A wonderful birth story to share with you all this evening. Thanks Emma Jane for sharing it:)
“Hi all, just wanted to share my birth story with you. My EDD was 7th July and at 1.30am on 8th July I felt a small pop down there. Went to the loo to find the very water ‘show’ and felt some lower period type cramping in my pelvis so went back to bed and listened to my relaxation MP3 whilst they came and went gently, unfortunately I didn’t fall back to sleep this time but knew just resting my body was a good thing.
By 6am they had subsided so we called the midwives who asked us to visit to check all was ok. It was so they sent us home with the advice that if nothing happened in 24 hours, we were to go back to be augmented. I didn’t really want that but rather than get het up I got home, went back to bed for some relaxation and fear release MP3s and slept for a couple of hours.
My husband was working from home so I set about getting the Oxytocin going, we had a nice gentle walk, I bounced on my ball and got my pelvis nice and mobile, drank Raspberry Leaf tea (which I have come to love so still drinking it !) by 2pm the surges started again which made me happy we were on the road to meeting our baby soon. I popped on my favourite funny TV show and continued with keeping mobile on the ball, bit of pottering in the kitchen, drinking plenty and eating plenty.
I advised my husband to go get some sleep about 6pm after dinner as I continued to ride through the surges using my breathing. By around 9pm I felt that I should get the TENS machine on before things became more intense so I got my husband up and then went to lay on the floor in our spare bedroom with lots of soft pillows as i was finding it hard to find relief in being active and was concerned i would wear myself out.
My husband came to sit with me offering encouragement and timing my surges. They were becoming more and more intense now and the counter pressure provided by him on the back of my pelvis was really good. By 10pm the surges were varying between 40 secs and 90 secs long and 2 mins to 5 mins apart so he called the midwifes who agreed that I was doing well and to continue for as long as we could at home.
My husband was great at breaking down the time into, lets have a drink now, lets have a toilet break now and rest now all in-between surges that were now extremely intense. I did have a moment when a local NCT friends comment on how she ended up with an epidural after being 7cm dilated for 8 hours popped into my head but I acknowledged this was her story and not mine and let it go.
By this point my instinct kicked in that we would need to leave soon. I had no concept of time so whilst not completely within myself, I felt I was in the ZONE for sure with a good connection to my ground control (my husband). There was a very subtle shift in the nature of my surges at around midnight and I knew I had to get downstairs. By the time I got there the rest of my waters were starting to release. Still my husband was calm getting all of our things into the car and not rushing or panicking. We put the front passenger seat right back and I got onto all fours and held on tight.
When we got to the end of the road I felt the urge to push and vocalised this and that we might have to get an ambulance (I just knew baby was coming). Still my husband remained calm and talked me through the journey as we passed landmarks I knew. I was very firm about him turning off the ‘Smooth Radio’ tho 🙂 I just felt it too distracting, even your lovely voice on the MP3s Suzy were not wanted and besides the ground work was done. I was in the zone and alert without panicking at all.
We got to the hospital and the wonderful staff at the birthing unit came to get me with a wheelchair and smiling faces. Once in the room I was on the bed and offered Gas and Air which became my new best friend and the TENS machine was no longer needed as my surges became productive actions that I was now riding.
My husband said we were hypnobirthing and would like to use the pool. The midwives were wonderful and offered to check me and were delighted to discover I was completely dilated (we had done it all at home on our own with only TENS and CBS Breathing!!) and they hoped we would have time to use the pool. They supported me in going with where my body was taking me.
Funnily enough I did not panic as to whether the pool would be ready in time as the sound of the running water was comforting. By 2am I was gently lowered into the pool and the active pushing began where my practice MMMMs for breathing down soon started sounding like tarzan type yodelling!! 🙂 All the while the midwife was gently supportive in a quite way communicating with my husband and him reassuring me and telling me our baby would be here soon.
I could feel the crowning telltale sting and a surge of excitement enabled me to offer the extra down breaths to get the head out. A minute or two of respite and then I breathed down the rest of my baby. The midwife and my husband bought me back to reality gently telling me to reach between my legs as my baby was there and I reached down as baby gently rose to the surface and I scooped her into my arms without lifting her fully out of the water so she remained warm. I could not tell what sex she was for sure due to swelling and the water being a bit murky but my husband confirmed it was a beautiful baby girl!
She let out a little squeak but then became a little listless (i now think she was just extremely chilled!) but quite rightly the midwife’s sprang into action cut the cord and got her onto the table to do the checks and get more of an agitated response which they duly received much to our relief. I just new she was ok though. I was then gently guided out of the pool with support and onto the bed to deliver the placenta. Our daughter was placed onto my skin and despite the huge surge in my oxytocin with all the love and amazement I felt, the placenta was taking its time so I opted for the injection and it was out within 10 minutes.
I had delivered our little daughter Ellenisia Mae Woodward into the world in the most natural way I could imagine and without a doubt the labour of my dreams. The entire experience was the most amazing, touching, intense, serene, natural and a bundle of other words I cannot find right now, of my entire life and one I will never ever forget!
Suzy Ashworth and TCBS, you enabled me to take my fear and panic and turn it into calm confidence in myself and my ability to birth naturally along with trusting my baby and my husband to utterly support me. I could not have had the same experience without TCBS or my husband or indeed the wonderful Midwives at Kingston Maternity Unit.
Suzy Ashworth and all you mummy’s to be, I wish you all the best with your imminent arrivals. Utterly in love with our little bundle! Can also confidently say that the TCBS breathing really helps with milk let down too! Love to you all.”
To see how you can create your own calm birth please sign up here: www.thecalmbirthschool.com/freehypnobirthing-2016
