”Hey Janet! We got a surprise this weekend… 5 weeks early, our little girl gave us a big shock!
Prepare for a long read but I have to give you the details of my hypnobirthing journey, I am so grateful for you and the course it makes me emotional even writing this 😍
So I was at work on Friday, & I had a show. I was actually on my way to my midwife appt anyway so quickly took a photo of it and went to the midwife, I didn’t even mention it to (my partner) as I felt so calm and had a feeling that this meant the baby was on its way. I went to the midwife and she said it was definitely a show, she checked the position of the baby and said that it was well engaged. She was very nice and calm but also told me it didn’t mean the baby was coming, and it could still be a couple of weeks… I said to her I know that it is as I just knew.
Friday I went home and told (my partner), and my parents, all three of them panicked (I actually think my partner went white). I reminded them all to stay calm and that I was ready for this and the baby decided when it was ready, so they did start to calm down. Me and my mam packed my hospital bags and enjoyed loads of laughs whilst (my partner) went to play rugby (he couldn’t believe I told him to still play, I just felt so in control!).
My partner’s Mam came round too and her words were ‘you are 100% not having this baby within the next week, you are too calm…’. I just smiled and said I know I’m calm and that makes me happy that other people notice it 😀 but I knew the baby was coming, she thought I was off my rocker! Anyway Friday night I got a lovely shower and we got in bed with the magic carpet podcast! I woke up through night and my waters had gone. Again, I felt so excited and calm. I phoned the ward to let them know and they asked me to go up to be monitored with being so early to check everything was ok.
So I went up, my partner dropped me off as he couldn’t come. Again, I felt so calm and happy to be there – I wasn’t scared that I was on my own and just felt so excited and ready. They confirmed my waters had gone so wanted me to stay in for at least 48 hours to monitor. Throughout the day my contractions were happening but I breathed through them all with genuine excitement! I really didn’t feel the pain, they got uncomfortable but I felt like I could manage them with my breathing. I had a couple of wobbles thinking is this really it, but then just took myself through my techniques – reminded myself that if the baby was ready then yes this was really it.
My partner visited at night and then once he went home I felt like everything had stopped, I was getting niggly but nothing major and had texted my partner at 10.30pm to say I was going to sleep and for him to get a good night sleep to make sure he had energy for the next day. I was lying in bed watching friends and I felt a big pop in my belly, my front waters went and water came literally gushing 😅 again I didn’t even let my partner know, as I thought I will wait until the contractions start again.
By 11 they had came on thick and fast, I let the midwives know (who said at first nothing would change as they’d continue to monitor, they told me the next day they didn’t believe I was in labour because I was just ‘absolutely fine’). I knew the baby was coming soon, the contractions were getting very intense, so I texted my partner to come to the hospital and told the midwives how intense they were – my breathing was much stronger now they must of been able to tell as my contractions were now a minute apart.
They got me a wheelchair but I told them I would walk to delivery ward, got in the room and they started saying about gas and air. I was in a lot of pain but advised them I didn’t want it (they kept asking me… I hadn’t actually printed my birth plan out yet by being so early lol! So they didn’t know I didn’t want them to keep offering me it). The pain was so intense and building but I still felt in so much control and kept thinking it was going to get deeper so I could manage this on my own for now.
My partner got to the delivery suite at 11.15 and the baby doctor had came in at that point to examine me, he said I was 3cm dilated. he used them words… she is “only 3cm”. I remember actually laughing inside thinking how much of a damaging effect that could of had on me, but I felt another little voice say I don’t care what he says as I know this baby is on its way and soon!
The doctor left the room and I said to the midwives I am going to start pushing soon ignore what he has just said 😀 they said to me, we take the mothers lead, if you want to push then you push.
About 12 o’clock I started to feel sick and they offered me gas and air again, so I took it a few times – it actually made me be sick, I don’t think it helped at all – probably because I wasn’t taking it right as I knew deep down I didn’t want it but the pain was becoming unbearable. My partner and the midwives started to see the head and the midwife actually said to me that taking the gas and air might mask my ability to properly push, so I threw the gas and air away (literally 😅) and started using my breathing to push the baby out! I certainly didn’t feel calm or serene, I felt primal and in pain but so strong too!
Between contractions when her head was already visible I can remember laughing with my partner and the midwives as I was so thirsty, he had to keep bringing me a drink every 30 seconds I needed more water.
Our baby was born within two hours of walking to the delivery ward. For me, I was maybe niave and thought I wouldn’t experience any pain, but it was about how I experienced the pain and the build up of before and after, that Hypnobirthing changed it all for me. I was definitely in shock when she first came out, but after about an hour, I felt absolutely beaming and I have been bouncing since!
Everyone keeps commenting how I look and I keep saying it’s because I have been hypnobirthing, I feel like I am radiating 😂 now I know the type of pain to expect I think I’d manage it even better. It was amazing and I have never been so grateful to anything than doing your course!”