Abi’s Birth Story
My husband and I started The Bump to Baby Chapter online course when I reached the third trimester. The course was fantastic and really helped us to feel knowledgable and informed about labour and birth and helped me have such a positive birth experience despite it being very far from what I thought I wanted.
I had decided that I would love to have my baby at my local birthing centre and I had my heart set on a water birth, essential oils, relaxation tracks playing etc and we were really looking forward to this. However at 36 weeks, I was put up to high risk as my baby’s growth had slowed down so I needed consultant check ups, extra scans, 3x weekly CTG monitoring and a possible early induction. This was frightening and completely changed my birth plan and meant I’d need to deliver on the labour ward at the hospital. I was initially upset about this but used my EBRAN and affirmation tools to see this as a positive decision where my baby and I would be in the safest hands. Thankfully the baby’s growth didn’t tail off further and the consultant was happy for me to go into labour spontaneously.
When I was 40+2, my Braxton hicks that I’d been having suddenly started to become quite painful and I also had my show. My husband and I realised that this was probably it and baby would soon be arriving. The contractions were lasting 40 seconds or so and coming every 6 minutes, and they stayed this way for the next 24 hours at which point they were much closer together and were pretty strong. I went into hospital to be checked and was only 1cm so was told to go home and rest. This was disheartening but I had lots of hot showers, had my tens machine on full whack and breathed through each contraction using the techniques from the course. I must have spent hours in the shower as it gave me so much relief. Another 24 hours later, I was exhausted and the contractions were coming thick and fast. By this point, I could barely focus through them so we phoned the labour ward as I’d decided after 48 hours of contractions at home, an epidural was for me. They told us to come straight in and to my relief, I was 5cm and could make use of the amazing gas and air. It really helped me regain control of my breathing and focus through each contraction. As the anaethetist was in theatre, I also had morphine which somehow allowed me to doze off between contractions so I could recoup some energy. I was so focused and in my birthing zone, I totally didn’t care for a water birth etc. and was so happy with the gas and air. By the time the anaethetist was free, I was ready to push and within the hour, our baby girl was here. My body truly took over at this point! The midwife recommended an episiotomy to get baby out quicker but I wanted to try one last push myself and I was able to birth her naturally which was amazing.
Despite my birth being totally different from my initial plan, I still had the most amazing birth experience on the labour ward at the hospital. The midwives were absolutely fantastic and you would not have known a pandemic was going on!
The course really did enable me to enjoy my birth and make informed choices beforehand and throughout and I am absolutely amazed at what the body can do! The Facebook group has also been so supportive, as have Beth’s regular Q&A sessions. I dread to think how I would have coped with such a long labour without hypnobirthing and I am so grateful now that I can reflect on my birth with such positivity! 🙂
Want to know about ways to have a great birth?
You can get all the information from our award-winning, midwife led, hypnobirthing and antenatal classes but ONLINE with The Bump to Baby Chapter’s Hypnobirthing and Antenatal Online Course. Videos, checklists & a support group to get you feeling excited and confident for birth.
