Sara's Hypnobirth - Alice's birth story

Personal Journeys Unveiled: Sara's Hypnobirth and Alice's Birth Story

** Alice - 26th December 2014 - - Royal Women's Hospital Melbourne **

I had many fears coming into the birth of my baby girl Alice. We knew that she would be taken away from me within minutes after birth. She would be taken to another hospital where she would have to have open heart surgery to correct a heart defect, which we knew about during pregnancy. We knew she would be in the ICU for two weeks. We knew that being in Melbourne away from family and any support person would be difficult. I knew having to deliver with my 14 month old child in the room would be difficult and not being able to have my husband help me through my birth as he was holding my child would be distressing too.

I also knew having to be induced due to the medical reasons wouldn’t be natural and would also cause fear. My other daughter Ruby was induced and it was a horrible birthing experience. No pain relief or guidance of it. Ruby became stuck on the way out and had shoulder dystocia. It took me weeks to recover as I had countless stitches and was damaged as they tried to help my girl birth. She was in the ICU for a few days after that. Because of that experience I didn’t think I would be able to birth with confidence again. This is where Laura came in. She introduced me to hypnobirthing.

My birth with Alice was completely different. I used the rainbow mist CD while birthing. I was given the gel at 11.00am, contractions started at 2.00pm. I was able to go eat lunch and play with my daughter through the surges. I was excited with every surge as I knew baby was coming. My waters were broken at 8.30pm. Within 10 mins I felt the surges change. I got onto the bed and prepared for the birth. Being a high risk baby there were lots of nurses and midwives around. My daughter was playing but yet that 2.5 hours seem to escape me. With each surge I would sit up and do my long breathing, thinking of the sea and the waves, see it through and lay back and go back into my relaxed state. At 10.30 I was 4cm. At 11.20 the surges changed again. The pain started. The fear started. As the pain increased I couldn’t control my breathing as well and asked for the gas. We had it at 40 percent.

At 11.30 the midwife said I was 10cm and it was okay to start pushing. As I did my first push I imagined seeing her hair as I would be opening up. The pain seemed not to distract me any more. The second push the midwife told me to stop. So I did. The third push I imagined her head, shoulders and body coming out. They did! She was born. Within those two pushes I was now holding my baby.

They cut the cord. I was amazed. I had done it! They did take her within than min but I wasn’t stressed out as I knew I had done all I could to start her life off the best way. Once she was rushed away I listened to the tranquil chambers CD. Not needing any gas whilst they stitched me up. I recovered within days. After my girl was out if ICU we tried breastfeeding. She took to it straight away.

I thank the affirmations CD for that. I would constantly say those phrases while expressing. My story is not like most other hypnobirthing stories but neither were my circumstances. Overall though, a successful birth story!