This!!

“Hi Pip,

Our second baby girl is 4 weeks old tomorrow.

It’s been the fastest 4 weeks of my life! I wanted to drop you a line and tell you about the incredible birth experience I had – before I forget too much of it and so I have all the details down as a proper record for myself.

I am so proud I had the guts to choose a different path than I went down with my first and a different path than is the norm amongst my friends.

And as a result I ended up with my 10 out of 10 experience!

Eloise was born 8 days past her guess date.

I was starting to have conversations with the CMP midwife about an induction at 42 weeks but she understood my main aim was to avoid one (like I’d had with Imogen) so was supportive of that.

I’d also turned down two stretch and sweeps because I wanted everything to just happen as my body intended.

I’d had some preterm acupuncture done and was saving induction acupuncture and ‘induction’ massage for my 41st week, and a stretch and sweep as a last resort – but never needed it!

Labour started the evening of 41w.

I wasn’t convinced on initial surges – thought I just needed to poo – so went off to bed for a sleep at 9pm and just got up to the toilet as needed!

By 12.30pm I was sure they were surges but they were manageable and approx 10 mins apart.

I was prepared for a marathon so even though I knew being upright and moving would better progress my labour I decided rest was more important so sort of slept in between them.

I was super excited though and couldn’t help myself so woke up Dylan to let him know and not surprisingly he went back to sleep!

As is the norm, Imogen woke up middle of night so Dylan went into her.

He couldn’t successfully settle her so they ended up asleep in the spare bed together which just let me get on with labouring by myself.

It was actually really nice!

I had a cool room, my bed has never felt more comfortable, I listened to my affirmations and did my surge and relaxation breathing.

I did some leaning over the new babies bassinet during surges, and some over the fitball and the end of the bed.

I remember being really surprised at just how good the rest is between surges!

In the back of my mind I was thinking about how/when to call Mum to come look after Imogen so even though I thought it was possibly a bit premature I called Mum at 2.30am to come over and sleep on the couch ‘just in case’.

Thank goodness I did!

I wasn’t watching the clock but was roughly counting the number of surges during an affirmations track.

Not particularly well though.. because I really was in a dreamy state.

My CMP midwife had said to call when ‘waters broke, contractions were 5 mins apart or they were painful’.

Except they never got to 5 mins apart I don’t think… they were about 7-8 mins and then next thing I think there was about 3 in 10 minutes.

At this point I felt nauseous and I felt like they were getting the better of me, so even though I was desperately hoping to make it through to the morning so we didn’t have to wake Imogen up, I went and got Mum off the couch just after 4.00am to do a ‘swap’ with Dylan in the hope that Imogen wouldn’t wake!

The swap was successful, Dylan came in and I gave him his orders ‘call Sam, we’re coming in now, put bags in car, get drinks out fridge, don’t forget my pillow, bring bucket etc etc’ and we were on the road in 20 mins.

I had three surges in the 10 minute car ride to the Birth Centre and we pulled in there at 5.00am.

Dylan jumped out to ring the door bell and came back to the car to tell me no-one was there. I had no idea it wasn’t staffed 24 hours a day!! And we’d got out of the house so quickly we’d beaten our midwife there!!

I couldn’t handle the surges too well whilst in the car so hopped out.

My waters broke then and there and I immediately felt pressure.

There was a brief moment of panic when I thought Dylan would be delivering the baby in the carpark but Sam arrived within minutes and opened the doors to the birth centre.

Initially I didn’t want to move from bent over the bonnet of the car… but I got some respite from the initial pressure and could slowly walk to the doors.

I only just got through the front doors though before I knew our baby was coming so asked Sam if I could drop to my knees then and there.

Thankfully she obliged and within minutes I’d birthed her head and by 5.12am our darling baby girl was on the floor under me in the foyer of the birth centre!! It was absolutely incredible.

I scooped her up and shuffled down the corridor to the room to birth the placenta.

Seriously, when you said that second babies can come quick, I thought that was only for the lucky few!

Dylan high-fived his new daughter – no light touch massage, acupressure or reading affirmations for him – he’d got off lightly. He’d only woken up an hour earlier!

I felt amazing after the birth.

In the lead up I was always a bit anxious I hadn’t done enough ‘homework’.

Finding time to listen to relaxation tracks and affirmations had been hard over the Christmas break with various guests staying with us.

But really, the best part about the hypnobirthing course is the education on what the body is designed to do, so I simply had confidence that we would get the job done.

And we did! I believe hypnobirthing should really just be the standard education program rolled out to all pregnant women.

I also wanted to mention how important I think it is to surround yourself with the right people to get the birth you want.

Choosing the CMP meant that my midwife supported all my decisions. Everything I wanted was standard practise for them – so I really could relax and be sure i’d get the outcome I wanted.

During your course I remember talking to some other participants about choosing private obstetric care vs birth centre.

We agreed that the private hospital option had its benefits for first-timers because you get a longer stay in hospital and more support during that time.

I wish I could take all that back now!

I am a firm believer that you will spend your pregnancy fighting a system if you choose to birth naturally in a private hospital.

And, coming home on Day 1 is in fact better because you can prepare and select your own post natal care providers (midwife, lactation consultant, post natal doula if you like etc) instead of being exposed to a revolving door of nurses in a hospital, each with their own words of wisdom and advice.

Your early days are less stressful because you aren’t suffering from information overload.

And nobody really likes hospital food – uber eats is a way better option if necessary!

I hope you don’t mind me recounting every detail.

I didn’t expect this email to be so long and wordy – but it will be a great record for myself in the future.

I expect you receive a lot of emails from very proud mummies.

So Thank you Pip!

I am huge advocate for hypnobirthing and very grateful that I landed upon your course.

 

Amelia”.