Alex’s Birth Story
Melbourne/Australia
Isla Maree – 2.83kg
40+1
Emergency Caesarean with Induction
I had the most incredible birth experience. Not everything went to plan, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
Our daughter, Isla, was born on the 13th of January 2026 via caesarean after 18 hours of labour.
After such a structured and clinical pregnancy journey through IVF, my husband and I hoped to experience birth in a much calmer and less medicalised way. We wanted to create a peaceful environment and trust the process as much as we could.
I had been booked in for an induction using the balloon method, which I had hoped to avoid as my dream was to experience going into labour naturally. In the week leading up to the induction, I tried all the techniques I had read about in the hopes of encouraging labour to begin on its own.
I went curb walking, drank raspberry leaf tea, ate dates each day, had acupuncture, and even booked a pregnancy massage that included labour-inducing techniques.
Then, on the morning of my induction, I woke with some mild cramping and the need to go to the bathroom. As soon as I got out of bed, I felt a sudden gush of fluid, my waters had broken. I was so excited to experience the moment I had been hoping for.
We called the midwives at the hospital, who advised us to have some breakfast before making our way in. As I had tested positive for Group B Strep, they wanted to connect me to a drip sooner rather than later to administer penicillin.
When we arrived, the midwives checked my waters and discovered there was meconium present. We were quickly moved into a birth suite so they could monitor the baby closely and ensure she wasn’t becoming distressed.
We handed over our birth plan, and as soon as the midwives saw that we were using hypnobirthing techniques, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The lights were dimmed, fairy lights were switched on, and the tone of the room softened.
My husband hung our Hypnobirthing sign on the door, set up our LED candles, turned on meditation music, and started the diffuser with clary sage oil. I placed out photos and my birth affirmations, and the room instantly felt calm and grounding.
As the surges grew stronger, I used my birth comb while my husband applied acupressure to help redirect the sensation. With every surge, I focused on my hypnobirthing breathing techniques, which made such a difference in helping me stay calm and release tension.
Later that afternoon, my obstetrician checked my cervix. After eight hours of labour, I was only 1cm dilated, so the decision was made to start the oxytocin drip to help move things along. Around this time I also put on the TENS machine, which was incredible support as the surges quickly intensified.
By that evening, although I had begun to dilate further, my cervix had become very swollen and our baby girl was starting to show signs of distress. It became clear that the safest option for both of us was to proceed with a caesarean.
Everything happened very quickly from there. Within just 15 minutes, our baby girl was born.
The moment I first held her in my arms felt almost surreal, like a dream we had waited so long for. In that instant, everything else faded away. We were completely and utterly in love.
While our birth journey didn’t unfold exactly as we had imagined, it was still calm, empowering, and deeply special. I am so grateful for the techniques we learned through hypnobirthing, which helped us remain relaxed, present, and connected throughout the entire experience.
Looking back, I feel nothing but gratitude for the journey that brought us here, for the support around us, and most of all, for our beautiful daughter.
