Hospital Birth – May 2012

Leyla shares her story. It may not be a typical “hypnobirthing” story but she kept calm, used natural birthing positions,  despite not getting the water birth she wanted ….
2am – I remember looking at the clock and trying to go to sleep but the surges kept waking me up.  I had had surges from around 34 weeks some lasting a whole day others just for an hour or two.  But they never became regular enough for me to worry or the intensity increase.  These ones where every 6 minutes and intense enough to stop me sleeping.
4 am – I was still awake unable to get comfy to sleep, in all my waking around as this seemed to be the only thing that helped I had woke up our daughter and had to get her back to sleep, only she wanted to lie in our bed.  I remember watching her sleep and thinking how different things were soon going to be, surges 4 minutes apart but no more painful.
7 am – I had a show and decided that it was perhaps time to wake up husband.  We agreed to wait until 8.
8 am – the surges were still 4 minutes apart we rang the hospital who said we could come in to be checked out.  At that time we lived a 35 – 45 minute drive down the motorway to the hospital.   With my eldest they closed  part of it and I was dreading the same thing happening.  We called nursery and then my parents.
As we got in the car the frequency of the surges slowed to 12 minutes apart, I was gutted but still wanted to be safe and get checked out.
8.50 am – I was examined by a mid wife and was 4-5cm.  They let me stay on the ward.  The midwife told me I did not look in enough pain to be in labour so she would wait until 10 to re asses me and make a decision.
10.40 am – Examined and I was almost 5 cm but I was not longer having surges, they told me to go home.  I was gutted.  I did not want to get stuck on the motorway, just in case and did not really want to go to my parents as I really did not want my daughter to see me in pain.
10.50 – As we were leaving the hospital the next wave of contractions started, this time much stronger and 4 minutes apart.
12.32 – According to the parking machine we arrive back in hospital. I remember the midwife kept trying to get me to lie on my back and I remember my instincts telling me to get on my knees and put my arms on the top of the bed, leaning on the back on it so I was in a more natural position.
I am not sure of the exact timing of it, I remember the midwife was not there just me and my husband, I felt that all mighty pressure and a feeling of self doubt.  I remembered from my first pregnancy that this meant I needed to push so I did, just one.  The midwife came in at this point, this was the second time she had come in and she turned me onto my back to examine me.  She said I can see the membranes, as my waters were still in tact at this point, let me try pop them for you.  She touched them and not only did they pop, but by doing so my daughters head also came out.  My husband said it was one second no head, next second head.   I felt instant relief, no more surges.  Which was when the midwife said twice, on the next contraction push and your baby will be out.  Baby was born at 13.32.
Welcome to the world little one ….
Leyla

The full story was initially shared on This Day I Love