Amy’s Birth Story

After quite a few weeks off work, I was getting impatient for my baby to arrive. As a first time mum, I was quite anxious and excited. Regularly listening to my Hypnobirthing tracks and preparing my affirmations helped keep me calm. I was booked in for a scan at 41 weeks but the night before, did my weekly yoga class and found one position seemed to feel… different. My teacher told me to go home and take it easy. At midnight that night I experienced my first surge! Surges were mild and roughly an hour apart.

I went to my appointment as scheduled in the afternoon and could feel the surges getting more frequent. A quick CTG it was clear I was in early labour. My midwife from the Family Birth Centre told me to go home and rest. I tried to have some lunch and watch some TV but couldn’t manage either. I got my TENS machine on and tried to stay distracted. By around 6pm the surges were becoming more intense so we rang the Birth Centre and went in. In the car I put my headphones on and started playing my Hypnobirthing tracks.

When we arrived, I found a position that felt right – sitting on the couch, leaning forward over a pillow, head phones and TENS machine on, eyes closed. I was in the zone and only vaguely aware of my husband and midwife setting the room up around me.

From then on, the time frame is a blur. I remember my midwife encouraging me to get in the shower to get things going. My husband played the tracks for me in the bathroom, fashioning a cup into an amplifier so I could hear them. Then I got into the birthing pool, which felt lovely. My husband poured water on my back and reminded me to relax my shoulders between surges. He told me I was doing a great job. As things got more intense, I was finding it harder and harder to fully relax between surges, but gas helped with that.

I hadn’t been talking much or had my eyes open much. My midwife told me to turn over on to my back and said she could see the baby had a lot of hair, which helped me keep going. I knew I was in the transition stage when I started saying things like “I can’t so this”. I quietly swore once. I got very vocal towards the end. Just when my husband thought nothing was going to progress for a while and he could sit down and have a rest, the midwife grabbed him and said get ready! I found it hard to think about doing surge pushes but my body took over and I was pushing anyway! I remember my midwife saying the baby’s head was out and I just needed one more big push. Next thing I knew, she and my husband were guiding my baby on to my chest.

I immediately felt amazing. No pain. No stress. Just pure joy and amazement! I kept saying “Oh my god.” I couldn’t believe my baby had finally arrived! The midwife asked us if we wanted to know the gender – we were so distracted we’d forgotten to even check. We had a beautiful baby boy! I guided him towards my breast and he fed immediately.

Baby Thomas was born at 2.24am weighing 3.9kgs and 52cm long, at 41 weeks and 1 day.

After my natural birth with minimal intervention, I unfortunately had to be transferred to the hospital and undergo a spinal tap for a retained placenta. I had very little diacomfort throughout and generally felt very relaxed (and tired).

I ran into some issues with the hospital staff the next day – I was told I was being discharged but then at the last minute was told I needed to stay another 24 hours. I was so ready to leave but was struggling to voice what I wanted to the doctor. It was at this stage I was perhaps most grateful for my husband’s attendance at the Hypnobirthing classes with me. He said to me “I am your birthing partner. I’m here to speak for you when you are too tired to think. You’re fine. We’re going home.” He was so right. I discharged myself and we took our beautiful baby home.

Hypnobirthing allowed me to be more relaxed before and during labour. It allowed my husband to be involved in the birthing process and to be confident in his role as my birthing partner. It gave my baby the best chance at a great start to life. I am so glad we did the classes and now recommend it to everyone!