The freebirth of MY twins.
The journey starts in 2022 lying on an uncomfortable bed having a vaginal scan at my local hospital. I was 9ish weeks pregnant and experiencing period like pain, which given the unexpected passing of my fourth child this was a scary moment. Not only was there a heartbeat this time there was two!!!
Weeks went past digesting the new information researching twins, a whole new sphere for me as an experienced mum of 3.
I met with a community midwife for the intrusive booking appointment where I expressed my desire to homebirth.
She said that I will be led on a consultant pathway and that will be discussed later on.
This didn't sound positive but I persisted saying I should be with the home birth team.
As a few more weeks passed I eventually went to a consultant appointment at which the typical WORD of twin pregnancy were reeled off to me.
Little did he care that I had already done my research and requested on numerous occasions if he could individualise these scenarios to me.
The appointment was futile and frustrating to which I then happily discharged myself from antenatal care only opting for scans at the typical intervals and not at the prescribed every two weeks.
As the weeks progressed and my knowledge grew I had also requested for a continuous sonographer, all was reported to be well until my 36 week scan.
Backtracking a little, a consultant midwife reached out to handle any requests I had and the homebirth team came to my home at thirty-two weeks to approve the space and talk more about the day of birth.
Previously having had three caesareans the team were not comfortable with my birth choice but with all the information I had absorbed I did not care, having made my choices based on my own confidence and self belief, I pursued with my intentions to have a homebirth.
At thirty- six weeks the local hospital threw a curveball at me, it was proposed that one baby was no longer growing creating an UNWANTED size discordance which suggested placental insufficiency.
Thinking this could change the course of everything i decided to seek multiple other opinions, including those at the prestigious Fetal Medicine Research Institute, Professor Kypros Nicolaides who understood my plight and that I wanted to know how my babies were doing inside and aside from the previous surgeries he couldn't find a reason against my plans.
My mind was clear on how to navigate the birth although I had wasted two precious weeks worrying unnecessarily.
Excitingly, my waters broke in the morning with a meconium tinge undeterred. I curiously confirmed my concerns and started to go about my day. I notified the consultant midwife what was happening and was requested to join her at the hospital for a simple CTG monitoring which turned into a six hour ordeal, ending with a line that will never leave me. “If you go home I’m worried one of the babies will die.”
She had no reason for this whatsoever, their heart beats were fine, movements were as usual but my contractions had stopped. This indicated to me I needed to be in my own space and calibrate my thoughts. I also didn't want to be anywhere near this woman.
After going home resting and eating I awoke in the night with definitive indicators my babies were ready to grace this world with their presence. Labour progressed nicely, I used the shower as a natural pain release.
I had planned for a land birth but failed to properly protect my mattress as my intentions were to use the living room.
My body had other plans.
As the early morning came around I suddenly had an urge to release my bowels, without instinctively making it off my bed on all fours my daughter gracefully entered the world in one swift action the ‘foetal ejection reflex’.
Wow what a wonder she was a simple noise and wide open eyes she nuzzled down for her first suckle. We laid there content with what had just happened. Now it was her brother's turn, some would say this would be a tad more difficult knowing he was in the breech position but with ease again upright his body came first, then a pause and his head appeared again not actively forcing the situation. This was blissful. All twenty fingers and toes were to account for.
Little to my knowledge paramedics and doctors waited outside the property as instructed by my doula two consultant midwives then turned up. All the action had already happened and their presence only disrupted my golden hours with the babies.
Note from Sarah. Shevone is a glowing example of when empowered with no one elses wants, needs, bias or birth preferences come into play. When many women as a community support other women with no expectation Miracles happen.
Shevone was bold, brave and triumphant and is beautiful example of someone sensibly freebirthing, getting as much information where she could and making her own perfect decisions.
Now Shevone is supporting others in their pregnancies and births.
Shevone's birth story is so incredible because she steered her ship asking the right people for directions along the way and like most directions you can take a different route. Unfortunately many women with equal tenacity and personal investment in their own births are not afforded the benefit of access to a Doctor like Professor Nicolaides and/or they are influenced away from the making informed decision.
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