The Beautiful Hypnobabies Birth of Lincoln
“I listened to my Easy First Stage track on loop, with my strong, intense pressure waves about 2-4 minutes apart. Every 20 minutes seemed like 5 minutes, just as the audio track suggests. The nurses left me alone, and my room was dark and quiet.”
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I’d been having practice pressure waves for weeks. Months, even. For 3 weeks, my cervix was dilated to 1cm, and I was 50% effaced. At 39w6d my doctor ordered a growth ultrasound, because I was measuring two weeks ahead and I have a history of slightly larger babies. The baby measured approximately 9lb 2oz during the ultrasound.
I had my next weekly OB appointment on Wednesday, September 20th at 9:30am. I was 40w6d at this appointment, and my cervix was dilated to 3cm, and still 50% effaced. My doctor ordered a NST, which is their standard protocol in pregnancies at 41 weeks. The baby performed perfectly! I had several pressure waves during the NST, and baby’s heart rate went up just as it should. My doctor was pleased with the results, but he said I “would have to really twist his arm” to let me go much longer. Said that if I didn’t go before, he wanted to see me back on Monday to talk about induction.
The rest of that day I was extremely tired and crampy, more so than usual. That evening we put the 3 older children to bed around 7:30-8pm. Several times during the bedtime routine I had some deep, strong pressure waves that felt very different from the practice waves I’d been having for weeks. After we got the kids in bed, my husband and I got in bed and watched a couple episodes of “Call the Midwife”. It seemed like a fitting show to watch in my “condition”. Ha! During TV time I had no pressure waves and felt quite good. After lying in bed wide awake for an hour, listening to my Joyful Pregnancy Affirmations on loop (this usually made me fall asleep almost instantly, but not that night), at 11pm I decided to take a melatonin so I could get a little sleep.
At 11:09pm I had a very strong, long pressure wave. Maybe I shouldn’t have taken that melatonin after all? At this point I wasn’t using my self-hypnosis, and this pressure wave took my breath away. I had a feeling that my birthing time was beginning, but I wanted to be positive before I alerted everyone.
Fifteen minutes later, at 11:25pm, I had another very strong wave.
I needed to let my mom know when to come so that she could stay with our older children. So, at 11:33pm I sent her a text saying: “Might be getting close, birthing waves have amped up big time in intensity. Still not super close together though. Keep your phone close by.” She said: “I can come over and just lay down there. You might go fast.” I said: “Give me 30 minutes or so to see if there’s any change in frequency.” I told her that they were still 10-15 minutes apart. She said she thought she’d come on over. At this time I also let my friend/photographer know that it was game time.
Ten minutes later, 11:35pm, another wave.
Seven minutes, 11:42pm, another wave.
Now my body began shaking uncontrollably. I knew from my past three experiences that this means I am in transformation. I went to the bathroom and checked my cervix, I could feel the bag of water, and I guesstimated that I was about 7cm dilated. At 11:45pm, I sent mom a text and said: “Yeah, probably best to come on over.” I knew baby time was coming, and it was coming soon.
Five minutes, 11:47pm, another wave.
My body was still shaking, and I was starting to feel panicky. I realized that I still wasn’t using my self-hypnosis techniques. So I started listening to my Easy First Stage track, with my switch in the center position. This enabled me to relax during these very strong, intense pressure waves and also get dressed and gather up my bags for the hospital.
Three minutes, 11:50pm, another wave.
Three minutes, 11:53pm, another wave.
Three minutes, 11:56pm, another wave.
Three minutes, 12:00am, another wave.
This was happening fast.
My mom was at my house within 15 minutes, and we left for the hospital immediately. It’s a good thing, because within 25 minutes, my pressure waves had gone from 10-15 minutes apart, to a consistent 3 minute frequency, lasting 60-90 seconds each.
We arrived at the hospital, made it through check-in, and was in my triage room by 12:15am. I continued to listen to my Easy First Stage track during this entire time, taking out one earbud only when I needed to hear a nurse speak to me, or answer a question. The triage nurse jokingly said to me, “is this your game face, or should I take it personally?” Apparently I hadn’t heard a few things she’d said to me, and she didn’t realize I was using self-hypnosis. Oops!
I told the nurse that I’d checked myself at home, and I guessed that I was probably either 6-7cm dilated. I also told her that I birthed my last three babies VERY quickly, so they may want to hurry and get me to my room. The triage doctor came in and confirmed that I was 7cm dilated, 90% effaced, and -1 station. The pressure waves were 2-4 minutes apart during this time.
They moved me to my birthing room around 12:50am. It took three tries to get my saline lock (IV) in. During this time I kept my switch in the off position and was mostly unaware of what they were doing. The nurse said to let her know when I was ready to be checked again, I said that wouldn’t be necessary. She also said to let her know when I started feeling pushy. I told her I’d probably let her know once I started pushing, since that’s what happened with my last Hypnobabies birth. (read about the birth of my 3rd baby here —> https://www.hypnobabies.com/beautiful-hypnobabies-birth-qu…/ )
The next hour and forty-five minutes or so is a bit of a blur, but I do know that I listened to my Easy First Stage track on loop, with my strong, intense pressure waves about 2-4 minutes apart. Every 20 minutes seemed like 5 minutes, just as the audio track suggests. The nurses left me alone, and my room was dark and quiet. I would occasionally open my eyes to check the clock, or to see who’d just come into the room. Otherwise, my eyes remained shut with my light switch in “off” position, staying as calm, relaxed, and deeply in hypnosis as possible. Whenever I could feel myself start to tense up, I would say to myself, “Open” and “Peace”, which helped me to re-focus and remain calm. I think at one point I noticed how sweaty I was getting, and I told my husband and friend that “it’s getting real over here”.
Just before 2:45am I had my first spontaneous pushing wave, which came along with my uncontrollable, guttural, grunting. I was familiar with this phenomenon of my body pushing out baby without any help from me, and I knew baby was coming … now! After the first pushing wave ended, I told my husband to get the nurse. The nurse called the doctor, and got my mirror in position so I could see the birth. With the next pushing wave my water broke. In the mirror I could see the baby’s hair. I said, “There it is! Come on baby!”
Seeing the hair was so exciting, and knowing baby was so close it gave me the incentive to get it done! With the next wave I gave it my all, and out came baby’s head. My doctor still wasn’t there (just like last time!), so the two nurses in the room caught baby as I gently pushed on the next wave. Four or five pushes and baby was here! I looked down to see that we’d been blessed with another little boy! It’s a boy! Our 4th child, 3rd son, Lincoln, was born at 2:48am on Thursday, September 21, 2017. He was 9 pounds 2 ounces, and 22” long.
The nurses weren’t familiar with Hypnobabies, and they were all so surprised and impressed by how calm, relaxed, and smooth the birthing time was. Even with this being my second Hypnobabies birth, I am still amazed by how comfortable, quick, and easy the birth was. I am so thankful for Hypnobabies for allowing me to have these wonderful birthing experiences!
– Marissa, Lincoln’s Mama ❤️
