The day before my due date, I was having irregular small contractions for most of the day along with strong Braxton Hicks and losing little bits of mucus plug along the way. The contractions weren't big I have more painful periods. This was different for me as with all three of my previous pregnancies labour started with spontaneous membrane rupture, so having little contractions all day was very new. I just pottered around doing the usual stuff even going along to a friend's first antenatal appointment with her and timing my contractions while we were there as at times they would seem to get regular

At about 10pm I made myself my usual cup of raspberry leaf tea to have before bed. I checked facebook, BB and watched a bit of tele before going to bed around 11pm.
I had a think about my birth plan before drifting off to sleep. They have beautiful big baths in the Birth Centre I'd never laboured in a bath before and couldn't wait to try it out and have a water birth too if I was comfortable in the water. I'm not usually a bath person, lol I get a bit bored, not that you would be getting bored in labour I'd also planned for another drug free birth so was keen to try out the water for pain relief.

At 2am I woke with a start. I'd had a dream that someone had punched me in the stomach, it hurt and made a weird noise. It took me a minute after waking up to work out that the noise was my waters breaking along with a decent contraction.

I grabbed my phone to time the contractions, my midwife wanted us to call her and head in when they were coming every 5 minutes. The first three after waking while I was still lying in bed were 5 minutes apart. My waters had broken but it was only a slow trickle, I got up to go to the toilet and then thought I'd have a shower to see if the contractions stayed regular at 5 mins and didn't fizzle out then when I was sure it was established I'd call my midwife.

*TMI* Once on the loo I got cramps and had a bowel clear out. This was also new for me I'd never had that before either. I went to the wardrobe to get a change of clothes for after my shower, but realised after looking at the contraction app that they were now coming at 2 mins apart with a smaller one in between and lots of downward pressure as soon as I was upright. No time for a shower now.

I went out and woke DP told him it was time to call my midwife and head in. I casually mentioned we may need to hurry, I didn't want to freak him out as we had at least a 20 minute drive to the Birth Centre and I was actually wondering if we would make it. I sat down while he chucked my bags in the car. I knew if I stood up and moved around things were going to speed up even more.

We got to the second set of traffic lights which were red like the first and the contractions were getting stronger, water was gushing with every third one and I could feel bub moving down each time. I looked at the intersection, there were no other cars and said if it's clear just go I had my little stress balls in my hand and was squeezing them and shaking my head from side to side with each contraction.

About half way there I started to feel nauseous and realised I didn't bring a vomit bag. The first time in an HG pregnancy that I didn't have a vom bag with me! Then it dawned on me that it was probably transition. The nausea didn't last long it was just a couple of waves then gone. After that I think I closed my eyes for the next few contractions and willed the baby to stay put just a few more minutes. I honestly almost asked DP to pull over at one point, I didn't think I could hold on any longer, but I did.

Not far from the drop off zone I started to wonder how I was going to make it up the tunnel and up the lift to the BC. I thought for sure once I was on my feet again gravity would win over me trying to keep bub in. Just then my midwife sent a txt saying there was a wheelchair at the tunnel if I needed it. YES thank god!!!
She met us in the corridor and asked if I was getting really pushy, I said I was with every third contraction, they were the biggest. We followed her to our room I hopped off the now very wet wheelchair and I just made it over to the bed to hang on as a big contraction came. I could hear the bath running and just thought, well I bet there's no way I'm getting in there now. They take about an hour to fill and I could tell by the sound of the water there was probably only a foot of water in there if that. While in the middle of the contraction she told me I could let the baby go now that I was there.

Kneeling beside the bed is where I stayed. My midwife helped me get my jumper off and pushed a mat underneath me. DP asked should he go down to move the car and bring my bag up. I remember thinking I don't think you have time but couldn't say it, my midwife just calmly said 'I wouldn't if I were you.'

After a couple of contractions I could feel bub moving right down the pressure was huge and fast, completely involuntary pushing, my midwife told me to just go with it. She said she could see everything opening up and bub would be here very soon. Another couple of contractions and I could feel the head crowning it seemed so fast I put my hand down to try to slow it a little, my midwife was there too telling me to slow down while she cradled the head to slow it too. I let go and held the bed to help me slow it down. Next contraction the head was out, one more and I felt the familiar big slippery gush of the rest of the baby and thought, 'That's it, it's over' I heard a cry straight away. My middie slid bub between my legs and said 'There you go what have you got?' I looked down and was shocked to see a girl!! After 3 boys we just expected another, I picked her up and held her to my chest then after a minute had to move the cord and look again to be sure lol, yep definitely a girl.

There she was 16 minutes after getting to the Birth Centre, 7lbs 15oz (3600gms), 51cms long, 34.5 HC, and arriving on her due date

My middie said she had the resus table set up ready because after we called and she heard my contractions were at 2mins apart she thought we may walk in holding the baby. She also told us how she couldn't find the one and only BC wheelchair so had run down to the regular birth suite and argue with a midwife there saying I was on my way, bub #4 and if I hadn't had her in the car already she didn't think I'd make the walk up to the BC and would end up having her in the lift, they finally said she could take it

The cord was left to finish pulsing and wasn't clamped until after the placenta was birthed 49 minutes after bub arrived, and without any 'help' from a synto shot. So she received all her blood and goodies from the placenta. I had a second degree tear, she came fast and wasn't interested in waiting for too much stretching

A pretty perfect birth, apart from not making it into the bath Grateful I got to have such a great birthing experience, with a great midwife for my very last baby