Hospital Birth – 06-Sept-12

Here is Pippa’s story …..
My son was born in 2010 after over three hours of pushing. He was born in the water, which is what I wanted but I sustained a third degree tear and felt like I’d been hit by a truck afterwards. Muscles I didn’t know I had ached! When I was pregnant with my daughter and thinking about the kind of birth I wanted I knew that this time needed to be different.
I remember chatting to my partner a week before our daughter was born and telling him that I didn’t want to push this time. He looked slightly bemused by this but I knew what I meant. I knew that this time I would listen to my body’s impulses and work with them, I didn’t realise what I had to do with my son which I feel led to inefficient pushing and the tear.

When I went into labour I was 9cm dilated when we arrived at hospital. I found a position which helped me to deal with contractions (standing with my arms against the wall and leaning my head on them) and managed well until I could get into the pool. I used gas and air when I was in the pool and, instead of pushing, just breathed down with each contraction. I really feel like my body, and my baby, worked together to deliver her. The only push I gave was to free her body and allow her to swim up to meet us. My partner remarked on how quiet I was. I remember being inside my own mind for most of the time, I feel that I could have done it on my own as both the midwife and my partner were really peripheral. I absolutely got the birth I wanted after the struggle of my son’s. I felt absolutely euphoric afterwards!
I have a beautifully calm, relaxed little girl who has always been an easy baby. I am sure that her lovely birth has contributed to this. While I didn’t formally undertake hypnobirthing I do believe that many of the techniques I used are part of it .and, were I to have any more children, I would definitely be finding out more.
Pippa’s gorgeous daughter arrived safely into the world weighing 9lbs 3.5oz.
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