Birth Story by Katie, Hypnobirthing Mum
“When the time came, I was given long sterile gloves and the drape was lowered after baby’s head was out. She made the tiniest little noise but did not cry. The lights were dimmed and I reached over and grabbed her under her arms and pulled her out to my chest.”
After all the home induction methods, acupuncture, massage, curb walking, clary sage essential oil, exercises, intimacy, castor oil, milk expressing, baby had no intention of coming. We decided after no further action after stretch and sweeps, balloon catheter and rupture of membranes that it was time to be induced via drip at 42+1. We set up the birth suite room with affirmation cards, fairy lights, essential oils and LED candles which was beautiful.
The surges started to come. I used my hypnobirthing techniques to flop, breathe and envision my bubble of comfort to manage the surges to begin with. The drip started to increase and they got harder to deal with. I used the TENS machine I had hired which was helpful. My favourite position was on the birth ball leaning forward a bit with my husband Jacob doing light touch massage to my back. We played the hypnobirthing affirmations track a lot through the day and also the instrumental track, both of which were really calming. During my pregnancy I loved “Surge of the Sea” but didn’t feel like this one in labour at all. Jacob helped me inhale clary sage. He stayed by my side the whole time and helped me with each surge. He was incredible support and company and was so grateful to have him.
Several hours later I had not dilated any further. I managed the surges with hypnobirthing for several hours and then I went to using gas and air. I was told the surges were only classed as moderate but they were overwhelming to me at 60+seconds each, and having 4 in 10 minutes. The gas was really helpful but made me very silly, which was funny to me at the time and still now looking back. I laboured in the shower for a while with the company of the student midwife who was amazing to have.
I was told earlier in the day by the doctor that I could go in the bath during labour which made me so happy as I thought I would be excluded from this again due to oxytocin drip induction. I hopped in and enjoyed being in there as it was my dream to be able to labour in the bath. I was only in there for about 15 minutes using gas and air when the baby had a big deceleration and I had to get out of the bath to get the baby back to safe heart rhythm. At this point it was determined I needed to go off oxytocin for a few hours to negate the risk being a VBAC attempt. I was struggling with the intensity at this point and was told that I had still not gotten past 4cm. After having strong surges for 7 hours and not progressing I was finding it very tough. I surprised myself by requesting an epidural, something I have always been opposed to.
I was extremely motivated for an unmedicated birth but this ended up being the best choice for me at the time and helped me cope and relax. Jacob was so supportive of all of my decisions and kept reassuring me that he was proud of me.
In the early hours the following morning I had been on oxytocin for 13 hrs and had not dilated much at all. It was the doctors recommendation that we proceed with another Caesarian. Due to the lack of progress, the same stall as last labour and the intensity of surges I decided this was the best choice. We were assured that our birth preferences for Caesarian would be followed in the absence of emergency which was really comforting as unfortunately none of our preferences were followed with my first birth (even though most of them could have been).
Before we went in we collected swabs for vaginal seeding as baby would not be exposed to natural bacteria as with a normal birth.
We were offered to play our own music and were able to play my birth playlist in theatre on our own speaker. We were told earlier in the labour that in the event of Caesarian that a maternal assisted Caesarian would be unlikely as I had already laboured and been induced as this was not an elective Caesarian. Before the midwives or us had the chance to still ask the question, the doctor offered this to me which blew me away and I was so happy. When the time came, I was given long sterile gloves and the drape was lowered after baby’s head was out. She made the tiniest little noise but did not cry. The lights were dimmed and I reached over and grabbed her under her arms and pulled her out to my chest. They pulled my gown down so we could have skin to skin. This whole moment was videoed by the anaesthetist nurse. We had uninterrupted skin to skin for 45 minutes until it was time to move back to the ward bed from the theatre table. She had skin to skin with daddy under his big scrub shirt and was returned to me immediately after. During my skin to skin I fed her in theatre about 20 mins after she was born and it was so magical. We got delayed cord clamping and Jacob got to cut the cord.
While my labour became too intense in the end and I didn’t use hypnobirthing as expected through the end of my labour, the course, preparation, practice and mindset it gave me meant that I had a positive birth experience which was so important to me. On paper, the labours of my two children look very similar however I feel completely different about them. I was my own advocate this time and had made some strong vbac decisions beforehand that were contrary to routine or policy, but they were best for me. Instead of changes in the course of labour being disappointing and feeling forced upon me, they were my decisions and I was able to take that on happily. I tried my hardest for a VBAC, and while the circumstances did not allow, I couldn’t be happier about the way my gorgeous last baby, Ayla Rose, was brought into the world, by me.
16.4.22
4.07am
Kate exceeded our expectations and was fun and friendly. I can’t imagine a person better to teach what she teaches. We got so much out of the content and couldn’t wait to return to the 2nd days class. My husband and I are excited and empowered to approach my VBAC and we feel so supported by hypnobirthing techniques. I recommend her to anyone looking into hypnobirthing. 💕
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