I have had two thick and fast labours, but both different from each other.

My first with my son had me waking up at 12:30am with two minute contractions that went from cramps to very painful in around 20-30mins. We went straight to the birth centre, arriving at 2am and my son was born at 3:06am.

Expecting a fast labour again with my daughter, the slow build up of contractions threw me. I sat around watching TV for an hour and they were not painful or regular, so I went back to bed. I couldn't sleep so I got up 30mins later and woke my husband. We called the midwife, explained what they (contractions) were doing and agreed to meet at the birth centre. We took our time this time, but as we drove in the car, they became regular and painful and were at 2min intervals on arrival (4am). Everything went very quickly from there, and my daughter was born at 4:48am in two pushes and still in the caul.

I loved both my births, and wouldn't change them for the world. I wanted drug free natural births in the care of a midwife, and that's exactually what I got, twice. Truely blessed.