This week’s birth story comes from the wonderful Dervla who attending Hypnobirthing class with Jubilina Dagogo-Jack of The Calm Womxn, Dublin Ireland.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful birth story with us.
“Our beautiful little girl, Isabelle Bergin McVey, was born on 15th October 2022 @ 5.26am weighing a teeny 5lbs 8oz- a bundle of pure joy & she very quickly became the love of our lives!
I was brought into hospital to be induced at 38 weeks exactly because my bump & the baby were both measuring small. The baby was measuring at the 7th percentile- so they figured that she’d be better on the outside than staying in the womb as she wasn’t gaining weight at this point, in fact she was starting to lose weight having dropped from the 10th percentile the previous week.
I was brought in at 6am on Thursday, 13th October. They inserted a pessary to get my cervix ready. I started having contractions after 6 hrs & it was getting painful, so they took it out. At that point, I was ready for the delivery suite but there was none available, it was a waiting game then.
I listened to hypnobirthing podcasts, listened to hypnobirthing play-lists & positive birth stories & read & re-read my hypnobirthing notes to pass the time & prepare myself for what was ahead. I was excited to meet my little girl but it was unknown territory as this was my first baby so there was a certain amount of apprehension too. I bounced on my birthing ball hour after hour, went for VERY short walks & practiced my hypnobirthing breathing techniques. I was ready.
At midnight on the Friday night the midwives came into me & told me they were ready for me – that a delivery suite had become available. I rang my husband, Richy, who had just left the hospital an hour before to tell him to come back in. Up until now I had been completely calm & hadn’t really needed to use any of the tools, I had learned but I started to feel panicky around now & it was time to put into practice all I had learned from Jubi, my hypnobirthing teacher.
I was brought to the delivery suite at 1am & the midwife was so fab. She set up the birthing room exactly as I wanted it. As it was 1am, it was already dark which was perfect. She dimmed the lights completely, as per my birth plan & lit small (battery-operated) candles around the room. Richy had arrived by now & he started playing my birthing playlist, which instantly put me at ease. Everything was set up & we were all ready, the midwife, Richy & I, to begin.
They started by breaking my waters, a procedure I had heard awful things about & was very nervous about but Richy helped me to start my hypnobirthing breathing & before I knew it, it was over – it was honestly completely pain-less! I was proud of myself for getting over hurdle number 1!
Next up was the oxytocin drip. I had asked them to start this slowly as both my sister & my mum had laboured quickly & I had a feeling I would too. The drip started & I was told that it would take an hour per centimetre dilated. At this point I was 2cms so we were expecting about 8hrs. After 1 hour the contractions were tough & I asked for the epidural. I was lucky that I got it as my labour was progressing much faster than any of us had expected.
After the epidural, the pain completely disappeared. I was chatting to Richy & the midwife told us to have a rest now as it would be a long night. By 5am, approximately an hour after I had the epidural, I started to feel a lot of pressure, which I now understand as the signal that baby was on her way! Being a first-time mum, I didn’t know this at the time. I told the midwife I was experiencing a lot of pressure & she said that she would examine me – although I knew by her reaction that she didn’t think I was very far along. To her shock, I was 10cm dilated & baby’s head was crowning! Our little girl was on her way & she was not wasting any time!
My legs were raised & the midwife told me to give 1 big push. I did & baby’s head was out! With the 2nd push she told me to pant & I did & baby’s body wiggled her way into the world! I couldn’t believe it, in 2 pushes I had birthed my beautiful daughter. It was 5.26am on 15th October 2022. A moment in time that will be etched in my memory forever- I became a Mum & we became parents.
Richy cut the cord, something I felt was very special as the cord had connected us both for the last 10 months, providing her with oxygen, blood supply, nutrients & everything she needed to grow into this amazing tiny human that she now was. From now on she would need to breathe by herself, pump blood around her little body & feed all by herself to get the nutrients she needed.
After the cord was cut, she was placed on my chest & words can’t describe the explosion of love I felt in my heart. We looked at our little girl & called her by her name for the 1st time – Isabelle Bergin McVey. It was perfect. She was perfect.
After a few minutes, it was time to birth the placenta. It was quick & easy – done in 1 push. Then Isabelle was taken to be weighed, dressed & a nappy put on. She was only 5lbs 8 oz so the hats we had brought to the hospital (tiny baby size) were huge on her. The midwife got us a knitted hat from the premie section & popped it on her head to keep her cosy & warm.
It was Golden Hour then- the hour after birth & it was time to breastfeed for the first time. Isabelle latched immediately & fed, taking in the colostrum to her tiny body, what I later learned was known as liquid gold! The bond that I felt during that time was like nothing I had ever experienced before, love in its purest form.
We had an hour & a half to cuddle our new baby girl & then it was time to move to the post-natal ward at 7am. I was wheeled down with my girl in my arms, terrified to move in case I’d drop this perfect human!
When we got to the ward we started to FaceTime family so they could meet their new Granddaughter / niece / cousin. Everyone was so excited to see her!
Although I know that all births are not this simple or straightforward, mine was. It was beautiful & perfect & I’d give anything to go back to that day & experience it moment by moment all over again.”
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