She’d prepared for a relaxing home water birth like she’d had with her middle child, daughter Rosie. But Sam Faiers’ labour took a dramatic turn when she decided to abandon the blow-up pool at the last second, and instead delivered newborn Edward standing up in the kitchen.
Sharing her birth story for the first time, Sam told OK!: “The whole time, I didn’t sit down as I didn’t want to slow down the labour, so I was just pacing around.
“I’d had Rosie in the water and it was beautiful, so I thought it would be the same with Edward. But when I got in the water, I just couldn’t get comfortable and immediately felt like I needed to get out.
“Instead, I went to a corner of our kitchen – Paul was standing behind me and I had my hands on his neck. How he held my bodyweight I don’t know, because I was putting all my weight onto him.
“He said a few days later he was still aching from it! So I was standing but squatting a little bit, then the midwife came underneath ready to catch the baby. Little Paul and Rosie were next to me and I gave birth to him standing up.”
Sam, 31, and her former property developer boyfriend, Paul Knightley, 34, welcomed Edward, who weighed 7lbs 10oz, at their Surrey home at 8.20am on 13th May following a fast three-hour labour.
The adorable blue-eyed boy joins siblings ‘Little’ Paul, six, and Rosie, four. The family are now adjusting to their enlarged brood.
Recalling how her waters broke the night before on what should have been her due date, Sam added: “We’d put the kids to bed and had just had a curry because I wanted the baby to come. We were on the sofa watching Arsenal when all of a sudden I felt this big gush of water. I jumped up and as I did, more gushed out. Paul was flapping and we started laughing, saying, ‘What do we do?’
“It was new to us as my waters have never broken like that before. I told him to calm down and get me a towel, and call the midwife. I hadn’t had a contraction, so I wasn’t expecting it.”
And the couple – who met at Essex restaurant Sheesh in October 2014 – immediately called the midwife and were both feeling only excitement for what was about to unfold.
“I was ready for this labour – I didn’t have any nerves,” said Sam. “I was just really excited to meet him, as we didn’t know the sex. Towards the end of my pregnancy I felt really heavy and sluggish, and I just wanted him in my arms.”
Meanwhile, Paul blew up the birthing pool as Sam went for a shower and put on her PJs. She put on a playlist of relaxation music that she listens to when she goes to sleep with the kids and alerted her support team, which included her mum Sue, 53, sister Billie, 32, and Paul’s mum Gaynor, who all arrived for the labour the next morning at 5.45am.
“When I opened the door they were all already filming me,” said Sam. “I had an audience!”
Also helping her birth were children Paul and Rosie, who held their mum’s hand and showered her with kisses throughout. But it was Paul who she depended on most as the contractions came thick and fast.
“I knew I wanted the kids there but I wasn’t sure how I would be,” said Sam of her decision to include the children in the birth. “We explained, ‘Mummy’s going to push the baby out and when the baby comes it’s going to be a lovely day but mummy might make some funny noises.’ They were holding my hand and stroking my hair. Little Paul kept running in and kissing me.They were brilliant.
“Every time I’ve had the babies, all I want is Paul, though. It sounds silly, but he’s a strong man and I’ve always just liked holding onto him during it. He’s so good – he doesn’t really say anything but he’s so calm.
“I was making these really funny noises. I never did it with the other two. It was like mooing. I cringe now when I watch the videos back but that was my pain relief.”
Edward was placed straight onto Sam for skin-to-skin contact – but not before Little Paul completed his duty of revealing the sex. “We had a plan for Little Paul to tell me what sex the baby was and all of a sudden he said, ‘It’s a boy!’
“I feel so blessed that I’ve got one of each. I didn’t have a preference. He’s got big blue eyes, like Rosie did, whereas Little Paul had big chocolate-brown eyes. I see both of them in him.”
READ MORE:
Sam Faiers as you’ve never seen her before in beautiful breastfeeding snaps
- Sam Faiers admits she's not ready to 'brave a bikini' six weeks after giving birth
- How Billie Faiers hid her pregnancy using clever Instagram tricks and baggy tops
- Sam Faiers told to use electric toothbrush to ease blocked milk duct after her body 'shut down'
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