Charlie Jean has arrived!
Hello Pip,
Well, its 5:30 am here in Monaco and I’m wide awake and excited to email you with the good news – our baby girl arrived yesterday afternoon at 5 pm!! Charlie Jean is her name and she was 2.8kg, 11 days early according to French dates but nearly spot on for the Aussie date of the 2nd December (she was the 1st!)
Now for the extra good news -not a single drug, gas, epidural in sight! It was amazing and all the hospital staff were commenting on it like they do in the hypnobirthing movies. I had two amazing midwives, a guy and a lady, who said to me “are you a monk or something??! I can’t believe how well you’re handling the contractions and pain- if all women were like this we wouldn’t need midwives!!!”
I arrived at the hospital at 7cm dilated already! I actually cried on the way to the hospital because I felt really disappointed in myself that I was already on my way there (because I felt like I could have stayed longer at home but just wasn’t sure how far along I was as the surges were getting stronger but not so painful).
Anyway, the midwife examined me and was shocked, saying, “ummm, if you want an epidural… It’s NOW!”
So I laughed and thought it was great I’d made it so far. 4 hours later, she was born.
The surges were manageable with the breathing and I was allowed to do whatever positions I wanted- so I did – squatting in front of the bed / on the bed/ on my side/ walking around etc… It was when I got to about 8-9cm that it all went a bit crazy and I didn’t manage the breathing or anything well!
Thank god B. was there to calm me and remind me to breathe properly.
Pushing was the worst part, I felt out of control and was screaming like a mad woman- not because it “hurt” but because… well I don’t know why… I didn’t realise I was so loud until each surges finished and I was like “ohhhh god!!! Sorry everyone!”
It was more the pressure and intensity of that part which made me like that. As for the Birth breathing… that also went out the window but I didn’t hold my breath and do remember breathing out during a few pushes.
B. was amazing and I couldn’t have done it without him. Everything he was saying to me was so helpful and kept me focused and motivated. The best thing he kept saying was that I was stronger than the pain, and I just had this in my head the whole time.
It was hard to remember the breathing in the beginning stages but around the 7cm mark I relaxed more and really got into it and it helped so much. For the visualizations, I remember thinking about the opening flower and balloons (when I was at home and listening to my hypnobirthing music and scripts), but about an hour before we left to hospital Bruce was telling me to breathe in blue arrows and out red arrows which I found myself focusing on mainly when breathing for the rest of the time. Arrows are good! They flow smoothly in the minds eye!
So the adventure begins now, I’m in hospital for 4 days and the staff are fantastic here. I’ve been very lucky for a hospital birth.
Would love to chat on skype when I get home just to recap it in person with you and tell you anything I’ve forgotten.
Am feeling very proud that I made it through and I’m so thankful for all your help and advice.
Thanks Pip and talk to you soon,
Sarah 🙂