The Birth of Emalyn - Lockdown 2020, Home Water Birth
Such a wonderful birth story from an awesome mama who gave birth at home during summer2020 . She was utterly determined to have a positive birth experience...
"I run Baby Massage classes @aweandwondersensoryplay and in the very first class I ask mummies to share their birth stories... When the words hypnobirthing are mentioned I know it's going to be a positive story!
We booked hypnobirthing with Debbie and had two longer virtual sessions and a third check in session via zoom also. And so here is our positive birth story X
I was very clear that I wanted a home birth, then with Covid, home births suddenly were no longer an option. I didn't give up hope and seeked support in Free Birthing, where we would still birth at home without a midwife but using a Doula for support. Therefore Debbie's role for us was to really ensure I understood and took my hypnobirthing seriously - it was to be my only pain relief.
A few weeks before the due date home births were put back on, I felt very confident in my ability to understand the birth process and had also seeked support from a very knowledgeable Hannah at
Living Rhythm
. She is trained with spinning babies and body work, I learnt that for a quicker and 'easier' birth, my baby needed to be in an optimal position. It was very much my role to help my baby prepare for birth, when my body decided the time was ready! Debbie, Hannah and my doula were all worth their weight in gold - never look at their cost and think you can do without. I would never have got the incredible home birth without their knowledge and powerful birthing messages.
I woke up on my birthday at 5am and had my early morning wee. I soon realised I wasn't comfortable trying to get back to sleep, and listening to my body and instincts felt the birthing ball was what I needed. (I had had two days of constant contractions two weeks before this but nothing I couldn't cope with and they went away, these had brought her much lower)
After an hour on my ball, my four year old came down to find me and tell me I needed to open my birthday presents! I did this calmly, put my make up on and then told my hubby he needed to get to birth pool sorted out. It had been so so hot that month and we had it up already, having spent the previous evening in their relaxing.
I now needed to stop during the sensations and realised these were certainly contractions that were going to be helping birth my baby, they felt incredibly low and were frequent. Excitement crept but I kept myself calm and my affirmation clear - these were hugs to massage my baby, bringing her closer to me. To help myself I got into the shower and for each contraction I aimed the water on my bump and clung onto the glass shower door. My husband and son were downstairs doing the pool but I was able to keep focused and use strategies from Debbie's course. I could actually feel myself dilate, it was truly incredible!!!
I phoned my doula, and my husband helped me to the pool. My waters broke just before I got in. The pool was a relief, I got comfortable and used each contraction wisely, I didn't want this to take as long as my son's birth so I figured I needed to let them take over my body and allow them to keep on rolling. I found I was vocal this time, creating a low ooooooo sound which I kept up for the whole duration of the contraction. I entered the transition stage and wanted to call the midwife. As she arrived, she immediately phoned for the second as she could see I was close to birthing as I was bulging.
Such a wonderful birth story from an awesome mama who gave birth at home during summer2020 . She was utterly determined to have a positive birth experience...
"I run Baby Massage classes @aweandwondersensoryplay and in the very first class I ask mummies to share their birth stories... When the words hypnobirthing are mentioned I know it's going to be a positive story!
We booked hypnobirthing with Debbie and had two longer virtual sessions and a third check in session via zoom also. And so here is our positive birth story X
I was very clear that I wanted a home birth, then with Covid, home births suddenly were no longer an option. I didn't give up hope and seeked support in Free Birthing, where we would still birth at home without a midwife but using a Doula for support. Therefore Debbie's role for us was to really ensure I understood and took my hypnobirthing seriously - it was to be my only pain relief.
A few weeks before the due date home births were put back on, I felt very confident in my ability to understand the birth process and had also seeked support from a very knowledgeable Hannah at
Living Rhythm
. She is trained with spinning babies and body work, I learnt that for a quicker and 'easier' birth, my baby needed to be in an optimal position. It was very much my role to help my baby prepare for birth, when my body decided the time was ready! Debbie, Hannah and my doula were all worth their weight in gold - never look at their cost and think you can do without. I would never have got the incredible home birth without their knowledge and powerful birthing messages.
I woke up on my birthday at 5am and had my early morning wee. I soon realised I wasn't comfortable trying to get back to sleep, and listening to my body and instincts felt the birthing ball was what I needed. (I had had two days of constant contractions two weeks before this but nothing I couldn't cope with and they went away, these had brought her much lower)
After an hour on my ball, my four year old came down to find me and tell me I needed to open my birthday presents! I did this calmly, put my make up on and then told my hubby he needed to get to birth pool sorted out. It had been so so hot that month and we had it up already, having spent the previous evening in their relaxing.
I now needed to stop during the sensations and realised these were certainly contractions that were going to be helping birth my baby, they felt incredibly low and were frequent. Excitement crept but I kept myself calm and my affirmation clear - these were hugs to massage my baby, bringing her closer to me. To help myself I got into the shower and for each contraction I aimed the water on my bump and clung onto the glass shower door. My husband and son were downstairs doing the pool but I was able to keep focused and use strategies from Debbie's course. I could actually feel myself dilate, it was truly incredible!!!
I phoned my doula, and my husband helped me to the pool. My waters broke just before I got in. The pool was a relief, I got comfortable and used each contraction wisely, I didn't want this to take as long as my son's birth so I figured I needed to let them take over my body and allow them to keep on rolling. I found I was vocal this time, creating a low ooooooo sound which I kept up for the whole duration of the contraction. I entered the transition stage and wanted to call the midwife. As she arrived, she immediately phoned for the second as she could see I was close to birthing as I was bulging.
My plan was that I wanted a hands off birth and they were very good at adhering to this. One time she wanted to use the water Doppler again, but as it was approaching a contraction I was able to clearly tell her no, it wasn't the right time. Debbie's course gave me the confidence to know I can state what I want, I have choices.
I felt my baby leave the birth canal and enter the vagina, I hold onto that because it was so raw, so magic and full of awe for birth! This time round, without the oxytocin drip I felt the real urge to push. I caught my baby girl and my husband and son climbed into the pool to bond with her to! My son was able to hold her umbilical cord and see how Daddy cut it after it had stopped pulsing.
A few stitches needed on the sofa and Paw Patrol birthday cake dished out by my son!! He had been there for the whole birth, I had prepped him and my hubby has the best video of me contracting in the pool making my noise outlet and then pans over to my son eating his breakfast at the table Our doula had an amazing rapport with him so he was able to play midwives and come and support me.
My birth was from 5am until she was born at 9.20am (active labour around 1hr 20mins)
It was full of oxytocin and magic! I trusted my body to birth and when I felt I couldn't do it much long I gave myself a very good internal talking to!
My pain relief was Debbie's hypnobirthing strategies Every pregnant women should book hypnobirthing, see a body worker like Hannah and consider a Doula & placenta encapsulator! Forget about the expensive nursery furniture you don't need and the ridiculous gadgets!"
I felt my baby leave the birth canal and enter the vagina, I hold onto that because it was so raw, so magic and full of awe for birth! This time round, without the oxytocin drip I felt the real urge to push. I caught my baby girl and my husband and son climbed into the pool to bond with her to! My son was able to hold her umbilical cord and see how Daddy cut it after it had stopped pulsing.
A few stitches needed on the sofa and Paw Patrol birthday cake dished out by my son!! He had been there for the whole birth, I had prepped him and my hubby has the best video of me contracting in the pool making my noise outlet and then pans over to my son eating his breakfast at the table Our doula had an amazing rapport with him so he was able to play midwives and come and support me.
My birth was from 5am until she was born at 9.20am (active labour around 1hr 20mins)
It was full of oxytocin and magic! I trusted my body to birth and when I felt I couldn't do it much long I gave myself a very good internal talking to!
My pain relief was Debbie's hypnobirthing strategies Every pregnant women should book hypnobirthing, see a body worker like Hannah and consider a Doula & placenta encapsulator! Forget about the expensive nursery furniture you don't need and the ridiculous gadgets!"
