the mild discomfort she was feeling.
“We sat down for brunch as planned and I made comment to the girls that I had some mild period pain and my friend who had not long had her second baby said ‘Brit your probably in labour’ in which we all laughed and carried on our catch up.”
For the next couple of hours everything felt fairly normal. Brit chatted with her friends, ate brunch, and even enjoyed a mimosa.
“We sat and talked and ate for around 2 hours, even enjoyed a mimosa!”
But slowly the sensations began to build.
“By this time I felt like I was noticing more intense pain, but still mild in what I thought was just nothing. The sweating increased, and I began to come quite uncomfortable sitting on the couch.”
Even when they finished brunch and stood outside chatting, Brit kept trying to push through the discomfort.
“That’s when the pain was intensified and I was trying to hide the sweat absolutely pouring from my face and also hide the swaying from side to side I was starting to do and trying not to make it obvious to the girls that I was in pain.”
Eventually she made her way back to the car and took a moment to gather herself.
“By this time I had gotten myself in the car and really contemplated all my options for a good few minutes, before just telling myself ‘I just need to get myself home’.”
The drive home was intense.
“It’s was the longest 10 minute drive of my life, clenching the steering wheel and doing my horse breaths, just like my midwife told me.”
Once she arrived home, everything suddenly became very real.
“I came inside and stripped off and went to the toilet to find I had a little blood in my underwear to which I finally came to accepting — ok I’m in labour!”
She called her husband, who had been out with their three-year-old son.
“I rang my husband who was at the pub for lunch with our 3 year old Son and said ‘look I’m not sure but I think you need to come home!’”
He arrived quickly, and the moment he saw her he knew the baby was coming soon.
“Jordan arrived home very quickly and he knew straight away when he seen me in the shower that we didn’t have much time!”
As contractions became stronger, he asked what she needed.
“He asked me what he needed to get for me, and the first thing I asked for was the labour balls that I purchased from Earthside.”
In the middle of labour, with everything becoming more intense, Brit reached for the tool she knew would help her focus and cope.
One of the sweetest parts of the story was that their young son was there with them through many of those early contractions.
“My son was in the bathroom with me for most of my contractions and he asked Jordan ‘what’s wrong with Mum Dad?’ To which he replied ‘your baby sister is coming!’”
Brit remembers the excitement on his face as he tried to help.
“And the look on his face was pure excitement as he helped Jordan run around the house and get everything ready to go — which meant also bringing the mop head in from the laundry and said ‘here Mum you can take this to the hospital’.”
By the time they gathered everything and headed to the hospital, contractions were already strong and close together.
“So we finally collect everything we need and by this time the contractions are strong and close together.”
They rushed through a busy emergency department and up to birth suite, where her midwife was already waiting.
“We make it to the hospital and rush through a full emergency room up to birth suite where my midwife was waiting for me, as she knew this baby was coming fast!”
Brit spent some time moving between the shower and the toilet, instinctively following what felt right for her body.
“I got myself in the shower and spent a little bit of time in there, going up and down from the toilet to back in the shower before my midwife suggested we try the bath if I wanted to.”
Her midwife quickly began filling the bath while Brit continued working through increasingly intense contractions.
“She ran around like crazy trying to fill the bath whilst I powered through more intense contractions. I even think at one point she was running jugs of water in as well as having the tap running!”
Once in the bath, things moved very quickly.
“Finally, I was settled in the bath and after a few contractions in the bath my waters finally broke, and baby girl was almost out.”
With a few final pushes, her baby arrived.
“With a few final pushes, squeezing those labour balls and lots and lots of horse breaths and noise, our beautiful baby girl was born.”
From the first real signs of labour to meeting her baby, everything happened incredibly quickly.
“So basically my labour was super quick starting from roughly around 1.30pm to 3.26pm.”
Looking back, what stands out most to Brit is the strength of the female body and how different the experience felt the second time around.
“That a woman’s body is just so powerful and that I was so much more in control of my body this time having known what to expect, and something in my hands to distract me.”
She also carries a deep sense of pride in the birth she experienced.
“I’m also so proud of myself for having another perfect birth that was natural and unmedicated.”
One of the biggest surprises for her was how much relief the bath provided during labour.
“I’m honestly so surprised I like the bath. I really don’t think I would enjoy it, as my first born was in the toilet because nothing else was comfortable!”
But once she was in the warm water, it became a welcome support for her labouring body.
“But as soon as I got in the warm water, it was some what of a relief to my tiring labouring body!”
And when the moment finally came to meet her baby, the emotions were overwhelming.
“So emotional! Just absolutely overwhelmed with tears and so proud of myself — because that was intense!”
When asked what advice she would give someone planning their birth, Brit shares a grounded and honest perspective.
“I really believe you can plan what you truely want for your birth, but babies always have their own way and come on their own time!”
She also emphasises how important it is to build a strong relationship with your care provider.
“I think ultimately the best thing you can plan is to have a great relationship with your midwife and tell her all the small things you’d like to have or do if it’s possible.”
Brit purchased our acupressure labour balls and during those final intense moments she remembers “squeezing those labour balls” as she brought her daughter into the world. Stories like Brit’s are exactly why we offer simple, supportive tools designed to help women stay focused and grounded during labour.
We’re so grateful to Brit for sharing her birth story with the Earthside community and allowing us to be a small part of such a powerful moment in her family’s life.
