My early labour started on Saturday night and progressed very slowly with bub not being born until Monday night. Although having a slow labour I was able to stay completely calm throughout the entire process. Myself and my partner Jamie were both so excited. We spent 2 days just laughing and enjoying our time with just the two of us. We even spent the day on Monday doing the groceries and going for a walk at the beach, just stopping whenever I felt a surge coming on. I found being out and about helped me to get over feeling uncomfortable about being watched. By the time we went in to hospital I was not concerned at all about who was around me.
When the surges became too uncomfortable for me to be out anymore we decided to go home and try having a bath. Our bath is only small so I was not very comfortable but I found the bath to be so relaxing and I was incredibly calm listening to my birthing affirmations and having Jamie do light touch massage between surges. Throughout the entire labour and birth I kept remembering all of the things that we had learnt in our classes with Sandie. Things like not tensing your body and keeping everything loose and relaxed while remembering to breath correctly and focus on really expanding my belly during surges.
At around 3:30pm we decided it was time to go to the hospital. Our midwife did not seem to be too familiar with Hypnobirthing but Jamie was able to tell her the main things that were important to us and she was happy and encouraging that we were focused on a natural, drug free birth.
At around 5:30pm we decided to check how far dilated I was as I really wanted to get into the bath. She told me that I was 6cm and that my waters were bulging and just as she said that my waters broke. I think she was a bit surprised that I was so far dilated as I was still relaxed and calm.
As soon as the bath was ready I got straight in and continued by surge breathing. I was very connected with my body and I could feel that things were progressing. Jamie could see that things were starting to become more intense for me and he suggested I switch to my birth breathing to see if that would help… which it definitely did. Suddenly the surges were a lot more manageable. I could feel that her head was very close but between surges I was still completely relaxed listening to my birthing affirmations and Jamie’s encouraging words. It was so exciting to listen to what I had listened to so many times and I was now experiencing it for myself and I knew that I was going to meet my little girl so soon.
After a few more surges her head was out. I distinctly remember being able to actually feel her moving her head around. With the next surge she was out and I could not have felt more proud of myself. After only being at the hospital for 2 hours and 40 minutes.
We did skin to skin while waiting for the cord to stop pulsating. My midwife asked me if I would like to have the injection to help me to deliver the placenta and with my knowledge that I learnt from Sandie I asked her if I could please have some time to see if I was able to deliver it myself as I had had no drugs through the labour and I believed that my body was able to do it. She agreed and went back to her computer and within the next 2 minutes I had an urge to push again and the placenta came out. The midwife was very surprised when she turned around and saw that I had delivered it myself.
I cannot thank Sandie enough for teaching us and giving us all the knowledge and confidence that we needed to be able to have the most perfect birthing experience. The classes were so beneficial for both myself and Jamie and I truly couldn’t have done it without his support and encouraging words. At no point throughout the labour and birth did I feel like I couldn’t do it and the thought of having any pain relief honestly never even entered my mind. I am still blown away that for my first birth I was able to have the birth of my dreams and I honestly am so excited for our next baby to be able to go through the beautiful experience again.
