This birth story is beautiful and is beautiful to read…Dani has such a way with words!
I love how you can feel the fun that she and Glenn had both in preparing for birth and during…birth is meant to be enjoyable!  You can joke, you can laugh, you can enjoy yourself!
And long pregnancies can be hard to enjoy!  Especially as those days go on and pressure seems to mount from family, your caregiver, and yourself.  But Dani and Glenn were able to hold onto their positive mindset and continue to embrace their experience.
After a long pregnancy, Dani ended up having a quick labour!  Funny how sometimes babies that seem to keep us waiting forever, then decide to arrive in a hurry!

Here is Maverick’s fast and furious birthing story as told by his amazing mother, Dani.
You can find Dani and more of her inspiring writing over on The Self-Loving Mama and on Instagram.

‘There is a power that comes to women when they give birth. They don’t ask for it, it simply invades them’.

I have never felt stronger, more empowered and more womanly than I did the day I gave birth to our son. It was and will remain to be the most incredible experience of my life and a day that I will deeply treasure for as long as I live.

Our obstetrician had told us that he didn’t think we would make full term, our baby was engaged, locked and loaded from 35 weeks, it was only a matter of time. We couldn’t wait to meet our little bundle of joy, I felt as if my pregnancy had dragged on forever and we were overwhelmed with excitement for our family to become three. The first day of February came and went. It was the day I was supposed to give birth to our baby. I felt deflated, I was so ready to begin this next chapter of our lives but I was patient. I knew that when the timing was right, he would come.

The next 11 days were long. Every day I woke up wondering if today would be the day. Every night I would tell my husband that ‘something was happening’. Upon reflection I think I wanted our baby to arrive so badly that I was almost willing it to happen. I would fill my days with massages and foot rubs, acupuncture and countless hours sitting in the lounge room bouncing on my ball. Hoping. Wishing. Waiting.

The 10th of February rolled on by and our obstetrician had advised us that we would need to be induced the next day. I was disappointed as this was not the way I had wanted our birth to be. We had decided to do a Hypnobirthing Australia course when we were about 6 months pregnant and I had my birth all planned out, although I had mentally prepared myself for anything. I had dreamed of waking up in the night to my first contraction and spending time at home with my husband until it was time to head to the hospital, but I reminded myself that I didn’t fall pregnant to give birth, I fell pregnant because we wanted a child and however that child would come into this world would be more than okay with me.

That afternoon we went to my parents place for the night. It was a Saturday and we decided we should get out of the house and enjoy our last night child-free, before our lives changed forever. We were beyond excited. By 8:00pm we had eaten dinner and were relaxing outside, placing bets on whether we thought Baby Abey (as we affectionately called him) would be a boy or a girl. I encouraged my husband to relax and have a few drinks. We had been on high alert for weeks and weeks now and this baby was not coming out on his own accord and would be evicted tomorrow.

A couple of hours passed and I was getting tired so decided I was going to head off to bed. As I stood up from my chair, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body. I was frozen. I turned around and everyone was looking at me. Was that a contraction they asked? I wasn’t sure but it was definitely something. I took myself off to the bathroom as I suddenly felt the urge to pee and noticed when I got there that I was leaking. Oh. My. God. It was happening. I quickly waddled outside to inform my husband and parents and then BAM! Another contraction. It hadn’t been any more than a few minutes since I’d had the very first one.  We decided we better get the timer out in case they were going to be consistently frequent. And that they were. Almost straight away they were three minutes apart, coming hard and fast. I was pacing the back yard not sure what I should do. We called the hospital and they told us to come straight in. We threw our bags in the car and then the realisation hit us. Who was going to drive? My husband and my parents had all been drinking. We had come to the conclusion that we were going to be induced and tomorrow would be the day. Boy, were we wrong. My 17 year old brother, who was only on his learners, was the only option. I guess that made me the supervisory driver! When I think back to this night, I cannot help but burst out laughing. The image of my parents and my husband piling into the car, my brother was driving while I was literally hanging out the window groaning with each contraction. I could see the look on my brother’s face in the rear-view mirror. The look of sheer terror will be etched into my brain forever.

We arrived at the hospital at approximately 10:00pm. We were the only people in the birthing suite which was actually very lucky as I did not give birth quietly (Glenn still jokes to this day that I sounded like a Wookie). The midwife came in and checked my cervix. Even though my contractions were close together, I was only 3cm dilated and they suggested we go home. There was no way I was getting back in that car and going home so Glenn told the midwife to go and get someone with a smaller hand. Seriously, my husband is hilarious! Ten minutes later my waters broke and it was go time. I had decided that I wanted to have a natural drug-free birth if I could but within minutes I was telling my husband to ignore everything I had said and to get me the epidural! He persuaded me to hop in the shower and give it some time, he knew that’s not what I wanted. I spent the next few hours in the shower on the ball, my Mum was still here at this stage and her and Glenn were massaging my back while my birthing affirmations played in the background. I would get angry as soon as either of them stopped – I was in the zone; I actually ended up with blisters on my back from them rubbing it for so long. Our baby was posterior too, which meant I laboured all in my back! When it was getting close to delivery, my Mum left the room. We had only ever planned for Glenn and I to be there and this is how we wanted it to be.

At 1.29am on the 11th of February, (on the shower floor and a total of 4 hours from my first contraction), Maverick George Abel was born into the arms of my husband. We did it! I have never felt so much overwhelming love in my life. Love for my husband and for the life we had just bought into the world. My heart was so full and my birth experience was everything I had dreamed of and more.

“Whenever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body and your spirit for the rest of your life. No matter how your child is born into this world, it will forever be your greatest achievement”.

Brodie and Brad are such a lovely couple…so connected to each other and both committed to working together to having a positive birth.
Like most couples, they came to hypnobirthing wanting information and tools…and reassurance that they type of birth they wanted was possible!
They took everything in, asked all the questions they needed to to feel satisfied, and went home and did the work!
They practiced the various techniques, they visualised their ideal birth, and most importantly they backed up their positive mindset with belief.
And they did it!
They welcomed their beautiful baby girl into a room filled with love!
Here is Norah’s birth story as told by her amazing mother, Brodie.

I had planned on so much for my birthing of my gorgeous girl, Miss Norah Winter Button.

Prior to giving birth, a lot of people laughed at me, told me I was in over my head, that I wasn’t able to take control or own the birthing of my daughter.

But I knew I could.

After hearing everyone’s doubt, I felt that surely there was another option out there.
That I didn’t have to have a traumatic experience and that I didn’t have to take drugs to get me through it.

I wanted to greet my baby with loving energy and I wanted to try my hardest to have the experience that Mother Nature intended.

So from the moment I realised I had this beautiful gift inside of my belly, I started researching, looking for a way to make my vision a reality, and then… I found hypnobirthing.
I was amazed at what I found online and the results that people had had.

Then I found Caitlin from Mother Down Under.
Everything she had online really resonated with me and so I booked Bradley and myself in for our 4 week course.

It was everything I had hoped for, I learnt so much and I felt so empowered, and became so aware of things that I had never even thought of!

Every single night I went to sleep to my Hypnobirthing Australia meditations, I listened to the affirmations every time I was in the shower, and I visualised my perfect birth.

Six days have now passed since giving birth to my daughter and I can honestly say, I got everything I wanted – everything Brad and I had worked so hard for.

Yes, there was a few good hours in my birthing experience where I doubted myself, where I really thought there was no way out unless I took drugs, where I felt absolutely defeated. And I cried.

However, every outcome I had hoped for, I received.

I had a healthy baby, a healthy mummy, no stitches, two incredible midwives, my absolutely amazing partner Bradley, no drugs, and a natural vaginal birth. I also was able to deliver my placenta naturally, have delayed chord clamping, and was discharged the next morning!

My first contraction Started at 4:03am on Sunday the 5th of May, 2019. I woke up to a slight tightening in my stomach, nothing painful, I assumed it may of been a strong Braxton Hicks. So I chilled for a little bit, I got up, went to the loo and noticed I had a slight tinge of blood on the toilet paper. I got so excited and I said to Brad – this is it, I’m in labour!

Two hours went by and we were giggling and happy and so very excited! I called the hospital and waited it out. I had a shower and started listening to my Hypnobirthing Australia tracks and using  the techniques we had practiced.

A few more hours went by and we decided to go get some snacks from the shops, each contraction came and I breathed through them easily. I felt empowered, I had it down pat! (Or so I did at this point!)

Around 12:00pm I said to Brad that I wanted to head to the hospital, I felt like I wasn’t very far dilated,  however I wanted to set myself up in the birthing room and feel like I was supported by the hospital, if anything went wrong.

Around 12:30pm we arrived. After some waiting, we were put in an examination room and I was getting the contractions and babies heart rate monitored. My carer examined me and I was at 3 centimetres. I wasn’t sad or happy, quite content. I then had a stretch and sweep to get things moving along.

She left the room and the contractions got more intense. Brad had to leave to grab some stuff from the car and I started panicking at the machines, not knowing if the results were positive or negative.

Brad and the carer came back and she confirmed all was fine, but by this point I had stressed myself out and I asked another midwife if we could get a birthing room so I could get back into a good mindset.

After some time, they told us there was nothing available.

I then started feeling my contractions a lot more and I felt as if I wasn’t being taken seriously.

A midwife came in and told me that they could offer several medications, I told her I didn’t want any, but she made me feel a bit stupid and basically said I just had to deal with it.

They finally came in a little while after this and said they had a room for me, but not a birthing room, a room where new mums and newborns go after giving birth.

I was confused and I just wanted space. I didn’t want to go home as I felt that it was no longer the place for me to be either, so my only option was to go upstairs and share a room with a new mum.

When we got there I had a shower and it helped me get into a better zone.

Four hours had passed by this point and I felt as if I must have progressed and I wanted a birthing room NOW.

A new midwife did another examination and told me I had only dialated a further 1 centimetre.

That was it! I felt defeated. I stopped my breathing techniques and I started crying and breaking down. I looked at Brad and I said I can’t do this, I can’t keep this up any longer. I was in a room, with a curtain dividing me from a beautiful new mum and bub and I felt like I was being suffocated. I felt like no one took me seriously and I texted my trainee midwife and I said I can’t do it.

I spoke to another midwife and broke down, I said I think I’m going to have to get an epidural. They said they could arrange it but they still didn’t have a birthing room available for me.

I cried and cried, I was heartbroken. I didn’t want an epidural, I just wanted my own space. I still wanted to try and birth in the water and get through it with Brad by my side without medical intervention.

They offered water injections and so as a team, Brad and I decided that this would be a good option. During my next contraction, they injected them into my back.  It was so painful – I was in agony!

The contractions grew stronger and I was still being told I wasn’t going to get a room.

More hours had passed and I was still without a room and in pain (mostly mentally), so I said, get me this epidural!

All of a sudden I was in a birthing room, I can’t even remember getting in there!

I fell to the floor and told Brad I couldn’t do it. That I needed the epidural now.

Another midwife came in and said she was organising an epidural and in the meantime to try the gas and air. I took one puff and spat it out!

My student midwife arrived and she and Brad looked me in the eye and showed me how to breathe again.

It was enough to reset me. I felt this sudden feeling again of, like maybe I can do this?!

Then I got up and looked at both Brad and my student midwife and said “I think I need to poop.”  I walked into the bathroom and a midwife yelled out, “Get her out of there! She’s going to push!”

In a flash I was on the bed and I was 8 centimetres dialated, she broke my waters, and it was go time!

The anaesthetist came to the door and said he could give me the epidural now, I was in and out of the room in my mind and wasn’t sure what I wanted. And then I finally had a new midwife come to deliver the baby, she told me I was ok to push now and that I could do it without the epidural. So we sent him away.

Brad put my Hypnobirthing Australia affirmations on, my student midwife began soft massage, and my midwife was assisting me with my breathing! It was ON! I was back ON! And I was strong.

That last hour was the best hour of my birthing of my baby. It was everything I had wanted and more. I had the perfect team, my body and my baby were working together, I was able to push with my body and I felt strong.

Our earth angel arrived at 7:30pm on the dot. She didn’t cry, she was supported by beautiful people, and we had created the loving energy I had been wanting.

I was able to have skin to skin straight away and it was magical.

I asked the midwife if I needed stitches, to my surprise she said no. Wow I thought! I had done it!

Within ten minutes I started contracting again and birthed my placenta naturally, again working with my body. We were also able to wait until white with the clamping and then Brad cut the cord!

I am so thankful for the Hypnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Program. Though I had moments of sadness and defeat due to reasons outside of my control, Brad and I were able to work together as a team to find our way back to my perfect birth.
And I am so thankful for Brad’s support.  Without him, I don’t know what I would of done.

Now we have the most beautiful, relaxed, content and happy baby girl and our world is filled with love!