Brooke’s Change of Plans Hypnobabies C-Section
“I truly am so grateful for Hypnobabies because without it my experience this weekend would have been much different. I was able to stay calm and maintain my hypnosis for a long time and all in all it did work, and it kept me brave and peaceful in the face of dramatic change of plans.”
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My little man Noah Bradley made his dramatic introduction into the world on Saturday August 1st at 9:48 pm, weighing 7 lbs 6 ounces and 20.5 inches long. He is and was absolutely perfect, even with his right clubfoot. I was 39 weeks and 4 days (and technically his guess date was August 1st!!)
My birthing time (Hypnobabies term for labor) began about 5 am Saturday morning. I woke up feeling my usual practice waves but when I went to the bathroom, I had begun to have my bloody show. Almost immediately the waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions) became more intense and started coming every 2 to 3 minutes. I contacted my doula and midwives. I worked through the miles circuit and around 10:30 to 11 am we made the decision to head to the birthing center which is about a 20 min drive.
Unfortunately, I was only 40% effaced and 2 cm dilated. I know that we don’t give birth by numbers, but I wanted to know since my waves were getting stronger and more intense. However, my midwives sent me home because it was still too early.
I continued my birthing time, listening to various Hypnobabies tracks that my Doula played for me. I think we were at home for another for or 5 hours. At that point I was so focused on my waves I had really stopped paying attention to everything around me. We got in the car and headed back to the birthing center. This is where things began to change for me. The waves became more and more intense and I was experiencing them primarily in my back.
Backstory, I have an 8mm annular disc tear in discs L5 and S1. These discs are also herniated. And this happened from a car accident in 2018. I was also born with a club foot and have rotated hips and one leg shorter than the other and I developed SPD in my 3rd trimester.
If I were anyone else, I think my birthing time would have gone perfectly! However, due to my back injury I began to lose hypnosis as the intensity became more than I could withstand. Like a bursting star in my back, I started to worry I was going to do serious harm to myself and no matter how I pushed I couldn’t feel my baby descending lower.
I wanted so badly to have my natural birth that I continued to push through, even as the discomfort continued to increase causing such intense tension my entire body seized with each new wave. But I attribute my lasting through this for 12 hours to Hypnobabies. The waves in my belly were intense but so manageable and each push I felt ZERO discomfort. There was only pressure and no pain whatsoever. If I didn’t have the back issues my baby would have slid out easily and comfortably!
At this point I knew I needed my son out. My midwives informed me that I had a cervical lip. They attempted to assist with moving it out of the way so I could push but the baby still wouldn’t descend, and his heart rate was starting to drop with each wave.
Exhausted, we made the decision to transfer me to the hospital where after a couple more tries at pushing, they quickly decided to do an emergency cesarean which I was able to calmly agree too. I didn’t find myself fearful or worried. I knew that even though this was not how I envisioned my birthing day things were still happening exactly as they were supposed to. And also, I just wanted the waves to stop because my body physically couldn’t handle the stress any longer.
The hospital staff were quick and professional, they brought my fiancé in with me and he stayed with me through the whole thing. When they pulled little Noah out, we discovered that the nuchal cord had been wrapped around his neck and this was likely the reason he couldn’t descend down the birth canal.
I may not have gotten the rush of emotions and euphoria I wanted to experience with a vaginal birth, but his first cries were the most amazing and sweetest sounds I’d ever heard.
I truly am so grateful for Hypnobabies because without it my experience this weekend would have been much different. I was able to stay calm and maintain my hypnosis for a long time and all in all it did work, and it kept me brave and peaceful in the face of dramatic change of plans.
I also have to say thank you to Madison Lopez because she did amazing as my doula and stuck by me, keeping me focused and calm. I couldn’t have done this without her!
