So third time lucky and I finally got my water birth! What can I say about my birth experiences? That what was most important to me was to be with people that think of birth as a positive experience.
First Baby
When I had my first baby I was ready to fight for an epidural and I was so scared that the moment I started feeling pain I went straight for one and had an instrumental delivery with so many interruptions that It traumatised me and ended up not able to walk for six months after the episiotomy.
Second Baby
For my second birth, a friend recommended hypno birthing. For me, it made all the difference, it felt like I was approaching birth from a difference angle. Reading birth stories of people that got the right birth made all the difference to me and made me approach giving birth with a different frame of mind.
At 41 weeks, I had a sweep with my second and broke waters that evening. I called the hospital and was told to go for a check-up in the morning if I didn’t have surges yet, so at 6 am we headed there.
I was put on the monitor and started having surges at 9 am but got sent home at 9:30 as they thought they weren’t strong enough.
However, at 10:30 I was back in the hospital, unfortunately Triage was busy so by the time I saw somebody I was Already 8 cm and got sent to the labour ward (as they said I was looking clammy) what they didn’t realise is that I was so far gone!
So I was ready push. Baby came at 12:08 weighing 4.3 kgs. Theo is now three.
Third Baby
For my third baby I knew my body a lot better and I knew that I have fast births.
I had a sweep at 40 weeks and I started feeling the surges at 3 am I started listening to my wise hippo tracks and I called the hospital when I was having three every ten mins and was told to go in.
I woke my husband and we headed there. I kept breathing and when I got intro triage the midwife didn’t think I was ready and said that I didn’t look like I was in labour.
To her surprise, I was a far three cm gone so she said they would take me to the antenatal ward and I should try waking to bring baby down. I knew very well that there was no need as I was not going to be long.
I got into bed and 20 mins later I had to call the midwife as I was having surges every couple of minutes, she didn’t expect much as she said it had only been 20 mins so she could not believe it when I was 5 cm and my waters were bulging so she said that as it was my third baby.
The moment the waters went the baby would likely come out, so she took me to the birthing centre and started filling the bath.
The midwife that took over was brilliant, she already knew that I had done my hypnosis so she asked me only once if I wanted any drugs and after I said no, she turned the lights off, put relaxing music and left me to myself.
I got in the water, and immediately I felt so much better. It makes such a difference!
Especially in between surges because in the water I didn’t feel my weight or my big tummy. I kept my eyes closed and focused on my breathing, they kept telling me how relaxed and in control I was.
Less than an hour later, I was ready to push. Edward came at 6:55 am weighing 4.5 kgs. It was an amazing experience and to me it felt so lucky to be able to birth that way with me last baby.
I would not have been able to be in that zone if it wasn’t for the wise hippo training.
Thanks a lot for your help and for always being there! This is it now for me, three is the right number. 🙂