Emily & Henry

At 41 weeks they started scaring me about him being overdue, saying he would be massive with really long hair (!) and not enough amniotic fluid etc and they wanted to induce - I held out to 42 weeks because still felt good. Induction was booked at UCLH for morning of 42 weeks, and at the last minute the hospital called to say I was being transferred to another hospital because of capacity issues.

In the cab on the way to the hospital I felt first feelings around 9am - got to the hospital and was pretty sure it was going to happen naturally. Listened to my hypnobirthing and did breathing exercises and despite being on a plastic chair in the corridor waiting to be booked in for an induction I felt v relaxed.

At about midday Hen went out to get a panini and I suddenly thought this is going to happen really soon. I hadn’t been examined or seen a midwife or anything and when I told the nurse that they needed to find a room for me ASAP because the baby was coming, they def didn’t believe me. Hen got back and was going on and on about his panini and I was like ‘Henry - we are in the corridor and this baby is going to be born, sort it out!’

They called the birthing centre to admit me but they said no because I was 42 weeks, the ward was full so this nurse on the induction ward just decided to take me to the birthing centre anyway. On arrival I began to lose confidence and was thinking this is too painful and I can’t manage it for much longer. Midwife suggested filling the pool and I was like ‘yes I HAVE to get in the water’ but by the time it was half full I was holding Gabriel!

So about 4.5 hours from first feeling that something was going on

Ridiculously intense but I felt overwhelmingly like I did it on my own and he came out exactly when he was ready, and was 8lb and very healthy and happy looking.

Im so happy I had the confidence to say no to an induction at 41 weeks.