Hello Martyna,
I thought I’d send you an email to let you know we have welcomed our new little addition Leon on his due date 15.01.2022. I have written my birth story - which i absolutely love and cherish. Would of been such a different experience without your course!
The day before his due date, I went into an OB appointment where they reluctantly made me book in an induction for ten days time.. as the OB had one look me, barely examining me and said I am no way near giving birth.
In the early morning of Leon’s due date, around 4am - Declan gave me a cuddle. I instantly felt two pops high up and realised my waters had broken. We went into hospital an hour later where they monitored me and booked me in for an induction in the next couple of days as I didn’t have any pain at the time. We went back home, back to bed, but I made Declan put the TENS machine on as I just had a feeling I might need it - he looked at me confused.
A few hours later, I started having 4-6 minutely contractions, within the next hour it was every 2-3… I couldn’t believe it. Maybe my TENS machine was faulty? I couldn’t be having 2 minute contractions already - it’s my first labour! I would breathe through every one with ease, the TENS machine was a lifesaver.
I call up the hospital to let them know I am having some bleeding, and 2-3 minutely contractions - they tell me to come in for the blood (I don’t think they believed the contractions). The 7 minute hospital ride felt like a life time, but I breathed through it.
We get to the hospital and wait in the waiting room for a decent time, to the point I’m so nauseous I need to lay on the public toilet floor for comfort and hug the toilet. They finally call me in, monitor me and tell me I’ll probably be getting sent home, which I voiced I really don’t want to do that drive again. They checked me via a speculum (as if they checked with their hand I’d have to stay in hospital). Much to their surprise, they could see a head! Bigger surprise? I’m already 7cm dilated.
They ask me for my birth plan, which I gave them the detailed sheet I made from Calmbirth - all the midwives respected and followed it wholeheartedly. During pregnancy (thanks to Calmbirth) I decided whatever’s meant to be will be and to just go with the flow. I didn’t think I would be able to have a water birth as you need specialised midwives who are trained to be on that shift. But to my luck, there was!
Waiting for the bath to fill up felt like a lifetime, I just layed on the bathroom floor to feel grounded and that’s when I began to go into my own world. I began closing off to everything around me, my eyes were shut, I stopped listening and responding to everyone around me. Taking each contraction as it came, riding-embracing-breathing through each wave.
They finally brought me to the bath, where I was in my own zone, just breathing through the contractions. Some contractions would be more hard - I’d lose my breath, which would cause me to become anxious. Declan would always bring me back to my breathing - I’d be okay again.. I’ve got this. I don’t remember thinking much at all - I was in my zone for hours, silent, with myself, not listening to anything around me. But I remember I got to a point where I wanted to leave the hospital - it was nearly time.
The midwives were amazing, they really let me guide myself and trust my body and the process. It was time to push, but whenever I’d breathe and relax - Leon would go back up - he started to be in distress. Declan said they were apparently going to take me out of the bath if I didn’t push him out when I did. But I did the whole process myself, with the guidance of the midwives. First the head, then I pushed the shoulders out and the legs. I grabbed him out of the water and placed him on my chest; it’s a boy! We sat there in awe. I was in complete shock, my baby was here.
The midwives sit me up and I push out my placenta unmedicated. I get out of the bath, take a few steps to only haemorrhage 1000mls. I didn’t care, I had my baby! Everyone else seemed to care though! I walk through the carpeted hallways, feeling bad knowing I’m staining the carpet. Finally make it to bed with my baby, I couldn’t believe what just happened. They had to give me countless stitches, once again I just breathed through the whole process, the doctor thinking I had an amazing pain threshold because I didn’t flinch once.
A 5 hour labour, 20 minutes of pushing, 9 minutes to push out the placenta and now I have my baby in my arms. All of the process unmedicated, just using my breathing, TENS machine and water. Your course was absolutely amazing, I could of had such a different birth experience if I didn’t have the mindset you helped me create. I had my dream birth, even better than I could of ever imagined. Declan did not leave my side once, and would bring me back to my breaths when it would be unbearable. I really cannot thank you enough for the knowledge you gave both of us to have the most empowering experience of my life.