Israel, born 18 August 2015

Note from Melissa:

This beautiful family originally attended Hypnobirthing Australia classes to prepare for their first birth back in 2013. They went to great effort (driving hundred of kms) in order to attend classes; and it certainly paid off when they had a very positive and empowered birth.

This time around, we completed a refresher together via Skype. Little did we know  that soon after attending the session – Naomi would go into labour and there were to be some special circumstances surrounding the birth.

This birth could so easily have become a traumatic experience for all involved – but it didn’t, because Naomi and Brett had the support, tools, preparation and knowledge to make good decisions along the way, and stay calm throughout.

One of our most important hypnobirthing affirmations is “I am prepared to calmly meet any turn my birthing takes” – and when you read this very inspiring birth story, I am sure the you will agree, that this couple truly did follow this affirmation and the outcome has been SO positive.

Naomi and Brett; once again, you’ve done it. You are hypnobirthing S*T*A*R*S! Thank you for sharing your birth story with us all. Naomi – thank you for sharing the inspiration.  xx

Dear Melissa,

It’s been six months since I had Israel and I’ve been meaning to email you and tell you how my birthing day went. So here it is.

After the Skype session, Brett and I had with you, we (mostly me) felt more confident that I could once again have a beautiful and calm birth. I set my mind to practising all the techniques and felt very equipped.

On Monday morning at 5am, I awoke to what I thought was my membranes releasing. When I went to the bathroom, I was quite surprised and a little worried to see bright red blood and a lot of it. I thought it might have been a ‘show’ so woke Brett and we rang the hospital just to have a chat. They said to come in for a check-up just to be sure. So we called my mum around to look after Josiah and in we went to the hospital. On the way in I started to have surges, just small niggly ones, but they had started none the less.

The check-up showed that baby was okay, but the bleeding was continuing so they kept me in and continued with some more tests. I surged all night, on and off, and the bleeding was spasmodic, sometimes deep red in colour and sometimes bright red. I had a foetal monitor on most of the time and kept surging on and off, so sleeping was difficult and I began to get very tired. At one stage they lost the baby’s heart beat and they started to get quite worried, but praise God, they found it before they started to intervene too much. I asked them about going home, but the specialist was most reluctant, as the bleeding continued and monitoring of the baby was still required.

On the second night, the surges kicked up and I knew that something more serious was happening. I hoped to just be able to go to the birthing room and birth this little one into the world naturally. When I went to the birthing suite, I was 5cm dilated and ‘in the zone’ so much so that they thought I was sleeping and starting rocking me to ‘wake me up’. Funny now that I think about it. The surges started to be more consistent and more intense and so did the bleeding. I had a whole room of people checking and monitoring, but I was largely unaware of what was going on and Brett was my advocate.

At about 6cm I was tired, I hadn’t slept for two days and a night and the loss of blood was taking its toll. I asked for the gas and slumped over the bathtub on my knees, with the shower running over my back for two hours. I didn’t want any music or affirmations playing, Brett just light touch massaged my shoulders. During this time I fully dilated…and then the surges stopped…nothing!!! So Brett asked them to give me some syntocinon, as I did the same thing with Josiah. So they did.

My membranes still hadn’t released, so I okayed them to be released, and it was the most wonderful feeling. I gave up the gas and got back into the ‘zone’.

I bore down about three times, with the help of the syntocinon and Israel was born. I had done it again and with no tearing.

The bleeding continued for about an hour after Israel was born and then it just stopped.

Brett told me later that the specialist was worried I would haemorrhage and she may have to do an emergency c-section. Blood was ordered in for me and an operating room prepared and an emergency team placed on stand-by. I didn’t know any of this.

Israel was received into this world by his daddy, and weighted 2.7kg, was 47cm long and totally adorable. He barely made a sound and found the breast straight away and started to suckle. He was just so content.

My obstetrician (who is also a friend) came to visit me and explained that it was placental abruption and it was a God send that I bleed. Some women don’t bleed and this can be a disaster for both mum and bub.

I beat myself up for weeks afterwards for asking for the gas, and felt for a long time, that I didn’t do as well with this birth as I did with Josiah. But I realise now, that I still had a beautiful experience and I was still in control of every step and totally calm along the way. I was tired, weak, and struggling and I needed the gas to support me for a while, just long enough for me to collect my energy. Thank goodness I did, as I avoided a C-section.

I was blessed enough to have a training midwife who was also a doula and told me I had inspired her to go and check-out this thing called ‘hypnobirthing’. She commended me on such a calm birth, especially considering the exceptional circumstances.

Brett filled me in on the details of the birth when I was given the all clear. He had told the staff to say nothing to me of the blood that was at times, pouring out of me. And until they considered it to be a lose that was going to be dangerous to either myself or the baby, they were to let me hypnobirth.

So hypnobirth number two done!

I ’m keen to do it again, maybe just once more J

Thanks Melissa, without the tools of hynobirthing, this story would be totally different.

Regards

Naomi