Hi Janet,
Here is my birth story. My third baby, and second hypnobirth, this little one had his own plan, and my birth journey was unexpected in parts, but empowering, chilled, joyous, exciting, and self affirming.
On the morning of the 21st I sat down on my birthing ball, my happy playlist on, and did some work in my office when light surges started, over the morning they increased to every 10 minutes and were more intense..this was it I thought. Just how my previous births had begun. We kept the music playing, all had lunch as a family, and went a walk through the fields with our kids. The surges slowed early evening, and stopped for a while, that felt unfamiliar to me compared to my other births. I had a relax and listened to my affirmations, baby had his own plan and would arrive at the right time. Bedtime came and the surges increased again, some time in the middle of the night Dan called the midwives to say I was in early labour.
Unfortunately they said no midwives were available for home birth until the morning. I was thrown out of my relaxed zone, Dan got my aromatherapy oils, and I played my hypnobirthing scripts. I managed to sleep, but the surges stopped.
I was honestly frustrated in the morning, and tired. I talked to Dan, the kids went out, I had a long nap, and surges restarted. I kept up my affirmations, and used a fear release due to being thrown off by there being no midwives available the night before. Surges continued on and off for another 2 days and nights, and we continued with our daily lives.
My hypnobirthing was invaluable over that time to keep me positive, calm, and believing baby would come at the right time. The surges were easy going, and actually exciting for me, as I was really wanting things to get going more!!
On the 24th I was feeling chilled, but still tried from the past few days. I booked a pregnancy massage and acupressure session to aid my relaxation and energy levels. Dan and the kids took me, and over the day my surges increased, the massage was wonderful, I was totally chilled, and we all had cake together afterwards. On getting home, I watched a fun film with my kids, sat on my birthing ball, the surges were getting closer together. I was feeling pretty thrilled that it could actually finally be time! We reached dinner time, and surges become more intense and 5 minutes apart. I easily breathed through them.
We had a small family dinner, but I was feeling a little sick. Dan took on his role brilliantly, he just took over everything, got the birth pool blown up, put on my brith lighting and music, got the children to bed, started my aromatherapy oils, and called the midwives. It was definitely time now!
I didn’t realise at the time, but Dan was initially told that yet again there were no midwives available for a home birth, but he politely insisted that they tried to find cover for us and said I would be remaining at home. I didn’t hear any of these conversations thankfully, and all I knew was that we were having a midwife coming over from Kendal instead of Lancaster. All fine as far as I knew!
By the time the midwives arrived, I was having more regular intense surges, all very easily manageable with my breathing, and I felt happy and excited and chilled in my zone in our front room. I chose to mainly be leant over my birthing ball, and walking around when I felt the need to. Dan was there, and we had lots of hugs between surges, and some gentle touch on my arms and back which was lovely. The birth pool had been filled, and the air was full of lovely lavender, and a little clary sage on a cloth to keep things going.
I half heard the midwives going through my birth plan, in the kitchen, away from my zone. They were wonderfully respectful of everything, spoke through Dan as we requested, and didn’t even bring up doing examinations for quite some time. When my surges we much closer together I began to feel sick and Dan helped me to the toilet, back downstairs I agreed I’d like one examination soon, but only to tell Dan the result. Dan told me after the birth that I was already at least 7-8cm at this stage. I still felt completely in control, though the pressure in my legs was growing, and I had to be on all 4s through surges, I needed Dan close by, and he held my body which was physically shaking at this point, through the surges. As things intensified I felt able to get up and get into the pool.
Dan helped me in, and the warm water was lovely, a short time after, I felt my breathing instinctively change, I heard myself let out a lot of deep low groaning breaths and also felt the pressure increase more. I remember thinking I felt very ‘open’ (dilated I guess) and I felt my waters were probably going to break soon. This part was the most intense for me. Dan kept saying that baby would be here soon, that it was nearly time, and I kept repeating that each surge of my body brought baby closer to me, over and over in my head. I was rocking with my head on the pool edge, holding Dan’s hand, as he rubbed my back, then I felt an almighty explosion and release of pressure inside me, as my waters broke pretty dramatically. Dan said you could see it explode into the pool. I instantly felt the need to push downward. I felt quite dizzy and did throw up a little. Then heard someone ask for a mirror, I had my eyes closed, and was keeping focused on getting my breathing back after being sick. This felt like some time, but it was only actually a very short time!
I knew baby was about to arrive, and moved into squatting in the pool, rocking side to side, and with my breathing back, I felt the need to push down. Baby’s head was partly out, I heard someone tell me this..though I already knew!! Holding Dan’s hand kept me focussed, and shifting in my squat position, I felt baby emerge with the next surge of my body and the joy and release was indescribable. I felt so utterly elated. I held my baby close in the warm water, and Dan told me we had a boy! He actually needed a little help to get breathing, almost like he didn’t realise he’d been born yet!
But then he was all fine, and latched on right after this. I got out of the pool to birth the placenta physiologically, the midwives helped me out and onto cushions on our floor, leaning back against our sofa, my baby boy breastfeeding, my placenta came out pretty quickly with just a couple of small surges. Everyone commented how thick the cord was and the big placenta, and the midwives said how in control I had seemed. They were right, I had felt relaxed and in control almost the whole time. I was also amazed that I needed no stitches, for the first time after 2 other births when I did, that was wonderful news for me. Hurrah for being relaxed.
We had between 1-2 hours of skin to skin time, just me feeding baby, and relaxing and chatting, enjoying a snack and drink, whist the midwives completed checks and paperwork. Just sitting there with our new baby, in our own front room, with my husband, it felt magical. I would not change anything about my birth, yes it was longer than I expected, with the slow start, but that’s what baby needed, and it just made me all the more excited when the time really came.
Hypnobirthing helped us have a wonderful birth, I feel proud of myself, and we are completely in love with out little boy.
Dan says that the hypnobirthing made him feel so much more involved in the birth, and able to support me, and feel like he really was an important part of the journey. He said that he felt instantly connected to our new son as he lay on me in the pool.
Thank you for helping us with our hypnobirth journey Janet.
Arusha, Dan and Ritho x“