Life Through the Lens

I have always been one to take many photos. I love to capture our everyday lives and capturing it through the camera lens means that, that one moment in time has been captured forever. It's flawless, a time capsule that brings back those feelings that were felt in that one moment. Laughter, love, the emotion that you just cannot re-create. Photographs tell the truth, one facial expression, one simple glance at another, it's a true reflection of the people your looking at through your camera lens. 

One of my most memorable days, was the day Leo entered the world. It's hard to believe that it is now coming up to 4 years ago. Even in the throws of labor it was important to me that we capture the day, from the birth through to that very first meeting, it's a day I will never forget. From being in the birthing pool, to the seconds after Leo hurtled into our lives, to every moment that has followed since. Each photo taken that day caught a different emotion, a once in a lifetime facial expression of becoming first time parents. It was the most magical, scary, emotional, exhilarating, spectacular, tiring and amazing day all rolled into one. Looking into our first born babies eyes, holding him tight and breathing in his newborn baby smell and counting his ten tiny fingers, and his ten tiny toes. You can see the look of uncertainty on my face, the look of pure shock at how quickly everything had progressed, the look of a proud new Mum.

Those photos are the most treasured out of all of the photos I have taken, because they mark the very moment that my little family was born, and cemented together for always. I have always stored my photographs on my laptop, and following the birth of Leo back in 2011, my laptop hard drive decided to fail. Absolutely everything was lost, my holiday photos, even the photographs taken back in the day at school. Thankfully I still had the photographs from Leo's birth on my camera's SD Card, and although I was devastated at losing the rest of my treasured memories, I was comforted in the knowledge that all wasn't lost. That the most important photographs were safe.

It took my hard drive failing for me to realise how important it is to back everything up, and I very quickly invested in an external hard drive. I don't back up as much as I should, but I am relaxed in the knowledge that everything is backed up, so if the inevitable does happen, I can restore my photos, and keep those special memories alive. I had no idea what I was looking for when I began searching for an external hard drive, I didn't know what I would need, the space I required or really have a clue what I needed.

The fist thing I did upon receiving my external hard drive was immediately back everything up. 

I still love flicking through the photos from Leo's day of birth. I remember every moment, I study each facial expression and marvel at just how much we have all grown in every day since. How much we have all learnt, how far we have come. 

Is A Water Birth For You?

When you think about labor and your birth plan it can lead you to a fork in the road. This fork has the potential to lead you down two routes, natural or medical.

For me I loved the idea of a natural birth, I didn’t want the epidural if I could help it and I really didn’t want to be drugged to the nines when my baby entered the world.  

With a natural birth emblazoned in my mind I set my sights on alternative pain relief. Water births started popping up on my Google searches, and the more I read about them the more that I craved one.

I loved the idea of floating around the pool and being able to change into the positions with ease, I read about people not tearing or tearing as badly during birth and these points were big selling points for me in making my decision.

For me a water birth was the very best choice, it allowed me to keep control and gave me my own little space away from prodding hands and internal examinations. 

It provided me with the space that I needed in a time that I needed it.

Being in the water can slow down labor and I was warned when I got into the pool that the contractions may slow down or could even stop altogether. This luckily didn't happen and I was able to labor in the pool before delivering my baby boy into the water. 

I then stayed in the pool in our own little space while we waited for the placenta to deliver. They even allowed Leo to stay attached to the placenta until it had been delivered. 

The whole water birth experience is a beautiful option to be able to have, it gives you space, comfort and for me security. Of course it won’t be for everybody and so many people will have experienced a completely different scenario to me, but for me personally it made the whole experience unforgettable. 

But what are the advantages to water birth and do I agree?

- The water alone can provide excellent pain relief without additional measures such as gas and air. 

- Getting into the pool really did offer a sense of relief, the water cushions you and takes away the edge. The heat of the water is comforting and relaxing, being deep enough to encase your entire bump. The water itself is a pain relief factor but admittedly I did huff and puff relentlessly at times on the gas and air. 

- You can still use gas and air (enthanox) should you wish.

- Some research has suggested that a water birth is less likely to lead to medical intervention such as forceps, ventouse  delivery, episiotomy, or tearing.

My whole water birth experience was amazing. I was left to my own devices, and told go with what my body was telling me. Every so often the midwife would ask me to raise my bump out of the water so that she could monitor the fetal heartbeat just to keep a check on how baby was doing. When I began pushing, within 10/15 minutes I had a baby on my chest. I had a small tear but nothing that required stitches and I felt that I got away so lightly because of the water. 

A water birth will be on my birthing plan for any additional babies I go on to have, not only is it a fantastic way to labor and give birth to a baby but I found those first moments with Leo magical.

Of course there are possible downsides to a water birth that you have to take into consideration when writing your birth plan or considering your options:

- Not every hospital or maternity unit has the facilities to offer a water birth.

- If you need medical intervention you won’t be able to continue in the pool and it can take time to get you into a situation where you can be better attended to.

- No TENS machine.

- In some cases it can slow down labor.

- No Pethidine or epidurals can be used in the pool.

- Water births are not advised if your baby is breech, being induced, have preeclampsia or are overdue/pre-term (there are other medical reasons that can prevent you having a water birth)

Do you have an experience of water birth that you would like to share?

Expectations...

When I was pregnant with Leo I never really gave much thought to what would happen, but when I did think about going into labor and my little man making an appearance I always thought it would be in the middle of the night. I expected everything to be rushed and crazy and that the contractions would be coming so thick and so fast that I wouldn't be able to breathe. 

I never actually expected to get such a perfect birth, I never expected everything to be so calm and so relaxed. I didn't expect to get the water birth I had so coveted and I thought that despite my claims of not wanting an epidural, that I would sure as hell end up having one anyway.

I went into labor on the Friday, or at least I think I did. Not noticeably so, it wasn't painful by any means, I was merely aware that I was experiencing waves in the very pit of my stomach. But I didn’t say anything, or if I did no one took any notice. Luke was very good at ignoring my pregnancy ramblings and he was adamant that I was going to go overdue and the idea of me going into labor a week early was laughable to him.

Of course by the Sunday after Luke had paraded me around in the warm sticky June heat that had decided to grace us with its presence, I decided that I was confining myself to a dark room with a high power fan, a foot spa and a film while I sent Luke off to his Mum’s. 

Still even at this point I still didn’t think I was in labor, not even after a show. 

Although I wasn’t in pain, I was far from comfortable and sitting down had become a thing of the past and laying down in bed seemed to have followed suit. I spent the night walking around the house and wishing away the hours, all I longed to do was close my eyes for a little while, but that wave in my tummy was so much worse when I lay down. 

Luke however was tucked up asleep in bed, fast asleep in the land of nod. I had always thought that if I was in labor it would be incredibly obvious and I would most likely be kicking and screaming. But I wasn't. I was silent.

When Luke awoke the next morning he called up triage and so began our mission to get me into hospital. They didn't want me in, they told me that while I was talking through the contractions like I was that I was fine at home and was nowhere near ready to go in.

By this point though I was beginning to think I should go in, there was an ever growing pressure building up and so I decided to reward the hospital with screaming if that is what they so wished for. I was soon in Worcester hospital and having an internal examination. My heart began sinking when I half expected to be told to go back home again, but they were rather impressed.

I was already 9.5cm dilated and apparently doing exceptionally well with the contractions. The contractions that were never in any particular rhythm, they were just there. 

Everything was going as I had secretly hoped it would, but not as I had really expected it to go. 

The midwife was impressed that I was still walking around and had really thought that I would be going home before I was ready to be admitted. They quickly got the pool ready as the daylight poured into the room.

With the pool ready I was left to my own devices, just as I had wanted. I feared medical intervention and multiple examinations. The freedom experienced in a pool while you are the size of a beached whale is pain relief in itself and as I could not sit down, floating was my salvation. 

With lunch time upon us now was the time I chose to push out my 7lbs 15oz baby boy into the world. Pushing was by far the most painful experience but in minutes I had my baby in my arms, and was left feeling shocked at how quickly it had all happened.

The experience still blows me away. It was the most amazing, fantastic and magical moment of my life. 

My experience of labor and giving birth has given me such a positive glow, and I can quite honestly say that one day I cannot wait to do it all again. 

As crazy as it may sound, I absolutely loved labor but the active stage for me was the bomb! Now it is all but a distant memory I am kicking myself for not having Luke video record it (tastefully). 

When I eventually do get round to having another baby one day, I will be asking Luke to take lot’s more photos and even record as much as he can. I would so love to be able to go back and re-live the moment that Leo came into the world. 

Now who thinks I am mad!?