Adam’s birthing was quite short (under 4 hours) and quite intense. I did not have a chance to listen to all the Hypnobabies scripts I had planned. But the weeks of Hypnobabies Homestudy and practice leading up to the birth I believe really prepared me to handle that intensity and power with calm and comfort.
Since my 40 week prenatal check-up with my midwife on Wednesday August 2nd, I had been feeling extremely heavy and crampy, with a consistent low backache. Any walking around or prolonged standing would be accompanied by pressure waves—mild tightening sensations that would stop once I sat or rested in bed. I was restless, anxious, excited and trying to not get too worked up because I’d had many weeks of the very same symptoms with no baby to show for it. But I was feeling increasingly like “this was it.”
Thursday evening we had a wonderful salmon dinner with a fresh green salad I managed to prepare despite my irritability and growing impatience. After, my 7 year old daughter and I put on our bathing suits and swam in our pool until about 7:45pm. I experienced a bunch of mild pressure waves while in the pool. I thought it might be the beginning of something as usually any pressure sensations I had before would stop when I got in the water as it is so relaxing and buoyant.
I showered after getting out of the pool and settled into my bed with my portable DVD player to watch one of the many chick flicks I’d rented recently to help pass the time. I started to have pressure waves even while resting in bed and they were definitely deep and more intense than any before. This was around 9 pm. I called my midwife at 10 pm to give her “fair warning” as she barely made it to my other two home births on time. I also called my dear friend Sunday since I had invited her to attend the birth and my friend Terra who was going to film the birth for us. They were on stand-by.
With the help of my 7 year old daughter and husband, I set up the room with a plastic tarp, old towels, chux pads and other birthing kit stuff. My daughter really enjoyed helping. We were able to convince her to go to bed since we thought it might be good to get rest before the baby came sometime later. Our 4 year old son was already sleeping.
I started to listen to my Hypnobabies “Easy First Stage” script and got really relaxed. It was now 10:30 pm. For the next hour my pressure waves became really deep and intense, but I was able to relax through them. I was even able to enjoy them as wonderful sensations about to bring my baby to me! They were however, spaced out very strange: a 10 minute spacing between pressure waves, followed by 4 minutes, and then another 12 minutes later, then 7 minutes, 3 minutes, 8 minutes and so on. There was no regular pattern as far as timing. They all had one thing in common: lasting over a minute and very deep and strong.
At 11:30 pm I called my friends and told them to come and apologized ahead of time if it was going to end up a long night. I told them to bring pillows to sleep at my house if necessary.
At 11:50 pm I called the midwife. By now my friends had arrived and my one friend Sunday was going to help me time pressure waves while my husband set up a few last minute things. The next pressure wave came 12 minutes after the last and I thought I might be stalling or something. But this pressure wave was the most intense of all and lasted well over 2 minutes. It had me off the bed, swaying and moaning. I kept whispering “peace” to myself, but it was still a bit difficult going with this new pressure wave. This was transformation (or transition)! I really felt the baby’s head move down from the pressure wave. I also knew it was transition (okay, transformation!) because I looked up and saw my husband with his work laptop, typing something. I yelled, “What the f*ck are you doing on your work computer??? I’m having a f&cking baby!” He protested that he was just letting them know that this was it and not to expect him at work the next day. And I’m thinking: “Well, duh!”
It was now 12:08 am (we only know this because that was when he hit the “send” button on his message to his work colleagues. Adam was born at 12:34am). My friend Sunday rushed to the guest bedroom to wake my mother in law who was also present for the birth. She was to perform Reiki (energy work) on me during my birthing time.
The next pressure wave that came two minutes after the big transformation pressure wave had me on the floor on my hands and knees, grunting with the urge to push. I felt a bit of panic because I was worried I might not be all the way dilated and did not want to push against an incomplete cervix. I again employed my Hypnobabies “peace” cue to help me just relax through the urge to push. My mother in law was doing Reiki on my low back and breathing deeply with me, while my husband repeated the words, “peace” over and over. I was able to completely let go of the urge to push and I did not force it, but breathed through the pressure wave. The peace cue really did the trick. I felt the baby’s head start to move down some more and knew I was completely dilated. His head would not have moved with that pressure wave if I wasn’t complete. I felt a huge sense of relief and control. My body was doing what it needed to do AND more importantly my mind was getting out of the way of what my body needed to do! Yay, Hypnobabies!
The midwife had not arrived yet by 12:15 am. I was not worried. In between pressure waves I instructed everyone what to do. Sunday got hot compresses and handed them to my husband and he applied pressure to my perineum. Terra was filming by then. My MIL continued to breathe with me and do Reiki. I directed my husband to rub oil on my perineum and place chux pads underneath me.
I was still on my hands and knees as Adam slowly started to crown. His head did not come out immediately and I again used the “peace” cue to relax all my birthing muscles during the ring of fire. My husband was still supporting my perineum. I let my body relax and stretch as Adam’s head eased out. My husband and I both had our hands supporting Adam’s head as it emerged. I just kept breathing and allowing my body to push Adam out. I don’t ever remember actively pushing. Adam was still in the bag of waters as his head rotated and his shoulders started to emerge. It also looked like the cord was around his neck (according to my husband and friend; I couldn’t see it!). The bag broke as his shoulders continued to come out and my husband moved the bag off his face. The cord was only loosely around his neck. My husband could not unloop it as Adam slithered the rest of the way out at that point. Together my husband and I eased him onto a chux pad, and I started to scoot back so I could bring him up to my chest. His time of birth was 12:23 am. As I was picking him up, my placenta detached and slithered out, while Adam started to cough, sputter and then cry.
During the entire above “pushing” phase, all was calm and quiet: me, my husband, friends, MIL and even my female cat watching from the corner! It was such a gentle, relaxed birthing. I still can hardly believe it.
It was a bit hectic at that point as I suddenly seemed tangled up in umbilical cord, placenta and slippery baby boy! I sat down and brought Adam to my lap, while my friend Sunday handed my husband and I some receiving blankets. We gently wiped Adam and managed to untangle him from his cord. It was slung over his neck in a U shape, but not completely wrapped around.
The midwife arrived just then with a big smile on her face. “Well, you did it yourselves!” she said. And we grinned back at her and said, “Yep, it was awesome!”
I totally get why some women want a UC. I don’t think we were totally UC because we had MIL and friends there, but my husband and I were in charge at all times. It felt so good…so right! My husband was definitely freaked out as he told me later. But he was so calm… watching it on video later he really didn’t appear panicked at all.
I’m still trying to process this whole experience. My little guy is not even 48 hours old! His entrance into this world was just so beautiful and gentle. I am most amazed by the fact that he came with no pushing on my part. I KNOW intellectually that that is how it works. However, in my experience, I consciously pushed with my other two babies—not purple pushing or coached, but still active pushing. This time Hypnobabies helped me let go and allow my body to do the gentle work of bringing the baby into the world. It felt awesome and really carried no pain, just pressure.
Afterward, my husband, the special “guests” at my son’s birth, and I toasted to Adam’s new life with sparkling cider and cranberry juice. I felt surrounded by light and love as I held and snuggled Adam in my bed. I can’t think of a better start for a new life!
Truly living and believing and letting go to the hypnotic suggestions and cues of Hypnobabies made this the easy and quick birthing it was. Less than 48 hours I sit here comfortably (with no tears) typing away on my computer. I feel great and have yet to come down from the high of the experience. I wish all upcoming hypnomoms a similar joyous birthing time!!!
Thanks for Reading and Best Regards,
Pam
Adam David: 7lbs 12 oz, 20 inches, born 8/4/06