Jess: Two NHS Hospital Water Births, Miscarriage Journey, Hyperemesis, Stuck Coil, Episiotomy, TENS Machine, Retained Placenta, Second Degree Tear, Gender Disappointment

 She had wanted a water birth from the beginning. She had worked with families around birth for 13 years. She thought she knew what to expect. And then labour actually started, and she learned what it really feels like to be in it.Jess is a mum of two boys from the Midlands who had two positive NHS hospital water births. Her first was a long one. She laboured through the night at home, got sent back from hospital at 1cm, returned a few hours later, and eventually got into the pool. She pushed for an hour before needing an episiotomy she had not seen coming. Her son shot out so fast the midwives had to catch him. Her second was calmer, faster, and she picked her baby up out of the water herself.Before any of that though, there was a lot to get through. Two years of trying. Two miscarriages, one of them traumatic. Severe nausea in both pregnancies that she did not know she could get medication for the first time around. And second time, a stuck coil that took far longer to remove than it should have, polycystic ovaries, and a new job she had to tell her boss about at 6 weeks because the sickness had already taken over.In this episode we talk about:What two miscarriages felt like and how pregnancy anxiety shaped her first birth experience from the very startThe difference between knowing how to advocate for yourself and actually doing it, and how her first pregnancy taught her to show up differently second time aroundWhat it is really like to be sent home at 1cm after labouring through the nightAn episiotomy she did not see coming and a recovery she had not prepared herself for despite years of postnatal support workA stuck coil that delayed her second pregnancy for longer than expected and what it took to get thereSevere nausea in both pregnancies and how medication made a real difference second time aroundA retained placenta, a second degree tear, and a recovery that was genuinely easier than the firstGender disappointment with her second son and why she believes making space for that feeling is the only way through itThis episode is for anyone heading into their first or second birth wanting to feel calmer, more prepared, and less alone in whatever they are feeling.The stories shared on British Birthing Stories are real, personal experiences from real women. I am not a medical professional and this podcast is not a substitute for medical advice. Every pregnancy and birth is different, and I always encourage you to speak to your midwife or doctor about your own individual care. British Birthing Stories shares real, unfiltered stories of childbirth in the UK, from pregnancy and labour to postpartum recovery.These stories reflect personal experiences and should not be taken as or replace medical advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional.Follow us on social: Instagram · TikTok · YouTubeWant to come on the podcast? Get in touch and share your story here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.