2nd-Time Mom, 1st-Time Hypnobabies Mom Shares Evin’s Birth

2nd-Time Mom, 1st-Time Hypnobabies Mom Shares Evin’s Birth

 

After a long and tedious pregnancy, where I was on some form of bed rest for half of it, we have a beautiful baby boy born on Monday, March 31! I’d been having Braxton Hicks for most of the pregnancy. I started my home study course sometime around week 25, and had been in maintenance for about 2 weeks. I practiced finger drops every day, and recently started really focusing on center after reading what some of you ladies experienced. My husband did the relax script a few times, and I was very clear with him that I needed him to help me with that during our birthing time.

Lately I’d been feeling like my body was really working. This past Saturday (I’d posted about this), I started having stronger BH and dealt with them all weekend. Despite being 37 weeks, I felt like our child (didn’t know the sex at the time, but nicknamed Baby Simba by our DS) would be coming sooner, rather than later. I did the things that needed to be done at home. My DH and I finally bought the car seat on Saturday night. We finalized our birth plan on Sunday night. Really for no good reason, as we still had three weeks. Something just prompted me to get going on it. I woke Monday morning at 5 AM with my water leaking and some good bleeding with clots. I’d had irritating cramps throughout the night, but nothing worth turning off for. Just irritating. I saw the water/blood, but did not believe I was really in labor. I honestly thought the doc would want to induce me when we went in for our 9:00 appointment. I was disappointed, but prepared.

I tried to settle down for a while, then finally got in the shower at 6:30. When I was getting dressed, shortly after 7, I realized that these cramps were coming regularly. They weren’t painful at all, just irritating. And NOTHING like the BH, or what I remembered labor feeling like from our DS four years ago. So, it’s shortly after 7:00, and I realize if these are birthing waves, I’ve had four in just over a half hour. I wake my DH again and tell him to get our son up. I realized I needed to start timing them, this could be it!

By 7:30, I’d timed them at 5 minutes apart. The car isn’t packed, the boys aren’t ready (DH and DS), and we still need to get him to my sister’s and get to the hospital 45 minutes away. My intuition was telling me we needed to HURRY.

I listened to easy first stage in the car on the laptop. I made sure my DH knew that he may end up catching the baby in the car…I could feel things progressing that quickly. My DH called the doctors’ office to let them know that we would be missing our 9:00 appt and we would be heading to the hospital. They ‘encouraged’ him to go to the local hospital (doc works out of two towns and was in the closer one on Monday). DH gets great extra points for informing them we would be going to the hospital of our choice, whether the doc could make it or not.

We arrived at the hospital and true to form for Hypnobabies moms, the triage nurse did not believe I was in labor. 4 minutes apart and 37 weeks? She was seriously doubting us. I would politely excuse myself from the conversation when a PW began, and come back when it was over. During one of them, my DH explained that we were doing a hypnobirth. The nurse asked if we had information the nurses could read to be prepared to help us best. I was so impressed! He gave her the home study materials and our birth plan.

The nurse finally hooked me up, and when I had my next wave, she whispered (shocked) to my DH “that was a strong one!” DH just smiled sweetly. She then checked and I was 5 cm. We were quickly shown to a room! It was about 10:00 now.

From there things moved very quickly. I thought I’d want to be in the shower and on the birth ball a lot, but bed was just most comfortable to me. I was listening to early first stage on repeat through the laptop with ear buds. Pretty soon, I could feel double peaked waves (nurse told me at one point they were lasting 110 seconds, and occurring 3 minutes apart). I was happy and laughing in between, signing papers, etc. I knew the nurse felt things were moving very quickly because they kept moving in the baby equipment and gowning up. Every time I felt a wave coming, I would tell my husband or sister and they would come whisper to me (relax, deeper, etc). I was completely pain free and in awe of my body and Hypnobabies.

I finally felt my body starting the involuntary pushing (very early) and asked to be checked. I was at 9, but knew that would not be for long. Around here I took out the ear bud and listened to the CD out loud in the room.

*** BOP here*** At this point, I stupidly thought about my DS’s birth. I hated pushing. It was awful. So, as I realized my body was starting to push, I lost control. I gripped the side rails and fought pushing for 40 minutes. My husband knew what was happening, and tried so valiantly to help me release and go deeper. The nurses knew by what was happening that I was ready to push, but honored our birth plan and didn’t prompt me. One nurse kneeled down so she was right in my line of sight. When I would look at her, she would say “listen to the woman on the CD. She’s exactly right. You can do this.” Otherwise, the nurses left me alone to labor my way. This was truly the only pain I experienced with our child’s birth. Once I realized I was fighting it, and the fear was what was causing my pain, I released the pain and fear and focused on the present birth. ** BOP ends here ***

I pulled my leg up on my side and started pushing in between PWs. It worked wonderful. I could feel our child moving down and my body getting ready. The doctor (who caused me so much stress about the delivery) walked in and then left! I was so grateful. Guess he could see he wasn’t needed yet.
At one point, right before our son came past the pubic bone, I received a blessed reprieve of 2 minutes without any waves. I’d read about this, but never thought I’d experience it! My body just took a break. I was able to utter a prayer of thanks, push a bit gently, and rest. I gathered my strength, then called to our baby “Baby Simba, it’s time to be born. You can come out now!” and began pushing in earnest. The doc came in here.

After a few controlled pushes that felt WONDERFUL, our beautiful son was born. He was put right on my belly, we helped him nurse, my DH clamped, and the doc took care of the placenta that quickly was delivered. We were able to bond for over an hour, then wash him at our leisure. I felt AWESOME after he was born. Sore, yes, but awesome. With our first, I felt like I’d been run over by a truck. This time I just felt beautiful and fulfilled.

The nurses all asked about the CD I had playing and were so impressed. I was so grateful we chose Hypnobabies to have this baby. And I was thoroughly happy that the nurses honored our every wish on our birth plan. It was the single best hospital birthing I could have ever imagined. And other than fighting my body, the birth was remarkably pain free. The reminders to choose to use your tools are exactly right!

So, we happily came home the next day with Evin Mackenzie who weighed 7 lbs. 2 oz, was 20.75″ long, and had a 14″ head when born at 12:24 p.m. on Monday, March 31. His apgars were 8 and 8, but nothing wrong overall. We are both happy, though my breasts will be happier when he nurses more! LOL

Thank you, Hypnobabies and hypnomoms on this forum for all your wisdom and support. This is truly an amazing program that every woman should at least explore.

Andrea

Originally posted on July 5, 2008