The Water Birth of Constance

Saturday 1 November 2025. After a good week or so of having Braxton Hicks contractions daily, I woke up feeling really sore in my lower back for the first time and it felt different than I’d felt during pregnancy - very similar to how my back would feel with my period. Upon reflection now I think I knew that something was different.

I was scheduled for a pregnancy massage as well that morning, but received a text from my masseuse that she didn’t feel good and wanted to let me know and offered to reschedule so she didn’t pass anything along to me, which I decided was the best plan of action although I was thinking that a massage would have been nice for my back, seeing as it was feeling sore. I think we had breakfast all together, and then Linford was off to Okere Falls for the day to go kayaking. I was wondering if it was a good idea before he left as I just felt like maybe he should stick around close to home, but we agreed if anything happened I would call him 5 times in a row and he would know that he needed to get home ASAP and things were happening. 

He packed up and left and Mom, Dad and I had the day to do whatever we wanted. We did some organising of the storage room downstairs and I wanted to take the seat off the pram and take the bassinet out of its box. I did have a mini meltdown as I wanted to try to get the pram down by myself and Mom was trying to help and I felt like I just needed to do it myself without help. I shed a few tears and apologised to Mom and we moved on, but I definitely felt like the emotional rush was a bit random considering the circumstances that I cried at - lol! We then ended up going to Woolsworth’s for a few groceries, over to Matua to get some real fruit ice cream, and then we went and sat at Ferguson Park for a little while in the sun and enjoyed the view and put our feet in the water (not Dad of course). Mom wrote Connie’s name in the sand, which was really cute! I had had Dad drive all day too, as I just felt really tired and driving the truck with it being manual had started to feel extremely uncomfortable. By the time we came home, I felt pretty shattered so I sat in the chair to read my book, and that’s when I started to feel contractions. I knew that they were different from Braxton Hicks - like everyone says you will! I just focused on breathing through them as they were definitely a lot more uncomfortable than Braxton Hicks but they weren’t overly painful at that point. Mom had that look on her face when I told her this, and said “I think things are starting to happen!” I wanted to stay in denial that anything was, but she suggested I start timing them around 4:00 p.m. just to make sure, so I started doing that.

I timed my contractions for maybe an hour or so until Linford came home, and when he arrived I showed him that I was timing the contractions and said that I thought things were probably progressing so he needed to get the car seat mount and car seat in the truck. At that point I was able to move around a bit between the contractions, so I got the rest of the little bits that I needed for my bags in order so I wouldn’t have to worry about them later, and just focused on drinking water and relaxing as much as possible. I also sent Linford my checklist that I had prepared for him that I was meant to print off but didn’t have time. Luckily that kept him on task and helped make sure that I had everything I would need. I was able to move between the end of the bed which I would bend over at the waist and lean on my elbows, or get down on my knees, or I would go down to the bottom part of our bedroom to balance my forearms on the ball either bent over or on my knees. I found swaying a bit while going through the contractions helped me maintain my breath and control through each surge. 

Things started ramping up more progressively around 6:00 p.m. and my contractions started to become closer together. At some stage I had moved into our bedroom and had put a playlist on the google speaker, and was using my ball to relax between contractions. My bladder and bowels were working to empty out during the process as well, and I found that when I sat on the toilet the contractions would ramp up and I felt really uncomfortable. We called our midwife and she said if I was happy to stay home and continue with my labour then to do that. At that point, I figured I must still be pretty early into my labour and I would need to stay at home a lot longer. I continued to have quite intense contractions over the next hour and a half or so, feeling like I was being battered by wave after wave/surge after surge with little break in between. During that time, my parents were cooking dinner, and Linford was doing his best managing them as well as supporting me by squeezing my hips during my contractions. He was amazing and made sure that my water was constantly filled and that I was drinking water. My Mom would relieve him when needed and was letting me squeeze her hand as well. 

During all of my contractions I found that I was able to really anchor myself with my hypnobirthing breathing - the “relax breath” which is inhale for 4 and exhale for 8 helped to guide me through each contraction. Whether or not I was actually counting properly through them is another story as

Although I thought I would be moving around a lot and in many different positions through all my contractions, I actually found that having my knees on the ground and elbows on the edge of the bed (or on the ball in earlier labour) was the most comfortable position. Every time I needed to go to the bathroom to pee, I hated it! It felt so uncomfortable and painful, but midwives do call the toilet the “dilation station” so that makes sense! As the labour progressed I did start to feel tired and at one point tried to lay down on my side on the bed, but found I needed to get off immediately and into my safe position as soon as a contraction started, so my rest was really pretty nonexistent. 

We gave ourselves a bit more time and then called the midwife again to check in as my contractions were pretty close together at that point, and we were all thinking that surely it was time to do something about the situation. I had also said at one point, we either need to get the midwife here to check me or we need to go to the birthing centre. I had been hoping that I wasn’t being overdramatic and I actually was as far along into the birthing process as I felt I was, but my intuition was telling me that it was well and truly time to make a move. We called the midwife again.  I had a massive feeling of relief knowing that she was going to come to check on me and get us on our way to where we needed to be, and I felt safe in knowing that she would be there fully aware of my birth plan. There was a question about some bleeding that I had had, but sent a photo and she wasn’t worried, as it was likely just my mucus plug/bloody show. We waited at home for the midwife a while longer, until we received a call from her asking to meet her at the birthing center instead, because based on the timing of my contractions we probably didn’t have time to have her come check me first. At that point, all my bags were ready and in the truck and everyone was getting things ready to go to leave. Linford started the truck and backed out while I struggled through a couple more contractions, and then I was told I needed to get into the truck to go. I was absolutely dreading going down all our stairs, as I struggled even in our bedroom to go up and down to and from the bathroom but I was led with help down all the stairs in the house, stopping as I went through contractions. At that point it was the most walking around that I had done in hours and by the time I got to the front door I had to pause again for another contraction and I had said “I feel so much pressure” to which my mom replied “Get her in the truck now” knowing that I was likely very very close. We got me loaded up in the front seat of the truck with Linford driving and my parents in the back and I made sure to buckle up - more so that I wouldn’t have to listen to the beeping of the truck telling me to buckle up! But I was very uncomfortable and couldn’t even sit normally. I had to sit to the side of my hip so there was no pressure on my bum or vagina at all. Luckily our drive to the birthing centre was super short and we got there in less than 10 minutes. At the time we pulled up to the birthing centre it was 9:05 p.m. and we got out, leaving my Dad to park the truck while we got ourselves inside the entrance to the centre. As we were let inside, Linford immediately led me to the stairs as we were told during our tour that the midwives at the centre prefer for the labouring moms to use the stairs to help dilation but it was a struggle to get up the first four or so stairs to the bottom landing and my mom said “Oh no, we’re using the wheelchair and the elevator” even with the midwife on duty looking down from the top floor and encouraging me to walk up the stairs. I quickly got my ass off the stairs and side sitting in the wheelchair and we got into the elevator. They wheeled me in and were directed to a room and got me in there as fast as possible, and I got out of that wheelchair and onto my knees at the end of the bed as fast as I could - back into my safe position that felt the best. They had started to fill the tub at our midwife's request, and I was desperate to get in, but knew it wouldn’t be ready for a little bit. It wasn’t long after I had been on the floor that my waters broke and burst everywhere. Luckily Linford had grabbed a towel and got it under my knees for some softness but I truly did not care at that stage. Our midwife had not arrived at the birthing centre yet, and the midwife on duty was in the room with us. The midwife on duty had suggested I get onto the bed instead of on the floor so that it was a bit softer on my knees so I did try that but I felt so exposed to everyone. I could literally feel the oxytocin struggling to get back up, but I kept just trying to relax into the new space and contractions. Luckily it wasn’t long before our midwife came into the room and I felt a massive wave of relief! She started to grab some gloves to examine me to see where I was as far as dilation but ended up discarding that idea entirely, just having a feeling that I was fully dilated and she told me I could get into the pool.

She had the lights turned off and had quickly set up some lovely LED candles to create a calm environment in the bathroom for me. I got in as fast as I could, knowing that the tub was the place I absolutely needed to be. It was the picture in my mind that I had manifested throughout my pregnancy and especially during my hypnobirthing exercises. Linford quickly took his shorts off and got in the pool behind me, knowing that I needed his support as he had been continuing to squeeze my hips and support me the entire time we had been in the centre. He again got me a towel for my knees so I could have some support and softness which was amazing.

Mom was holding my hand and letting me squeeze it and Linford was behind me, our midwife in front of me, and Dad waiting in the waiting area - everyone supporting me and surrounding me with so much love! Our midwife checked the heartbeat at one point and was having a hard time finding it so Linford offered to help (never having used a Doppler before) and he did attempt it but I ended up telling him he was in the wrong place “That’s my vagina” knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to find it! Our midwife took it back and found baby girl’s heartbeat and she was relaxed and not stressed at all. I wasn’t sure if I was going to end up needing to properly push when the time came but I let my breath guide me and at one point we checked to see if the head was coming out and our midwife could see it. I could tell that she was really getting close and slowed my exhale breaths out during the contractions - letting them out in short bursts to slow the descent. Then I did announce that she was coming because I could just FEEL her getting closer and closer and there was so much pressure. I did my best to relax my body around her and adjust as slowly as I could as she started to birth and reached down to see if I could feel her, which I could and said so. Linford felt to see if he could feel her head, which he could - but he also felt her shoulders! At that point I didn’t need to be coached through birthing her, our midwife just encouraged me and I continued breathing and slowly allowing her to come out on her own as best I could until I felt the need for one final push and I said “she’s coming now!” We had wanted Linford to catch her, to be the first arms to hold her when she came into the world, but as he tried to pull her towards him, the cord and baby just didn’t want to go that way so I reached down and caught her and pulled her up onto my chest. That was the most relief and release I have ever felt in my entire life and finally I was able to relax. 

The overwhelming feeling of euphoria while I held you - my baby, my Constance in my arms for the first time was the most beautiful feeling. I held you while your Daddy held me and we sat back in the bath and soaked in the moment and both cried. We are so lucky that your Grammy was there to support us through the whole birth and she even got photos just after you came. You were so beautiful immediately and your daddy and I were totally enraptured by you as soon as we were able to hold you and look at you. You came into the world so calmly and even now as you are only a few weeks old - you are such a calm baby and love your baths! I think it’s because you entered this world through water and find comfort in it now. Your Daddy and I love rubbing and touching your head with your soft hair now, it reminds us both of the very first moment we touched you as you made your entrance. I am so grateful that I have been blessed with a beautiful daughter who I have felt such a connection to, since I was your home for nine months before you came to us on the outside. I truly feel like we worked together so in sync through your birth and even now there’s nothing like our connection that I’ve ever experienced - only similar to my own relationship with your amazing Grammy.