Baby Sylvie Rose, 7 lb 9 oz
Early labour started around 9pm on Saturday night. I'd spent the last few evenings doing gentle bouncing and figure-of-eight movements on the birthing ball, and had been having Braxton Hicks for a week or so, but there was a definite shift to more consistent and stronger contractions that night. We went to bed and I managed to get a few hours sleep that night before waking at around 7am. Contractions were now consistent at every 8 minutes. We spent the morning getting final bits and pieces in order - shipping the dog off to the parents, putting a few final bits in the hospital bag etc.
By early afternoon, contractions were around every 5 mins. My mum had arrived and she and my husband were helping to keep a calm atmosphere. They encouraged me to have some lunch with them, which I managed in between breathing through contractions. As the afternoon progressed, we drew the curtains, dimmed the lights and I spent time rocking and leaning over the birthing ball with our playlist of gentle acoustic music in the background. My husband was able to put some of the massage techniques learnt in the workshops to good use.
We phoned the hospital when I was contracting every 3 minutes, but I felt that I was still coping well at home so they encouraged us to stay at home as long as we felt able. Things seemed to slow down a little after this, until at 8pm I began to feel a little queasy and shaky and decided I wanted to go to hospital.
On arrival at the hospital, I was examined and found to be 3-4 cm dilated, which I found a little disheartening. But we set up our 'baobab tree' that we learnt about in the workshops in the birthing room, with soft lighting, our own music, cushions, blanket and birthing ball and I started to feel more positive. My husband was really helpful in talking me through the relaxation techniques. We changed position often, using positions we had practised in the workshop sessions. I was still on only paracetamol at this stage. Around midnight I took a dose of codeine. I tried using the birthing pool, but felt like I couldn't ground myself as well as when I was kneeling or standing, and I got too hot as well, so it was back on dry land for me!
It got to around 3am and I told my partner I felt I wasn't coping so well, and he rang for the midwife. Until this point we had been left on our own, which helped to create a feeling of calm. The midwife was great at responding to how I was presenting, and suggested I try some gas and air. This took a couple of contractions to get the hang of, as it made me feel lightheaded, but I found it really helped me ride the contractions out once I'd got the knack. I felt like I was losing control at a certain point, which looking back must have been around transition.
Around 5am I was ready to push. I kept upright throughout and was using the birthing stool for much of it. The midwife advised me after a while that I was becoming tired, and advised that I may need a hormone drip to keep the contraction intensity up. She knew from my birthing plan that I wanted a natural labour though, and she encouraged me to lie down for an hour to regain some energy before starting to push again. It was hard resisting the urge to push for that hour, but it seemed to work and when I started to push again, it seemed more effective in moving the baby down.
At 8am there was a midwife shift change, and my husband was great at being my gatekeeper and letting the new midwife know what my preferences were. They tried to encourage me to lie on my side, but I felt I was coping much better in a more upright, all-fours position. Eventually my waters broke and I could feel her coming closer to being born. Both the midwives and my birth partner were great at encouraging me to use the whole length and force of each contraction to move the baby down. At 10.17am little Sylvie Rose Appleton was born, a healthy 7lb 9oz. She was alert and breathing, but didn't cry. She had remained stable throughout despite the long labour.
I was so proud to have given birth with just paracetamol, a dose of codeine, and gas and air once we reached established labour. I felt the hypnobirthing techniques really helped, particularly in early labour and in getting the oxytocin flowing! I felt I lost my control a little as labour progressed, but looking back this was likely to have been transition. I was pleased that everyone involved in the labour was aware of my wish to have a natural labour and encouraged me to achieve that.
Thank you so much Debbie for all your guidance and support in the lead up to the birth. I would definitely encourage friends who are expecting to look into hypnobirthing.
Early labour started around 9pm on Saturday night. I'd spent the last few evenings doing gentle bouncing and figure-of-eight movements on the birthing ball, and had been having Braxton Hicks for a week or so, but there was a definite shift to more consistent and stronger contractions that night. We went to bed and I managed to get a few hours sleep that night before waking at around 7am. Contractions were now consistent at every 8 minutes. We spent the morning getting final bits and pieces in order - shipping the dog off to the parents, putting a few final bits in the hospital bag etc.
By early afternoon, contractions were around every 5 mins. My mum had arrived and she and my husband were helping to keep a calm atmosphere. They encouraged me to have some lunch with them, which I managed in between breathing through contractions. As the afternoon progressed, we drew the curtains, dimmed the lights and I spent time rocking and leaning over the birthing ball with our playlist of gentle acoustic music in the background. My husband was able to put some of the massage techniques learnt in the workshops to good use.
We phoned the hospital when I was contracting every 3 minutes, but I felt that I was still coping well at home so they encouraged us to stay at home as long as we felt able. Things seemed to slow down a little after this, until at 8pm I began to feel a little queasy and shaky and decided I wanted to go to hospital.
On arrival at the hospital, I was examined and found to be 3-4 cm dilated, which I found a little disheartening. But we set up our 'baobab tree' that we learnt about in the workshops in the birthing room, with soft lighting, our own music, cushions, blanket and birthing ball and I started to feel more positive. My husband was really helpful in talking me through the relaxation techniques. We changed position often, using positions we had practised in the workshop sessions. I was still on only paracetamol at this stage. Around midnight I took a dose of codeine. I tried using the birthing pool, but felt like I couldn't ground myself as well as when I was kneeling or standing, and I got too hot as well, so it was back on dry land for me!
It got to around 3am and I told my partner I felt I wasn't coping so well, and he rang for the midwife. Until this point we had been left on our own, which helped to create a feeling of calm. The midwife was great at responding to how I was presenting, and suggested I try some gas and air. This took a couple of contractions to get the hang of, as it made me feel lightheaded, but I found it really helped me ride the contractions out once I'd got the knack. I felt like I was losing control at a certain point, which looking back must have been around transition.
Around 5am I was ready to push. I kept upright throughout and was using the birthing stool for much of it. The midwife advised me after a while that I was becoming tired, and advised that I may need a hormone drip to keep the contraction intensity up. She knew from my birthing plan that I wanted a natural labour though, and she encouraged me to lie down for an hour to regain some energy before starting to push again. It was hard resisting the urge to push for that hour, but it seemed to work and when I started to push again, it seemed more effective in moving the baby down.
At 8am there was a midwife shift change, and my husband was great at being my gatekeeper and letting the new midwife know what my preferences were. They tried to encourage me to lie on my side, but I felt I was coping much better in a more upright, all-fours position. Eventually my waters broke and I could feel her coming closer to being born. Both the midwives and my birth partner were great at encouraging me to use the whole length and force of each contraction to move the baby down. At 10.17am little Sylvie Rose Appleton was born, a healthy 7lb 9oz. She was alert and breathing, but didn't cry. She had remained stable throughout despite the long labour.
I was so proud to have given birth with just paracetamol, a dose of codeine, and gas and air once we reached established labour. I felt the hypnobirthing techniques really helped, particularly in early labour and in getting the oxytocin flowing! I felt I lost my control a little as labour progressed, but looking back this was likely to have been transition. I was pleased that everyone involved in the labour was aware of my wish to have a natural labour and encouraged me to achieve that.
Thank you so much Debbie for all your guidance and support in the lead up to the birth. I would definitely encourage friends who are expecting to look into hypnobirthing.
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