
Birth: there's nothing quite like it, and it's clear no two birth stories are the same. Which is why we're asking everyday women and some of our favourite celebrity mums to share theirs, in Mamamia's My Birth Story series.
This week we profile project manager Asten Demeza, mum to two-year-old son Miles and nine-month-old daughter Quinn.
After 18 months of trying for a baby, Asten and husband Jarrod were overjoyed to fall pregnant in mid 2017.
“Numerous fertility tests had shown that nothing was wrong, but we were beginning to wonder what to do next,” Asten says.
“Once I was finally pregnant, I had the best experience ever. I did yoga and pilates throughout and even played netball until I was seven months gone!”
Watch: Questions about childbirth answered. Post continues below.
Her uncomplicated pregnancy meant that Asten could go ahead and book in for a water birth at her local midwife-led birthing centre.
“After a great pregnancy and attending all the classes, I felt really positive about my natural birth plan and had the oils and music playlist ready to roll.
“My due date came and went, and I was just carrying on as normal and waiting for something to happen”.
Finally, at 40 weeks and four days overdue, Asten began to experience some contractions that gradually became more intense and closer together.
“I had been told not to come in to hospital until I was in active labour. My contractions were around 10 minutes apart for the first 24 hours but the next day, they were around five minutes apart for the entire day!
“This meant I spent nearly two days at home barely eating, sleeping or drinking as I was in so much pain. I later discovered this prolonged early labour is called ‘prodromal labour’ which I had never heard of before.