Dear Suzy,
I am lying here listening to my 11 day old baby boy Oscar snuffling away in his cot and thought I’d write you my birth story.
It’s not a conventional hypnobirthing story but maybe one that shows whatever happens the principles can still apply.
I went into early stages of labour on a Monday night, classic cramping and minor contractions and by the Tues afternoon contractions had become more regular. Tuesday night I literally listened to the Power Ball MP3 on repeat as I lay in bed concentrating on breathing through all the contractions.
As soon as I heard ‘hello my name is Suzy Ashworth’ I relaxed!!
Wednesday day, I was hanging off various parts of furniture as my husband timed the contractions and if I started to become flustered he just reminded me to breathe and at one point I opened my eyes and he’d laid down all my affirmations in front of me which really spurred me on!
By Wed afternoon, we thought the contractions were regular enough so called the birth centre and they said to hang on as I didn’t sound like I was in established labour. I knew deep down they were right but was so keen to get going and meet Oscar! By Wed night the contractions were much stronger but had slowed right down to my dismay but we decided to go to the birth centre anyway to have a check up.
That’s when things went in a totally different direction for me. I was only 2cm dilated but my blood pressure was very high even though I felt calm and in control so they sent me to the hospital wing. I remembered reading from your book, labour is just a moment in time and things can change quickly so focused in that.
The midwives there were fantastic and even though it was a medical environment, they dimmed the lights and got my music playing and put me on gas and air which I have to say was an amazing relief!
By Thursday morning, my body still wasn’t gearing up and I was still only 3cm dilated and Oscar’s heart rate started to drop. My husband and I along with the medical team decided that a hormone drip to speed things up would be better for Oscar but I was so exhausted at this point I was worried I wouldn’t cope with the intensity of what it would make my body do.
My husband Jez was fantastic and just reassured me it was my body and to listen to my instincts. I decided to have an epidural which I knew was the right decision for me, no one offered it as had been my wishes but everyone was so supportive about me having it as part of me felt a bit of a failure for going down that road.
At one point the Doctor discussed a caesarean with me but I was insistent I wanted to push him into this world and I have to say the Doctor was great and said he’d do everything to make that happen.
Anyway, the epidural calmed me down, Oscar’s heart rate stabilised, I was 8-9 cm dilated and I managed to push him out into this world with the help of forceps at 1.34pm on Thursday and cried like a baby with him when they put him on my chest!!
The midwives afterwards said I was so calm and strong through the whole process and decisions that I made and I know that it was because of the mental preparation I had done through hypnobirthing .
Thank you Suzy for teaching me to breathe, empower myself in a medical situation and deal with all the twists and turn labour can bring, I’m so glad I stumbled across you on Facebook by chance! I shall be recommending you to all my friends.
