Categories
Archive
01 Nov 2020
I LOVED every single second!
On the night of Thursday 29th October, I began to have mild period-like pains. I went to bed wondering if tonight could be the night, but wasn’t getting myself too excited as I was just over a week away from my due date and convinced that my baby would arrive late. I fell asleep listening to my hypnobirthing mp3s and woke up at 1:30am with a startle - at 38 weeks pregnant, waking up in the night was certainly not unusual, but something felt different this time!
By 3am, I had woken my husband because the pains in my tummy had become tightenings and I was pretty certain I was experiencing my first surges. Morning came and we were absolutely buzzing with excitement, I had a shower which seemed to make the surges cease, so feeling prepared to meet our baby, we decided to fill our day with things I would enjoy to try and get some oxytocin flowing. We dropped our foster son to stay with my mother in law and went into Solihull. We laughed with the lady in John Lewis that I was “ready to pop” - little did she know I was experiencing surges as we spoke! We went for lunch, but I could barely sit in my chair and I recognised my surges were becoming more regular and so we began to time them.
I had a routine midwife appointment to go to and as soon as I walked through the door, my surges seemed to cease completely and the midwife explained to me that I was in the latent phase and this could continue for weeks. I knew all about this already from my hypnobirthing course, but could not help feeling deflated, especially as my surges had started to feel pretty intense before I went in! My husband gently reminded me that the best way to enhance labour was relax and enjoy it - baby would be here when they were ready.
As the afternoon progressed, my surges returned and became more and more regular. I remembered Anna had explained that 3 surges lasting at least a minute within 10 minutes is normally the right time to call the hospital and so at around 11pm we gave them a call and they told us to come straight in. I breathed through every surge and felt completely in control.
When we arrived, I felt empowered to tell the midwife at the birthing suite that I did not want to be examined and she agreed that my surges were quite lengthy and seemed intense and she was happy for me to let her know if and when I felt ready for an examination. We laughed that we were going to be having a Halloween baby!
However, as soon as we went into the birthing suite, I found that (again!) my surges stopped completely. We tried to get some sleep but my surges returned, intensified and got closer together for a few hours and then stopped again. I still felt calm, but wanted to understand what was happening and so at 4am I asked the midwife if I could be examined. She let me know that I was 3cm and I was disappointed, I was already completely exhausted and wanted everything to hurry up! I had been listening to my hypnobirthing mp3s, but decided to have a change and listen to music instead! My husband and I danced round the birthing suite to mcfly, my head on his chest as I breathed through my intensifying surges. I felt so happy and relaxed!
Morning came, but I knew despite the intensity of my surges I wasn’t progressing and I didn’t want to be examined again, so the new midwife on duty explained to me that she felt that maybe I needed to be in my own environment for this to happen. I was so upset, but I felt my existing knowledge from Anna allowed me to understand completely and I did agree with her suggestion, so I returned home at 11am.
I watched my favourite film (Love Actually) and tried to stay relaxed as my surges passed; it was becoming increasingly difficult, but I was so fearful of getting sent home from the hospital again that I didn’t want to go back! I had a bath and when I got out I suddenly couldn’t stand to be at home any longer “I need to go back now!” I demanded to my husband.
It was 8pm by the time my husband called the birthing suite; they asked about baby’s movements and I realised that I had been so focused on my surges I hadn’t felt baby since I was in the Hospital that morning and they said I must go to labour ward to be monitored and then I could back over to them.
Sadly, no movements were detected and baby’s heart rate dropped right down so I was told I would have to be continuously monitored and put on an IV drip for fluids.
No birthing suite. No water birth.
I was disappointed, but Anna had encouraged me to visualise birth in different ways beforehand and so I reminded myself of this and how this was the birth that I have been given for my baby and that it was going to be amazing. I wanted to remain in control in whatever way possible, and so discussed birthing positions with my midwife who agreed to avoid letting me labour on my back, which I was happy with.
I was admitted to labour ward and was amazed to be told I was 8cm! Just before midnight, the midwife said to me “you look like you’re starting to push in these contractions?” and I realised that I had followed the lead of my body and started to follow the “labour breathing” technique, too!
Our darling daughter, Clementine Florence, graced the earth over three hours later, at 3:14am on the 1st November 2020, weighing a wonderful 8lb3oz. I was the first to exclaim “she’s a girl!” as I had dreamed she would be. Of course, the best moment of my life.
My birth was not what I had envisioned it would be, but through everything I felt informed, calm and in control. Hypnobirthing had given me the tools for a relaxed and empowered birth and I can honestly say I loved every single second!
Phoebe and Daniel - Redditch, Worcestershire