"My wonderful healing home birth story. It truly was magical."

Hi all, sharing my wonderful healing home birth story for those who are planning one or need more confidence due to risk factors

Skyla Jean

  Second time parents

 EDD: 24/09/25 (6 days different to ovulation dates)

 Born: 30/09/25 (original due date)

 Planned: home birth

 Actual: hone birth

 Weight: 7lb 12oz

 Pain Relief: birth pool for last 20 min

 “Risk” factors: previous 1.5L PPH

After an anxiety ridden pregnancy and a traumatic induction during covid at 38+3 weeks with my first baby it took a lot for me to come to terms with being pregnant and giving birth again. However, once we got blue lines on a test I employed Kat Mama Magic @www.mamakat.co.uk  as my doula to support and advocate for us and registered my pregnancy for a home birth with the Eden Team.

Throughout all the community midwife appoints we saw either Shreena or Hayley from the Eden Team at Leighton Hospital which gave us great continuity and could have open honest conversations about growth measurements and scans. I also attended a meet the midwife session to meet more of the team which was really worthwhile as I've seen multiple of the team since and had a friendly face to talk to.

2 days before I was due I got ill with the usual September brought home from school bugs so my due date came and went. By day 4 post EDD I was feeling much better and went on a family walk, I text Mama Kat with news that I was ignoring any niggles in my back or period pain and I enjoyed a slow walk and then making a roast for my family with not much else happening.

The next morning I had my first show which was very exciting, however me and Kat also discussed it could still take days, (I was hoping and manifesting a September baby still!). That day the contractions were coming sporadically just as tightening's and were easily relieved with movement on my ball or moving around, dinner was the last time I sat on a chair though as I just wasn't comfortable. After a light touch massage and some positive affirmations and stretching I went to bed hoping to get some sleep just in case more started happening!

10:30-3 I was out like a light!

A 3am trip to the toilet showed a lot more mucus and after trying to sleep for another hour I was too uncomfortable and decided to get up and get back on the ball watching Christmas Chronicles followed by Chicken run, family classics that made me feel good and laugh! I was happy moving on my ball or leaning over it but I had to stand leaning over the fireplace doing my up breathing every time a contraction came on, which was a few times an hour.

At breakfast time wrapped in a blanket I walked round the table talking to my daughter, stopping and breathing each time a contraction came on, at one point I was breathing through whilst watching the sunrise, knowing that my 2nd daughter would be born that day. I kept in touch with Mama Kat through the morning using voice notes for speed but also allowed me to record my breathing and contraction length for her. Soon I needed more space in the room and I wasn't able to answer any questions my husband Ross asked me through contractions. Although when he wanted to get the room and the pool set up I said "I think we're a while off that yet" little did I know...

By lunchtime my contractions were coming closer together and I needed help getting up the stairs (sideways to make more room) to go to the toilet and there wasn't as much time to talk either. I asked for help going round the garden to get some fresh air which was super slow as I was having to stop every few steps to breathe and lean on Ross for support, stepping back into the house I immediately leant on the kitchen table not moving for a long time just swaying my hips and almost constantly up breathing whilst Ross got some lunch. I managed to ask him to ring triage as it was all progressing very well.

After asking him to help me up the stairs again for the toilet I decided I couldn't be on my own and needed his support. He also decided to ring Mama Kat to get her advice and after hearing what I was saying and that my breathing had changed to more guttural moans she decided to make her way to us.

My waters broke at 13:44 in a trickle after being on the toilet, I instinctively knew I needed to get up and be over a puppy pad waiting for more waters to come. At this point Ross begged me to let him set the pool up which I agreed to and my waters broke with more of a pop after a few more contractions at 14:03. Luckily Ross had also decided to ring the Eden Team to make sure they knew how much I was progressing as we'd spoken to Shreena earlier in the day who had let us know that she needed to make a trip to the hospital to get the kit before she could get to us, a 50min round trip!

Kat arrived at 14:05 coming straight up to me in the bathroom, guiding me to blow my breathing out, trying to get me away from guttural sounds and offering some counter pressure as she could see my cocix was already out ready for delivery. Every few contractions she was also running downstairs to check on Ross and the pool. With each contraction my waters were coming out a little more and I was concerned as to how I was going to get downstairs to the pool but Kat reassured me that we'd take it slow! When the time came we grabbed a towel and a pad and I descended the stairs in one go I was determined to get in the pool!

On getting to it the water wasn't quite warm enough and only just half full, enough for me to get some relief but not ready for birth. As soon as it was up to temperature I was in it, instantly relieved and calm to be in the water.

At this point Ross rang Shreena to get an update, they were 18min away, Kat didn't feel we had 18min as I'd already been bearing down in the bathroom and she'd been encouraging me to keep baby in until we had medical support, especially with my history of PPH, 1.5L from the induction.

Calmly Ross was on my phone to Shreena and Hayley keeping them updated and on his phone to the ambulance service being mobilized as a back up (we laughed later at some if the things he was being asked to do, like get me out the pool when I was on the brink if giving birth) at one point he had to put the Midwives on hold as a call came in from Tesco asking to deliver our shopping early, who were very kindly asked to come in and empty the shopping in the kitchen as I was giving birth in the front room! In a flurry of activity Shreena and Hayley arrived at 15:00 and gave me the green light to follow my body and push, I'd already felt my daughters head so I knew she was ready. Whilst holding my husbands hands I allowed my body to push my daughter out into the pool with just a little encouragement from me. I knew I had torn because she came out pretty quick but it didn't matter to me because I'd done it!

Born at 15:04, caught by Mama Kat as requested and instantly in my arms, it truly was magical and we were ready to meet each other at 40+6 weeks, her original due date according to the dates I'd put in when I saw the blue lines and the same day of the month as my eldest making them the perfect pair.

Unfortunately with my history of PPH there was enough blood in the pool for us to need to cut the cord after a couple of minutes and get me out of the pool which gave Ross some precious early skin on skin time. Shreena got the placenta out with the help of an oxytocin injection and examined me whilst I laid back on the sofa wrapped in towels and before she stitched my 2nd degree tear I was cuddling my new baby Skyla who was already rooting looking for food, the best distraction from being stitched up!

At this point my blood loss was estimated at just under 1L, a significant amount but it was just something to keep an eye on at that point.

After the classic tea and toast, although being at home I could have my favourite sourdough, we had lots of cuddles and feeding time with help from Kat and Shreena whilst we all got settled. Skyla was weighed and examined more than an hour after she was born whilst I tucked into Brie on crumpets! After the pool was put away and the room clear again Shreena and Hayley ran through everything that had happened, my blood loss, how to look after my stitches etc. We decided at this point that they'd wait until I'd had a shower and get us tucked up in bed before they left so we could introduce our eldest to her new baby sister (I don't know when Ross managed to arrange for the neighbours to pick her up from school but he magically did!) When I stood up however I went instantly pale, and needed to sit straight back down as unfortunately a lot more blood had been coming out of me whilst I'd been sat having newborn cuddles. Shreena instantly said this is more blood than I'd like which I agreed with and we confirmed to get the paramedics back to transfer me into hospital. After a 2nd oxytocin injection the paramedics arrived and suddenly the room was full of people which was a little overwhelming, Shreena stayed with me and helped explain everything to me very calmly including that I would be going on the labour ward which she knew that I'd struggle with due to my history but that they would be with me the whole time and help explain everything to me. Ross and Kat had Skyla, got her dressed and made sure I had everything I needed to go in whilst the paramedics took my observations and put a canula in ready for the hospital drips. We then travelled by ambulance on steady blue lights with Skyla in my arms and Hayley by my side whilst Ross followed behind us.

Somehow Shreena managed to get to the hospital before us who I was very glad to see before we went down the labour ward corridor and into a room which was very different to the room I'd been in for induction which also helped how I felt. I was introduced to another Eden midwife Georgia and a doctor and anaesthetist who explained that they needed to add another canula, examine me and probably remove some clots from my uterus. Fortunately nothing was started until Ross had arrived and could have Skyla for me and be by my side. Shreena helped make sure I knew exactly what was happening and why and held my hand whilst the clots were being removed. I didn't need any pain relief for birth but for this procedure gas and air was needed!!

Fortunately it was over fairly quickly and I was then observed for a few hours, at change of shift we profusely thanked Shreena and Hayley as we had got to know them both over the course of our community appointments and they'd both made a lot of effort to make sure they made it for our home birth. We then got another Eden midwife Chelsea to look after us through the night, talk about continuity of care with the Eden team!

Luckily my observations stayed positive and the excessive bleeding stopped, my total PPH was recorded at 1.4L, and I didn't have to have any more procedures or examinations. After a couple of blood tests to check my iron levels I could finally have the shower I wanted and needed and was moved up onto the ward, we managed to get a side room which helped us all sleep and gave us some alone time together to bond and relive the events of the day. We were home less than 24 hours later introducing our eldest to her new baby sister and we couldn't be happier.

We've reflected on Skyla's birth a lot in the last 12 days from the calmness my breathing had and how I maybe ignored all the contractions a little too long, Ross would have liked more time to get the pool set up! To how brilliant the Eden Team were and how different our experience of being in hospital was this time around. And undoubtedly how essential it was that we had Mama Kat by our side the whole time!

One thing is for certain, my eldest made me a Mama but Skyla has healed me in a way I previously never thought possible — with Mama Magic.

What an amazing and healing birth journey. I am so honoured to have supported you through pregnancy, birth, and these first few days with Skylar. It felt truly magical to be the one to be trusted to catch your baby and help make that first moment as calm and perfect as you had envisioned. ! Both me & Ross marvelled at how you made it look so effortless, breathing and swaying your way through labour. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for trusting me, for sharing your beautiful photos, and for letting me be a part of your story. Kat - Mama Magic XOXOX