This week’s birth story comes from the lovely Claire and Craig who attended a Hypnobirthing Workshop with Charlotte Gillespie of Grow With The Flo Hypnobirthing across Aberdeen, Scotland.
Thank you for sharing the arrival of Jude with us!
“So I did a lot of reading and practicing hypnobirthing before Jude arrived because I’d loved what Charlotte told me in a tutorial she had done, only to be 13 days overdue and told I had to be induced. I was gutted because I knew it was synthetic hormones and more chance of interventions etc. I had dreams of the maternity led ward and doing everything naturally (bar gas and air and tens machine). Anyway, the day arrived, and I got bumped – they were too busy. And I was gutted. I went to bed in a huff…Then woke up in labour at 3.30 pm!!! Craig rushed around and got the living room hypnobirthing ready. I sat on my ball and breathed through my contractions, Craig counting, hypnobirthing audios playing, it was brilliant. I was disappointed in myself that by 8pm I couldn’t quite hack the intensity of the surges anymore and craig phoned the hospital, we arrived at the midwife unit at 8.30pm and I decided to be examined. The midwife was wide eyed and kind of laughed and went “Claire, do you want to guess how many cm you are”? I said I had no clue. She said “you’re 10cm…how on earth did you do that yourself at home”?!
I felt like superwoman!
Anyways, no time for the pool or even medication if I wanted it. I’d been having the pushing feeling since we’d been at home and thought I needed a poo, it was go time! My waters had broken when I entered the room before she examined me. I breathed through the final contractions with gas and air and counting. Poor Craig fanning me!
The Surges were FINE, I swear on my life I could handle them absolutely fine. It was the pressure in the bum that took me by surprise. So I was clenching my butt cheeks and I was losing my focus. After an hour the midwife said things were slowing down and they took me to the labour ward to be checked by a Dr. They wanted to monitor Jude’s heart rate. I was gutted that it turned out when I was standing upright his heart rate was dipping so they wanted me lying on my back, turned out his cord was around his neck. Anyways, the Dr. started talking about “theatre” – I was so disappointed as they put a cannula in my arm. And I thought Nah, Eff it! SO I stopped clenching my bum and pushed it down into the bed. My beautiful midwife, the Dr. and Craig were all cheering me on.
Two wee pushes and out he came!
I was over the moon that I did it all myself. I felt so triumphant as I was wheeled back to my private room in the midwife led unit. I was absolutely buzzing and honestly it was down to focus and mindset!
I kept remembering Charlotte saying I can handle anything for a minute!
Thank you Charlotte for the inspiration – I have such a special memory of bringing my boy into the world!”
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