This week’s birth story comes from a gorgeous couple who attended a TCBS Refresher Hypnobirthing Pregnancy Course with Leanne Lawrence of Brighter Birthing across Hertfordshire.
Thank you for sharing your birth story with us!
From Leanne:
Sometimes when you support expectant parents, you form such a strong connection. It goes without saying that you might, as you journey through such a momentous life moment together. Bianca is definitely one of those parents, so when she contacted me to say she was pregnant with her second baby and would like me to support her again I was elated. For her first baby she attended my pregnancy relaxation classes and booked a private course.
For Bianca’s second birth, she booked a refresher course. This was taught privately and her mum sat in on the session too, which was extra special.
The power of a good birth! I also owe her the biggest thank you, she cried when telling other expectant people at a pregnancy yoga class about the difference I made to her tokophobia and anxiety for her first birth. This resulted in several people reaching out to book with me.
Here’s Bianca’s incredible birth story:
“It’s been just under a week since I gave birth. Getting it written down on paper has helped me remember every minute of it! I think I had every woman’s dream birth!
Please share it, so people can see how amazing birth can be! I can’t thank Leanne enough for all her help and support AGAIN.
Leanne played such an important role in both my births. My midwives were so impressed with my birth plan and how informed I was about everything. The relaxation techniques she taught me kept my labour going and helped so much. She also supported me when I’ve was struggling mentally. Her help has been so important for me to get that confidence back and get into the right mind frame. I can’t remember how I found her the first time round but I’m so glad I did!
I honestly think my birth was down to a lot of preparation, Leanne and also my midwives were just incredible. They kept me informed, got me excited and just gave me all that oxytocin I needed. Each time I got concerned they reassured me and told me it was all going perfectly well.
My first birth was by no means a bad birth. My plan was to try and go unmedicated, which I got. However, I felt uncertain when labour slowed down and agreed to having my waters broken. This led to a very quick delivery and me feeling hopelessly out of control, in a lot of pain and fear. The speed of my birth caused difficulty in monitoring my baby’s heart rate by my midwives and the emergency button was pressed. Due to shock, I didn’t actually realise I had given birth and was told my little boy had arrived as I didn’t feel him come out. I also suffered with perinatal depression so was prepared for the support this time round.
I didn’t feel as fearful going into my pregnancy this time, despite suffering badly with tokophobia last time. However, I still had fears around my previous birth centred around feeling out of control, not being listened to and with no option for pain relief – my first labour progressed so quickly, this wasn’t an option.
Unfortunately I suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) in my pregnancies, starting before I get my positive test and lasts until my placenta is delivered. No surprise I ended up bed bound until week 17. Again I was fully expecting this so I had a plan in place for medication to help. It was a lot harder this time with a 2-year-old but, I’m very grateful that I have a lot of support around me to help me.
My pregnancy was generally quite uneventful this time and my HG managed well with medication. My first baby was on the 8th percentile, so I was sent for additional growth scans and consultant-led. If my baby girl fell below the 10th percentile, I wouldn’t be eligible for a midwife-led birth. This caused me a fair amount of anxiety.
My baby was around the 25th percentile at all scans and at 38 weeks the consultants were happy to sign me off for a midwife-led birth – yay! I should have been at my happiest, but now I really started to panic. I realised I was going to have to do this again.
My midwives offered additional support, we talked through my last birth. We looked at what hadn’t gone to plan and talked through my anxieties. This appointment was very hard and I cried a lot! After getting home I received a call from the hospital to say they were concerned with my anxiety levels and wanted me to go back to talk to another midwife.
The next day at 39+4 I had a few tightenings. I wondered if my birth was beginning and whether I’d make that next appointment. I carried on about my day – took my little boy to the pumpkin patch where we had a long walk. We enjoyed lunch as a family, came home and did some arts & crafts, painted some macaroons and a pumpkin and generally just had a nice day!
With my first birth I had no signs I was going into labour. I didn’t lose my plug, my waters didn’t break so I was expecting pretty much the same this time!
I’m not sure why but when I tucked my little boy into bed that night I just had a feeling that this would be the last time I did it pregnant! So I crawled into his toddler bed with him and gave him the tightest squeeze and told him how much mummy loves him and we had a little moment.
I decided to get an early night – the pumpkin picking had worn me out!
4am I woke up to go to the toilet and just like in the movies my waters went ‘pop’! My biggest fear was having my waters broken again and my body not being able to catch up. So, this put me in the right mindset immediately.
However, I wasn’t having any contractions, which kicked my anxiety in. If things didn’t progress, I might be induced in 24 hours. 2 hours later and my husband begged me to phone the hospital just to update them. They asked me to come in to be checked.
We arrived at the hospital at 8am. I was having some tightenings but, nothing of any significance. After being examined, I was told I was 2cm. It was agreed I shouldn’t go home due to the speed at which I progressed last time, following my ARM (artificially ruptured membranes).
I wouldn’t be assigned a midwife until I was in established labour. Instead, they offered me an empty birth centre room to relax in. They would check on me in 4 hours, unless I things picked up beforehand. They confirmed, if I didn’t deliver my baby within 24 hours of my water’s breaking, they would begin induction. This is standard protocol, but the wrong thing to say to somebody with tokophobia. I felt my first fear setting in, but I understood they had to inform me.
To distract me, we watched some TV and I begged my body to start with contractions.
I had read a lot about the “dilation station” – the toilet. So, I spent a lot of time sat on the toilet, it brought on my contractions. They became more regular, around 3 minutes apart but only lasting 30 seconds. They weren’t really painful at all, so I was convinced that nothing was really happening.
A student midwife came by and asked if she might attend my birth. Not yet being in established labour, I wasn’t yet assigned a midwife. Instead, my student midwife popped in every 20 minutes to check on me.
I was getting fearful because my contractions still weren’t painful, and weren’t lasting longer than 30 seconds. Then they stopped completely for about 35 minutes. The student midwife told me not to panic and reassured me she was absolutely happy with what she was seeing. She explained our bodies are clever and will give us a few contractions, then often give us a break, then start up again. It’s our body’s way of giving us natural pain relief! This really helped me to relax.
We began using some of the Hypnobirthing techniques.
I remember thinking “I’ve got this. It doesn’t matter if it takes a few hours. It’s all manageable right now”. I started to repeat to my husband “I’ve got this. I’m going to do this and I’m going to have my baby girl soon”. We put my playlist on and I began to dance around the room swaying and moving to get my body going.
15mins later my contractions started to get a little more uncomfortable. With my TENS machine on boost, I pressed the buzzer to call the midwife. I wanted to be in my proper birthing suite now, to relax and get a pool going. I was already 6cm!
In my new room I got into the birth pool and immediately the pressure come off my belly, helping my relaxation. My husband put on my playlist which also helped. As I sunk into the water, I had several very strong contractions. I was excited. Things are starting now! I smiled at my student midwife and she said “I told you, you’ve got this”!
My next contraction was quite long. As it ended I heard myself moo a tiny bit .. oooh … My midwife asked “did I just hear you have a little bit of pressure to push?” I remember panicking, after all I was only 6cms. My midwife said “Bianca it’s your body, if you need to push, you go with it, do what ever feels right”.
After that contraction, every contraction gave me that pushing sensation! Both my midwives were incredible. They were excited with me! They asked “are you ready to meet your baby girl?”.
My midwife grabbed her torch to see if she could my baby girl crowning. As she did this, she handed me the gas and air. She told me “when you feel the urge to push, take a bit of gas and ease her out with your hand, don’t rush it, just take your time and do what feels right”.
I had two contractions where her head was bobbing out then going back in. My midwife reassured me this was great because she was naturally stretching me before her head comes out, so I was less likely to tear. She suggested I gently push into my bum on my next contraction, if I felt like it, or breathe down and her head should be out. So… with my next contraction, rather than just allowing my body to push, I pushed into my bum and out came her head! This memory will forever stay with me. I was laughing stroking her head!
My midwife guided me through and told me on the next contraction her body will be born. She told me as this happened, to bring my baby girl up to my chest. And there it was! My next contraction and the rest of her body came out! I caught our baby girl and bought her up to my chest! 11.30am Maya was born after 14 minutes of recorded established labour and 20 minutes of ‘pushing’!
We had asked for optimal cord clamping, waiting until it stopped pulsating and went white. This took around 10 mins. I accepted the injection to deliver my placenta. I couldn’t wait to get that placenta out. As soon my placenta is out, my hyperemesis goes away! We then enjoyed our golden hour of skin to skin.
I hadn’t torn either, birthing her peacefully with no pressure or forced pushing had helped this. 14 mins of active labour recorded and only 20 mins of ‘pushing’!
Hypnobirthing made such a difference to me.
This was everything I could have ever asked for in a birth. I would do it all over again in a flash just to relive that moment! I can honestly say, I didn’t feel any amount of unmanageable pain at all. Yes, there was discomfort but so different from my first birth, where I felt so much pain and not listened to when I tried to communicate this with people.
I didn’t feel panicked during transition, as I did last time. In fact, I was waiting for those signs to tell me I was in transition but they didn’t come. At no point did I point feel out of control. I felt fully supported and listened to: by my mum, my husband, my midwife and my student midwife.
My student midwife thanked me for allowing her to be present. She said it’s a birth she will remember throughout her career.
I had told my partner we were definitely never having any more children, but after that birth I am already thinking that maybe our family isn’t yet complete. Not only that, but I am also now considering training to be a Hypnobirthing teacher. Leanne’s support and my midwifes guidance made such a big impact on me.”
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