This week’s birth story comes from a lovely couple who attended a TCBS Hypnobirthing Course with Sarah Smith of Wave Hypnobirthing based in Bridport, Dorset. They had a hospital birth where baby Maggie arrived weighing 7lb 8oz.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us!
“In the days around my baby’s due date I started to become quite anxious about induction, so I started listening to the fear release mp3 and birth affirmations a couple of times a day and tell myself my baby was getting closer to being in my arms with each day that passed. I came to terms with the fact I might not get the birth I’d first envisioned. I made arrangements for my children to sleep out the night before induction and planned a lovely last day out as a mum of 2. We enjoyed our outing and on the drive home I noticed I was having pains around 4.30 pm, I took my children to my mum’s house, and she noticed I was in pain so I explained that I thought it could be the start of things, she suggested I had a bath and see how things went.
I text my partner and he came over; my mum and partner kept an eye on the gaps between the contractions which were getting closer together and suggested I got out of the bath to go to hospital however I wanted to wait as long as possible because I didn’t want to be told I wasn’t in established labour and be turned away from. I also knew in my mind that things were getting real, and this was going to hurt, my partner put the affirmations for birth mp3 on and after this I got out of the bath and got ready to go to the hospital. On the way to the hospital, I was quite scared, but my partner kept telling me I could do this and reminding me to breathe slowly and kept telling me to remember my Calm Birth breathing.
When we arrived at the hospital Maternity assessment had been moved upstairs, I had to stop a couple of times to breathe through my contractions which my partner was very good at reminding me to do. We were asked to wait in a bay, but I felt unable to sit down, I told my partner I felt like I was going to bare down, and they moved me into a side room and asked to perform a VE. Upon examination the midwife explained I had done an amazing job to get up the stairs at 8 cm dilated and said the pressure I could feel was my waters bulging, the pain was intense at this point, but I closed my eyes and breathed through it whilst they wheeled me down to the labour ward.
Chris told them I was really wanting a water birth and requested a room with a bath, they explained they would try to fill a bath in time, but I looked at Chris and said I didn’t think I would get to have a bath as the baby was coming. At 8.15 pm we arrived at delivery suite, they explained the bath was ready for me, but I remained on the bed to breathe through my current contraction, I got off the bed and into the bath as my waters broke. Chris offered to put the affirmations on again, but I declined so he just carried on explaining how well I was doing and encouraging me.
I knew I was in the transition phase and kept saying it was hurting and that I didn’t know if I could do it but I knew in my mind I could. Chris and the midwife both told me I was getting so close to meeting my baby and to breathe and push. I remember Chris saying, ‘you’re doing brilliant I can see her face’ and I remember thinking I can do this she’s going to be here and pushing with all my strength and at 8.26 pm Maggie was born.
The midwife lifted her up onto my chest and with her cry I just felt relief and remember saying to Chris ‘I did it she’s here!’ the midwife offered me an injection to pass the after birth, but I declined and waited in the bath for it to pass.
Before the birth we explained we had chosen to use a cord tie but the midwives didn’t seem very confident about using it so asked if they could clamp the cord then tie the cord tie and recut it which we were happy to do, so Chris cut the cord and then the midwife tied the tie and the returned Maggie to me for plenty of skin on skin time and she had her first feed. I was so glad we had used hypnobirthing, although during labour I felt like I wasn’t really using the skills when I looked back, I was. My partner especially was using them to support me which I couldn’t have done without, and I will always treasure that euphoric moment and feeling of I’d done it”.
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