Today on the show, Lisa is back to share her second and third births: two positive NHS home births after a first birth that ended in forceps, a third degree tear and a haemorrhage.
Going into her second pregnancy, Lisa was high risk on paper. Instead of the glucose tolerance test, she used her old meter to check her own blood sugars four times a day and controlled them with diet. She declined the consultant appointments, protected her due date with an early scan, and was taken on by a home birth midwife called Maria, who told her she was there to support whatever she chose. After a long, restless early labour, Lisa had 45 minutes of almost constant contractions, got in the pool, and her body pushed her daughter out in about five minutes. The midwife didn't make it and her husband called 999. Lisa believes she experienced the fetal ejection reflex.
Her third labour started over a coffee with a friend and carried on quietly through church and a family dinner. She laboured downstairs on her own overnight and in the pool in the morning, then called out to the midwives as they arrived. Her daughter was born four minutes later, with no tear and a slow, rested recovery.
In this episode we talk about:
The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care.
You can get in touch with Lisa and work with her here:
Lisa runs a free monthly positive birth group in Wimbledon and anyone pregnant in South West London is always so welcome to join us (details on her website)
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