Enjoyable Hypnobabies VBAC Birth of Jebediah
“I really wasn’t aware of time at all, really it felt like time was going really fast even though it had been hours. I was enjoying it, it probably didn’t sound like it from all the low moaning but I was comfortable.”
I had started to lose hope that my birthing time (Hypnobabies word for labor) would ever happen. I was patient, but I knew I was on somewhat of a deadline being a VBAC. I had a ‘scarred uterus’, as some would say. I knew my baby would come on their own time, but I feel that every pregnant mother begins to feel that way at some point.
Douglas was out of town on drill for the weekend, and I had plans to stay at my aunt’s house that Saturday night just in case I did indeed start my birthing time. I was 41 weeks exactly, and the baby seemed cozy in there!
The day before, Friday, I did at least 200 squats. I walked up and down the stairs. I took the twins for a walk. Nothing happened, but if anything it was good exercise and I am sure my husband and the boys had fun watching a very pregnant woman go through so much exercise.
I woke up Saturday feeling no different. I still was very much pregnant. I got the boys breakfast and turned on their cartoons, and proceeded to make myself some coffee and quickly went out to feed and water the pigs. It was a warmer morning, which I am sure the animals appreciated.
When I came back to the house I got the boys dressed and ready for their day. For some reason, I felt a strong urge to clean up the kitchen, which was also unusual seeing as how I hadn’t had any energy to perform simple household tasks in quite a while. So, I cleaned the kitchen while I ate my eggs and toast and drank some coffee.
After that, I decided I should take a break and snuggle my boys while they watched TV. When I sat down, I felt some mild tightening in my uterus, but it had been that way for weeks so I didn’t give it much thought. I decided to drink two big glasses of water and see what the waves (Hypnobabies word for contraction) did after that. An hour passed and they were steady, 8 minutes apart.
I texted my husband to let him know, and our family friends who had agreed to watch the boys while we went to have the baby. Karrie (our friend watching the older boys) asked me to just bring them to her, even if it wasn’t time. So I packed a few things and loaded them in the car, I had to deliver eggs to a customer and I planned on hanging out at Karrie’s for a while and then maybe going to my Aunt’s house to take a nap and see if the waves go away.
After delivering the eggs, we went to Karrie’s. The boys were playing and I stayed and chatted for a while. The waves kept coming, now 6 min apart but totally not intense and I could talk and laugh through them. I texted my husband again and we went back and forth on if he should come or not. I didn’t want him to get in trouble, so I told him to stay, but he thought he should come and made the decision to drive back.
It took about an hour and a half for my husband to get there, and we all chatted for a while. I remember not wanting to leave because I would miss the boys, and this was the last time we were a family of four. We said our goodbyes to the boys and gave them kisses. They both kissed my belly and said ‘bye, baby! See you soon!’ which I thought was terribly sweet.
On the road, I grabbed a cozy blanket and my TENS unit which I placed on my back. I turned on my Easy First Stage track (Hypnobabies main birthing day track) and let myself relax and take a short nap, after I texted my midwife Sharise to let her know that we were on our way to Kalispell (about 2 hours away) and we were going to get a hotel room to relax in for a while.
When we arrived in Kalispell, I told Doug I was super hungry and I needed a meal from Wendys! I think he was in shock that I was so comfortable during this time and I was willing to go to a drive-thru and eat. So we got our meals and headed towards the hospital, he was about to turn into the hospital and I told him “NO! We have to get a hotel room and call Sharise! I am not ready to go to the hospital!” of course the poor man was even more confused but obliged.
Doug went and paid for the room, and I was able to lay down and rest, as the pressure waves weren’t intense at all but they were close together. I just listened to all the positive Birthing Day Affirmations on my Hypnobabies track and soaked them in. It was truly wonderful.
I think around 7:30 or 8 I called Sharise and said that perhaps it was best she come over then as they were close together but I was really enjoying them, and I thought maybe I should be checked. She arrived, my husband answered the door and I was so in the zone I didn’t notice her presence for a while. She checked me and I was at a 3, but my waves were closer together than she liked to see at that point so she asked me to get into the tub and relax there for a while. We chatted as she sat on the tiny toilet and I was in the tiny hotel tub. I had a couple of good waves in the tub, and I remember smiling and welcoming each one as I listened to my Hypnobabies recordings.
Sharise decided to check me again after I wanted to get out of the tub, I was not quite a four but we decided she would try hand stretching me to a four which did work. I felt bad for Doug and Sharise as they had both been up since 4 that morning so I let them rest while I got comfortable and relaxed on the bed. Then I moved to the ball, and I tried walking a little to see if that would speed things up. At one point I decided I did not want to be in the hotel room anymore and I would be more comfortable in the big jet tub at the hospital. Sharise sat me down and told me they might break my waters, which I was nervous about given the history with the twins’ birth, but she assured me the baby was in a good position and she thought it was a good idea and I trusted her enough to know she was right.
I really wasn’t aware of time at all, really it felt like time was going really fast even though it had been hours. I was enjoying it, it probably didn’t sound like it from all the low moaning but I was comfortable. Anyway, we arrived at the hospital which was just across the street. I had a wave in the car, and then one right between the doors that the nurses have to manually open, I was leaning on Doug and the nurse patiently waited for me to be done.
When I got to the main birthing center, I was so happy to see that the sweetest nurse I met at my NST was working! She was excited I was there when she was on shift and she went right to work. Much to my surprise and Sharise’s, I was a 6! The sweet nurse hooked me up to the monitors while another worked on my IV. I am so proud of myself for advocating for on my part, which isn’t something I normally do, I told the other nurse she had to wait until my wave was over and I turned off my mental light-switch (Hypnobabies technique for entering hypnosis), went through the wave, and gave her permission to place the IV.
At that point, my nurse had run a bath and Sharise was giving me water and assuring me I could birth my baby. I remember being in the tub and listening to Hypnobabies, Doug was holding my hand and Sharise was rubbing my head and directing me to get into positions that worked with my baby. She could see I was getting tired, but I really felt like time was going so fast. I slept between waves, and when waves came on I turned off my switch and thought of a flower blooming which really helped. I also thought of the waves being like a rocket and I wouldn’t let the rocket make it up to my chest, which also helped. Breathing out of my lips like a horse was very helpful, I have no idea why but it worked for me.
I became uncomfortable in the tub and I decided I wanted out. They tried having me sit on the toilet but that wasn’t comfortable for me. I decided to stand and lean over the bed while my nurse squeezed my hips and Sharise rubbed my back. I was having intense pressure on my tailbone, and my nurse got my husband a hot pack he held on my tailbone while he rubbed it. I asked my nurse for gas and air, which I told myself I would allow after researching it prior with my midwife. I used it for about three waves until the doctor came in and checked me. I couldn’t believe it, I was fully dilated! I really didn’t feel fully dilated, so came as a shock to me. I decided to lean over my bed and Sharise asked me to push, I gave a big push and my water broke. It was an amazing feeling, I really thought it was powerful.
The doctor asked me to flip over and I felt comfortable so I did. She didn’t break the bed down. It all felt really peaceful and I was supported by amazing women. Sharise was on one side, my nurse on the other. I gave one big push and the doctor took my hand to feel the head. It wasn’t painful at all, just intense, like running a marathon. They moved my hands to a better pushing position and Sharise really started to tell me to push. I only listened to her and gave it all I had. Then, the most amazing, slippery, sprawled out little person was placed on my stomach.
The doctor asked Doug what it was and he said “boy, it’s a boy!!” and all I remember is all of us crying and the nurse and my midwife telling me it was the best hospital birth. The doctor told me I made it look really easy. He was perfect and alert. We waited for the cord to stop pulsing and Doug cut it. The baby nursed right away. I kept saying “I got my VBAC!” I was so high on birth hormones, it so hard to explain. It’s like I was in a different world and I still feel that way.
My birthing time lasted from noon on Saturday the 4th until 2:16 am on the 5th but it truly felt like a few hours. Our baby boy was 9 lbs 8 oz, which surprised a lot of us. I didn’t tear, I felt wonderful. It took two days to name him, finally, we decided on Jebediah.
I want to say thank you to my husband for all your support, Sharise for believing in me, and my nurse Christie for dedicating so much energy into my birthing time. I am forever thankful for my team.
