I know I always say it, but I absolutely LOVE getting birth announcements in my inbox.
It doesn’t matter how brief or how in depth they are, I so appreciate when my clients take the time to let me know they have had their baby and that they now truly get what a positive birth is all about!
This beautiful couple were so engaged from the very beginning…they were totally committed to a positive birth.
Taking a hypnobirthing class was one of the many decisions they made that helped them reach their goal.
In addition to the preparation and techniques that hypnobirthing provides, they also sought additional information, tools, and supportive caregivers.
And like they said, it was all totally worth it!
Birth is a day you will remember for the rest of your life…and I am so pleased that this new family will look back on their birth and be filled with warm, proud, positive feelings!
So our big news is that we birthed our little boy at the RBWH Birth Centre at 40+1 weeks on Tuesday 30 June at 9:18pm with the help of our My Midwives private midwife Karen Hollindale.
It was the most empowering, positive, and rewarding experience of my life!
All the tools of hypnobirthing, as well as the extra reading and education I did, the Spinning Babies exercises, and all the couples work Tom and I did together really paid off.
During labour, I worked with the intensity because I knew it was helping me to birth him (I literally watched a heap of Sheila Kitzinger interviews on YouTube for the hundredth time the night my waters broke – I had her empowering voice in my head throughout a lot of my labour).
Some other things that really helped me.
I listened to a background music track (no words) on repeat from about 3:00pm that afternoon until he was born.
I utilised a TENS machine throughout the whole labour.
My partner did soft touch across my hips during the surges.
I wore a mask, robe, and slippers on the challenging car journey into the hospital (definitely considering a home birth next time around) and really focused inwards.
He was birthed on all fours, I was learning over a beanbag, with my partner catching him to pass to me, and me cutting the cord.
The placenta took its time, but we managed to encourage it with the gravity of a birthing stool and me engaging with the positive mindset again too.
We were in and out of the hospital in 8 hours, with no pain relief used.
The midwife was filling up the birthing pool, as we’d discussed we’d like to try a water birth. I remember hearing the water running and thinking, there’s no bloody way I want to get in there! I want to be dry and on firm, solid ground. Funny how birthing plans change!
For anyone that asks me for advice, I will scream your services from the rooftops as well as that of the private midwives. It was worth every dollar. I was also a LITTLE bit obsessed with anything and everything to do with positive birth throughout my whole pregnancy and I think that obsession paid off!
Thanks again so much Caitlin – your service is gold!