Tiffany’s Hypnobabies Birth Center Birth on the Toilet
“My mom kept me focused on keeping in hypnosis and relaxing. During the most intense periods, I tended to bear down and hold my breath, but she kept doing the 5-4-3-2-1 and by 1, I was able to release and flow deeper into hypnosis every single time. I would chant “Peace” (cue for instant physical comfort) or “Release” (Cue to instantly turn off) or “open” when I needed to focus and that always helped.”
Rosalind Grace entered this world peacefully at 12:20 am on May 29, one day before her mom and dad’s 5th wedding anniversary, amidst violent unrest in Minneapolis, under COVID-19 quarantine…and born upon a throne, as a princess should (eh-hem, a toilet).
For this pregnancy I was excited for the opportunity to finally have my birth center birth. I had risked out and had to birth at a hospital for Isla due to hypertension. I found Willow Midwives and once I toured the beautiful facility, I was excited to give birth again. I had also decided to learn about Hypnobabies and use hypnosis for a more comfortable birth.
Around 30 weeks, I started to get a couple high blood pressure readings and I started to worry I would be diagnosed again with gestational hypertension. Around the same time, U.S. was shutting down due to COVID-19. Fears of going to the hospitals were rising and mothers were forced to give birth alone in some hospitals, without their partners. I was so thankful that I would not be birthing at a hospital but scared I would risk out again and be sent to one anyways without the midwives I had gotten to know and trust. Luckily with diet, exercise, and practicing hypnosis techniques with Hypnobabies, I kept it under control to have a very healing birth.
One week after her guess date (Hypnobabies term for due date), and after three weeks of me trying to do everything to entice her to come out (I honestly thought I was going to be pregnant forever) I got desperate and YouTubed “Pregnancy Induction Dance.” I cried as I danced to the videos because I was a hormonal, fat, tired, and sick of being pregnant. My husband laughed at me that night as we went on one of our nightly walks when I told him.
4:30 am – Welp, early that next morning I had just laid back down after going to the bathroom, but I felt like I peed a little. I got up immediately to find my bloody show. I had mild waves (Hypnobabies term for contractions) throughout the day, much like my practice waves, but definitely birthing time (Hypnobabies term for labor). I continued to work through the day, took a nap, and went on a couple walks. The waves came and went inconsistently, but never increased in intensity.
3:30 pm -I told my parents to come up that night. My mom was one of my birthing partners along with husband, and my dad would watch the kids (2 and 3 yo) if it happened that night. I had my 41-week appointment that afternoon and my midwife determined I was definitely in birthing time and my waters were leaking. I declined when she asked if I wanted my waters completely broken to kick-start things, as I didn’t want any interventions. She sent me home and told me she’d call me at 8 pm to see if things progressed and to see what I wanted to do.
7 pm – Mom and Dad came up that evening and the whole family went on a little walk which got some good waves coming (3 mins apart) as I huffed and puffed my way back home. I laid down to see if they would chill out, and they got down to every 5 mins. The midwife called and I told her I thought they would be tolerable for me to try to get some sleep that night. Well, within 30 minutes I was getting them every 1.5 minutes and I knew it was time to go in. I have a history of fast and furious births when things get going.
9:30 pm – We drove 35 mins, about 3 miles from the riots that night to the birth center. My waves gave me a break and only came every 10 minutes during the drive, it was heavenly. Once I got all checked in and settled, the waves started to intensify again. I got in the tub and for a while, barked at my husband at some point for bringing smelly pizza into the room, barked at him some more to put the right kind of pressure on my back to help the ease the intensity (he is a wonderfully patient birth partner).
My sweet nurse knew exactly what I needed for comfort, though, I may have barked at her a few times too. My mom kept me focused on keeping in hypnosis and relaxing. During the most intense periods, I tended to bear down and hold my breath, but she kept doing the 5-4-3-2-1 and by 1, I was able to release and flow deeper into hypnosis every single time. I would chant “Peace” (cue for instant physical comfort) or “Release” (Cue to instantly turn off) or “open” when I needed to focus and that always helped.
11:45 pm – I asked my midwife to check me and break the rest of the waters if they hadn’t already. She told me my cervix wasn’t complete, but maybe should get out and try to pee. I asked for a sterile water injection at this point, but it didn’t do anything. Counter pressure with a plastic massage dolphin thingy and hip counter-pressure were what I needed.
12:20 am – Within 30 minutes on the toilet, I was complete and started pushing on my own. Moments before, my husband thought he had a moment to go get a slice of pizza, so my mom screamed for him and the MW to come and for me to stop pushing and to get off the toilet. I barked a couple NOOOOOs at her and did my thing. Within only 5 mins, I pushed her out. Pretty sure I never got the “Pushing Baby Out” track (Hypnobabies track just for pushing) on for this, lol. (Don’t worry, I stood up, grabbed her from the front, my MW caught her from the back and I safely kept her out of the toilet).
This was all about three and a half hours after we arrived at the birth center. We snuggled in a real queen-sized bed and relaxed and snoozed for four hours before we were discharged at 4:30 am to go home. It was wonderful to go home to catch a few hours of sleep before introducing brother and sister to baby Roz. They were all smiles to meet their sister they knew I was having (her gender was a surprise). Clark (3 yo) has laid claim that she is his baby and he is her protector. Isla (2 yo) just pets her and gives her head a kiss from time to time.
I made playlists of my Hypnobabies tracks all throughout the pregnancy, but I should have done that for birth time. Random tracks would play, then I would have to explain to my mom what to put back on. Honestly, it didn’t bug me too much, because I just needed to hear that music and Kerry’s voice to instantly sooth me and put me back into hypnosis. I used my own cues, but it was her voice that did it for me.
My birthing time was technically longer than my first two (20 hours compared to 4 and 6 hours respectively), and still very intense at times, but this was, by far my easiest, most peaceful and present birth. I got the birth I wanted. Rosalind was 7 lbs, 11 oz, 20″
