This story is from Izzie, who completed my hypnobirhting course in Darenth with her partner Eddie. Izzie also attended pregnancy yoga in Dartford from 16 weeks until the week of giving birth. At her last pregnancy yoga class Izzie was very fed up! And told everyone that she was going to book a c-section as she was uncomfortable. I advised that a c-section was a good option if that’s what she really wanted, but to maybe wait a few more days to see if anything changed, and a few days later she had a very straight forward birth.
Birth: 39+ 6 days
I’d joined Bloom and Flow Monday yoga sessions from 16 weeks of pregnancy and found them so helpful – especially the birth stories Colleen shared at the end of class and the useful tips on postures for birth. My partner and I also decided to do the hypnobirthing course in Darenth with Colleen, which was super helpful in understanding what actually happens during birth, the different techniques we could use to support me through it, and the relaxing MP3s.
Based on the course I’d decided I did not want to be induced, and would like to aim for a water birth at the birth centre. One key lesson I took from the course was that there are only certain things I can control, and that part of birth is embracing what is within /without of my control and being OK with going with whatever happens.
On the days leading up to the birth I’d been feeling very hormonal and impatient for the birth to happen! Now looking back the hormones were my body preparing me for labour, but at the time I felt super frustrated and decided to book in a c-section at 42 weeks if nothing had happened.
The day after I did that, I woke up with some period like pains, Eddie and I discussed whether he should go in to the office – we decided he should as it could be Braxton Hicks, and the pains stopped after he left. I had a relaxing day cooking and seeing a friend and then decided to have a nap around 5 after a raspberry leaf tea and some time on my exercise ball.
I woke from my nap to period like pains again and decided to open the app I’d chosen to use to time them. They were abut 15 mins apart. Knowing from the hypnobirthing course that labour can sometimes last for days, and the key was to ignore things for as long as possible. When Eddie came home I sent him off to boxing and started to get my Aromatherapy oils/fairy lights/cards/snacks out, all the while using the posture of leaning over the exercise ball to open up my pelvis every time I felt a contraction and the breathing techniques i’d learnt through the course. I also found i needed to poo a lot and knew from the course this was also a sign things were happening.!
Once Eddie got back from boxing, the contractions had started to get a bit stronger, and closer together so we brought out the tens machine. Eddie massaged my back every time I felt one and I used the breathing techniques learnt in the course, plus the app to count me through them. We also lit candles and put on some relaxing music. We continued like this for a couple of hours until they were 4 mins apart and then rang the maternity unit at darent valley hospital – they said to wait until it got to 3 mins apart. We had another hour of breathing through them and they were continually getting stronger, but the tens machine/leaning over and exercise ball/breathing helped me get through them. Suddenly, with one contraction, my waters broke and we realised we needed to go in now – it was a bit of a mad rush to get everything together, in the meantime my mucus plug also went and I was a bit concerned as thought there could be blood in my labour waters.
We rang the maternity unit and they said to come in now and put a pad on so they could check my waters. We left the flat and I had two really powerful contractions before I got into the car – once in the car I felt again like I needed to poo and the contractions were a lot stronger. A friend had given birth in an uber a few months ago (!) And I was keen that didn’t happen to me!, I focused on breathing/tens machine to get me through and the time in between them to rest.
We eventually made it to the birth centre (there were roadworks at main entrance to hosp so we ended up going to ambulance entrance and I was wheeled up by 5x paramedics up to the birth centre and they offered me gas and air). By this time I felt like I was entering a transition like stage and I kept feeling the need to poo (looking back this was defnan urge to push)!
I got to birth centre and they asked to examine me – I said yes (remembering from the hypnobirthing course it ‘ matter how dilated you were- as it wasn’t an indicator of how long the rest of labour would take) but the midwife was quite shocked when she examined me – as I was fully dilated!
All the work I’d done at home using hypnobirthing techniques had really paid off! However, after examining the pad they said there was meconimum in my waters so we would need to go to delivery suite. I asked if the two midwives could come with me which they agreed to. I knew that part of having a positive birth was accepting change/things you can’t control and happily went to the labour ward – we used BRAIN to ask about risks/benefits etc to this situation and agreed together that due to the risks we want him out as soon as possible so agreed to a ventouse and epsiiotomy. I felt calm and very present in the decision making throughout, continuing to use the breathing to get me through the contractions. There were quite a lot of people in the room, and once I had pushed the head out I even had the time to say my contractions had probably slowed because there were so many in there.
He cried as soon as he came out and the other Dr’s left the room (they’d been there in case there had been complications). We had skin to skin time, and tea and toast and a shower and then were taken for observation and left at 6pm that evening. The midwives and Drs were amazing – I was blown away by their kindness and pofessionalism and I’m so glad i was at Darenth for the birth! They were sorry I hadn’t had the water birth I’d wanted, but they hoped I understood why.
It felt like the perfect birth because even though it ‘ go exactly to plan I had the tools to help me with that and I had the majority of the labour at home – it was around 7 hours start to finish. I doubt I would have had this birth if it hadn’t been for pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing. Thank you so much Colleen!
