Daydreaming about the perfect birth...does it really work?

I didn't think much about my 'perfect birth', before it happened...or so I thought.

But, I've begun to wonder if perhaps I actually did, and perhaps having all the elements aligned is why my body and my baby picked that moment, for labour to start.

Thinking about it now, these things were all very important to my 'perfect' scenario...

With my husband working on the mainland Monday-Friday, and only home for weekends, I really wanted to go into labour while he was home, giving me two full nights and 1.5 full days out of the week...odds against us for sure. This was the biggest issue. But I can honestly say, although we had our contingency plans in place in case he was away, I never really believed that he wouldn't be there.

Then there with the other, less important things, but niggles none the less.

We moved home when I was 37 weeks pregnant, and although all of our possessions were in our new house, it wasn't 'home' yet. I really wanted to be comfortable during my latent labour, since during the birth of my daughter this had dragged, I suspected it might again.

Also, I had my daughter to consider. I didn't want to concern her with the birth of her new sibling, equally, I wanted to know she was happy, safe and settled, preferably asleep!

I wasn't keen on the thought of waking up to find myself in labour, I really wanted to go into labour during the day. And, I'm not a great napper; I prefer to get my sleep at night, so given my suspiscion that the early stages may take a while, hoped that I'd be able to get som sleep at a reasonable hour.

Finally, I wanted a water birth, as I'd not had one first time around.

This is how my birth then happened...

Sunday evening, we were staying with my parents (as we did every Sunday) in my childhood home; comfort, safety, known environment; check! Just as hubby was due to go to catch the ferry, I thought "Hmmm...I think this might be it"; although sent him anyway, then called him back from Portsmouth an hour later once I'd established that I thought this probably was the real thing and if he got on his coach he'd be gone for 5 hours! Hubby here; check!

My daughter went to bed with grandparents to watch her, none-the-wiser; check!

It was 5.45pm; day; check!

And, with good time for normal sleep (10pm); check!

And...I got my waterbirth, as there were no other women labouring that day!

'Law of attraction' and positive thinking = my perfect birth.

So, is it a fluke that all those things occured as I 'needed' them to, or was it simply because with all those things aligned, my body, baby and mind relaxed sufficient to enable birth to begin, progress and complete perfectly.

I know we'll never know, but I know to trust my body to know what to do, and I think in this case, it really knew.