Hey Martyna,
I hope you’re well!
I want to say thank you, your class gave me so much confidence for how I can advocate for myself. We were able to create a beautiful birth space and despite not making it in time to get into the bath like I had planned - I still had the intervention free physiological birth for all three stages that I so deeply hoped for.
The classes also gave Greg the knowledge he needed to support me, he was my rock from start to end. Boy did he utilise the calm birth techniques
After feeling powerless in my first labour, this experience was incredibly healing for me, so it felt important to share with you how much of an impact you had.
Wishing you all the best, and here are some pictures of Elise and us from the day :)
Elise's Birth
At 7:30 am after a restless nights sleep I woke up with a sore back so went to the bathroom where, just like with my first, I found a light bloody show. I was so excited and was convinced that in a matter of hours I’d have a little baby in my arms, as my first labour took a total of 6 hours.
This labour started with manageable contractions. But unlike my first, I felt these contractions low in my belly, pelvis and back. I played my birth playlist and lit some candles to set the tone to my birth space. Greg helped me put on my tens machine (which worked wonders), he sat with me, would give me light back rubs while counting my calm and working breaths for me. After about three hours, my contractions were a steady 4 to 5 minutes apart, but then began to slow to 10 minutes apart, and then stopped completely every time I sat down - but the pain in my back was now constant and getting worse. This became very frustrating and timing the surges began causing me some anxiety.
Greg and I decided to go for a slow walk outside. This was really helpful and got things moving. I was feeling surges every 3-4 minutes and they were becoming more intense - until we got home and then they slowed again. We repeated and went for another walk. The walking had me contracting every 2-4 minutes and when we came back, after only an hour or so we decided to head to the hospital.
The midwife at the hospital was incredible, so supportive, she was totally onboard with our birth plan and was happy to facilitate a water birth. Unfortunately though, my labour progress was lacking and I was only at a stretchy 3cm after 8 hours of contractions. Baby was laying posterior, which she explained was likely why my labour was stalling. So we went home with the instructions to trial some Spinning Babies positions that would allow me to rest in between, as by now I was exhausted.
When we got home it was close to 6pm. Greg got me in bed laying on my left side, and would move pillows between my ankles and knees, alternating after each contraction. This was to put me in a position that would open my pelvis. Let me say; instantly my contractions went from 0 to 100. I needed Greg next to me to keep my breathing on track. The peak of them was insane, completely different and a far more intense sensation than with my first.
My Tens was helping, but not masking the pain as well as in the beginning, so Greg brought me my combs to squeeze. These combs got me through to the end!
Very suddenly; after less than 30 minutes, my demeanour changed. I instructed him to call the hospital and say I’m done, I’m not doing this anymore, we’re not going back. After another 20 minutes of intensity, the peak of my contractions changed, and I started involuntarily pushing. I panicked. I thought I couldn’t possibly need to push so soon and was worried I may be hurting my cervix by doing so. Greg called the hospital and they instructed us to head back, luckily we’re only a 6 minute drive away. I sat up in bed and then my waters broke (gushed everywhere!), and the time between contractions shortened.
Just as we walked out the front door I had another surge. This time I felt ‘the burn’ and realised this baby was actually coming and fast. I tried to hold in the pushing and put all my focus into squeezing my combs. We got to hospital, literally parked in the drop off zone and the midwife met us downstairs with a wheel chair. I couldn’t sit by this point so I knelt on it for support instead.
As we left the lift to get to labour & delivery, I had a contraction that when peaking my body and ejection reflex took over. I actually felt no pain, just pressure and then our daughter, Elise’s head was born.
I calmly said ‘her heads out’ - both Greg and the midwife looked at me in shock for a moment. It was a mad rush wheeling me the 100 meters to the delivery suite. We only made it in the door way when her body was born on the next contraction, with me still kneeling in the wheelchair.
Within a few minutes we were in bed having skin-to-skin and roughly 40 mins later I birthed my placenta physiologically.
An absolute whirlwind, but it was incredible.
The time between returning home and delivering baby was roughly 1.5 hours. Turns out all she needed was a little shift in her position. Despite the rushing and dramatic entrance, we were calm and worked as a team right until the end.