As you know CBS isn’t about text book births, it’s about taking the time out to get quiet, understand our choices and develop the connection between our bodies and babies so we can create calm and positive birth experiences. Stevie’s intuition about what was right for her and her family meant that she ended up with the most calm and positive birth experience despite being nothing like she had envisioned. This is still a beautiful hypnobirthing story. So many congratulations to Stevie and her family.
“Sebastian was born May 28th via csection. Being overdue we’d had a biophysical profile done that weighed him at 10lbs 5oz but my midwife assured me they weights are usually off. Since all else was well we waited a few more days. A few times I was sure he was engaging, but he would float back up almost immediately. The morning of my next NST I had a horrible nightmare that I was being transferred for surgery and that there was something wrong with the baby and my midwife was crying.
I called her expecting reassurance that it was just my hormones, but it turned out she and her assistant had had similar dreams. She sent my ultrasound to two of the doctors she works with and told me to pack a bag and come in for the NST-if there were no cervical changes she suggested we get baby out the same day.
The doctors were in agreement and we went to the hospital. My midwife was a wonderful advocate and buffer during check in and prep. She said in 15 years I was the first mom she’s ever transferred for csection because of a big baby and I could tell she was nervous that they wouldn’t let her into surgery with me. As scared as I was I definitely felt very cared for.
During the surgery the anesthesiologist talked me through what was happening and what the sensations I was feeling meant while she held my arm. They let me listen to the meditations on headphones. Mark and I both cried when he was born. The second he was out I knew that my midwife had made the right choice. What I don’t know is that they’d even had to extend the incision to wrestle him out.
Sebastian was born a beautiful 10lbs, 10 oz and 22inches long. He had a mark on his forehead where he had been stuck trying to engage, and there was a hint of meconium in his fluid. If we waited any longer we may not have been bringing home a healthy baby.
They delayed cord clamping 30 seconds and I was allowed to hold him skin to skin while they stitched me up. They laid him in my arms as I was wheeled out of surgery and he was nursing before we even got in to recovery. Nothing was done to him without consent and I had several nurses during my stay offer their suggestions followed by “but it is your body and your choice”.
Seb was monitored for infection, breathing, and blood sugar and we were both sent home to recover after 48 hours. It wasn’t the birth I had envisioned, and being home has been really hard physically, but I was amazed by how beautiful and emotional the experience was.”
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