This week’s birth story comes from a lovely lady Danni who attended a TCBS Hypnobirthing Course with Sarah Smith of Wave Hypnobirthing based in Bridport, Dorset.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us!
“When I found out I was pregnant again I knew I would use my hypnobirthing experience. I did it 12 years ago so I knew I could go with a refresh course.
I was lucky enough that my wonderful friend – Sarah of Wave Hypnobirthing, was starting her own journey of teaching parents to be the amazing power of hypnobirthing, so I took her course!
I had been experiencing early signs of labour for almost 2 weeks and at 40+3 weeks I went in to be induced due to reduced movements of my baby. I was terrified to say the least but after conversations with my fiancé and Sarah helping me find and research some positive induction stories, I went ahead.
I went in for my induction at 11:00 on the Saturday and due to my non movements, constant surges (with no discomfort I might add) and only being 1cm dilated, they wanted to wait for a doctor’s advice. No doctor was available until 21:50. The doctor finally advised a pessary to be put in for 6 hours to see how I got on. I went to sleep.
I woke up about 04:00 with a rather noticeable discomfort every time I had a surge – By 05:00 I was in the bath trying to slow down the surges as there was no let up. With a change of staff at 07:00 I asked to have the pessary taken out knowing my labour had progressed massively.
The new staff member was less than helpful which wasn’t fun or calming. I asked for a midwife but was told I needed an internal before they could send me to the labour ward. Due to me being induced I wasn’t allowed to go to the birthing centre. The staff member tried to give me an internal, but it was too unpleasant with the pessary in, so she agreed to take it out. With her insisting that I laid flat for an internal and my constant surges, I couldn’t bear the internal. So, no midwife.
The breathing techniques that I learnt from hypnobirthing and knowing my rights helped me through this staff members ignorance. I was texting my fiancé with my progress hoping that he would get to me in time if it was before the 09:00 visiting hours.
About 08:00 I told the staff I needed the loo. the response was ‘don’t have a baby in that toilet’ not very encouraging. I didn’t need the loo; I was having a baby. By 09:00 I heard my fiancé outside but was in a position that I couldn’t get to him. He came looking for me 20 mins later to find me against a wall, in a toilet, trying to resist the urge to push. My surges were non-stop, I couldn’t walk.
After getting back to my bed, having an internal and finding out that I was fully dilated they called a midwife, and I was transferred to the labour ward. This was about 10:00.
My midwife (Hannah) was wonderful, very encouraging, asked me about my birth plan or how I would like to have my baby. I also had a trainee midwife come into my room to assist (Daisy) she was also wonderful and encouraging.
About 20 mins after me getting into my labour room, my waters released. Then it was all systems go… I tried a few positions, standing leaning over the bed, on all 4s, on my side…in the end I had the head of the bed raised with me facing it on my knees. This was the easiest. My fiancé was in my eye view, I could bring my knees in and my ankles out opening my pelvis and breath my baby down. With each surge I started with breathing her down, then pushing and holding that push. A lot of stretching, back and forth with my baby’s head and it was out. This was a huge relief.
Not long after this I heard Hannah ask me to turn over as my baby was stuck and needed to be out. As I turned over (faster than I had moved in the past 5 months!) I saw a room full of people. 2 helped me get my knees up and my baby was out in no time, not breathing for a little while, with some resuscitation we heard that long awaited cry.
Although disappointed with the no cord clamping delay or immediate skin to skin, I was hugely grateful for the fast work of Hannah noticing shoulder dystocia and getting my baby out safely.
This was far from the labour or birth I was hoping for, but using breathing techniques, knowing more about labour and what my rights were as that person in labour helped me massively. I would highly recommend not only hypnobirthing but my instructor Sarah – Wave Hypnobirthing”.
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