Angela’s 4th Hypnobabies Hospital Birth
“At one point, I got a little worried because I thought the Pitocin wasn’t working. I seriously wasn’t feeling waves (Hypnobabies word for contraction) at all! I asked the nurse about it and she laughed and said I was having waves consistently every 2.5 minutes!”
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Allow me to introduce you to Gemma Margaret; 7 lb 3 oz and 19.75 in of squishy perfection. Hypnobabies allowed me to stay calm and in tune with my body and my baby to make decisions to keep us both safe and healthy.
In the year leading up to getting pregnant, I’d hit rock bottom physically and then resolved to heal my body and be the strong, capable, healthy momma my kids deserve and that I deserve to be. I’d lost 50 pounds and had another 50 to go when surprise, baby #7! I tried to keep up exercise but quickly got put on restrictions for a complete placenta previa. Complication #1 that thankfully moved and was completely resolved by 20ish weeks.
I’ve suffered with crippling Hyperemesis during all of my pregnancies, but this time started the Eliminate Nausea Hypnobabies track as soon as I saw two pink lines (for real, started listening that night lol). It worked miracles and, though I needed a little medicine to help it, I avoided all other interventions this time. Another win for Hypnobabies!
I was coasting along through an uneventful second trimester. I’m so thankful for that time of easiness.
But then, all you know what broke loose. I’ll spare you all the details but with preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and severe anemia diagnoses, I found myself on bedrest, weekly NSTs and ultrasounds and way too many trips to the hospital for failed NSTs. Through it all though, I remained as calm as possible and made rational, confident decisions thanks to Hypnobabies.
At 38 weeks, she had an even less reassuring NST. I was also VERY anemic and getting iron infusions. With a history of precipitous birth, my OB suggested I consider induction to ensure I was in the hospital and not on the side of the road as the chances of needing blood transfusions were high. After many tears and prayers, we decided to consent to one at 39 weeks, 1 day.
My body has been prepping for Gemma’s birth for a few weeks now, so I was going in with a great Bishop score and 4 cm dilated. I listened to “Your Birthing Time Begins” (Hypnobabies reminder of all birthing time tools and techniques) as soon as they started Pitocin and Kerry’s excitedly joyful greeting and well wishes made my heart happy and started things off beautifully.
I listened to “Special Safe Place” (Hypnobabies hypnosis track that helps create a special place) next to continue the calm, happy vibes and then decided to walk the halls with my husband while in the center switch (Hypnobabies tool to be moving around while still in hypnosis) to encourage baby to engage. The nurses were all shocked by how calm I was and by how easily I was walking around. DH kept making references to Main Street USA at Disney world (my special safe place) while we walked, and we were cracking up and having such a great time.
We rotated between hip circles on the ball, walking and lying in bed with the peanut ball for several hours. When in bed, I listened to “Easy First Stage” (Hypnobabies main birthing day track) and I SO loved that track. I’d planned to listen to several different tracks, but I loved it so much that I kept it on repeat the entire rest of my birthing time (Hypnobabies word for labor) until switching to the Pushing Baby Out track (Hypnobabies special hypnosis track for pushing).
At one point, I got a little worried because I thought the Pitocin wasn’t working. I seriously wasn’t feeling waves (Hypnobabies word for contraction) at all! I asked the nurse about it and she laughed and said I was having waves consistently every 2.5 minutes!
After a while, the waves were wonderfully strong, and they really did feel like a bear hug. I spent a lot of time on the ball with DH behind me gently massaging my shoulders. When I’d have a wave, I’d lean back against him and he’d press on my shoulder and say “Relax” (Hypnobabies cue to deepen hypnosis) while I breathed deeply and said “Peace” (Hypnobabies cue for instant physical comfort) with each exhale. Our nurse was so fascinated by how “in control” I was and kept telling me she was so proud of me 😍
Shout out to nurse Hannah because she was incredible! She was super respectful and supportive. Whenever she needed my attention, she’d gently place her hand on my shoulder and lightly rub my back while waiting for me to switch to center.
This cycle continued for 9 hours and I dilated to 8 cm so easily.
During a pressure wave, I felt baby roll and it was uncomfortable, but I didn’t pay the feeling too much attention. The next wave was intense though. I’d never felt anything like it. The pressure in my back was unbearable and I screamed that my back was breaking. This was the only time in my birthing that I felt out of control though DH and nurse Hannah took turns applying counter pressure, doing the Relax cue and reminding me to say Peace and, as she said, “direct your goodness to your back” 😉. DH also suggested I switch to the Hypnobabies pushing track. He later said he could tell by my sounds that my body was starting to bear down. Such a birth expert and attentive hypno-partner.
She asked to check me, and I was 9 cm, so she called my OB and told him to hurry. He apparently left as soon as he hung up the phone and started running across the street from the clinic. While she was gone on the phone, I had one pressure wave and felt the strangest sensation. It was sort of like when my other kids crowned but somehow different. I told DH to get the nurse because the baby was coming right then.
Thankfully she was walking back in as the second wave came and baby’s head came out, but it felt so different. She yelled for help but not in a panicked way or anything, so I wasn’t worried at all. 3 nurses came in and were all saying things like “Woah! What are we seeing here?” I still wasn’t sure what was going on, but it felt so different than my others that I asked for guidance on how to get her out.
After grabbing behind my thighs and actively bearing down before a third wave could start (so far, my body had pushed all on its own, so this was my first active push), she came out and I realized why it’d felt so different. She was born en caul {in the amniotic sac}! It was so unbelievably cool to see. She was also sunny side up which explains the back discomfort there at the end. I was going to ask DH to take a picture before they tore the sac, but he was white as a ghost and sat down hard, so I decided against that lol. Poor guy, he’s super squeamish and I could tell he was a little embarrassed. The nurses were super cool about it though and didn’t make fun at all. I really had a birthing dream team y’all.
DH turned off the Pushing Baby Out track and the nurses said “Ah man. Don’t turn it off. Her voice is so relaxing”. About that time, my beloved OB came running in, winded and sweating. I felt legitimately sorry for him. You see, he and I have been a team for all but my first two pregnancies. He’s seen me through so much and been so supportive every step of the way but has yet to “catch” a single one of my babies. This time was supposed to be a guarantee but then I went from 9 cm to baby in 2 pressure waves! Whoops.
He suited up for the placenta and joked that he had to earn his keep somehow. He didn’t try to rush it at all and waited for it to detach naturally though he did mash on my belly a decent amount because my bleeding was a little heavy. Nothing my trusty hypnosis Peace cue couldn’t handle. After birthing the placenta, he checked, and I had a tiny little tear. Ended up with 4 stitches. Not bad at all for an en caul, posterior baby! I focused on breathing my bright orange hypno-anesthesia to my perineum and felt nothing more than a little tugging.
While snuggling with my sweet new girl for the next hour, a parade of nurses came in to say how awesome our birth was to witness and that I needed to come to teach classes on Hypnobabies lol. Nurse Hannah said it was an honor to be a part of which made me teary eyed.
One of my closest friends and fellow hypno-mom had assured me that Pitocin waves are totally manageable with Hypnobabies and I can promise you that she’s right. My birthing time was calm, easy and beautiful.
Baby and I are both completely healthy. Both of our labs look great and my BP has been perfect. Such a relief. The placenta didn’t look so great though so I’m very happy I listened to my intuition and allowed the induction. Thank you Hypnobabies for helping me be so connected to my body and my baby that I was able to make the decision confidently.
