My full name is Jaspar Ishmael Wigham Hussain. My Mum's maiden name was Wigham, as there were lots of girls in the Wigham family Mum and Dad decided that it would be nice for that side of the family name to carry on with me as a middle name. Throughout my time as a bump Mum had an independent midwife look her so she could avoid the repeat of my big brothers long and painful failed forceps c/section birth.

Here is my birth story that my mum wrote the very next day....

At 2am on the 17th June, 2007 I woke up, I immediately had a contraction, although not especially strong, I got up to go to the bathroom and feel a leaking feeling.

I thought part of my waters may have broken; I went back to bed and checked the time when I had a contraction, they were either 3, 4 or 5 minutes apart, with no set pattern. I didn’t think this was labour starting as I still had 7 days to go until baby was due.

I sat in the bathroom until 3am reading a couple of pregnancy and birth books just to see if I could work out if my waters had broken or if these contractions I was having were indeed the real thing.

At 3am I woke Zelf and asked him to hold my hand to help me relax and remember the time of the previous contraction so we could gauge how far apart and long they were. I also sent my midwifes a text message just to let them know I was having a few fairly painless contractions but more importantly that part of my waters may have broken.

My main midwife was away for the weekend so my back up midwife was my main point of contact. She sent me a text back to say contact her if they became 5 minutes apart – we were timing about 6 minutes on average, so Zelf put on the Tens machine and I tried to get some sleep (we decided even if I just wasted as set of batteries on braxton hicks

(the painless practice contractions) that would stop eventually it would be better to try and sleep) I was mainly using relaxation and breathing through the contractions at this pointI couldn’t get back to sleep though and found myself increasing the intensity on the Tens machine, at 4.50am I went back to the bathroom only to experience a harder contraction that made me realise this was probably labour starting! I started a text to the midwife but as the contraction were approx 3 minutes apart I couldn’t get it written so I called instead, I had to pass the phone to Zelf though as another contraction started and I could not talk through it. She decided it was time to come and see us and left home.

Zelf held my hand and got me to focus on something (the screw on the side of my bedside cabinet!!) and got me to breathe and relax – I was really struggling to relax though as I just wanted to curl up in a ball, yet I knew to ensure that the contractions were effective in helping me dilate I really needed to relax. I even had Zelf call the midwife again to see how far away she was as I was getting a bit frantic

The midwife arrived around 5.40am (it was such a relief when she came in the door – Zelf was doing a great job but I felt so relieved to see her) and decided to check me – I told her that if I was only 3cm’s dilated she needed to lie! (my biggest fear was that when the contractions did hit a strong level that it would take me ages to be ready to push and that I would therefore be unable to cope with the pain) in actual fact she told me that I was fully dilated and ready to push

Basically the stronger contractions that I thought were labour starting were pushing ones and I was fighting the pushing urge!…After being ready to hear 4cm or less I certainly didn’t believe that I was ready to push!

My midwife was concerned that if we set off to the hospital now that I could even deliver in the car or on the stairs so we opted to stay at home and not transfer to the hospital (in fact there was even a birthing pool set

up in the corner of the room that in the end we never filled or got to use!)

My main midwife had decided to leave her camping weekend at 4am and was able to come over. I was so happy to see her I could have cried I had so wanted to have this baby with her there to support me. This meant that I now had both midwifes support and was able to start pushing – with this being my first normal delivery then this was going to be a longer stage for me (as if it were a first baby).

We kept mobile where possible and pushed through the contractions which were strong and regular, using the boost button on the Tens machine. The best position for me though was on our bed slightly on my side.

By now it was 7.30am and Danyal woke up! Zelf settled him in front of the television with his breakfast. I still had difficulty believing that I would not need to go to hospital in case baby was stuck and needed assistance, so when I got to see the top of the head with a mirror I was well and truly convinced!

At 9.20am Danyal knocked on the door asking if he could come and see me!! He waited out side whilst I pushed and breathed on the midwife’s advice and when baby was born at 9.37am we tucked him in a towel covered me up and Danyal was able to come in and meet his baby brother Jaspar.

Zelf was able to cut the cord and the placenta was delivered naturally 15 minutes later, I had no tears and did not need any stitches

To summarise I would say the whole birth was a very wonderful experience, the ‘pain’ I had anticipated did not materialise and the speed of the whole labour was very unexpected. Being able to deliver at home in the comfort of our bedroom was an amazing, exhilarating and natural experience and something I never really believed would be possible after Danyal’s 27 hour failed forceps and emergency caesarean delivery. I have so much to be thankful for to my midwives and Zelf

Link: Jaspers Birth Story

Early on in the pregnancy we had decided that we would hire an independent midwife with the plan to have a home water birth.

Whilst we felt that there are some great hospitals in London it was the actual midwifery care that had alarmed us the most. I also felt that hospitals were a place for sick people and I wasn’t sick so Homebirth was the most appealing option!

We booked in with ‘Sage Femme independent midwifery’ who without a doubt made my whole pregnancy feel so special and their advice and knowledge was amazing.

My due date 27th December came and went. I was convinced our Baby was going to put in an early appearance but I guess he just wasn’t ready.

I was 1 week overdue and getting fairly fed up. I knew that my window for a home birth would only be for another week and then it would be a hospital induction which I really wanted to avoid. I had had a show a few days earlier so I hoped that things would happen.

My midwives suggested that I went for a wellbeing scan to try and avoid medical interference. All was well and the doctor was happy to leave me for another week to see if things would happen on there own. Yippee! I had another week!

Well we tried everything! Hot curries, long walks, nipple stimulation, Cervical sweeps x 3, sex, pineapple and more sex!

This baby was very happy where he was and was in no hurry to join us!

A few more days went by and I felt like I had been pregnant forever. Was this baby ever going to come?

Well meaning friends and family were driving me mad phoning up to see if ‘he had come yet’

I practised my visualisations willing my cervix to open and was sure that he would be coming soon…..

My midwives sent me to hospital for a C.T.G trace just to check that all was well.

Everything was great, but to my disappointment I was booked in for induction the next day.

I knew that we had to do the best for our baby, but the beautiful homebirth I had envisaged was slipping away.

I had one more appointment with our midwives before induction and they suggested that there was one last thing I could try. CASTOR OIL!

This filled me with a little fear as I had heard so many conflicting stories about it but I really wanted to try as I felt that we had nothing to lose.

I took some castor oil with some orange juice mid morning and settled down for a quiet day of T.V and pampering. The midwives had warned me that I could feel sick and have a tummy upset, boy were they right! It took about 3 hrs and everything really kicked in.

I was feeling very mild surges coming roughly every 30mins. But now that it was happening to me I began to doubt myself. Was I going to have this baby? Was I imagining the surges? I phoned up my best friend who had had 3 children and she was convinced that it was starting! My husband James was at work still and I didn’t want to call him home too early as I was told by various people that it would probably be quite long first time round. I decided not to call my midwives until things were hotting up a bit and definitely not to call my mother and mother in law as they would just worry and I felt so calm that I just wanted to be left alone to get on with things!

I watched a couple of movies, hoovered and tidied up then had a lovely bath, shaved my legs, did a facemask and painted my toenails!

The surges were progressing well but I didn’t feel any discomfort at all. Could I really be having a baby? This all felt so easy!

James arrived home at 6pm and in between surges I put on a roast dinner which in hindsight was probably a little ambitious!!!!

My surges were now coming every 15 mins and although things had shifted a gear it was still fine.

Poor James was trying to put the birthing pool up in record time and then I was sick everywhere! I don’t think the poor thing knew what to do first!

In the meantime Odette, one of our midwives had arrived.

She examined me and I was 3 cm dilated. We all set to work pinning my birthing affirmations up around the house and getting all the candles and towels ready.

My waters broke with a huge gush when I was dishing up the roast dinner! I felt the baby’s head drop very low and James started massaging my back and then we did the glove relaxation exercise. We put on my tens machine which was amazing, when the stronger surges swept over me.

I had another gush of water and unfortunately there was meconium in the water. Odette gently and calmly explained to me that I would have to transfer into hospital because of the meconium which I knew could be quite serious. I just wanted our little boy safe now and didn’t care where it happened.

Nyree our second midwife arrived and whist the others were getting everything ready to transfer she examined me and to everyone’s complete surprise I was now fully dilated!!! I had gone from 3cm to 10 in less than an hour. I didn’t have the will to push yet but I think that everyone was a little concerned that the baby was going to arrive before the ambulance!

Luckily that didn’t happen and I shall never forget going over all the speed humps in Highgate to get to the hospital!

When we got to hospital everything happened so quickly. I was very lucky that I had my two fabulous midwives and also an extremely lovely midwife at the hospital who delivered our baby.

My surges had slowed down at the hospital so I was given something to speed them up again. I then began to push which was the hardest but most wonderful thing I have ever done. I was pushing for about 30mins when the doctor told me that if I didn’t get our baby out within the next 2 pushes that I would have to be assisted. Well that was all I needed to give that final push!

Before the birth James vowed that he was not going anywhere near ‘the business end,’he was utterly mesmerised by the birth and he seemed to be looking down there more than the midwife! He was so supportive and encouraging.

Our beautiful baby boy finally arrived on the 9th January at 1.47am and we fell in love with him instantly.

James and I always wanted to have our children close together so we were over the moon when I fell pregnant again!

I have to say that my pregnancy was great and seem to whizz past. I always felt very secure, special and cared for by Nyree, Odette and Charlotte. I could have all my appointments at home and I was given so much personal attention. Who could want for anything more? It was the best money we have ever spent and would certainly have them again. It was like having your friends with you.

My first child was very late so I was really hoping the next one would come as close to his due date as possible. Under the guidance of Sage Femme I had been having weekly Acupuncture sessions from about 36 weeks to try and help things along a bit. I was so determined for a home birth this time and had everything ready in good time.

The 19th of May came and went. I did feel slightly niggling but not really anything to suggest that things were underway.

The next morning I carried on as normal and took my other son to his tumble tots class then went out to lunch with a friend. Odette came over after lunch and did a cervical sweep. I told her that I felt sure things were underway so we continued on with the rest of the day.

Late afternoon came and I knew that this was it. I was getting very mild surges and my nesting instinct was going through the roof! My husband took our son to my mothers and I busied myself around the house. Getting all my candles and birthing things ready.

We called Nyree at around 6pm as the surges were around 30 mins apart. It was very reassuring to know that she was only 5 mins away.

By 8.30pm Nyree had arrived and my surges were 5 mins apart. I was using my Tens machine which was fabulous and my husband James was going through our hypnobirthing affirmations with me.

There was an immense feeling of calm and it was so wonderful being at home!

James was busy getting the Birthing pool to the right temperature. I got into the pool at around 10.30pm. The feeling of utter weightlessness was amazing. It was just like climbing into a warm nectar.

At around 11.00pm Charlotte arrived and I knew things would not be too much longer.

I suddenly was very sick and my waters broke at the same time! I was delighted that they were clear and not stained with meconium like at my first birth.

At 12.28am Louis George Patrick arrived! My whole labour was 3 and half hours. I got my beautiful boy and my home birth. It was the most amazing experience! I do have slightly surreal memories too. As the head was crowning the TV was on and it was the Bourne Supremacy . Not the most calming, soothing film to watch!

I would highly recommend the services of Nyree and her dedicated team. The care you receive is amazing, before, during and after the birth. It is always sad to say goodbye when it gets to your last visit! Oh well maybe see them next time!!!!!