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Hypnobabies Class Birth Stories |
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Cosette's Birth Story
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Hospital birth at 42 weeks, longer than expected, fast at the end, and "the most beautiful, empowering, outstanding experience of my entire 32 year old life".
Cosette's Birth
Cosette Leelee was born on Tuesday, August 29 at 1:47pm at South Coast Medical Center in Laguna Beach, CA. Never was there a question in my mind on whether or not I would have a natural, drug free birth. Don't get me wrong though - I am not one of those high pain tolerance, grin and bear it type of women. Over the years I had acquired an arsenal of pain medications and sleeping pills and used them at the first sign of discomfort. However, when it comes to my baby, my attitude changed. When I found out I was pregnant, I started reading everything I could find on natural childbirth. I read Ina May Gaskin's 'Guide to Childbirth' and devoured it in days. It empowered me and gave me confidence in my ability to birth naturally. I then went on a search to find the right technique and thankfully stumbled upon Hypnobabies. I read several birth experiences from moms who used the technique and swore by it. Additional research on Hypnobabies had both my husband Shawn and I convinced that this was the method for our birthing.
We interviewed 4 local doulas and luckily found Carole Thorpe! As soon as she began speaking at that first meeting, I knew Carole was the doula for us! She is gentle and loving and instantly makes you feel the amazing combination of relaxed and yet incredibly powerful as a woman - all at once. Even more perfect, Carole is a Hypnobabies instructor! We immediately hired her as both our doula and instructor. Classes were surprisingly informative about the process of birthing, not just the hypnosis training. Shawn and I took each class very seriously and practiced religiously. It was a great experience and brought us even closer during those last couple months of my pregnancy. It was a way for Shawn to be intimately involved in the process and realize his importance in my birthing experience.
My guess date came and went and suddenly I found myself 11 days post. I had been 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced with the baby in a -1 position for about 2 weeks. I was seeing my midwifes (partners BJ and Lisa) at least once a week, as well as getting non-stress tests to be sure baby was happy and amniotic fluid was at safe levels. On Monday morning, I went in to have my membranes stripped and hopefully get my birthing going. (By the way, I had read and had been told this procedure was very painful and I'm here to tell you, using my hypnosis and staying relaxed, it wasn't. Don't believe everything you hear or read. Make each experience your own.) BJ also recommended castor oil and even a catheter balloon in my cervix over the next couple days and said if I didn't begin my birthing time by Friday morning, we would have to discuss Pitocin. This really upset me because I was adamant about not drugging my baby.
At 2pm that afternoon I was scheduled for another non-stress test and went to the hospital for fetal heart monitoring and an ultrasound. After about 20 minutes on the monitor, a nurse came in and asked me if I was feeling contractions or as we like to call them "birthing" or "pressure waves", I wasn't, but the monitor was registering them every 2 minutes. They kept me on the monitor for a couple hours to be sure they were consistent and they were, but still, I wasn't feeling them. After much discussion they told me I was most likely in my very early birthing time and to go home and see what happens. We left the hospital at about 5pm and on the 30 minute car ride home, I began feeling them. They weren't very intense and I was able to practice my finger drop hypnosis as each wave started and stopped. At home I showered and tried to eat a little but soon found the birthing waves getting more intense.
We paged BJ around 9pm and told her they were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting approximately 45-60 seconds. She told us to go to the hospital and she would meet us there. We excitedly packed the car, arranged to meet Carole there and off we went. In the car, I had my ipod on the whole time and stayed in the Hypnobabies "off switch technique" while listening to my Deepening Hypnobabies cd. This kept me very calm and relaxed through each birthing wave. In Labor and Delivery BJ checked my cervix for dilation. Unbelievably, I was still only about 1-2 cm dilated and BJ suggested I go home and let my cervix progress further in the comforts of my own home. I was a bit deflated at this point and dreading the car ride home, but reminded myself this is all part of the process and my baby was coming very soon. BJ told us to come back to the hospital when things progressed further, specifically, once either my water broke or I had bloody show (mucus plug).
We went back home and headed straight for bed, knowing we had a big day ahead of us. My two sisters stayed the night and camped out on the sofas. I continued listening to my Hypnobabies cds throughout the night as my husband dozed next to me in bed. By 3am, I had to wake him up because the waves were intense; I needed him to read hypnosis scripts with me. I found a very comforting low moan that seemed to help relax me through each wave. It involved me blowing air out of my mouth through loosely closed lips and must have looked and sounded insane but as most birthing mothers will find, vocalizing through pressure waves can be very effective. Throughout the night and early morning, I continued to use my Hypnobabies techniques to relax through the intense waves.
By 9am, my sister paged the midwives and Lisa called back. My sister told her I had been having consistent intense pressure waves all night but still no broken waters or bloody show. Lisa told us to not wait any longer but come back to the hospital. I was pretty emotional at this point. I hadn't slept and most of all, I did not want to be sent home from the hospital again. My wonderful husband assured me everything would be ok and I wouldn't be sent home. Again, we loaded me into the car with my Hypnobabies playing on my ipod and a cold wet rag over my eyes. The drive seemed very short and before I knew it, Shawn pulled up to the hospital. Carole was right there to greet us with a wheelchair and up we went. I kept the cold rag on my eyes as it proved to be very effective when concentrating on my hypnosis through each wave. Once we got into the room, Lisa came in and checked me. I was 5 cm dilated and almost completely effaced. What a relief! Finally, it was acknowledged that I was in active birthing and wouldn't be sent home again!! Lisa asked me if I wanted her to break my waters in hopes of speeding the process along. I was opposed to this and asked for a little time to see what my body would do naturally. Lisa agreed.
They set up the birthing pool and Shawn and I got in. The warm water was wonderful and was very soothing during my waves. I leaned against Shawn and let my torso float upwards. This position was great and made my heavy body feel weightless. I also turned over on my hands and knees, laying my head on the side of the pool and found this to be very comforting. Shawn sat next to me and poured cups of warm water over my back and behind. Again, very soothing. Having my husband so close was very comforting and kept my confidence high. Carole also stayed very close to me talking me through my special place, counting me down into deeper relaxation and reminding me to direct my body's powerful natural anesthesia to my birthing muscles. She kept me very focused. During this time, I continued with my vocalization during each wave. In my head, I was being very loud and as a result, I was concerned that I wasn't practicing the hypnosis correctly, but watching the video, I realize my low moan was barely audible and I was indeed very calm and relaxed.
I started to feel the pressure in my bottom so Lisa wanted to check me again. Although I wasn't told, it was apparent I hadn't dilated much further. Lisa told me my membranes were very strong, "titanium" in fact, and again she suggested she break my water. We agreed. We intended to get back in the pool, but as soon as she broke my water, my birthing accelerated and I found myself unable to move the 5 feet it would take to get to the pool. I was lying on my side and almost immediately started feeling "pushy". The urge to push came so natural since I wasn't numbed by drugs. I didn't need anyone to tell me it was time to push, my body just knew and I started pushing with each wave. I found that once I got the hang of it, I could get anywhere from 3 - 6 pushes per wave. Carole advised me to keep my chin tucked to my chest while pushing and Lisa guided me by placing her fingers on my perineum and telling me to direct my push there. She also told me to take a deep breath at the start of each push and hold it until the end of the push, thereby getting the most out of each push. I listened intently to all their advice, knowing that the more effective I was, the quicker I would be holding my baby. Lisa was very attentive to my perineum, ensuring I wouldn't tear, a trait almost exclusive to midwives. Shawn was very supportive during this time, encouraging me and telling me how close I was.
At one point, when my daughter's head was near crowning, Lisa told me to reach down and touch her. I did and immediately started crying with joy. It was short lived though because a wave was instantly upon me and I had to push. Watching this on the video is almost comical because it was such an emotional moment but I had no time to feel it - had to get back to work. I pushed for a total of 15 minutes and at 1:47pm her head was born. Lisa motioned to Shawn and he held her head up as her shoulders came out. Shawn then grabbed her under the arms and Lisa said "Tanya, come get your baby." I reached down between my legs and grabbed her torso underneath my husband's hands and together we pulled (and I pushed) the rest of her slippery body out and brought her to my chest.
It was the most magical and beautiful moment of our lives. It happened so fast, yet in my head plays over and over again in slow motion. It will forever be my most cherished memory! My daughter immediately began crying and pinked up perfectly. After about 10 minutes, after the cord stopped pulsing, Lisa clamped it and Shawn cut it. I then felt the need to push again and after about 3 pushes, the placenta came out. Lisa showed us where my sweet baby girl had been living for the last 42 weeks. It was amazing to see it. We asked the nurses to delay all the newborn procedures until I had a chance to breastfeed, so within the first 15 - 20 minutes of her life, my baby was starting to nurse. It took several tries to get her latched on but once she did, she fed like a champ. She was very alert and had her eyes wide open, staring straight into mine. A drug free baby is so different - they are so aware of everything around them and curious about the new world they've just entered. I was so proud! I didn't have any tearing, not even a skid! My husband had been giving me perineum massages with olive oil nightly for over a month. We like to think this greatly helped prevent tearing, but we know it was mostly Lisa's careful attention to this area during the pushing stage. How appreciative I am for that! We stayed in the hospital that night but checked out first thing in the morning, once the pediatrician cleared us.
Having a midwife, rather than an ob/gyn was the best decision we ever made. BJ and Lisa truly care about the experience of birthing, not just delivering babies. Lisa stayed with me the entire time, not just popping in at the end, like most doctors. Her warmth and sincere concern made us feel safe and loved.
For those of you fortunate enough to have Carole as your doula, you are so truly blessed. Carole's gentle and kind spirit had such a positive effect on both my husband and I throughout my pregnancy and even more so at my daughter's birth. Her support begins way before the birth and continues on after. Shawn and I have developed such a deep respect for this woman and hope she will always be in our lives.
Hypnobabies training is an invaluable tool for experiencing natural birthing. It teaches you to be confident in yourself and fully believe in your heart of hearts that it is a safe and natural experience to be enjoyed, not feared.
For me, birthing my daughter Cosette was the most beautiful, empowering and outstanding experience of my entire 32 year old life. Birth is natural, normal and safe and is not something to be afraid of. It was a deeply moving experience that I am so fortunate to have had. The body has amazing capabilities but the mind can dictate how well the body performs. Wholeheartedly believe in yourself and your ability to birth naturally and you will!
~ Tanya Hauer
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