I started to use hypnobirthing at around 18 weeks pregnant and continued daily, surrounding myself with positive affirmations and enjoying the down time of relaxations. Due to our baby being IVF and a previous C-section with our son, my pregnancy was classed as high risk. I had agreed to a stretch and sweep if needed at 38 weeks and also to my waters breaking had I not had the baby by 39 weeks.
When we went for our consultant appointment on the Tuesday at 38 weeks, I had already lost some of my mucus plug over the few days prior so agreed to a stretch and sweep. By 8pm that evening I began to experience irregular surges, things continued like this over the next few days, we enjoyed walks, I went for some reflexology and I even managed the school carol service, by late evening on Thursday things had started to feel more regular, we headed to bed. I didn’t last long there as things started to feel even more intense, I continued with my breathing, headphones on playing the affirmations, kneeling over my birth ball for the next couple of hours. Some time around 2 am we headed into the hospital, on examination I was 3cm’s.
My waters were broken at 9.15 am on Friday morning, the second they released my surges ramped up to 4 in 10 minutes, I knew this was it, and I was so excited. I was keen to get straight in the pool, I opted to keep my headphones on and I felt completely in a zone, I instructed my husband to keep those affirmations playing no matter what. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, counting in my head as I went. I imagined my husband and our son holding our daughter knowing each surge was bringing me closer to this being a reality. I remember the point I transitioned and that moments thought of ‘is there much longer left, I’m tired’ and then did a silent cheer to myself as I’d recognised it and knew in reality the end was so very near. I changed my breathing and concentrated on breathing my baby down, feeling excited we were so close to meeting her.
At 12.12pm, just less than 3 hours after my waters broke, I literally breathed her safely into the world, calmly and excitedly, even stopping to have a little chat about how much hair she had before the final push. I was the first one to touch her, I caught her and brought her up to my chest. She didn’t cry or make a sound, she just stared with big wide eyes, looking from me to my husband and back again. We had delayed cord clamping and then my husband cut the cord, he enjoyed cuddles with her while I climbed out of the pool to deliver the placenta.
We had not one but two blissful hours of skin to skin, it was truly amazing, I felt on top of the world, I was buzzing and still am. I have never experienced anything like it in my life and doubt I will again. I have hypnobirthing to thank for that, I understood what my body was doing, what my options were, what was happening to my baby at each step of her journey to the outside world and most importantly I felt calm and in control and in was utterly amazing.
