Empowering•Intense•Focused
Wednesday 25th November 2020 (EDD 26/11)
8:15pm
3340g
49cm
Vaginal birth
3rd degree tear
No interventions
Spontaneous labour
Tuesday 24th November at our Obstetrician apt, it was confirmed babies head had started to look upwards, with a brow presentation, which could have meant Caesarean Birth if the surges didn't change babies head positioning.
We were not engaged and my belly hadn't dropped, 2 days off EDD our OB talked us through a plan of induction and when we would be expecting this.
It was our wish to not be induced and we requested the last possible day to book this in as we really wanted to go into spontaneous labour.
We also scheduled in CTG monitoring for every 2nd day from this apt as we had felt minimal movement the week prior (usually a very active babe).
We went home thinking positive thoughts, knowing everything would work out and my husband Josh, cooked me an extremely spicy chicken for dinner while I had a clary sage infused bath and listened to my hypnobirthing tracks.
After the bath I massaged Doterra clary sage all over my belly with fractionated coconut oil. And went to bed relaxed.
At 4am on Wednesday morning the 25th November, I woke with very slight discomfort. I had been doing this for a few weeks with slight cramping on and off and restlessness.
I thought it was like any other day.
I made my way to the lounge room to try to get comfortable. My husband came out to meet me and check in, I insisted he start to get ready for work and I was ok, it's just what I always felt.
We decided to have a shower to make me comfortable and just explained the feeling to Josh as period like cramps that came and went and a low back ache. Josh started to practice some light touch in the shower, this wasn't unusual to me and what we practiced regularly.
He was certain it was the start of something, though I myself was in disbelief and just like what I had felt in the previous days and weeks.
Josh decided to stay home
Our OB was due to head to Canberra the following day, so mid morning we decided to call her office to let her know what was happening, I am still in denial and explained I was just experiencing slight discomfort and cramping, but calling as Josh wanted me to let her know 🤣 (she planned to delay her drive if we went into labour that day).
As the morning progressed I was still able to talk through everything, this is what I was holding onto, to prove I wasn't in labour (what am I thinking).
By about 1ish I hooked up our tens machine and started to work out how to use it, and as the surges came I had to now get up and walk about as they were becoming stronger, though so still very bearable.
Around 2ish we decided to head to the hospital as I hadn't felt baby move (following midwives advice) so were going to get the CTG monitoring done.
I was adamant I wasn't in labour and we were going to be home in the hour.
I didn't want to take anything in, though Josh and his instincts he packed the bags into the car regardless.
As we drive to the hospital my surges are becoming quite regular though it was still coming from my back and into my pelvic area, which made me keep thinking it wasn't labour. 🤷♀️
Arriving at the hospital we explain babies positioning and here for monitoring, Josh mentioned our morning plus they were expecting us as he spoke to the midwives on the phone earlier in the day.
As we were all chatting I was getting the surges and just breathing through them.
Midwives hook me up and I am monitored for about 30 minutes. They advise that I am well and truly having contractions and they are coming very regularly in short intervals.
We never timed anything as we always were following Tina our birth coach's advice of covering the clocks and to not focus on time.
Due to babies positioning the day prior, we had to get an internal to check, to determine if it had changed.
Our original plan was to have very minimal (only 1) internals unless there is a medical need.
We agreed and got checked.
To our surprise we were 4.5cm, and advised we were well and truly in labour and not going home.
OH SHIT IT IS HAPPENING was my initial thought, as prior to this I was very much still in denial.
Josh then starts to prepare our room. Affirmations all over the walls. Hypnobirthing tracks on speaker on repeat, Doterra Wild Orange and Balance in the diffuser, Salt lamp plugged in and all other lights dimmed/blinds shut.
He then proceeds to hand out our birth plan to the midwives
(I had NO IDEA all this had been packed into the car when we left 🥰)
Midwife A who did our first internal was about to end the shift, she wanted me to wear a hospital gown as I didnt have "labour accessible clothing" on (not sure what that meant) and I declined saying I didn’t want to feel like a patient. I just chilled in my undies and singlet and then ended up butt naked most of the time! 🤣
Midwife B who was with us the whole time, was incredible and all for Hypnobirthing. We were truly blessed we birthed when it was her shift.
I wanted to be in the water so hung out in the bath and shower for the whole labour.
Due to being Group B Strep Positive I opted to have the antibiotics, they administered these and I also asked for the wireless fetal monitoring so I could continue being in the water as my source of pain relief.
The first part was still very bearable. Not very intense. Just sensations coming and going. I was able to breath through every one. In my own world, Josh by my side, listening to our tracks and minimal talking.
We came to a point where babies heart rate couldn't get picked up via the wireless monitor, so I had to jump on the bed to be monitored.... during that time the surges felt so intense... as I hopped back into the bath, I said to Josh I need to be vocal, as the waves just ran through my body.
By this point I was holding onto Josh or my midwife, as they spoke to me through each surge. Reminding me to breathe. Telling me I can ride the wave and it too shall pass.
My OB popped in and saw my calm state had changed into a more of an intense mood and atmosphere, and decided to check my progress and confirm babies head had positioned so I could birth vaginally..6.5cm and I thought wtf. How can I keep doing this. I was very much in my head and wished I was never told my progress.
It came to a point where I called for the epidural. My midwife and Josh knew very well how much I didn't want it or any pain relief pre intensity.
As the intensity comes and goes, Josh is reading out my affirmations, using our anchor hold and light tough techniques we learnt in our hypnobirthing class with Tina.
I become quite emotional, I believe this was my transition period, saying I couldn't do it.
I try the gas, to help relieve the pain though didn't like it and decided to breathe through but I know I was quite vocal at this point, looking back I feel like I moaned and moo'd my way through 🤣🤣
There was a point my OB offered to break my waters due to the intensity and it would "speed things up" and I said no we can do this on my own for now.
Time passes and about 7pm my waters break. I am out of the bath and I am calling out that I feel the need to push.
My vision was to birth up right. I was standing at the bed leaning over onto it. Our OB checks and we are 9cm, during that time the anaesthetist arrives. I hear the anaesthetist say I have to stay still for 10 minutes, I think Fk that, I CAN do this and birth this baby, I CANNOT stay still for 10 minutes and politely tell him he is no longer needed.
I start to push standing up, unfortunately I am not getting enough progress standing up pushing and it is suggested I jump on the bed to try a different position.
I am pushing hard. All on my own instinctives and how my body feels, my OB and midwives were there really following my cues. I really appreciate the fact noone told me to push. I was telling them as they came and when I was about to push. (This was apart of my birth plan though a fear of mine they wouldn't follow, thankfully they left the pushing instincts in my hands).
We had a midwife at the end with our phone taking and capturing some amazing photos.
Josh was amazing, he was saying everything I needed to hear, repeating all my affirmations. As each push would come and go I would repeat these back to him. I felt like at times it was just me and him. I was so focussed on him. He was so focussed on me.
I was pushing for up to an hour, it was so exhausting but our babe entered the world at 8:15pm that night.
AXEL. A FKING BOY!!!!
He was here.
I was in shock. Shock that I was in labour which eventuated to birthing a baby. Shock that we had a SON! And shock of what I just felt and went through. It was so intense. So surreal. So amazing. I felt so strong. I felt so empowered.
Josh was able to cut the cord and our OB showed us the placenta and explained all the little parts (we even got it on video!)
Our wishes were met and we had 2.5hrs of skin to skin, before any weighing or measurements were done. Just soaking him all in. Experiencing our first latch, cries and squirms.
We couldn't believe what just happened. We were so calm and it was so intense near the end. I was loud. Which I didnt expect 🤣
Taking the hypnobirthing course helped us prepare for this birth. We used the tools we needed to get us through to the end. It gave us the knowledge to know our powers, tools to get us through the tough parts. We felt so ready for this labour and birth, and I dont think it could have been any better than it was.
We have raved about hypnobirthing and have told everyone about it. We are truly grateful we met Tina from The Birth Collective when we did and we would do it all again in a heartbeat (once we get through this newborn stage ofcourse 🤪🤪)
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