Thank you to Charlotte for sharing rather edge of the seat birth story! This is her second child (using Hypnobirthing) and Charlotte prepared by taking a refresher course with TCBS Instructor Reena Chandarana from Enhance Your Birth, based in Birmingham, UK.
“My story probably isn’t the most conventional but it certainly makes me laugh. I wouldn’t recommend any woman doing what I did as it isn’t safe but please don’t judge.
I’ve done hypnobirthing before but unfortunately we had special circumstances which I felt hindered my hypnobirthing experience. This was the birth of my second child. I decided late in the pregnancy to give hypnobirthing another go as it was effective although limited in my first. I contacted Reena and she was happy to give me a refresher at a great price. So I had my refresher at 38 weeks and read my book and listened to as many of the affirmations I could. I’d spend every day in the bath listening and practicing my breathing. I made my own affirmations and constantly chatted to bump on how we’ve got this.
39 weeks and a day comes. I woke up and felt some surges; erratic and not really a problem, most likely Braxton Hicks. My husband then fell over the dogs and ended up putting his hand through the glass panes through the kitchen door. His cuts were very deep and he needed to go to A&E for stitches asap. Unable to drive and bleeding everywhere, we got in the car and I drove (do not drive if you think your in labour). Having some more of these erratic surges but not so erratic. I dropped my husband (who was not a happy bunny) by A&E and parked the car. Another surge… ok. I walked to A&E and sat in the waiting room with a very grumpy husband. I said to him “Hmmm I’m getting a lot of these surges babe, but it’s probably nothing”. He was in too much pain to notice. We got called in by the doctor and he cleaned my hubby’s wound, whilst watching me. He then asks me how far along I am. I told him and he burst out laughing, telling me I’m in labour- and not on his ward whilst getting a nurse to get my details.
Laughing it off the nurse took me to the delivery ward just to get checked. My husband was taken to the x-ray department. I was taken in to a busy ward and sat in the waiting room for 20 minutes reading Cosmo. The midwife called me in to check the baby and my cervix. Once she checked, she went pale and said you are aware that your 4cm dilated. (This all in about 2 hours of each other). My husbands walked into the room all stitched up, went pale and said “What?!”. I said to him “I’m 4cm dilated. Are the bags in the boot?”.
We were sent up to a lovely room with a birthing pool (which we chose not to use). The surges were now regular and I leaned on the bed breathing through them. I used the gas and air and incorporated the hypnobirthing breathing. The midwife came in to check me again and she found I was now 8cm dilated .
Not leaving the room she asked me to lie on my left hand side to ensure baby’s position. I did. Five minutes later I was pushing. I began to panic, but the midwife knew I was a hypnobirther. She looked at me and talked me through the next surge. She told me when to breath and when to push. Working together and with one more surge (and me almost breaking my husbands other hand) out she came… in her waters. A beautiful little rosey pink baby. She didn’t cry. We had skin to skin for an hour and not one cry. I did enough crying for two.
Needless to say I felt that my experience though intense, was magical. I would definitely say that it also made my bond with my daughter so much more intense!”
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