Zavier’s Birth 12.12.2012

My husband and I did a 6 hour Skype session with Mel prior to having Zavier. We started sessions when I was 32 weeks pregnant. I also read the book and practiced with Mel’s album, “Surge of the Sea”, that I had purchased on iTunes. I frequently played her affirmations whilst relaxing in the bath.

For a combination of logistical and medical reasons I was being induced at 38 weeks but I was a little nervous about this as I’d had 2 previous inductions with the gels, drip and epidural. I was determined to have a different experience this time. Leading up to our induction day I did lots of visualizations, hypnotherapy practice and I took on much of the advice Mel had given me including getting an induction remedy from my homeopath.

The day before our planned induction day we traveled to the hospital where I met my doctor to have the gels done. She examined me and discovered I was already 3cm dilated so I didn’t get the gels! She sent me home with plans to meet her at 8:30am to break my waters. When we met it was 9am, we had the ‘risks’ discussion. She said there was 1 in 33 chance it would end in C-section. I was fine with that, I just trusted everything! We went ahead to discover I was now 4cm, she broke my waters. Not a great deal happened from that point. I sat bouncing on a birthing ball, waiting whilst having a chat and joke with my husband along with my parents and sisters who had all travelled from afar to support us.

At about midday my parents and sisters went for lunch.  I discussed with Troy that I felt I needed to get up and move around. At about 12:15pm I had my first surge and they continued to come every 2minutes lasting about 50sec.  I used everything I’d learnt and just relaxed and went with them. The midwife who was on at that point was asking me how painful they were and I kindly told her I wouldn’t measure them in pain because it wasn’t going to be painful, they were just strong. I was so proud of Troy for insisting she refer to them as surges not contractions!! She either didn’t read the information sheet we gave her or didn’t care to respect our approach…

Around 1pm I hopped in the bath. And there was a shift change…Enter Jayne and a student nurse, Sarah, who plans to train in HypnoBirthing herself. Jayne had been present at another HypnoBirth before so she had had some experience.  YAYYY!!

I found it a little harder to relax my body entirely in the bath, it wasn’t deep enough or long enough for me. There was a lady birthing in the room next to me screaming blue murder, I told Troy she needs to practice some Hypnobirthing *giggle* I heard her in between my surges but had no problems blocking her out when I was having a surge myself.  At this point I was thinking “I’m rocking this HypnoBirthing”

My doc wanted to check my dilation at 3pm so I got out the bath that I wasn’t really enjoying anyway and let that happen…by the time I got out the bath, got dry, went to the toilet and made it to the bed in between surges it was about 3:30pm. I wish I hadn’t agreed.  I did it purely because I was feeling so good at this point, I wanted to know how I’d progressed, how well I was doing!?!

I had 3 surges while I was on the bed, on my back. YUK!! Each surge I’d turn to my side quickly and relax but it took hold quicker than I could move. These 3 surges were my most painful moments of the birth. In case I wasn’t regretting that choice enough, I asked how dilated I was. 5cm. I went in to a little spin. I started to doubt my approach and the belief I could do this the way I’d hoped and planned. My sister, Kel, entered the room not long after, when I was up and moving again. I told her “I’ve lost it” she said “No you haven’t, you’re doing great”

I asked for Mel’s affirmation album to be put on and that helped me regain my focus. THANK GOD!! I’d listened to this SO often in the weeks leading up to the birth along with the hypnotherapy, it helped so much. That played on repeat for the rest of his birth.

I wanted to rest on the bean bag but the lady birthing in the next room had just asked for it…booo! Next time, I will have my own! I ended up kneeling on the bed with the back of the bed up as high as it could go. This is where I stayed for the remainder of the birth. Sometimes I’d squat down; sometimes I’d hang over the top of the bed. I had Troy to the right of me. I very much relied on his touch throughout the birth. It was grounding for me. On the left I had my sister, Kel. Suddenly I was feeling so hot and cold and SOO sick. Kel quietly said “You know what that means don’t you” ……Transition!?!  “No way, it couldn’t be, I’m only 5cm” I said. Oh boy, I had really gripped on to that silly number!

I was managing to stay calm and pain free however, so that was good. I spent a little time denying what my body was telling me but I was doing ok.
I remember telling Kel in between a few surges somewhere around 4-4:30pm that I wanted gas…I didn’t like what I was feeling. In all my preparation, I was so focused it being calm and pain free that I hadn’t prepared myself for the sensation of Zavier coming down the birth path! I guess even though it was my 3^rd birth, it was the first I was actually feeling the sensations of the baby moving down. My first 2 were epidural so I had no idea!! Kel told me if I had the gas it wouldn’t do anything because I’d still feel what I was feeling. True! Gas is meant to take away pain but there wasn’t any to take away! I’m grateful no one gave it to me. If they had, I’m sure it would’ve messed with the great focus that I had. It was around this time that I thought to try birth breathing. Perfect, my body and mind were on the same page again!

At 4:52pm Zavier Max (Max after his 92 yr Great Grandfather!) entered the world, all 8lb 9oz of him, just when we were ready. The doctor wasn’t there, the trainee nurse grabbed his head and his body dropped on to the table. I’d done it!! We’d done it!!

It actually took me a moment to let it sink in, I was so deep in my little happy place. He was really here, I’d just birthed our baby without drugs and without anyone telling me what to do! WOW!!
My other sister, Vanita, was also in the room at the time. She and my Dad had gone to get our oldest children from school an hour away. When she came in to whisper to Kel that they were taking the children to get dinner (thinking it was going to be a fair while yet seeing I was 5cm at 3:30pm) She was there at the end of the bed when he ‘fell out’. No one knew it was about to happen. No one that is, except for the little guy. What a star!! He made a tiny squeek and that was it. He came up onto my chest and just gazed calmly at me. He stayed there for the next hour and a half. We had delayed cord clamping. Troy cut it when it had finished pulsing.

My doctor arrived shortly after he had been born and examined me. No tears, no stitches, just a slight internal graze. YAYYYY!! This was a HUGE deal for me. With the birth of our second child I had burst a varicose vein and
bled out quite a bit leading to some issues after birth. Leading up to Zaviers birth we had actually considered C-section to avoid this. I was terrified of bursting and tearing again. Ultimately it was this fear that led me to HypnoBirthing. I’m forever grateful I found it when I did! So glad I could overcome all fears I had about birth.

I did sadly have some issues with my placenta separating (as I had done in my previous 2 births) they were poking and prodding and OMG did that hurt. How crazy, that was painful yet I’d just given birth without pain?!?! No burning, nothing.
Interestingly that was the only time Zavier really cried, when I was in pain. They stopped, he stopped. Just like a switch!! He is so amazingly aware, calm and in tune with me, even to this day, 12 weeks on.   If I’m tense, he’s upset, every time!

In the days after the birth I met with the nurses again to reflect on the birth. Jayne told me I was having surges at one point that were 1min apart lasting 45sec. One on top of the other! She said I was so calm that the only way she could tell I was having a surge was seeing me curl my toes up!! Lol

She also said that the other lady had given birth about 20min prior to Zavier being born, she was so loud they were putting towels around the doors to try and block out her sounds. I HAD NO IDEA!! I had really dulled out anything and everything that wasn’t relevant to me and the birth. Also, Zavier’s heart rate stayed the same the entire birth. No stress…Amazing, I can’t wait for my next HypnoBirth. Jayne and Sarah both thanked me for allowing them to be part of such an amazing experience. They said as midwives, these are the births they dream of being part of! We were grateful to each other.

Mel, THANK YOU SO MUCH. You have such a gentle and loving approach with your teaching. Without your help and knowledge I most likely would’ve chosen a C-section without giving it a go.

To any Mums looking into HypnoBirthing, my advice is: THINK NO MORE, JUST DO IT!

Jenn and Troy, Ungarra, South Australia.