”I just wanted to share this story with you and say a massive thankyou. I wouldn’t have had this experience without your knowledge and guidance on the Hypnobirthing course.
We had our gorgeous little girl. I went into labour on Saturday. I was having surges from about 11am but they were not too intense at this point so we carried on with our day. We went for a nice dog walk around Windermere then went to a summer BBQ with friends.
When we got home the surges were starting to get more intense and by the evening they were every 7 mins. The sensation was focused in my lower back and I was using the Tens machine and up breathing to support my comfort. The surges continued at 7 min regular intervals all through the night lasting around 40 seconds. In the morning at around 8am they had started to get closer together and much more intense.
They were lasting around 60 seconds. I had some toast and my parents came around to pick our dog up. I was pacing a lot around the house as it was difficult to sit down with the surges being focused in my back. We had called Helme Chase in the night to check when we should go in. They confirmed that it is up to us. My waters hadn’t broken yet so we decided to stay at home for as long as possible. We watched some TV and it got to around midday when I said to Robin that I felt I needed some help.
At this point I had started to panic as my waters hadn’t broken so I assumed my labour wasn’t very far along yet and if that was the case I didn’t know how I would be able to manage the intensity of the surges if they became even more powerful. I started to panic and said to Robin ‘I can’t do this anymore. I need help’. By this point my surges were 2-3 mins apart.
We rang Helme Chase (birth centre) and they invited us in but warned us that they didn’t have cover after 5pm at the moment so I may have to be transferred. We decided to go to Helme Chase anyway.
I experienced 4 surges on the walk from the car park to helme chase maternity unit. When we got there, Kirsty came in, reminded me that I could do this, that my body was made for this. She asked me if I wanted an examination to see how the labour was progressing. I consented. We were both amazed when she said I was 8cm dilated!
Kirsty confirmed ‘you’re having a baby!’ And it was time to run the bath. Getting into the bath was such an incredible relief of symptoms. It was so relaxing and I felt I had found my safe comfortable place to give birth surrounded by supportive and caring people. Everyone was supporting me to use the Hypnobirthing techniques we had learnt which was amazing. My labour started to progress to transition stage and I felt the pressure in my abdomen and pelvis with each surge.
I remembered what you said about your body pushing and your body knowing what to do. It was exactly as you described. Kirsty coached me through each surge, reminding me to listen to my body and to use my breathing techniques. Robin was stroking my back.
The baby started making her way down my birth canal and we saw that she was still in her sac! Her head was born and the sac broke at this point. One final surge and she was out. It was incredible! So much more intense than I could ever have imagined but all the pain relief I had was through Hypnobirthing techniques.
It turned out baby was back to back until the very end when she turned which was why I felt all the surges so intensely in my back. We did delayed cord clamping and I gave birth to the placenta physiologically in the pool whilst Robin had skin to skin time (after my initial skin to skin).
Other than a couple of wobbles, I felt in control and empowered throughout the entire labour and birth. The staff at helme chase were incredible and the experience was better than I ever could have hoped.” Beth and Robin xxx” Who attended one of my Hypnobirthing Group Courses this year.